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December 15, 2016

J. Scott Savage “Four-Part Pacing”

Plotting is about WHAT happens, whereas Pacing is about WHEN something has to happen. Books are often rejected because pacing is bad. Several Pacing Strategies: The Hero’s Journey The Snowflake Method http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ar... Dan Wells’ Seven-Point Story Structure http://www.writingexcuses.com/2012/10/07...
The Big Picture What do I know? Divide story into meaningful chunks Ballpark *word count *words per chapter *number of chapters. Don’t stress how “exactly” stuff happens **Something amazing happens here
Savage figures 75000 words for a MG novel. At 1700 words per chapter, he calculates 44 chapters. He divides these into fourths. Chapters 1-11, 12-22, 23-33, 34-44
The Power of Fourths addresses what should happen in each section.
First Fourth 1) Setup with a good idea of the world. 2) “Buffy beginning” from TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Start story with a conflict that is NOT the main conflict. Use this conflict to pull the reader into the story. Introducing the main conflict too early can ruin the story. By the end of the first fourth, the secondary conflict will be taken over by the main conflict. 3) Planting seeds (hidden foreshadowing) Plant clues for the reader that you will use later 4) Introduce ALL main characters. (Discuss?) DON’T wait until halfway through the book to introduce a main character. Savage says THIS is the most important part. First fourth ends when the journey begins.
Second Fourth 1) Set characters on a quest—often puts them on a false path. Reader may believe the story is going to go in a certain direction, but that direction will be changed by a twist. This is often caused by a main character NOT knowing something. 2) Make sure characters are active and not reactive. Even if your character is engaged in a losing battle, the reader needs something to root for. Savage says THIS is the most important part.
Third Fourth 1) Set characters on a true quest. Character realizes her mistake and sets off on the TRUE QUEST. Core beliefs are rocked. 2) Character realizes the magnitude of the task before her. What is the worst thing that could happen to your character? 3) Internal and external dilemmas collide. (MC’s beliefs collide with what is happening to her.) 4) Build up tension for the climax. Clock is ticking BUT give payoffs. Ends when car chase starts. Savage says THIS is the most important part.
 Fourth Fourth 1) Begins with major revelation. Something happens that makes everything clear. Stakes are high. No one can put the book down! 2) False success—Make the reader think she’s figured it out 3) “All is lost” Scenario is POWERFUL  4) Exciting climax with big payoff as multiple storylines collide 5) May also tell lessons learned/what is the takeaway Savage says THIS is the most important part.
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ar...
Looks like that's as good as it gets. However if you click the links you do go to the pages
http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ar...http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/ar...

http://www.writingexcuses.com/2012/10/07...http://www.writingexcuses.com/2012/10/07...

November 30, 2016

Push Her Off the Roof: Escalating the Stakes

Melanie started out with having us draw a picture of our character. Then give the character what he or she wants.
We actually drew pictures.
Then we hurt our character and drew why we did it. Then discussed the feelings that came after.
All of this was to make sure we gave our character a big enough goal or conflict that changed them. And basically rip the rug out from under them, but with a good reason. So she talked about how to engage the reader in the character's plight. The reader will employ empathy while they're reading.
Painting a sad picture first and then giving them something happy releases the dopamine. Happiness after the pain registers strongly with the reader as though they're experiencing it.
Small hurts are bumps, bruises, etc. or inconveniences. Bigger hurts will move the story along but they don't change the arc of the novel. Transformational hurts make profound changes to the character permanently and change the story. i.e. A football player is so injured that he can't ever play ever again. He's paralyzed.
A guy's hand is cut off by the queen and he can't do his occupation anymore. She begins to regret her actions and changes. He changes as well and grows into the person he now is. (by the end of the story.) There are multiple types of hurt to employ in your story. Physical, emotional and sense of justice.
In every culture there is a sense of fair and what is not; and a deep sense of justice arises. Small can be name calling and that equals emotional hurt. Bigger level might be a break up. Also emotional hurt, but bigger. Transformational emotional hurt might be a divorce.
Physical transformation is loss of limb, cancer, brain injury. Complications have to MATTER
Does the reader want to get riled up with a sense of injustice? Is this a good way to engage the reader? Give characters something to love, relatable goals, and a powerful want
I think if you take the reader on the journey, then yes, have them care about the injustice and want it remedied. I think injustice is a great one. Like Scrooge brushing off Tiny Tim

I would write it so differently if I'm trying to build up a sense of injustice in the reader, than if I'm trying to engender sympathy from the reader. 

November 15, 2016

Fast Drafting: Boost Your Productivity Overnight


Writing 10,000 words a day. You can get to a point where you can out pace what you are doing.
Technique - How I went from 2,000 words a day to 10,000 words a day. Pick what works for you.  Know what you are going to write before you write it is number one.  If a scene goes sketchy or sideways you can cross it out. Dedicated five minutes of what I'm going to write today.  Three to five words snippets and go back and add to it. One five minute pre-write goes to whole scene. A whole scene equals on chapter.
Use note cards or write it down on a page.
When you have finished the full day just write a free sentence that you can do going forward. Start in drafting mode and don't change over to editing mode.
Have no internet access for writing time.
QQQ research for metaphors.  Use a searchable - replaceable.
Writing sprints
Loser has to post a funny joke or a picture of someone for the internet.
On Twitter #1k1hr
Word war.
I write network
Writing strategies.
Turn off the internet.
Hard to achieve a state of mind in flow with drafting to flow with editing. Just write and wait to go back to fix it later. Writing a short verse. Two hours that have to be filed with words. I just find thirty minutes or just find fifteen.  Most of the time you will find that you can do more.
Online critique groups can help you have more to show all the time.
It takes time to find the right one.
Don't be specific about how you write. It is all untrue that you have to have a specific time and space. Don't be precious about you process.




November 6, 2016

Research: What's the point?

Write what you know.  A soccer game, taking a splinter out. Usually boring.
Make a story rich as you take them on a journey. Any time I read something I need to provide the details. Details give an authenticity to a book. Accurate details instill trust in your books.  When you get it wrong you can suspend your beliefs.  Here is a compilation of resources. If used correctly, details can add depth to your story.
Chicago down by Lake Michigan has  super fierce grandmas, with glasses, red lips, and wear black.
If you go to Georgia they serve the kids first.  Here let's take care of the kids. Even at ward parties. An interesting tidbit of information.
What do people take for grant it? Is there a war that she takes for grant it.
Journal of 1812, add it had no comments to the war. It had been going on for so long she took it for grant it.
Natives are the first generation born to Australia.
What do people talk about and how do enunciate? Make sure it is appropriate to the time period. Did a word exist? Some characters use bad language? Even naughty words that are used.  Swear words are different.  It is regional.
1811 dictionary is authentic.
Calves are born in the winter of February, not spring.
Know jobs and hobbies.
Knowing a job as in a glass blower. Make it authentic.
Falconer talks to falconers.
Bee keepers need to talk to bee keepers.
Yard sales are not what they have in Minnesota. They have tag sales on Wednesdays. Culture is important.
 Idaho has a rodeo is important. She queened with me. What do they celebrate and how.
Oakley has a giant boom on the morning of July 4th which is dynamite.
Texas has a huge homecoming month.
Rumors play a nice place in a novel, Kay's Creek Crossing -- a haunted tree.
No uniforms in the early period of jails.
Clothing is important. Historical or science fiction. Regency novel pair of dirty britches or missing jacket is probably poor.  Right clothes for right time period.
Medieval Underwear and other  such things.
Greek Orthodox Church doesn't sit down. The priest sings  and chants the whole time. What does your character worship? Are they the only person that believes this way? How does it effect his life?
Boston streets are narrow. No one has a garage.
Fireflies are cool.
The air is filled with spices for South Africa.
There is that book that has too much setting.  It can take you out of the story.
Almanacs are super cool to find setting.
Writer friends that travel.
Maps are a great place for diagrams.
Don't be afraid to ask medical experts.
Teachers know a lot and what they don't know they know where to look.
Ask waiters with foreign accents.
People love to answer questions about themselves.
Document and save the stuff I've researched. So that you can defend your work.




October 17, 2016

Boiled Bananas for bed?

Boil Bananas Before Bed And Drink The Liquid To Get Some Of The Best Sleep Of Your Life

Experts say that the average adult needs between 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep each night. And you know what? I try my darndest to get all of that sleep in because sleep is incredibly important for both physical and mental health. Sleep is when our brain processes and organizes information, forming new memories. Sleep is when our body repairs muscles and releases hormones to regulate growth. Sleep is when I’m relaxing in my super comfy bed with fancy high thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. Sleep is awesome. But despite all of this, I don’t always get my 7.5 to 8 hours of peaceful rest. And in many instances, it wasn’t because I didn’t give myself enough time.
You see, I’m not one of those people that can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Instead, I’m one of those people that toss and turn, and flip their pillow over and over, sometimes even agonizing when I’ll finally fall asleep. And on top of that, I’ll sometimes wake up all groggy in the middle of the night. Why? I have no idea.
I’ve tried a number of different tips and tricks to get myself to fall asleep quickly, and to get better quality sleep, but they’ve been hit and miss. One of the more obvious “solutions” was sleeping pills but they are hardly a permanent solution. Sleeping pills can have negative side effects you can become dependent on them, developing serious withdrawal symptoms once you stop taking them. Not good at all. So what to do? Well, let’s see what Mother Nature has for us…
Introducing banana tea! Banana tea is all-natural, inexpensive, easy to make and totally delicious. Bananas are high in magnesium and potassium, and this duo can do wonders for helping your body relax so that you can get the sleep that you need.
Ingredients
  • 1 organic banana (you’ll be using the peel so make sure it’s free of chemicals and pesticides)
  • pot of water
  • dash of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. bring pot of water to a boil
  2. cut the ends off of the banana and peel it
  3. place the banana and the peel in boiling water and leave it for about 10 minutes
  4. strain the liquid through a colander and pour it into a mug
  5. add the cinnamon
  6. drink your banana tea before going to sleep!
Banana tea is a fantastic all-natural way to help you deal with your sleeping issues. Let us know if you give it a try and don’t forget to share this with your family and friends!

Read more at http://www.metaspoon.com/bananas-boil-sleeping-effect/?cat=exerheal#yiUykPIkV1OFotXS.99


Okay, I tried this. Night one I did sleep until 4:30 when I got up to make a potty trip. Then I was awake for an hour!
Night Two. I went to sleep much earlier than usual, before 10:00 pm but I was awakened at 11:45 pm with the need to go potty and stayed awake until after 2 am. Going to sleep was tough. I did do things a little different on this night. I pureed all of the drink after removing the skins. Tough to get it all down.

October 15, 2016

Un)realistic dialogue by Aprilynne Pike

As my second attempt to write down what I learned or relearned as the case may be.

If you can't recognize good dialogue when you hear it, it is hard to teach it. If you can tell when the dialogue is bad, you can learn to make it better.

Dialogue should be a text scene. Should have a balance of body language and little or few tags. Cut out about 2/3s of your realistic dialogue.

Your characters should be wittier, smarter, braver,etc. than your are on your best days. Cherry pick the best parts. Get it down to the very basics. I hate phone conversations and she avoids them whenever possible. Cut out all the unnecessary. Delete the hellos and the goodbyes. Try to cut out the interruption that we all do. Avoid that. Trust the reader to recognize the name. Delete all the bodily noises and nodding, etc.

Secondly your dialogue should be like a text TV show. TV show is gonna build the readers reportage with the character. Screenwriters don't have wasted dialogue or a wasted purpose.

She loves Gilmore Girls because it is so snappy. Everyone is smart and well-spoken. Avoid dialect, stuttering and excessive ahs or verbal ticks. Because they can be offensive. If you do it limit it to three lines.

You should have enough hints in your pros to show a reader how a character should sound. When you write dialogue you should have a lot of white space. Especially if it is supposed to be witty.

Speech tags are not needed. Use said, it is invisible. Try to use it whenever necessary. She likes the word hiss. If you can get away without speech tags, then do it. The most difficult conversation to write is a three way within the same gender.

A line of body language should replace a line of dialogue. Or a line about the character.
Read the dialogue out loud. Then maybe add something in. Best dialogue is better when it is written as it takes up lots of white space.




October 14, 2016

Latest News

My latest news is that my new novel,Halfback Hero will be released on November 1st. Reserve your copy now!

October 10, 2016

Feedback

You can enter your feedback for the question here. As in which cover do you prefer and why?
Oh heck, I can't get these two lined up so you can see them side-by-side. I guess I'll settle for one on top of the other! But you don't have to! Oh, and if you like the second one would you like it better if she had a sleeve on her shirt?

October 5, 2016

Elevator Pitch by Heidi Taylor

In an effort to put the classes I attended at the 2016 ANWA conference down on the proverbial written page.

What is an elevator pitch? Basically it is - What is your book about? It is a promise that your book will deliver on. Short and concise. Born on Sixth Avenue back in the day before social media when writers watched and waited for an editor to go to lunch and then rode the elevator to their floor with them. It is not a synopsis, as a synopsis tells everything - back cover copy.
An Elevator pitch is very formulaic.
 1) Who is your hero?
2) What is his or her goal? What is he/she trying to accomplish?
3) What is keeping him/her from accomplishing that goal?
4) What is at stake?
Difference between an elevator pitch and a synopisis. Synopsis tells more. It is back cover copy. Tells the reader a little bit more. So for an example we will do Star Wars- back to the first one, I think it is referred to as Number 4.
1) Who is the hero? Luke Skywalker
2) What is his goal?What is he trying to accomplish? Get the droids back to the princess.
3) What is keeping him from accomplishing his goal? Darth Vader wants the driods.
4) What is at stake? The rebel army will fall.
That is it in a nutshell. Present it in two or three sentences and go.
Tell me more. Is what the editor says.
Don't get stuck in the minutia.

Synopsis is something you can use in your query letter.

September 18, 2016

ANWA Conference

May I just say that this last weekend was amazing! I attended the ANWA Conference in Tempe Arizona and loved, loved, loved it! For those of you who know me, I'm not an overly retentive type but can I just say that if you are LDS, and have an inkling of writing, you need to join this group. Let me just say that it was announced this weekend that men can now join ANWA. How great is that?
For years I have had to say to the gentlemen in my life, "Umm... I'm sorry but no, you can't join." but now I can say yes, yes, yes. Let's see who do you contact? Debi Eaton, or Nan Marie Swapp on Facebook and pay $8.00 for the remainder of this year and $24.00 for next. They will help you find a chapter and off you go with a critique group.
I can't tell you how phenomenal these groups are. I know I joined and soon became a producing author. No my books aren't killing the market place , but I think that is going to change with the little big changes I make from the Guerrilla Marketing class I attended this weekend. Yes, I think things are going to change for me.
One note: I need to change my writing direction temporarily to write a short a bout PTSD. That will be a chore for me as I have walked away from that world temporarily. If you have a PTSD story, that isn't necessarily a war story, send it to me here.

August 24, 2016

Newsletter

Sent out my first newsletter last night. If you didn't get one please let me know and sign up for one by downloading my Free book. I included a tidbit from my new novel Halfback Hero.
On the home front, all is well, my youngest registered for school this morning. Whew! Is he really a Junior? Yep, he is. And the range is due to come later this morning. Boy I thought I would never be so happy to have a thing (which will include many hours of heat/work) back in my life. They took the old one last week and we have been 'salading' it for days. Hum, I wonder what I will cook first?
'Til nest time--enjoy your electronics even the big ones in the kitchen!

August 18, 2016

Update Halfback Hero

Ah, that is done with another critique on the horizon...let's see as to a snippet...

The only answer to this dilemma and any future ones would be shooting her dad. Evie couldn’t do it any more than she could run from the life around her. Dad had his own ideas of how to run her life and he’d been semi-successful doing it for twenty-three years. In all honesty his manipulating help had proved welcome since high school but not this evening, aside from his invitation to dinner. When the doorbell rang, Dad continued his phone conversation and Mom had her hands full with preparing food, leaving her to play the part of hostess, or at the very least, door-woman.
Evie sighed in resignation and answered the door. Evie’s heart jumped to her throat before plummeting at death-defying speed to the pit of her stomach. Justin Lyman, a solid mass of molded muscle, more alluring than he had been in high school, stood on the other side of the screen door. Frozen legs preempted her thought for flight, possibly compounded by the knowledge of him being the fastest runner in town, especially when dodging a linebacker intent on bringing him to the ground. Yes, shooting Dad with the shotgun seemed the easier choice.

Justin Lyman. Her older brother’s long time friend, football persona who’d played for the Raiders at one time—and her major heart throb stood on her doorstep instead of letting himself in as he had numberless times. On more than one occasion he’d found her dashing from one room of the house to another in nothing more than a bath towel. He no longer wore his ‘Indiana Jones’ hat, the one she could identify through the rear window of a pickup, which she’d often imagined fleeing the scene anytime she arrived on site. Of course if he remained nearby in those days, she had the arduous task of pasting a smile on her lips through the torture of his teasing—not the flirting kind but the ‘painful to a young adolescent in love’, kind. Instead of the worn hat, he wore his recently trimmed brown locks to go with his scruff of a beard. His shoulders had broadened somewhat and his chest and back had thickened, still boasting perfection for any female to cry on. She sucked at the air and caught a whiff of his cologne, strong in a sexy and musky way. Her knees threatened to quiver. Damn, why couldn’t they remain frozen?
Hope you enjoyed it! stay tuned for an update on when it will be released!

August 17, 2016

Update

Oh, I am so proud to say this: I am currently finishing up a critique of my next novel, Halfback Hero. Sadly, I have shopped this one around with no takers so it is up to me to self-publish yet another of my works. I feel it is better by far than my Live, Love, Repeat novels. and I'll give you a snippet of it here (not with this post, sadly). but it is time for me to go shopping for a photo or photos that I want on the cover. Hummm, I'm wondering if I can find a football player... Help?

August 2, 2016

Update

My third installment, His Choice, of Live, Love, Repeat is released today. I'm so glad to have all three finally available.

Big News

On the list of more big news is that my second book in the series Love, Live, Repeat is out, In Her Hands.

July 28, 2016

Big News

Today is the day for my big new release! In Harm's Way is being released today! I'm really excited about this.

July 20, 2016

Update

This just in. Ew... feels really exciting and it is for me. I got the publication rights back on my book Dark Days of Promise. I just needed to delete anything and everything having to do with the former publisher including the cover art so this is it, my new revised book.

July 18, 2016

Update - In Harm's Way

This is so exciting! In Harm's Way is now available for pre-order. That means that you can get it for .99 cents on your kindle for a limited time or for $2.99 paperback. I could never do this when it was part of Live, Love, Repeat but now I am able to offer it to you. The sale goes until August 2, 2016 so get it now!

July 14, 2016

Update

I just spent all day on new book covers. One for Dark Days of Promise as I have the publishing rights back and will re-release it soon. And the other book In Harm's Way has a new cover that I will share. Actually I'll share them both here when I get them approved from Amazon.

July 8, 2016

Chocolate Day

Okay so yesterday was chocolate day. For those of you who know me, I can take or leave chocolate except when Rocky Road ice cream is involved. That is when I go nuts!
So when is ice cream day? That is what I need to know.
All I'll say about my contest is, wow. As in no one is writing. I guess that is true for everyone but me. I am busy writing on my time travel novel, the second in my series. But back to my contest, if no one enters I'll have to give myself the book. Ha ha ha

June 27, 2016

Now, let's dissect my tidbit.

"What?" Trevor tried to twist so he could see. "Ow, that smarts."
"Your muscles are huge," she teased, falling backwards in a mock faint.
"I'll show you huge muscles, you tease," Trevor said, tackling her, despite the sharp pain it brought on. He tickled her, keeping her from getting away by pinning her to the ground. She writhed and wiggled to free herself then stilled, her breathing ragged.
Although much of this scene is inferred you know they are on the ground not a bed by the highlighted in red. and still further on you get a feel for the setting.
The stream trickled and gurgled, finding its downward path. Birds once silenced in the wake of the cacophony of chaos returned to their cheerful singing. A gentle breeze caressed their bodies while the sun bathed them in its warm light. Trevor kept most of his weight off her, his upper body weight held with his hands firmly planted on either side of her head.
Trevor lowered himself to one elbow while still holding a good portion of his weight with his other hand. He smiled at her, memorizing the smooth softness of her skin, the arch of her eyebrows, the mischievous smile lighting her eyes. How he wanted to claim her with more than a simple kiss.
Here, we see what he sees.
 "That's the best you can do?" He murmured, his tone gravely with desire.
"When I'm not sure, yes."
He arched his brows in response. "What aren't you sure of?"
"You." She pursed her lips.
 He caressed her cheek with his fingers. "I thought I made that clear." He brushed her lips with his hoping the light contact would cause a reaction.
She closed her eyes.
"Scared?"
She shook her head. He kissed her lightly again, allowing his warm breath to heat her skin. We get a taste of what he sees.She seductively rolled the tip of her delicate tongue over her teeth, leaving a glisten on the inner rim of her lips. His tongue gently tasted her moisture finding she tasted sweet and he wanted more. Here we find another sense as in taste. His heart beat faster, a steady rhythm accenting his kisses. Here we get a sense of what he id feeling. He lifted his lips, whispering against hers. "Look at me, Porsche. I need to know if I frighten you or if I'm too heavy on you."
She opened her eyes, at the same time answering him, "Too heavy."
He rolled, taking her with him until she lay on him. Now he could feel her every decadent and delicious curve, again we feel what he feels. appreciating how they fit  and pressed against him. Keep control. His breathing remained calm and even. She lay astride him, her forearms on his chest. "Better?"
She nodded in answer.
"Your turn. Kiss me." He wasn't entirely sure she would.
She smiled, and instead of kissing him, played with his hair, drawing her fingers across his cheek bone and to his lips. When her fingers lingered on his lips, he kissed them, taking the last between his lips with a deliberate touch of his tongue to the tender flesh under her nail.We get a good sense of what he is seeing here.
"Um, horsey. Glad I recognize that taste. It could have been worse." She giggled at his comment. "Kiss me.”
Porsche delayed her kiss, giving him time to anticipate it. Did she know how to kiss, or just flirt? Would her kiss be one or several? Soft or seductive?
He reached to move her leg and quickly rolled her onto her side. "Stop over thinking it. You've teased me with that deliciously pink tongue of yours. Give me your tongue." She merely smiled. "Give it, or I'll take it."
He didn't wait for her to play any more cat and mouse.Here we get a feel for what he is thinking. His kiss coaxed her to part her lips. He sought her tongue, inveigling a dalliance of intricacy, turning his flaming desire up a notch. Her breath caught. He pulled back.

"That," he murmured with conviction. "Is what tongues are for. I told you I would teach you. Now you've had your first lesson." He rolled away, knowing he must stop before he couldn't bring himself to. He stifled most of the groan that started deep in his loins and begged to be satisfied, hoping she didn't hear it or understand the need it conveyed. He held his side as he struggled to stand, willing his body to calm down.
You see how I used more than one of your senses to develop this scene? the best scenes use three of the five senses; sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. How many do you count in this scene?

June 26, 2016

A Steamy Tidbit from Live, Love, Repeat

"What?" Trevor tried to twist so he could see. "Ow, that smarts."
"Your muscles are huge," she teased, falling backwards in a mock faint.
"I'll show you huge muscles, you tease," Trevor said, tackling her, despite the sharp pain it brought on. He tickled her, keeping her from getting away by pinning her to the ground. She writhed and wiggled to free herself then stilled, her breathing ragged.
The stream trickled and gurgled, finding its downward path. Birds once silenced in the wake of the cacophony of chaos returned to their cheerful singing. A gentle breeze caressed their bodies while the sun bathed them in its warm light. Trevor kept most of his weight off her, his upper body weight held with his hands firmly planted on either side of her head.
Trevor lowered himself to one elbow while still holding a good portion of his weight with his other hand. He smiled at her, memorizing the smooth softness of her skin, the arch of her eyebrows, the mischievous smile lighting her eyes. How he wanted to claim her with more than a simple kiss.
 "That's the best you can do?" He murmured, his tone gravely with desire.
"When I'm not sure, yes."
He arched his brows in response. "What aren't you sure of?"
"You." She pursed her lips.
 caressed her cheek with his fingers. "I thought I made that clear." He brushed her lips with his hoping the light contact would cause a reaction.
She closed her eyes.
"Scared?"
She shook her head. He kissed her lightly again, allowing his warm breath to heat her skin. She seductively rolled the tip of her delicate tongue over her teeth, leaving a glisten on the inner rim of her lips. His tongue gently tasted her moisture finding she tasted sweet and he wanted more. His heart beat faster, a steady rhythm accenting his kisses. He lifted his lips, whispering against hers. "Look at me, Porsche. I need to know if I frighten you or if I'm too heavy on you."
She opened her eyes, at the same time answering him, "Too heavy."
He rolled, taking her with him until she lay on him. Now he could feel her every decadent and delicious curve, appreciating how they fit  and pressed against him. Keep control. His breathing remained calm and even. She lay astride him, her forearms on his chest. "Better?"
She nodded in answer.
"Your turn. Kiss me." He wasn't entirely sure she would.
She smiled, and instead of kissing him, played with his hair, drawing her fingers across his cheek bone and to his lips. When her fingers lingered on his lips, he kissed them, taking the last between his lips with a deliberate touch of his tongue to the tender flesh under her nail.
"Um, horsey. Glad I recognize that taste. It could have been worse." She giggled at his comment. "Kiss me.”
Porsche delayed her kiss, giving him time to anticipate it. Did she know how to kiss, or just flirt? Would her kiss be one or several? Soft or seductive?
He reached to move her leg and quickly rolled her onto her side. "Stop over thinking it. You've teased me with that deliciously pink tongue of yours. Give me your tongue." She merely smiled. "Give it, or I'll take it."
He didn't wait for her to play any more cat and mouse. His kiss coaxed her to part her lips. He sought her tongue, inveigling a dalliance of intricacy, turning his flaming desire up a notch. Her breath caught. He pulled back.

"That," he murmured with conviction. "Is what tongues are for. I told you I would teach you. Now you've had your first lesson." He rolled away, knowing he must stop before he couldn't bring himself to. He stifled most of the groan that started deep in his loins and begged to be satisfied, hoping she didn't hear it or understand the need it conveyed. He held his side as he struggled to stand, willing his body to calm down.

June 25, 2016

Contest is now Open!

Just announcing the contest is now open.
If you want more details on how to, come back later as in tomorrow and the next day.

Description is of Value

Let's say this is an excellent training tool for this contest.
 Excerpts from an essay by Abby Geni, author of The Lightkeepers. http://www.glimmertrain.com/bulletins/es...
 1. Know your setting well. Place is essential to any story. It defines the scope of your characters' actions—where they go, what they feel and see and hear and taste and touch, how large an effect they have on the world around them, how many people they interact with, how rich and full their lives are. Make intentional choices about your setting. Urban or rural? Beautiful or ugly? Familiar or unknown? Safe or perilous? Interesting or dull? Spacious or cramped? Bright or dark? Pleasant or off-putting? The setting defines the size and shape of the story.
 2. Once you've chosen a setting, be specific about its nature. Your setting should never seem vague or half-imagined. Some writers will draw landscape maps. Some will create a layout for the house in which their characters live. If your story takes place outdoors, be aware of the terrain, the season of the year, the foliage, the weather, the color and texture of the sky. If your story takes place indoors, be aware of the architecture, the kind of furniture, the feel of the room (stuffy, open, cozy, cluttered), the amount and quality of light, the smell of the air. This does not mean you must describe all these elements in detail, but the more aware you are of your setting, the more you will be able to capture it and integrate it into the story.
 3. Remember to use all five senses. Many writers have a "default sense" that they use reflexively when writing description. (For most of us, this is vision. A great many authors will describe what things look like and stop there.) Pay attention to what "default sense" you may use, and try to break out of the habit whenever possible. Smell, in particular, can be incredibly evocative when written well. Think about temperature, ambient sounds, the feel of the ground, the taste of the air.
 4. Description can echo and enhance the mood of a story. There's a reason so many love scenes take place in the wild crush of pouring rain. Your use of description can heighten, alter, or mirror what your characters are feeling. The same interaction will seem different if it happens in a labyrinthine mansion or a dark alley or a children's playground. If two characters are having a terrible fight, placing them in a tight, claustrophobic room will heighten the tension, while placing them in an open, breezy field will defuse it. A coming storm creates the sensation of foreboding. Heat slows the story down. A cold breeze chills the reader too. Think about how your descriptions can affect the emotion and action of the story.
 5. It is as important to describe your characters as it is to describe the setting. Physicality makes these people real to the reader. Some writers will sketch portraits of their characters. Others use traits from people they know. Some will write out a list of physical and mental attributes for each character. Make sure you know what your characters look like. Make sure that your descriptions are consistent.
 6. When describing people, stay away from hair and eye color, as well as height and weight. Many writers make the mistake of describing their characters like the people in a police blotter. Think, instead, about the way you might describe your friends. Do you know the height and weight of your friends? Do you ever think about their eye color? These features are not as interesting as other, more complex descriptors. Consider your characters' gestures, the shape of their facial features, their gait, their dimples, their scars, the way they laugh, the quality of their teeth, their stance, their fashion sense, their odor, their vocal tone, and so on.
 7. Think in terms of "telling details": details that let the reader see your characters while also revealing something about their minds. In this way, your descriptions can do double duty: giving the reader a physical picture while also showing an inner, mental trait. If a woman has unkempt, flyaway hair, that lets the reader see her, and it also reveals something about the character's sense of self and level of vanity. If a man has rimless, tinted glasses and a dry, taut mouth, that lets the reader see him, and it also reveals a lot about the character's personality.
 8. Vary the length of your sentences. If you favor long, winding, complex sentences, remember that too much of this style can overwhelm and exhaust the reader. Take a break and include shorter sentences every so often. If, on the other hand, you prefer brief, choppy, staccato sentences, remember that too much of this sort of prose can seem breathless and frantic. Take a break and include a long, dreamy sentence every now and then to calm the reader down.
9. Description can be particularly useful when writing dialogue. If your characters are conversing for a long time, they can start to seem disembodied. The reader may lose track of who's talking or forget the physical space that holds the characters. It's important to include imagery and description at regular intervals to ground the characters' voices in reality. A paragraph of description can slow down a ping-pong interaction. It can quiet an intense and heated interaction. It can give the reader a beat to take in some new information. It can add nuance and nonverbal subtlety to the characters, shading and enhancing what they're saying
 10. Each new scene in a story should have at least one paragraph of description to clarify where the characters are and who is present. This should happen fairly early in the scene. Whenever your readers are unsure about the physical logistics of the story, they will be unable to fully suspend their disbelief and dive in; they will be too busy trying to figure out what's going on. You never want your readers to be unsure about who, what, when, and where. Give us the situation right away. Tell us who is in the room. Locate your story in a distinct place and time.
 11. Too much description can bog down a story, but not enough can have the opposite effect…When it comes to description, finding the right balance will take time, space, and the clarity of mind that [may come] from editing a finished piece, not creating a new one. While you're actively writing, don't worry about whether you're using too much or too little description. Feel free to try things and make mistakes. When in doubt, write more description than you think you'll need. You can always take things out afterward.
12. All these rules—like every rule ever made about writing—should be broken when necessary.

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