The Power of Emotion: What to do to increase the intensity of your story with emotion. Special Guest RaeAnne Thayne, 2009 RITA finalist and author of more than thirty books. Her books have won many honors, including three RITA nominations and a career achievement award from Romantic Times. She will tell us what her trick is for emotion.
NS: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed today RaeAnne. You’ve done many a workshop on The Power of Emotion. So I’m going to do this interview a little different and more or less just ask you to give a mini blog workshop instead. I hope that is okay with you?
RaeAnne: No problem. Thanks so much for having me.
NS: Before we start, could you tell us a bit more about you as an author? Where we can find you etc.
RaeAnne: I started writing in 1990 when I was home on maternity leave with my oldest child and my first sale, a two-book contract, in 1995 to Bantam Loveswept. Since then, I've written thirty-two more for Loveswept, Silhouette Intimate Moments/Romantic Suspense and currently write mostly for Silhouette Special Edition. My books are just about everywhere.
NS: Please tell us about The Power of Emotion and how you use this in your writing.
RaeAnne: Thanks for asking, Mary. This is a very condensed version of a workshop I'm actually giving this weekend at the New Jersey RWA conference.
My favorite scene in the Disney movie Aladdin is near the end when Jafar, the wicked sorcerer, is consumed with greed and ambition and uses his last wish to become a genie. As the shackles clank onto his wrist and he begins to be sucked into the whirling vortex of the lamp, he suddenly remembers all that goes with that particular gig. I love Aladdin's words as he parrots Genie from earlier in the movie – Anybody remember what he says?
"Phenomenal cosmic power ... Itty bitty living space."
Word counts are shrinking across category and single title programs. As writers struggle to adapt, we sometimes forget that since the beginning of storytelling, what our readers have always turned to our novels to find is that emotional connection they make with our characters. That tug to the heart. That awww moment that you want to savor and stretch out as long as possible. So how can writers bring that to the page? Unfortunately, there's no single magic solution. I wish I could make it that easy by saying "hey, do this and your book will brim over with emotion." I can't. Instead, it's more important than ever that you hone every single writing tool at your disposal and never, ever, ever lose sight of the power of emotion you should be creating with every single word.
Here are some of the questions you can ask yourself about your current manuscript:
✓ WOW CHARACTERS: This is the most basic element, but are my characters compelling, vivid, larger-than-life people that my readers can easily relate to? Even if they're aliens or shapeshifters or demons, do they possess emotional depth that resonates with my readers?
✓ EMOTIONAL HONESTY: Do my characters cycle through their emotions responsibly? No depth-of-despair stuff one second, then a hot, steamy love scene the next, with no transitional moment for the reader? (FMI, see Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions, http://www.fractal.org/Bewustzijns-Besturings-Model/Nature-of-emotions.htm)
✓ TRUE CONFLICT: Have I created a conflict between my H/H that cannot be resolved without flaying them open, digging deeply into their psyche and exploring their innermost fears and insecurities?
✓ PROPER PACING: Have I paid careful attention to proper pacing, interspersing moments of raw emotion with levity or sweetness or quiet reflection? Have I taken my readers on a truly thrilling roller coaster ride? Are there small bumps leading to bigger hills until they reach that final stomach-clenching ascent on the way toward the plunge of the dark moment and then the happily-ever-after slowing down to the ride's exit?
✓ DIALOGUE: Have I used dialogue appropriately to best convey my characters' moods and emotions? Not just what they say but how they say it: Terse, hard words during moments of anger; softer, rounder sentences in times of reflection or quiet sharing?
✓ POINT OF VIEW: Is the point-of-view character I've chosen in a given scene the appropriate one to best intensify the emotional arc? (Sometimes it's best to show a scene through the character with the most emotion at stake. But sometimes moments of deep angst and raw emotion in a heroine can be better shown through the hero's eyes, which not only gives the reader a little breathing space from the pain but shows the hero's reaction to those deep emotions in the heroine. And vice versa, of course!).
✓ SETTING: Have I truly utilized setting as effectively as possible to enhance the emotions my characters are experiencing? Weather, time of day, physical location -- all can be used to reflect the emotional mood -- or conversely, to highlight a character's feelings in an unexpected way for the reader, like a scene at a graveyard in brilliant sunlight that only seems to make the character's grief more raw and real in contrast.
✓ THE WRITING! Have I "layered in lusciousness" as Barbara Samuel so eloquently puts it, by using all sensory tools at my disposal to accentuate my characters' emotions through texture and scent and color? (FMI, http://awriterafoot.typepad.com/a_writer_afoot/2007/10/layering-in-lus.html)
✓ LIVE THE EMOTION Finally, have I been willing to dig as deeply as I can -- in my characters' psyches and in my own -- to explore the wide range of feelings inside us all? If I tend to shy away from intense emotions in my life, am I willing to overcome that instinctive self-protective mechanism in order to allow my characters to experience reactions that might personally frighten me?
Even with shortened word counts, I promise that if we can pay a little more careful attention to all those writing tools at our disposal, our stories will sing with emotion. We will create beautiful, inspiring stories that touch people's hearts.
NS: Thank you, RaeAnne, again for your wonderful insight into Emotion!
Novel Sisterhood Member Covers
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Mary's Sunday Blog Interview
No Nonsense Self Defense- How to implement the best into your stories. With Special Guest Marc MacYoung: Growing up on the gang-infested streets of Los Angeles not only gave Marc MacYoung his street name "Animal," but also extensive first-hand experience about the complex nature of violence, the alpha male mindset and how to articulate the lead up -- and aftermath -- of violence. He is considered by many to be one of the most analytical thinkers on the subjects of violence and personal safety today and he brings those talents to help writers create better stories. Visit his site: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/alphabehavior.htm
NS: Welcome and thank you agreeing to be interviewed by Novel Sisterhood. Please elaborate a bit about you and your background.
Marc: That’s always a rough question for me. It’s hard to explain all the things I’ve seen and done. To put this in perspective for authors, you couldn’t write about my life; not even if you tried to fictionalize it. I had one romance writer tell me that I’ve lived the life of her characters. I thought to myself ‘that’s not how I would have put it.’
I will say my entire life has been a constant roller coaster ride through different social classes, ethnic groups, cultures, urban, suburban, rural lifestyles. Then throw in a lot of weird and unique situations into the mix. To be honest a lot of the places I went were not only violent, but extremely so. In order to survive, I had to become adept at violence.
But there’s something strange about my makeup in that I was able to look past the act of violence itself and see what was going on underneath. When I started writing about street survival 20 years ago I was the first person to introduce to the self-defense world that there’s a lot more to all of this than just punching and kicking.
Over the years my fascination with the human condition, what makes people tick, history and cultural anthropology all went into the pot. I ended up teaching people how to survive in dangerous situation. I’ve been in these places and what got me out of there in one piece is my ability to notice patterns, signals and correct interpret what things mean in that context.
The thing is, that isn’t a unique talent. I’ve worked with and dealt with some mighty competent people who can assess the dynamics of a situation at a glance. They know what’s going on, what to do to keep it from blowing up and when it’s about to go sideways. They just can’t tell you how they do it. I know this from personal experience of asking them “How’d you know …” Their answer was “I dunno. I just knew.”
I have to tell you when you’re a young an upcoming lad, that isn’t much help. In fact, that’s what got me writing about the subjects I do, frustration with their inability to communicate. I knew they knew something, they just couldn’t articulate it. When I myself had acquired that knowledge, I turned my attention to articulating it.
That ability to explain these patterns has sent me around the world. I’ve taught police, military and civilians in nine different countries and on three different continents. I’ve written 22 published titles on crime avoidance, personal safety, knife survival and street crime and I run the biggest self-defense, personal safety website in the world. So yes, I have lived an interesting life.
The down side of that, however, is I’ve also been shot at a lot more than the average person.
NS: What is the biggest myth about self-defense that you’ve heard an author use?
Marc: Oh boy, this is rapidly turning into a ‘simple question that doesn’t have simple answers’ interview. I think a better question is “What do authors get wrong about violence?”
Most authors don’t understand how violence happens. Or to be more specific, WHY violence happens. Most writers are middle class and they try to project middle class values and motivations onto their action scenes. This undermines the credibility of the scene because physical violence isn’t a middle class tendency.
Let’s start with that violence is a tool. It’s a way for someone to get what he wants. Most violence has easily identifiable goals. In fact, something many people don’t realize is that most violence comes with instructions on how to avoid it. (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/violencetypes.htm )
The guy will tell you what you need to do to avoid violence. Whether he’s telling your character to change his or her behavior, give over money or just stop talking, there’s usually some kind of communication about how to prevent the coming violence. A big part of why situations escalate to violence is because this advice is ignored.
Another issue is people who use violence to get what they want are VERY selective about who they try it on and when they will act. Despite what you may think, violence isn’t a bull in a china shop. If the violent person chooses the wrong target HE’S going to be the one being harmed. Something that many writers don’t understand, there’s a lot of concern for saving his own skin .
A fundamental guideline is that a person won’t become violent unless he is pretty sure he can do it safely. And by that I mean that – except for the most stupid or insane -- he won’t commit to physically attacking someone he doesn’t believe he can beat. This whether through outright force or by cheating. They steer clear of starting trouble with people who can obviously feed them their liver. But they also hesitate to attack people who know how to cheat too. Something as small as a knowing look as he’s trying to set you up and putting your hand in a purse can abort an experienced criminal from making a move. Why? Because if he commits himself, what comes out of that purse might blow his brains into a fine pink mist.
He would be constantly checking to make sure your character is safe to attack. Not only because of potential danger from the target, but also from the environment. Things like witnesses, security cameras and someone in the area who would intervene will all determine if someone will attack or not. As a writer, you can use this to your characters advantage or detriment.
NS: As an author, I believe it is very important to be accurate. Here is a scenario: I have a character who works the late shift. Every night she has to walk home through Queens, past a condemned building. My character is aware that it’s not a good time to be out, and she’s in danger. This is real life where your everyday girl is not a black belt. So how what qualities or safe guards would you suggest I write into her character to make it believable?
Marc: Well first of all, have her take a different route home.
Failing that, walk on the opposite side of the street. Hey, if it’s late enough, walk down the middle of the street so she can see anyone coming at her. Past that there are also a whole battery of less-than-lethal things like tasers and pepper foggers (not those dinkly little breath freshener cans of pepper spray, they’re close to useless). Being that it’s Queens, knives and firearms are always an option.
Here again though you’re talking about having to be careful about the writer’s middle class values intruding on the subject. If the woman is from working-class Queens, and working the late shift, she’d be far less hesitant to pull the trigger, knife him or hose an attacker with a pepper spray fogger than a nice, white bread girl from Iowa. That’s part of life in those places and they’re pretty pragmatic about it. That willingness translates into changes in her body language that tell would-be trouble that this particular mama-san isn’t someone to mess with.
Women actually function very well in these environments. But those who do also know how things work there, they have attitudes and values that allow them to function and – quite frankly – they won’t hesitate to use physical force. The challenge to the author is to look at how the people in these circumstances think, behave and communicate and then put those into your character. These signals go miles to warn off predators and the lack of the signals attracts them.
There’s also one more thing to consider. You know the nicest thing about being alone in a deserted parking lot? It’s deserted! You’re alone. It’s when it isn’t deserted that it’s a problem; especially when someone else is there and trying to move towards you. If your character is from Queens, she’d know it would be safe if no one was there. She’d also know if someone was there, to turn and go the other way. And if all else fails, she’d know it would be okay to run towards the ‘lights and the noise.’ In this case an all night gas station, store or even a bar.
And realistically, if your character is from Iowa, she’s in a lot more danger exiting the subway than walking by a building with no one out front. A predator is more likely to pick up her trail on the train or at the subway station/bus stop and follow her. He’ll then try to drag her into the condemned building.
NS: If my contemporary hero is in a knife fight, where would I go to do my research? Is there a certain way an author would need to describe how he held it? Or would that be unimportant?
Marc: Well to quote a friend of mine, “Gentlemen shoot each other.” Now that may seem like a strange way to start answering your question, but it’s an important element. Knife fighting is a cultural phenomenon that is far more common among peoples who are both poor and disarmed. In societies where the ruling elite disarmed them, the peasants were forced to use everyday tools for fighting. That often meant knives. Historically some groups would resort to knives in a dueling context, but they’d be just as likely to grab clubs and quarterstaves to settle disputes. (Simply stated, since most violence is to establish social order the consequences weren’t as permanent as with blades).
As weapons go, knives suck. As soon as these groups can afford to upgrade to more effective weapons they did. With a gun you have the safety of distance. With swords you have less distance, but the sword can be used defensively. With knives it’s way too close and they’re kind of short on defensive capabilities. Even if you apply a fatal blow, it’s not immediately going to stop your opponent. Since you’re so close, even if he’s dying, he can return the favor. So called ‘knife fighting’ is pretty much a lose-lose situation.
Knives are used all the time in unexpected violence (i.e. you don’t have time to grab a better weapon). A real common way knives are used is something starts out as a bare handed fight, one guy starts losing, panics, pulls a knife and stabs the other guy. This usually happens in the middle of the incident and it changes from a fight to a killing in the blink of an eye. The guy is stabbed before he even knows there’s a knife involved.
However, the way knives are most commonly used is as a threat display. The guy is standing back showing you knife telling you what’s going to happen if you don’t change your behavior. It’s also a display of how far he’s willing to go.
This is why I say if you find yourself in a ‘knife fight,’ it’s usually a mistake. One guy does a threat display and instead of the hoped for response, the other guy pulls a knife. Now both have a real problem. The question is: Are you going to be willing to die to achieve your end? The answer is usually no. The few times I was ever in a knife-to- knife situations, when the other guy realized I too was armed, he ran. I’ve seen knife-to-knife exchanges, but the funny thing is both guys end up wildly slashing at each other … from four feet apart. They’re not even getting close to one another. As in “Hey man! This is dangerous! I’m not getting too close!” After face is saved, they both run away.
Realistically knives are used more for murder or assassination attempts. It’s a person with a knife attacking an unarmed person and the unarmed person bleeding. And then only when better weapons aren’t available. I address most misconceptions about knife fighting here: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifelies.html
NS: What are your top three books on the criminal mind that you would recommend to an author? And why?
Marc: Hands down, Stanton Samenow’s Inside The Criminal Mind. I call Samenow’s work the unified field theory of criminology. I’ve read a lot of books on criminology and mostly they’ve all struck me as “Wellll, that’s right as far as it goes, but it doesn’t apply to all of them” Samenow’s works however gives you fundamental insight into the criminal mind. Here’s a direct quote from the book: It's about selfishness ... the different manifestations of criminal behavior is just a matter of style. That concept of ‘style’ is important because it really is a matter of personal choice as to how the criminal operates, what tools he has available, what limitations and what social context he exists in.
Another book by Samenow that I highly recommend for authors is The Myth Of The Out of Character Crime. I especially recommend this for helping you write stories where the villain isn’t revealed until the end. There are small behavioral indicators that you can sprinkle through out the story. These indicators won’t give him away, but when the villain is revealed the reader believes it was him.
For a more nuts-and-bolts insight into how street criminals function and behave the book that I co-wrote with Chris Pfouts Safe in the City is a good reference for writers.
Although not necessarily about criminal thinking, I highly recommend the works of Ruby Payne. Her Understanding A Framework Of Poverty was written for teachers, but it’s an excellent insight into how the different social classes think. Although there is not a direct causal effect between poverty and crime, many of the paradigms that criminals are affected by the poverty mindset. But it’s also important because she demonstrates how different social classes have different paradigms, which if you have a evil noble threatening your heroine it will help make him more convincing.
NS: Along the same lines, if I were to write a military book what books should I read or where should I go for research?
Marc: (This one is outside my area of expertise)
NS: What is the best advice you can give to an author writing a suspense, thriller or action novel?
Marc: I’m going to start by suggesting another book for people to read. Richard Conniff wrote The Ape In The Corner Office: Understanding The Workplace Beast In All Of Us. In it he shows first how primate social behavior is very much hard wired into us. Then he begins to show how horribly wrong it can go, especially when someone has the drive to be dominant, but not the understanding, people skills or empathy to be an effective alpha. Although he talks about tyrant bosses, he also discusses the stress and the negative effects it has on people and the organization.
The patterns he talks about in Ape can be useful writing guidelines for your protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters. An example is his discussion of what I refer to as threat displays. There’s an important message being sent by the intimidator, it’s not that he’s attacking right now … but he might.
That ‘might’ is a powerful psychological weapon. This creates not just fear, but also tension, confusion and conflict within the person being threatened. Conflict because while part of us wants to run away other parts are telling us we can’t. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Your antagonist is going to be using this ‘monkey brain’ programming against people. These are the reactions he’s going to be trying to instill within your other characters. Knowing how these programs work on an almost subconscious level, you can write better scenes using this information.
The second thing I’m going to suggest is be careful about turning your bad guy into a mustache twiddler. Evil for evil’s sake isn’t believable. Something I learned in one of my psychology courses is “Man is not a rational animal, he’s a rationalizing one.” 99.999% of bad people have some form of justification for what they are doing. And usually inside their heads, they’re twisting it around so that in some way or the other it’s ‘good.’ (Or that it’s necessary). Consider this, the greatest evils ever done in history were by people trying to ‘improve’ society.
On a much smaller scale the same justifications and rationalizations still apply. A huge source of conflict is “How dare you do that to ME!” There is some event, something said, some perception that this person feels he or she has been wronged. This serves as a justification for every evil thing this person is about to commit. What a lot of people don’t understand is this is the ‘victim mindset’ on a meth binge. The evil person honestly believes HE is the victim. Something your protagonist did – whether it was real or imagined -- triggered this rationalizing process in the antagonist. And now whatever the antagonist does – in his mind at least – is totally justified.
While there’s a trend in fiction to believe that evil done for no reason is more scary, that’s a middle class perception. There’s a big difference between ‘no reason’ and ‘you don’t know the reason.’ There always IS a reason. It may not be a good reason. In fact it can be as screwed up as a soup sandwich, but it’s there. While you don’t have share that reason with the reader, identify in your mind what was the triggering event. What was it in this antagonist’s head, that triggered the ‘you’ve wronged me, so whatever I do to you from now on is justified’ process? You can even write it in a scene where he reacts oddly to something small. That’s the moment that he’s given himself permission to act.
Finally, there’s term I picked up from Josh Whedon’s Firefly. It describes another layer to this behavior. The heroes are called in to protect a group of women from a man who plans to kidnap an unborn child he believes is his. He doesn’t want to take the woman in. He’s just going to take the boy when he’s born. The leader of the protectors wants to see what he’s up against and sneaks into a social gathering where the bad guy is holding court. After listening to a misogynistic tirade about the superiority of men and how men can take whatever they want, the hero leaves. Later speaking to his team, he sums the villain up as “He thinks he’s right with God.”
That’s another kind of evil, but one that doesn’t only justify one’s actions via ideology, but turns doing evil into doing ‘good.’ At least in that person’s mind his ideology has given him carte blanche to do anything that crosses his mind. This goes beyond revenge, or even sociopathic. It become psychopathic.
This is an ideology that the villain believes in so deeply that he leaves you no choice but, be enslaved by him (and possibly survive), killed by him or kill him. The challenge for the average person is to recognize these ARE the only three options available in time to prevent the first two.
NS: Do you conduct online workshops? If so where can an author check out a list of titles?
Marc: While I travel and lecture to writer’s groups I don’t do on-line workshops. For free information on-line, I’d suggest brew a pot of coffee and go to my No Nonsense Self-Defense site http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/
It’s a huge site with a lot of different information. Of special interest to writers is the Psychology hub. That’s where I discuss issues related not just to the psychology of violence but the social context, how violence can be de-escalated, avoided or, if you say the wrong thing, provoked.
There’s also information on how crime and violence happen. The Five Stages of Crime can serve as a template for writing the build up to action
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/five_stages.html
If you want to establish a character’s competence for functioning in a dangerous environment, the Pyramid Of Personal Safety is another important template
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/pyramid.html
If you want to know what your characters should do if someone is shooting at them
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/activeshooter.html
If you want to know how to write about an alpha male character
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/alphabehavior.htm
The list goes on and on. That’s why I suggest getting some coffee. There’s a lot of free information there before anyone has to buy a book or invite me to lecture.
NS: I want to know everything, therefore I’ve had trouble narrowing down to just a few questions. So I invite you to tell what you think I may have missed asking.
Marc: Here’s a biggie for writing action scenes. Remember I said I’ve done a LOT of different things? And some of them are pretty unbelievable? At the California Renaissance Faire I used to sword fight with real swords in armour. And by that I mean ‘fight.’ These were unchoreographed brawls with a fellow who … well quite frankly his elevator didn’t go all the way to the top floor. He was crazy dangerous and I have the scars to prove it.
Anyway the one thing I realized while doing this silly behavior is when it comes to action scenes, most writers focus on the wrong thing. It’s not the technical aspects that are important, but the emotions.
The bizarre thing about sword fighting is how you can go from extreme emotion to extreme emotion in the same second. You can shift from bowel clenching terror as a sword nearly splits your skull, to hysterical, maniacal – and homicidal – glee as you deflect and counter strike to shish kebob your opponent. And then do it all over again the very next second because he blocked and counter attacked.
When I teach police I tell them “Pain and emotions are motivational messages. When we feel them we feel we HAVE to act.” What people don’t realize is that emotions are a biological enhancement to our actions. Going back to the caveman days, when a leopard jumped out of the bushes, you went: AIIIIEEEEEEE! And ran up the tree.
The guy who said “Oh I say, there’s a leopard. Let’s finish our tea before we stroll over to the tree” became Tender Vittles. So emotions make you do things faster, harder and with more commitment.
You don’t just cavalierly deflect a sword when someone is trying to play show and tell with your vital organs. It’s
OHMAHGAWD!
OHMAHGAWD!
OHMAHGAWD!
(parry)
THANKGAWD!
THANKGAWD!
(seeing an opening)
IGOTCHA!
IGOTCHA!
(when he blocks and counterstrikes)
OHMAHGAWD!
Etc.
(continued)
And also realize something else. Your heroes are the kind of people who do the stupidest thing. Let’s take this back to the caveman days. When that leopard shows up, everyone else does the ‘smart thing’ and runs towards the trees. The hero does the apparently retarded thing of running TOWARDS the leopard. Now sitting up in the safety of the tree it really looks like you did the smart thing (especially since occasionally the leopard wins).
However think about this for a second. What if everyone did the smart thing? Men are bigger and faster than women. Women are bigger and faster than children. So if everyone did the ‘smart thing’ then after the kids got eaten, then the women would be lunch. That’s not exactly a good long term survival strategy is it?
Well so much for doing the ‘smart thing.’
My point is, that when that leopard shows up, everyone is going to be running. It’s just that some folks are going to be grabbing spears and running towards the danger so everyone else can survive. And that guy running towards the leopard is going to be going through those emotional extremes. It’s NOT that he isn’t scared or emotional, it’s that he knows there’s something bigger that needs to be done.
Well there’s the hero, but what if you’re character has become the reluctant hero? There’s a huge conflict between wanting to run up the tree (and hoping that someone else will grab the spear) and finally realizing, “Nope, I’m the one who has to grab the spear.” The funny thing is, the longer a person puts off grabbing that spear, the more likely the leopard is to win. In addition, when your character does grab that spear, the tree option closes. If half of your character is still trying to get to the tree, the leopard is going to win. (Which incidentally is why your bad guy has been so successful until he gets it in the end. He’s always picked on people who are hoping for the tree option.)
So if you want to write believable action scenes, write about the emotions your character is experiencing as the situation ebbs and flows.
NS: Thank you Marc MacYoung for taking the time to answer my questions. I know I will be using your valuable insight.
NS: Welcome and thank you agreeing to be interviewed by Novel Sisterhood. Please elaborate a bit about you and your background.
Marc: That’s always a rough question for me. It’s hard to explain all the things I’ve seen and done. To put this in perspective for authors, you couldn’t write about my life; not even if you tried to fictionalize it. I had one romance writer tell me that I’ve lived the life of her characters. I thought to myself ‘that’s not how I would have put it.’
I will say my entire life has been a constant roller coaster ride through different social classes, ethnic groups, cultures, urban, suburban, rural lifestyles. Then throw in a lot of weird and unique situations into the mix. To be honest a lot of the places I went were not only violent, but extremely so. In order to survive, I had to become adept at violence.
But there’s something strange about my makeup in that I was able to look past the act of violence itself and see what was going on underneath. When I started writing about street survival 20 years ago I was the first person to introduce to the self-defense world that there’s a lot more to all of this than just punching and kicking.
Over the years my fascination with the human condition, what makes people tick, history and cultural anthropology all went into the pot. I ended up teaching people how to survive in dangerous situation. I’ve been in these places and what got me out of there in one piece is my ability to notice patterns, signals and correct interpret what things mean in that context.
The thing is, that isn’t a unique talent. I’ve worked with and dealt with some mighty competent people who can assess the dynamics of a situation at a glance. They know what’s going on, what to do to keep it from blowing up and when it’s about to go sideways. They just can’t tell you how they do it. I know this from personal experience of asking them “How’d you know …” Their answer was “I dunno. I just knew.”
I have to tell you when you’re a young an upcoming lad, that isn’t much help. In fact, that’s what got me writing about the subjects I do, frustration with their inability to communicate. I knew they knew something, they just couldn’t articulate it. When I myself had acquired that knowledge, I turned my attention to articulating it.
That ability to explain these patterns has sent me around the world. I’ve taught police, military and civilians in nine different countries and on three different continents. I’ve written 22 published titles on crime avoidance, personal safety, knife survival and street crime and I run the biggest self-defense, personal safety website in the world. So yes, I have lived an interesting life.
The down side of that, however, is I’ve also been shot at a lot more than the average person.
NS: What is the biggest myth about self-defense that you’ve heard an author use?
Marc: Oh boy, this is rapidly turning into a ‘simple question that doesn’t have simple answers’ interview. I think a better question is “What do authors get wrong about violence?”
Most authors don’t understand how violence happens. Or to be more specific, WHY violence happens. Most writers are middle class and they try to project middle class values and motivations onto their action scenes. This undermines the credibility of the scene because physical violence isn’t a middle class tendency.
Let’s start with that violence is a tool. It’s a way for someone to get what he wants. Most violence has easily identifiable goals. In fact, something many people don’t realize is that most violence comes with instructions on how to avoid it. (http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/violencetypes.htm )
The guy will tell you what you need to do to avoid violence. Whether he’s telling your character to change his or her behavior, give over money or just stop talking, there’s usually some kind of communication about how to prevent the coming violence. A big part of why situations escalate to violence is because this advice is ignored.
Another issue is people who use violence to get what they want are VERY selective about who they try it on and when they will act. Despite what you may think, violence isn’t a bull in a china shop. If the violent person chooses the wrong target HE’S going to be the one being harmed. Something that many writers don’t understand, there’s a lot of concern for saving his own skin .
A fundamental guideline is that a person won’t become violent unless he is pretty sure he can do it safely. And by that I mean that – except for the most stupid or insane -- he won’t commit to physically attacking someone he doesn’t believe he can beat. This whether through outright force or by cheating. They steer clear of starting trouble with people who can obviously feed them their liver. But they also hesitate to attack people who know how to cheat too. Something as small as a knowing look as he’s trying to set you up and putting your hand in a purse can abort an experienced criminal from making a move. Why? Because if he commits himself, what comes out of that purse might blow his brains into a fine pink mist.
He would be constantly checking to make sure your character is safe to attack. Not only because of potential danger from the target, but also from the environment. Things like witnesses, security cameras and someone in the area who would intervene will all determine if someone will attack or not. As a writer, you can use this to your characters advantage or detriment.
NS: As an author, I believe it is very important to be accurate. Here is a scenario: I have a character who works the late shift. Every night she has to walk home through Queens, past a condemned building. My character is aware that it’s not a good time to be out, and she’s in danger. This is real life where your everyday girl is not a black belt. So how what qualities or safe guards would you suggest I write into her character to make it believable?
Marc: Well first of all, have her take a different route home.
Failing that, walk on the opposite side of the street. Hey, if it’s late enough, walk down the middle of the street so she can see anyone coming at her. Past that there are also a whole battery of less-than-lethal things like tasers and pepper foggers (not those dinkly little breath freshener cans of pepper spray, they’re close to useless). Being that it’s Queens, knives and firearms are always an option.
Here again though you’re talking about having to be careful about the writer’s middle class values intruding on the subject. If the woman is from working-class Queens, and working the late shift, she’d be far less hesitant to pull the trigger, knife him or hose an attacker with a pepper spray fogger than a nice, white bread girl from Iowa. That’s part of life in those places and they’re pretty pragmatic about it. That willingness translates into changes in her body language that tell would-be trouble that this particular mama-san isn’t someone to mess with.
Women actually function very well in these environments. But those who do also know how things work there, they have attitudes and values that allow them to function and – quite frankly – they won’t hesitate to use physical force. The challenge to the author is to look at how the people in these circumstances think, behave and communicate and then put those into your character. These signals go miles to warn off predators and the lack of the signals attracts them.
There’s also one more thing to consider. You know the nicest thing about being alone in a deserted parking lot? It’s deserted! You’re alone. It’s when it isn’t deserted that it’s a problem; especially when someone else is there and trying to move towards you. If your character is from Queens, she’d know it would be safe if no one was there. She’d also know if someone was there, to turn and go the other way. And if all else fails, she’d know it would be okay to run towards the ‘lights and the noise.’ In this case an all night gas station, store or even a bar.
And realistically, if your character is from Iowa, she’s in a lot more danger exiting the subway than walking by a building with no one out front. A predator is more likely to pick up her trail on the train or at the subway station/bus stop and follow her. He’ll then try to drag her into the condemned building.
NS: If my contemporary hero is in a knife fight, where would I go to do my research? Is there a certain way an author would need to describe how he held it? Or would that be unimportant?
Marc: Well to quote a friend of mine, “Gentlemen shoot each other.” Now that may seem like a strange way to start answering your question, but it’s an important element. Knife fighting is a cultural phenomenon that is far more common among peoples who are both poor and disarmed. In societies where the ruling elite disarmed them, the peasants were forced to use everyday tools for fighting. That often meant knives. Historically some groups would resort to knives in a dueling context, but they’d be just as likely to grab clubs and quarterstaves to settle disputes. (Simply stated, since most violence is to establish social order the consequences weren’t as permanent as with blades).
As weapons go, knives suck. As soon as these groups can afford to upgrade to more effective weapons they did. With a gun you have the safety of distance. With swords you have less distance, but the sword can be used defensively. With knives it’s way too close and they’re kind of short on defensive capabilities. Even if you apply a fatal blow, it’s not immediately going to stop your opponent. Since you’re so close, even if he’s dying, he can return the favor. So called ‘knife fighting’ is pretty much a lose-lose situation.
Knives are used all the time in unexpected violence (i.e. you don’t have time to grab a better weapon). A real common way knives are used is something starts out as a bare handed fight, one guy starts losing, panics, pulls a knife and stabs the other guy. This usually happens in the middle of the incident and it changes from a fight to a killing in the blink of an eye. The guy is stabbed before he even knows there’s a knife involved.
However, the way knives are most commonly used is as a threat display. The guy is standing back showing you knife telling you what’s going to happen if you don’t change your behavior. It’s also a display of how far he’s willing to go.
This is why I say if you find yourself in a ‘knife fight,’ it’s usually a mistake. One guy does a threat display and instead of the hoped for response, the other guy pulls a knife. Now both have a real problem. The question is: Are you going to be willing to die to achieve your end? The answer is usually no. The few times I was ever in a knife-to- knife situations, when the other guy realized I too was armed, he ran. I’ve seen knife-to-knife exchanges, but the funny thing is both guys end up wildly slashing at each other … from four feet apart. They’re not even getting close to one another. As in “Hey man! This is dangerous! I’m not getting too close!” After face is saved, they both run away.
Realistically knives are used more for murder or assassination attempts. It’s a person with a knife attacking an unarmed person and the unarmed person bleeding. And then only when better weapons aren’t available. I address most misconceptions about knife fighting here: http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/knifelies.html
NS: What are your top three books on the criminal mind that you would recommend to an author? And why?
Marc: Hands down, Stanton Samenow’s Inside The Criminal Mind. I call Samenow’s work the unified field theory of criminology. I’ve read a lot of books on criminology and mostly they’ve all struck me as “Wellll, that’s right as far as it goes, but it doesn’t apply to all of them” Samenow’s works however gives you fundamental insight into the criminal mind. Here’s a direct quote from the book: It's about selfishness ... the different manifestations of criminal behavior is just a matter of style. That concept of ‘style’ is important because it really is a matter of personal choice as to how the criminal operates, what tools he has available, what limitations and what social context he exists in.
Another book by Samenow that I highly recommend for authors is The Myth Of The Out of Character Crime. I especially recommend this for helping you write stories where the villain isn’t revealed until the end. There are small behavioral indicators that you can sprinkle through out the story. These indicators won’t give him away, but when the villain is revealed the reader believes it was him.
For a more nuts-and-bolts insight into how street criminals function and behave the book that I co-wrote with Chris Pfouts Safe in the City is a good reference for writers.
Although not necessarily about criminal thinking, I highly recommend the works of Ruby Payne. Her Understanding A Framework Of Poverty was written for teachers, but it’s an excellent insight into how the different social classes think. Although there is not a direct causal effect between poverty and crime, many of the paradigms that criminals are affected by the poverty mindset. But it’s also important because she demonstrates how different social classes have different paradigms, which if you have a evil noble threatening your heroine it will help make him more convincing.
NS: Along the same lines, if I were to write a military book what books should I read or where should I go for research?
Marc: (This one is outside my area of expertise)
NS: What is the best advice you can give to an author writing a suspense, thriller or action novel?
Marc: I’m going to start by suggesting another book for people to read. Richard Conniff wrote The Ape In The Corner Office: Understanding The Workplace Beast In All Of Us. In it he shows first how primate social behavior is very much hard wired into us. Then he begins to show how horribly wrong it can go, especially when someone has the drive to be dominant, but not the understanding, people skills or empathy to be an effective alpha. Although he talks about tyrant bosses, he also discusses the stress and the negative effects it has on people and the organization.
The patterns he talks about in Ape can be useful writing guidelines for your protagonist, antagonist and supporting characters. An example is his discussion of what I refer to as threat displays. There’s an important message being sent by the intimidator, it’s not that he’s attacking right now … but he might.
That ‘might’ is a powerful psychological weapon. This creates not just fear, but also tension, confusion and conflict within the person being threatened. Conflict because while part of us wants to run away other parts are telling us we can’t. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Your antagonist is going to be using this ‘monkey brain’ programming against people. These are the reactions he’s going to be trying to instill within your other characters. Knowing how these programs work on an almost subconscious level, you can write better scenes using this information.
The second thing I’m going to suggest is be careful about turning your bad guy into a mustache twiddler. Evil for evil’s sake isn’t believable. Something I learned in one of my psychology courses is “Man is not a rational animal, he’s a rationalizing one.” 99.999% of bad people have some form of justification for what they are doing. And usually inside their heads, they’re twisting it around so that in some way or the other it’s ‘good.’ (Or that it’s necessary). Consider this, the greatest evils ever done in history were by people trying to ‘improve’ society.
On a much smaller scale the same justifications and rationalizations still apply. A huge source of conflict is “How dare you do that to ME!” There is some event, something said, some perception that this person feels he or she has been wronged. This serves as a justification for every evil thing this person is about to commit. What a lot of people don’t understand is this is the ‘victim mindset’ on a meth binge. The evil person honestly believes HE is the victim. Something your protagonist did – whether it was real or imagined -- triggered this rationalizing process in the antagonist. And now whatever the antagonist does – in his mind at least – is totally justified.
While there’s a trend in fiction to believe that evil done for no reason is more scary, that’s a middle class perception. There’s a big difference between ‘no reason’ and ‘you don’t know the reason.’ There always IS a reason. It may not be a good reason. In fact it can be as screwed up as a soup sandwich, but it’s there. While you don’t have share that reason with the reader, identify in your mind what was the triggering event. What was it in this antagonist’s head, that triggered the ‘you’ve wronged me, so whatever I do to you from now on is justified’ process? You can even write it in a scene where he reacts oddly to something small. That’s the moment that he’s given himself permission to act.
Finally, there’s term I picked up from Josh Whedon’s Firefly. It describes another layer to this behavior. The heroes are called in to protect a group of women from a man who plans to kidnap an unborn child he believes is his. He doesn’t want to take the woman in. He’s just going to take the boy when he’s born. The leader of the protectors wants to see what he’s up against and sneaks into a social gathering where the bad guy is holding court. After listening to a misogynistic tirade about the superiority of men and how men can take whatever they want, the hero leaves. Later speaking to his team, he sums the villain up as “He thinks he’s right with God.”
That’s another kind of evil, but one that doesn’t only justify one’s actions via ideology, but turns doing evil into doing ‘good.’ At least in that person’s mind his ideology has given him carte blanche to do anything that crosses his mind. This goes beyond revenge, or even sociopathic. It become psychopathic.
This is an ideology that the villain believes in so deeply that he leaves you no choice but, be enslaved by him (and possibly survive), killed by him or kill him. The challenge for the average person is to recognize these ARE the only three options available in time to prevent the first two.
NS: Do you conduct online workshops? If so where can an author check out a list of titles?
Marc: While I travel and lecture to writer’s groups I don’t do on-line workshops. For free information on-line, I’d suggest brew a pot of coffee and go to my No Nonsense Self-Defense site http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/
It’s a huge site with a lot of different information. Of special interest to writers is the Psychology hub. That’s where I discuss issues related not just to the psychology of violence but the social context, how violence can be de-escalated, avoided or, if you say the wrong thing, provoked.
There’s also information on how crime and violence happen. The Five Stages of Crime can serve as a template for writing the build up to action
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/five_stages.html
If you want to establish a character’s competence for functioning in a dangerous environment, the Pyramid Of Personal Safety is another important template
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/pyramid.html
If you want to know what your characters should do if someone is shooting at them
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/activeshooter.html
If you want to know how to write about an alpha male character
www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/alphabehavior.htm
The list goes on and on. That’s why I suggest getting some coffee. There’s a lot of free information there before anyone has to buy a book or invite me to lecture.
NS: I want to know everything, therefore I’ve had trouble narrowing down to just a few questions. So I invite you to tell what you think I may have missed asking.
Marc: Here’s a biggie for writing action scenes. Remember I said I’ve done a LOT of different things? And some of them are pretty unbelievable? At the California Renaissance Faire I used to sword fight with real swords in armour. And by that I mean ‘fight.’ These were unchoreographed brawls with a fellow who … well quite frankly his elevator didn’t go all the way to the top floor. He was crazy dangerous and I have the scars to prove it.
Anyway the one thing I realized while doing this silly behavior is when it comes to action scenes, most writers focus on the wrong thing. It’s not the technical aspects that are important, but the emotions.
The bizarre thing about sword fighting is how you can go from extreme emotion to extreme emotion in the same second. You can shift from bowel clenching terror as a sword nearly splits your skull, to hysterical, maniacal – and homicidal – glee as you deflect and counter strike to shish kebob your opponent. And then do it all over again the very next second because he blocked and counter attacked.
When I teach police I tell them “Pain and emotions are motivational messages. When we feel them we feel we HAVE to act.” What people don’t realize is that emotions are a biological enhancement to our actions. Going back to the caveman days, when a leopard jumped out of the bushes, you went: AIIIIEEEEEEE! And ran up the tree.
The guy who said “Oh I say, there’s a leopard. Let’s finish our tea before we stroll over to the tree” became Tender Vittles. So emotions make you do things faster, harder and with more commitment.
You don’t just cavalierly deflect a sword when someone is trying to play show and tell with your vital organs. It’s
OHMAHGAWD!
OHMAHGAWD!
OHMAHGAWD!
(parry)
THANKGAWD!
THANKGAWD!
(seeing an opening)
IGOTCHA!
IGOTCHA!
(when he blocks and counterstrikes)
OHMAHGAWD!
Etc.
(continued)
And also realize something else. Your heroes are the kind of people who do the stupidest thing. Let’s take this back to the caveman days. When that leopard shows up, everyone else does the ‘smart thing’ and runs towards the trees. The hero does the apparently retarded thing of running TOWARDS the leopard. Now sitting up in the safety of the tree it really looks like you did the smart thing (especially since occasionally the leopard wins).
However think about this for a second. What if everyone did the smart thing? Men are bigger and faster than women. Women are bigger and faster than children. So if everyone did the ‘smart thing’ then after the kids got eaten, then the women would be lunch. That’s not exactly a good long term survival strategy is it?
Well so much for doing the ‘smart thing.’
My point is, that when that leopard shows up, everyone is going to be running. It’s just that some folks are going to be grabbing spears and running towards the danger so everyone else can survive. And that guy running towards the leopard is going to be going through those emotional extremes. It’s NOT that he isn’t scared or emotional, it’s that he knows there’s something bigger that needs to be done.
Well there’s the hero, but what if you’re character has become the reluctant hero? There’s a huge conflict between wanting to run up the tree (and hoping that someone else will grab the spear) and finally realizing, “Nope, I’m the one who has to grab the spear.” The funny thing is, the longer a person puts off grabbing that spear, the more likely the leopard is to win. In addition, when your character does grab that spear, the tree option closes. If half of your character is still trying to get to the tree, the leopard is going to win. (Which incidentally is why your bad guy has been so successful until he gets it in the end. He’s always picked on people who are hoping for the tree option.)
So if you want to write believable action scenes, write about the emotions your character is experiencing as the situation ebbs and flows.
NS: Thank you Marc MacYoung for taking the time to answer my questions. I know I will be using your valuable insight.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Dust and Moonlight - Fantasy/Time-travel
New Review for DUST AND MOONLIGHT, Erotic Fantasy Romance (Time-travel)
Dust and Moonlight by Keta Diablo
Heather’s Reading Romance Blog
BUY DUST AND MOONLIGHT HERE: FIRST ROMANCE E-BOOKS
Blurb
Balion, Prince of Locke Cress, waited a long time for the forest nymph with lavender eyes to come to him. The dreams told him it was just a matter of time. What they hadn’t told him was that he’d lose his heart to the strange creature from another world.
After the serial killer attacked Kira, she awoke in a strange land. Now, she’s running for her life from wild boars, wizards, and sorcerers, not to mention a Prince that makes her body melt in all the wrong places. Facing extraordinary circumstances as the evil plots unfold, Kira fights for her life, and for a love that neither time nor distance can ever dispel from her soul.
Review:
Keta out did herself!I had the pleasure of reading Land of Falling Stars several months ago and knew instantly that I had found an author that was going to be on auto buy. This is actually the third book I have read by this author and it just keeps getting better. I have yet to be disappointed.
In Dust and Moonlight, Keta brings Kira to another world in another time. A land where her father was summoned from. She has traded one battle for another and is faced with the chance at a love that will know no bounds. Her desire to go home is at battle with the desire to stay wrapped in Balion's strong arms of love.
Dust and Moonlight is a definite 5 star read that I highly recommend to any lover of romance, time travel or fantasy!
More Information Here: FIRST ROMANCE E-BOOKS
Dust and Moonlight by Keta Diablo Heather’s Reading Romance Blog
BUY DUST AND MOONLIGHT HERE: FIRST ROMANCE E-BOOKS
Blurb
Balion, Prince of Locke Cress, waited a long time for the forest nymph with lavender eyes to come to him. The dreams told him it was just a matter of time. What they hadn’t told him was that he’d lose his heart to the strange creature from another world.
After the serial killer attacked Kira, she awoke in a strange land. Now, she’s running for her life from wild boars, wizards, and sorcerers, not to mention a Prince that makes her body melt in all the wrong places. Facing extraordinary circumstances as the evil plots unfold, Kira fights for her life, and for a love that neither time nor distance can ever dispel from her soul.
Review:
Keta out did herself!I had the pleasure of reading Land of Falling Stars several months ago and knew instantly that I had found an author that was going to be on auto buy. This is actually the third book I have read by this author and it just keeps getting better. I have yet to be disappointed.
In Dust and Moonlight, Keta brings Kira to another world in another time. A land where her father was summoned from. She has traded one battle for another and is faced with the chance at a love that will know no bounds. Her desire to go home is at battle with the desire to stay wrapped in Balion's strong arms of love.
Dust and Moonlight is a definite 5 star read that I highly recommend to any lover of romance, time travel or fantasy!
More Information Here: FIRST ROMANCE E-BOOKS
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Blog with Darren Michael's Author of "Flipside Erotica:Both Sides of the Story"
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Thank you to everyone who stopped by Novel Sisterhood to learn a little more about my book. I hope you enjoy the read.In my interview questions I explained how I got started, and that this is my first book. I am really excited about the reception it has been getting for its content and the unique concept it brings to the table. I think these days the hardest thing to come by is an original idea, and I am grateful I was lucky enough to stumble across this concept to brand as my own.
I am currently in the enviable position of only writing when I want, and under only my own self imposed deadlines. It is a great luxury; I am not sure how the writers I see as Facebook friends and colleagues manage to churn out as many titles as they do. It is impressive to say the least. I am not sure that I could keep pace at this stage of my career. I hope one day to be able to write full time as well as do public speaking in conjunction with this project and being an entrepreneur in general.
I do let people know that half of the stories in Flipside Erotica Vol. 1 are true experiences, in fact pretty much word for word accounts. The other half of the stories are fabrications, but even they begin with a real person I know or have met. The difference is that at some point in the story the reality stops and my imagination takes over. According to readers and female friends of mine that I am very sensual for a man. I enjoy long lingering kisses and erotic delights like the taste of your skin or the smell of your perfume mixed with the heat of your body. Because of this, it seems that my stories delve a little deeper into the description of details that most women who read in the genre find appealing.
I am new to this game; my book was released in April of 2009. I am really lucky to have had nothing but good reviews on the sites who have offered their opinions on my book and tremendous feedback from readers. I think book critics are more analytical and therefore critical than readers are, so that fact that both are intrigued by my work is great. I really enjoy hearing from readers on my Facebook page or on my website at http://www.flipside-erotica.com/ I am working on adding downloadable audio books of the stories to the site for purchase as well, and a section that invites other stories to be submitted by beginning writers for feedback.
I have decided to include an excerpt from a story so you can get a feel of my writing style and what my stories are like. This is from the man’s point of view, and it is from the story entitled “Leslie”. The woman’s point of view of this story is different in the sense that the language is softer, and it is more emotional and feeling based instead of visual. You’ll have to purchase the book to get that viewpoint of this hot, after-hours office encounter. I hope you enjoy it.
Darren Michael's
http://www.flipside-erotica.com/
flipside.erotica@gmail.com
TO BUY THE BOOK CLICK THE LINK BELOW
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flipside+erotica
EXCERPT
HIS EYES
"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" the voice on the other end of the line asked. "Hmm, I don't know, what do you have in mind?" I ask playfully. "Let's go for a swim - see you around 8pm." I am smiling before I hang up the phone. I know what"s in store for me, and I am looking forward to it already.Leslie is a little older than I am, and has an appetite for sex that is very similar to mine. An executive by day, she has always contended that nothing relieves the stresses of the week like a couple of deep, hard orgasms. A little shorter than I, she likes getting handled a tad on the rough side almost as much as I like tossing her around. You"d never know by looking at her in her conservative business suit and short, smart hairstyle that she is such an adventurous lover. Divorced for years now, she has her own place, her own money, and wants me for the one thing she really needs from a man.Later that day I am debating whether or not the wear a pair of shorts that I could swim in, and have to laugh thinking that I am pretty sure I would not really need them. I head for the car and as soon as I walk outside I realize that it was a perfect night out; a warm summer night with no breeze and a nearly full moon rising up over the mountains in our end of town. The pool is sure to be a slightly warmer from the mid day heat; a perfect all around scenario for a little fun in the backyard.I arrive at her place, and the garage door goes up as soon as I hit the driveway. I pull into the garage and turn off the car. She kicks the door open; standing in the kitchen in a sheer nightgown and nothing else. Immediately she comes forward, her mouth hungry for mine as I enter the house. It is quite obvious that I was correct in thinking that I would not need the swimsuit. After a few minutes of warm, deep kisses she pulls away. The nightgown hit the floor as she pulls open the Arcadia-style door to the patio. She turns off the outside lights, allowing the bright moon to illuminate the backyard. It is quite a cool scene walking into the back yard and watching her dive into the pool, her naked body fully visible in the moonlight. She is in great shape for her age, or any age for that matter. She begins each day with a yoga session, and the hard work shows in her slim lines and shapely curves.I walk over to the pool and kick off my sandals. A huge splash of water comes from the pool; apparently I am taking too long to get undressed. I turn to protest, only to get hit by another wave. "Alright, alright - I'm coming!" I tore off my shirt and toss it aside, followed by the shorts. I am excited already; my cock is half hard as I step into the pool.She meets me on the stairs, swimming up to me and taking me in her mouth in one quick motion. She loves to get it before it's totally hard, when she can still get all of it into her mouth. She sucks it in, devouring all of me while she has the chance to. I am growing harder by the second, and before long I'm at full length. She tries diligently, but soon is unable to take all of it into her mouth. She settles for clamping her hand around the base, jerking the bottom half while she works over the top half with her mouth. I lean my head back, looking at the stars as she settles in for a good long session of one of her favorite parts of our time together. I can"t help but look around, wondering if her neighbors had any idea of what is happening just on the other side of the wall...
http://www.flipside-erotica.com/
To purchase a paperback or downloadable copy of this book please use the link below:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flipside+erotica
Thank You
Darren Michael's
www.flipside-erotica.com
flipside.erotica@gmail.com
Brought to you by Heetr Promotions and Publicity
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Interview with Darren Michael's Author of "Flipside Erotica: Both Sides of the Story"
Thank you, Darren Michael's, for agreeing to an interview on Novel Sisterhood Blog.
NS: When did you seriously sit down, and say to yourself, I’m going to write a novel?
Darren: My story of my beginning as a writer is a little different. My book is a collection of short stories, so I have been writing them for quite some time now. I originally began writing on a dare after a woman I was dating told me I couldn’t write a scene as hot as the one she had just read in a book she had just purchased. I thought I could, so I took the bet. My first story was pretty good, and she was rather surprised at the result. Ever since then I would write a story after having an erotic encounter or think of a cool storyline. After about ten years I ended up with enough material to do a book. I only decided to actually publish a book about a year and a half ago.
NS: What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Darren: I wrote a story from the woman’s point of view to see if I could actually do it, and the first time it was a struggle. But now I literally flip back and forth between the two points of view with ease. My biggest struggle now is not repeating the same “routine” in the sex scenes of the stories. J
NS: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
Darren: Half of the stories are actually true, and I am the male character in each of the stories, so character conflicts are not really an issue for me. As for the women in the stories, some are made up and the stories which were true I loved sharing that moment in time with them, so I liked each of them.
NS: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
Darren: Figure out how to get a signing bonus and contract with a publisher in advance!!! J Writing the book is only half of the battle, selling it is the other half, literally. I would prefer to focus my efforts of just writing, but have to divide my time with interviews and signings, promotional work and getting more distribution outlets established in order for this book to reach the level of success I want.
NS: Do you write full time, what is your schedule for the day? Or do you have a full time job, if so, when do you find the time to write?
Darren: I do have a full time job, and I am busy with other activities as well. I am in the fortunate position of being able to write when I want and/or have the time. My deadlines are self-imposed at this point, so I am on less of a schedule than someone who is writing to meet a true publisher deadline.
NS: Do you have the support of family and friends?
Darren: Absolutely! I am blessed with a great family and circle of friends. When I first came up with this idea I bounced the concept of my book off of a bunch of them to see if it was in fact a viable idea. They have been great in contributing feedback on the content, ideas for promotion, etc. I couldn’t have done it without them.
NS: What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Darren: In my writing career, I would say getting my book to stand out in a genre that is filled with good, established writers. I enjoy the writing process and at this point do not struggle for ideas or to write material. My struggles lie in making noise about the book. I have been very lucky to have met Alix Taylor recently and she has been a Godsend in handling the promotion and PR part of this project for me. Her services have been invaluable to me!
NS: Where do you expect to be in five years?
Darren: A guest lecturer on the public speaking circuit, with three or four books to my credit, and a huge following of sex-starved fans begging me for yet another book! J
NS: Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are a plotter, what are you methods?
Darren: I am not a pantser because I have a list of ideas to choose from to start a new story, and I don’t really plot them out since they either really occurred, or I am going to write a different ending to the story (the way I wish things would have worked out) Even the stories that were not true occurrences begin with a real person I met or situation I was in.
NS: How have your techniques for character development changed since you’ve been writing? Is it still the same, or has it developed over time, if so how?
Darren: Great question…it has gotten better over time for sure. I look back at some of my first writings and wonder what I was thinking when I thought to myself “hey, this is not bad” J I feel like I paint a much better picture of the characters and story as a whole now than ever before.
NS: Do you have a book coming out? If so what? Do you have a web site? Do you have a blog? My space?
Darren: My first book just came out in April of 2009, but I am working on the Flipside Erotica: Both Sides of the Story Volume 2 right now. I am making progress, but do not plan to launch it until spring or maybe summer of 2010. I want to focus on the success of the first book for a while first before throwing another book out there.
My website can be found at www.flipside-erotica.com I am working on adding audiobook versions of the stories to the website so you can listen to me read you the story from the guy’s point of view, and a few “volunteer readers” for the woman’s side of the story. Check it out!!!
I have a Facebook page and a fan page set up for my book. Just search Darren Michaels Author and you will find me.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions for the Novel Sisterhood blog. Good luck with your writing.
Thank you for having me as a guest on your site. I hope your readers enjoy the unique concept my book offers, and of course enjoy the stories themselves. I appreciate the opportunity to promote my book to your readers; without the readers I will be stuck in my day job forever!!!
Warm Regards,
Darren Michael's
Author of
Flipside Erotica: Both Sides of the Story
NS: When did you seriously sit down, and say to yourself, I’m going to write a novel?
Darren: My story of my beginning as a writer is a little different. My book is a collection of short stories, so I have been writing them for quite some time now. I originally began writing on a dare after a woman I was dating told me I couldn’t write a scene as hot as the one she had just read in a book she had just purchased. I thought I could, so I took the bet. My first story was pretty good, and she was rather surprised at the result. Ever since then I would write a story after having an erotic encounter or think of a cool storyline. After about ten years I ended up with enough material to do a book. I only decided to actually publish a book about a year and a half ago.
NS: What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Darren: I wrote a story from the woman’s point of view to see if I could actually do it, and the first time it was a struggle. But now I literally flip back and forth between the two points of view with ease. My biggest struggle now is not repeating the same “routine” in the sex scenes of the stories. J
NS: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
Darren: Half of the stories are actually true, and I am the male character in each of the stories, so character conflicts are not really an issue for me. As for the women in the stories, some are made up and the stories which were true I loved sharing that moment in time with them, so I liked each of them.
NS: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
Darren: Figure out how to get a signing bonus and contract with a publisher in advance!!! J Writing the book is only half of the battle, selling it is the other half, literally. I would prefer to focus my efforts of just writing, but have to divide my time with interviews and signings, promotional work and getting more distribution outlets established in order for this book to reach the level of success I want.
NS: Do you write full time, what is your schedule for the day? Or do you have a full time job, if so, when do you find the time to write?
Darren: I do have a full time job, and I am busy with other activities as well. I am in the fortunate position of being able to write when I want and/or have the time. My deadlines are self-imposed at this point, so I am on less of a schedule than someone who is writing to meet a true publisher deadline.
NS: Do you have the support of family and friends?
Darren: Absolutely! I am blessed with a great family and circle of friends. When I first came up with this idea I bounced the concept of my book off of a bunch of them to see if it was in fact a viable idea. They have been great in contributing feedback on the content, ideas for promotion, etc. I couldn’t have done it without them.
NS: What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Darren: In my writing career, I would say getting my book to stand out in a genre that is filled with good, established writers. I enjoy the writing process and at this point do not struggle for ideas or to write material. My struggles lie in making noise about the book. I have been very lucky to have met Alix Taylor recently and she has been a Godsend in handling the promotion and PR part of this project for me. Her services have been invaluable to me!
NS: Where do you expect to be in five years?
Darren: A guest lecturer on the public speaking circuit, with three or four books to my credit, and a huge following of sex-starved fans begging me for yet another book! J
NS: Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are a plotter, what are you methods?
Darren: I am not a pantser because I have a list of ideas to choose from to start a new story, and I don’t really plot them out since they either really occurred, or I am going to write a different ending to the story (the way I wish things would have worked out) Even the stories that were not true occurrences begin with a real person I met or situation I was in.
NS: How have your techniques for character development changed since you’ve been writing? Is it still the same, or has it developed over time, if so how?
Darren: Great question…it has gotten better over time for sure. I look back at some of my first writings and wonder what I was thinking when I thought to myself “hey, this is not bad” J I feel like I paint a much better picture of the characters and story as a whole now than ever before.
NS: Do you have a book coming out? If so what? Do you have a web site? Do you have a blog? My space?
Darren: My first book just came out in April of 2009, but I am working on the Flipside Erotica: Both Sides of the Story Volume 2 right now. I am making progress, but do not plan to launch it until spring or maybe summer of 2010. I want to focus on the success of the first book for a while first before throwing another book out there.
My website can be found at www.flipside-erotica.com I am working on adding audiobook versions of the stories to the website so you can listen to me read you the story from the guy’s point of view, and a few “volunteer readers” for the woman’s side of the story. Check it out!!!
I have a Facebook page and a fan page set up for my book. Just search Darren Michaels Author and you will find me.
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions for the Novel Sisterhood blog. Good luck with your writing.
Thank you for having me as a guest on your site. I hope your readers enjoy the unique concept my book offers, and of course enjoy the stories themselves. I appreciate the opportunity to promote my book to your readers; without the readers I will be stuck in my day job forever!!!
Warm Regards,
Darren Michael's
Author of
Flipside Erotica: Both Sides of the Story
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Guest Interview: Amber Leigh Williams
Thank you, Amber, for agreeing to an interview on Novel Sisterhood Blog.
NS: When did you seriously sit down, and say to yourself, I’m going to write a novel?
Amber: I always knew I wanted to write, but in college it became more than something I did in my spare time. I stopped cramming for tests to dive back into my WIP. When my grades began to drop, I realized it was because I was writing more than pursuing my degree so I decided then and there to write full-time and pursue a career in romance instead.
NS: What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Amber: I love writing dialogue! I love creating banter and developing the character’s attitude, humor, and overall voice through their communication with others. I’ve learned there’s a time and a place for back story. For me, action scenes are pretty tough. I like to expand my vocabulary by coming up with creative verbs to keep these key scenes active. It’s no so much difficult as challenging. If I wasn’t challenged every now and again, the writing would become too easy.
NS: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
Amber: My first hero, Charles from Forever Amore. I grew up surrounded mostly by women and until I met my husband and was enveloped by his male-dominated family, I didn’t really get the male psyche. So Charles, being the first, was very cardboard. It took several revisions to toughen the boy up, make a real man out of him that I could be proud of—and I’m picky!—and, best of all, give him a sense of humor that could make his heroine smile in their darkest hour.
NS: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
Amber: Hm… If I could go back to square one, I’d take with me a big list of acronyms and their meanings. I can’t begin to count how many hours I spent scratching my head over GMC, TBR, SASE…even HEA! A cheat sheet would’ve saved me so much time!!!
NS: Do you write full time, what is your schedule for the day? Or do you have a full time job, if so, when do you find the time to write?
Amber: I wrote full-time for three years before going to work part-time in my local bookstore. I work five- to eight-hour shifts three to five days a week, depending on the season. All my other time is devoted entirely to writing. Everywhere I go, my computer comes right along with me. My family and friends refer to my laptop carrier as my fifth appendage.
NS: Do you have the support of family and friends?
Amber: My husband is extremely supportive. He actually helped me make the decision back when I was still in college to write full-time. He may not read all my work, but he shows his support by doing things around the house I would normally do if I wasn’t tied up at the computer in my spare time. My parents have been wonderfully encouraging though they were worried about me when I left school. I think they’re really surprised how far I’ve come and how much I’ve taught myself. My boss is even a big supporter of my work!
NS: What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Amber: Discipline. It’s vital to a writer and I’ve never been very strict with myself. Discipline is a constant learning practice for me. I fall off the wagon and sleep in or procrastinate online or pick up my latest read. After a long day at work, it’s nice to relax. But I’ve slowly learned to take the necessary break then get back to work.
NS: Where do you expect to be in five years?
Amber: My dream is to find the right agent. A year ago, the goal was to find any agent willing to represent me. But I want one who’s as passionate about my work as I am. I’m a firm believer in there’s a right time and place for everything and everyone. I made a promise to my sister to get a tattoo whenever I go into mass market. I dread applying the bodily ink, but I would LOVE to have my titles printed in mass market! I also hope that writing then will be as fulfilling as it is now.
NS: Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are a plotter, what are you methods?
Amber: Plotter, by far. When I’m writing a manuscript, to get my head out of the story I brainstorm the next. I take notes, write key scenes, explore major characters, do research and sketch out a rough sequence of events. That way when I complete the story I’m working on, I’m ready to dive straight into another. It’s vital for me not to put my creative conscience on idle. Once the muse leaves the building, she’s not coming back until she’s good and ready.
NS: How have your techniques for character development changed since you’ve been writing? Is it still the same, or has it developed over time, if so how?
Amber: Oh, it’s progressed – by leaps and bounds! Once writing heroes was my most difficult story task. Now it’s one of my favorites. I’ve learned to plot from character, bending the storyline to suit their GMC instead of bending them to suit the plot. When I brainstorm, it’s through my characters. I’m constantly asking myself “Would they do/sat that?”; “What will be his/her reaction?”; “Is his/her actions believable as far as their character is concerned?”; “How does this affect the relationship between the h/h?” Romance is all about character growth, whatever the sub-genre. It took me a while to learn to build the story from the characters down instead of from the plot up.
NS: Do you have a book coming out? If so what? Do you have a web site? Do you have a blog? My space?
Amber: My historical romance Forever Amore launched September 1:
Was their love destined to last forever …
NS: When did you seriously sit down, and say to yourself, I’m going to write a novel?
Amber: I always knew I wanted to write, but in college it became more than something I did in my spare time. I stopped cramming for tests to dive back into my WIP. When my grades began to drop, I realized it was because I was writing more than pursuing my degree so I decided then and there to write full-time and pursue a career in romance instead.
NS: What do you find the most difficult to write? Dialogue? Back story? Emotion?
Amber: I love writing dialogue! I love creating banter and developing the character’s attitude, humor, and overall voice through their communication with others. I’ve learned there’s a time and a place for back story. For me, action scenes are pretty tough. I like to expand my vocabulary by coming up with creative verbs to keep these key scenes active. It’s no so much difficult as challenging. If I wasn’t challenged every now and again, the writing would become too easy.
NS: Have you ever found that you didn’t like your Hero or your Heroine? If so, what did you do to change that?
Amber: My first hero, Charles from Forever Amore. I grew up surrounded mostly by women and until I met my husband and was enveloped by his male-dominated family, I didn’t really get the male psyche. So Charles, being the first, was very cardboard. It took several revisions to toughen the boy up, make a real man out of him that I could be proud of—and I’m picky!—and, best of all, give him a sense of humor that could make his heroine smile in their darkest hour.
NS: If you were to start again, with the knowledge you have now, what would be the first thing you do?
Amber: Hm… If I could go back to square one, I’d take with me a big list of acronyms and their meanings. I can’t begin to count how many hours I spent scratching my head over GMC, TBR, SASE…even HEA! A cheat sheet would’ve saved me so much time!!!
NS: Do you write full time, what is your schedule for the day? Or do you have a full time job, if so, when do you find the time to write?
Amber: I wrote full-time for three years before going to work part-time in my local bookstore. I work five- to eight-hour shifts three to five days a week, depending on the season. All my other time is devoted entirely to writing. Everywhere I go, my computer comes right along with me. My family and friends refer to my laptop carrier as my fifth appendage.
NS: Do you have the support of family and friends?
Amber: My husband is extremely supportive. He actually helped me make the decision back when I was still in college to write full-time. He may not read all my work, but he shows his support by doing things around the house I would normally do if I wasn’t tied up at the computer in my spare time. My parents have been wonderfully encouraging though they were worried about me when I left school. I think they’re really surprised how far I’ve come and how much I’ve taught myself. My boss is even a big supporter of my work!
NS: What has been the biggest challenge of your career?
Amber: Discipline. It’s vital to a writer and I’ve never been very strict with myself. Discipline is a constant learning practice for me. I fall off the wagon and sleep in or procrastinate online or pick up my latest read. After a long day at work, it’s nice to relax. But I’ve slowly learned to take the necessary break then get back to work.
NS: Where do you expect to be in five years?
Amber: My dream is to find the right agent. A year ago, the goal was to find any agent willing to represent me. But I want one who’s as passionate about my work as I am. I’m a firm believer in there’s a right time and place for everything and everyone. I made a promise to my sister to get a tattoo whenever I go into mass market. I dread applying the bodily ink, but I would LOVE to have my titles printed in mass market! I also hope that writing then will be as fulfilling as it is now.
NS: Are you a plotter or a pantser? If you are a plotter, what are you methods?
Amber: Plotter, by far. When I’m writing a manuscript, to get my head out of the story I brainstorm the next. I take notes, write key scenes, explore major characters, do research and sketch out a rough sequence of events. That way when I complete the story I’m working on, I’m ready to dive straight into another. It’s vital for me not to put my creative conscience on idle. Once the muse leaves the building, she’s not coming back until she’s good and ready.
NS: How have your techniques for character development changed since you’ve been writing? Is it still the same, or has it developed over time, if so how?
Amber: Oh, it’s progressed – by leaps and bounds! Once writing heroes was my most difficult story task. Now it’s one of my favorites. I’ve learned to plot from character, bending the storyline to suit their GMC instead of bending them to suit the plot. When I brainstorm, it’s through my characters. I’m constantly asking myself “Would they do/sat that?”; “What will be his/her reaction?”; “Is his/her actions believable as far as their character is concerned?”; “How does this affect the relationship between the h/h?” Romance is all about character growth, whatever the sub-genre. It took me a while to learn to build the story from the characters down instead of from the plot up.
NS: Do you have a book coming out? If so what? Do you have a web site? Do you have a blog? My space?
Amber: My historical romance Forever Amore launched September 1:
Was their love destined to last forever …
… or become another casualty of war?
Purchase Forever Amore in ebook or paperback today!
Win an autographed cover by commenting on every leg of the Forever Amore web-based book tour. For tour locations, visit The Cozy Page (see September Web Appearances – left sidebar).
Today I’ll be chatting at the Novel Sisterhood Yahoo Group so stop by! I could be giving away a free ebook download from my booklist!
Website: http://www.amberleighwilliams.com
Contact: amber@amberleighwilliams.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ALeighWilliams
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amberleighwilliams
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/amberleighwilliams86
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions for the Novel Sisterhood blog. Good luck with your writing.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ALeighWilliams
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amberleighwilliams
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/amberleighwilliams86
Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions for the Novel Sisterhood blog. Good luck with your writing.
Sex, Dogs and Chocolate
I have not had the time do to a lot of creative writing lately, although I did have a short story published in an anthology that was just released today. Whoo hooo. Now, I have been picking up work in the freelance writing field and taking some of the most boring and horrible projects imaginable. But, in and among those, I get to do some pretty interesting things as well. For instance, I have recently started writing about stuff that is near and dear to my heart. As you may have guessed by my title, those three things are well, the ones listed. And while they certainly have nothing to do with one another, they are part of the list of things that makes me happy. I woke up this morning knowing that I had a ton of work to do and that for the most part, I did not really want to. So, I did what any reasonable adult would do in the situation and grabbed a piece of really, really good chocolate ( I am not naming names here) and let it melt on my tongue.If i would have had to make the choice between the two, I think chocolate would have won over sex just for that second. And, if I were a dog, I would be wagging my tail or dying, if you believe that chocolate kills dogs. I don't know about you but I think I am going to go scavenge for more candy; curse this sweet tooth of mine! You want more chocolaty goodness? http://www.ilovechocolatetoo.com
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Mary's Sunday Blog Interview
E-books vs. Paper-books: are E-books the next step, is this where new/established authors should put their focus? Special Guest Sandra Hicks CEO/Owner of Aspen Mountain Press.
NS: Thank you for agreeing to an interview, Sandra, before we get started though, would tell us a little bit about your background, and what led up to you putting on the CEO/Owner hat of Aspen Mountain Press (AMP).
Sandra: Thank you, Mary, for inviting me to answer your questions. To make a long story very short, I started Aspen Mountain Press because of some of the things that happened to me as an electronically published author. I was with a company that treated some authors preferentially, one that didn’t pay in a timely manner, another that didn’t pay at all or even send statements, one that blamed the authors for the company’s poor decision making, and one that bounced checks. I said to myself those infamous words – I can do better. Then I put my money and my time where my mouth was and Aspen Mountain Press was the end result.
NS: Before we start on the debate about E-Books vs. Paper-books, let’s chat a bit about what you look for in a new author. Do all the queries come to you? If so what is the best hook?
Sandra: First, all the queries go to our submissions department. From there I get recommendations and either I, or my editorial director make a contract offer.
What we look for in a new author is not as complex as one would think. We look for someone that can tell a complete story, someone that has a solid grasp of grammar and spelling, someone who has put a unique twist on a story. Additionally, we look for someone who isn’t egotistical and who is capable of following directions.
About 90 percent of the time these characteristics will show up in the query letter. I know it is a fine line between presenting your writing resume and making your query spotlight you like you’re the next best writer to hit the market since Barbara Cartland, Sherrilyn Kenyon, or Nora Roberts. I’ve had query letters come across my desk where the author has said they know they can make us lots of money if only...(insert your named reason here, we’ve seen them all) or they blame the other publisher for their lack of success...My manuscript would have done better if only the publisher had...(insert your named reason here too).
NS: As far as I know AMP is completely digital at this time, is this true? If so do you have plans to bring in a print program?
Sandra: Currently, we are completely digital, but we are moving forward with plans to go into print, having signed contracts with a couple different print companies.
NS: If you haven’t already answered this, what made you decide to open AMP? I know that you are an author, and have been or are published with other publishers. Has it been a hard road?
Sandra: I knew I could do a better job for authors than that of several other companies I’d been published with. One of the things I think makes Aspen Mountain Press unique is the fact that I’ve been an editor, a publisher and an author. I try to keep that in mind for all aspects of the business. This is a business that doesn’t have to have a “them versus us” mentality, and when we work together we are far stronger. My teaching background has also helped. I believe part of my job as a publisher and an editor is to help authors hone their craft. All our editors want our authors to learn and grow as writers!
If anyone has ever operated their own business and done a good job at it, they know. Running your own company requires a lot of time. For the past three years my writing hasn’t been my main priority, although I still manage to get at least ten pages in a week (which, I know is absolutely nothing for a lot of your readers). Prior to making the decision to open, I wrote about fifteen to twenty pages a day. A business, any business, takes a tremendous amount of time as well as a financial toll.
Still, I did manage to complete NaNoWriMo for the first time ever last year, and I had a 25k novella included in a vampire anthology that came out in July.
NS: Okay time to open the debate on E-books vs. Print Books. What are your thoughts on the industry focus?
Sandra: Currently I believe there is room for both print and electronic works. I think for the most part authors understand this. I do feel strongly that print authors are being ripped off by print publishers who don’t pay their authors a fair rate for the electronic version of their work.
I’d like everyone to remember this: IF you get paid by someone for the purchase of your book, in whatever format they buy it in, AND you haven’t had to pay to have it edited or produced other than your hard work in getting your story onto paper, THEN you are a published, professional author.
Yes, there are huge gaps in income (e verses print) for a lot of authors, but someone else PAID to read your story. Think about how totally awesome that is. Tell it to yourself again. Someone PAID to read MY story.
NS: Do you think the publishing industry, or organizations like RWA will ever fully accept E-books?
Sandra: I don’t see it happening for a long time. The publishing industry has a lot of traditionalists. I can’t remember exactly when or who, but this summer Publisher’s Weekly had an article announcing the formation of an electronic publishing division at a major house (Harper Collins or Random House I believe) that was accepting NEW material as well as converting existing books for the purpose of an electronic line. Additionally, one of these houses also started a new line that was not going to be taking returns, a practice that is a dinosaur from the Great Depression.
NS: Can an author make a career of writing E-books?
Sandra: Absolutely. It is not easy, but it can be done. Genre, quality, quantity and building the author’s name brand all go into making a successful career in the electronic market.
Additionally, there have been authors who’ve made the leap from electronic to print simply because they cut their teeth in the electronic market, honed their craft, learned about promoting and then got noticed by bigger houses. Electronic is an excellent stepping stone to the big boys although there are a number of authors who are no longer interested in print publication because of the delay in timely payments. A lot of electronic houses pay quarterly or more frequently. At Aspen Mountain Press we cut checks every month.
NS: RWA has this theory that those who do not receive $1000 in an advance and/or royalties for one book they are not series writers. What is your take on this as a publisher?
Sandra: I think you mean ‘serious’? RWA couldn’t be more wrong. I’m sure your readers could come up with other, better definitions, but the RWA one is not only personally invasive, it just doesn’t work or take into consideration the large number of options individual authors have in getting their work recognized as “serious”.
What makes a serious writer? One who writes every day for the purpose of publication could be one definition. Or an author who has completed a number of works equaling X amount of words in Y amount of time. An author who submits to companies with the purpose of having their writing published in a non-vanity, non-subsidized way would be another definition.
If you think about what it takes to get into PAN, isn’t that what really sets a person apart as a serious author? That you had the courage to send out your work to a company for potential publication? Perhaps organizations like RWA would better serve itself and its members if they required annual updates from PAN to “prove” they are serious authors. Frankly, requiring information from an author regarding their income is not anyone else’s business anyway. Can you imagine requiring your doctor to disclose how much he makes in order to be considered qualified as a professional doctor?
RWA needs to be pro-active in the things they offer their members. Information on houses, sure. Who wants to be a part of a house that doesn’t pay its authors according to their contracts or in a timely manner? Continued education in the craft of writing…absolutely! Every author and publisher will reap heaps of rewards by learning more about various aspects of our craft. How about promoting the romance industry? RWA does a great job to librarians, but that is an area that could be expanded. How about making sure print authors are getting a minimum of 30 percent on their electronic download sales (the average electronic sale is 35-50% by the way) and an equal split from third party distributors such as Fictionwise or 1RomanceEbooks?
Lastly, RWA shouldn’t forget the power of networking that is provided in local chapters. It’s the local chapters that truly support authors via local meetings, guest lecturers, critique groups, and it’s the seasoned writers that can share wonderful encouragement to their chapter mates.
In the end, it’s not a dollar figure that distinguishes anyone as a professional. Commitment and dedication, willingness to learn and grown, conducting oneself in a manner that reflects professionalism are the true measures of one’s seriousness.
And in the words of Sean Connery in The Untouchables (make sure you do the accent now)...”Here endeth the lesson.”
Thank you again Mary for the opportunity to chat with your readers!
Thank you Sandra Hicks of Aspen Mountain Press for taking the time to give us your thoughts and opinions!
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