Turning Ideas Into Fiction Part Three by Roseanne Dowell

  

Visit Roseanne Dowell's BWL Author Page for details and purchase information

Learning to Lie – Putting it all together.-

So now we know that ideas are all around us -  From our workplace to our neighbors. From getting stuck in traffic to grocery shopping and thumbing through magazines to reading the classified. Let’s put it all together. 

 We overhear a conversation in a restaurant. The woman is crying.  Is she breaking up with her date? Is he breaking up with her? Or maybe those are happy tears?  It’s not necessary to know the truth. Your writer’s mind starts working and you imagine what you want.  My husband came home from the bank one day and told me of a conversation he heard about deadbeat dads, That conversation sparked an idea in me, and hence the book deadbeat dads came about. I did have to do some research for the book, I talked to several women who experienced ex-husbands not paying child support. Don't forget to acknowledge them in your book. 

Putting it all together comes naturally for me. I start off with an idea and characters, I always know the end, without it I can't continue to write the story. What happens in the middle is as much a surprise to me as it is for the reader.  Right now, I have two works in progress. Unfortunately, I don't know the end of either one and I'm stuck. Writers' Block 101 for me. I sit and stare at empty pages of the computer. I've lost my writing buddy and don't have anyone to throw ideas around with. Not that it would matter much, without knowing the end, ideas for the middle won't help. 

Learning to lie - what does that mean? Very simply I write fiction. While some of the stories is based on fact or something that happened to me or someone I know or heard about, most of it is made up, embellished, and let's face it, downright lies. Surely, none of this stuff can happen in real life, right? 

You begin to formulate a story about it.  You don’t even need to describe the characters in your story with the same description of the people you see.  Your mind will create your own characters.  Maybe this lady has jet black hair.  Your character may have gray hair or blond. Short, long, straight, curly it doesn’t matter.  

What matters is that you create your characters. Maybe they're young, old, middle-aged. Again, it doesn’t matter. What matters is to visualize your character in your mind. And make notes!!! Nothing is worse than reading about a blond who suddenly has dark hair halfway through the book.   And be careful with names too.  I wrote a story using the character’s name, Daniel Stephens.  Halfway through I accidentally changed it to Stephen Daniels.  Fortunately, I always ask people to read my stories before I submit them and someone told me about it.   Oh, and do identify your character's age at the beginning of the story. There's nothing worse than reading about someone you thought was in their twenties and discover halfway through the book they're fifty.  How do you do this? Well, hopefully not by saying Ellen was fifty. But through the description and I don't mean by telling us she has gray hair or wrinkles. But showing us. Ellen brushed a strand of gray hair from her shoulder. The rate her hair was falling out, she'd be bald by the time she was fifty.    There, I just showed you a scene that described her hair color and gave you her age. 

Another point,  find a writing buddy!  Someone you can exchange stories with or someone whose judgment you know and trust.  Oftentimes, family and friends are afraid to criticize your work, afraid they’ll hurt your feelings. Trust me, sometimes these critiques do hurt, after all, you worked for hours to put these words to paper and you love this story, it’s a part of you. 

But you want it to be the best you can do.  So DO keep an open mind. If you ask for someone’s opinion, respect it.  You don’t have to take all of their advice; it is your story after all.  I once had an editor tell me to cut a whole scene. A scene I felt was critical to the story.  I had several writer friends read the story. After they were done I asked if they thought I should cut the scene. They all said no, it was important to the story.  Alas, I didn’t get the story published, but it remains intact and I’ve submitted it elsewhere.  But I have often made changes when an editor suggested them and for the most part, it made for a much stronger story. I often ask three people to read my story.  If two of the three comment on the same thing, I know it needs to be changed. If only one comments on it and the others think it's fine, then I leave it. 

 

BWL Publishing Inc. new releases and free book for June 2021

The following four books are now available from Amazon and Smashwords as well as their retail partners. Click the book covers to visit each Author's BWL page and read about these exciting new releases.

And new for June, don't forget to visit our website at https://bookswelove.net  where you can download 

a copy of our June free book.

This month we're giving away Dean L. Hovey's Stolen Past.  This is the first book in Hovey's hugely popular multiple five star reviewed Doug Fletcher mystery series.   

Doug Fletcher, a retired Minnesota detective, relocates to Arizona and a quiet life as a part-time National Park Service ranger.

His plans change abruptly when a suspicious fall at a national monument plunges him into the world of stolen antiquities, ruthless drug smugglers, and shady antiques dealers.

Working with Jamie Ballard of the Navajo Nation Police, Doug finds their investigation complicated by the demands of his visiting family, a new boss, an overly friendly neighbor, the FBI, and his new environment.

Editorial Reviews
“Hovey’s greatest strength is his artful use of suspense.”

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Choosing Characters by Priscilla Brown

 

Mayor Anna agonises over the parlous finances of both her alpaca stud and her country town.

 Is this sexy television producer financial salvation or major trouble?

https://books2read.com/Sealing-the-Deal

 

Several characters in my contemporary romantic fiction choose themselves. Sealing the Deal developed from a farmer sitting on a gate watching her alpaca stud; for Hot Ticket, I had noticed a woman looking in the window of a lingerie shop;  the ferry hand who managed to get me and my rental car aboard his tiny boat without a scratch won a place in Dancing the Reel.

As an author, I need to know my characters well, and ensure they and their actions are appropriately motivated and credible; my familiarity with them increases as the story progresses. I don't plot in advance, thus offering them a lot of freedom to change or augment their personalities, backgrounds, mindsets, actions. But they must always have a narrative purpose - the rationale behind their existences, earning their keep so to speak. Every character has strengths and weaknesses, which, among other ramifications, determine how this person will respond to obstacles and to the behaviour of others; basically to move the story along.

I often find this character development a challenge - for example, I may like a certain individual, but will the reader be sympathetic to her/him?  And when I introduce a villain into the story, will the reader judge this character as such, and, as I intend, worry about the connection with the main characters? In my romance stories, the 'villain' is frequently the person keeping the hero and heroine apart.

Although I do not plot at the start, I always need to keep my characters under control. It may sound crazy to a non-writer, but our fictitious people do take on a life of their own. I have to stop them from wandering into idiosyncrasies and behaviours that do not fit with my overall idea of their place. A couple of stories ago, one of my chosen secondary characters wandered out of the story and into one where he was more important, so choosing him like that for the length of a novel was not going to work. He's waiting for a story of his own.

Ultimately, by the time I have finished the drafts, I must be sure I have chosen the characters suitably, and that the tone, the mood, which I  impose on them are relevant both to what they have by now turned into a plot and to the genre; the whole narrative should coalesce into a pleasurable read. 

Enjoy your reading, best wishes, Priscilla

https://bwlpublishing.ca

https://priscillabrownauthor.com

 

 

 

Author Readings by Eden Monroe

 

 Click here for Eden Monroe's BWL Author page and purchase information

“He felt for a pulse then grabbing his cell phone stabbed in Donna’s number ….

        “Yes, Dade!” answered Donna breathlessly. “What’s happening?”

        “We found Kerrah!” he all but shouted. “We’ve got her, but….”

        “But what?” shouted Donna. “How is she?”

        “I don’t know….” Dade faltered.

        “Dade, listen to me. Can you find a pulse?”

        “No … I can’t seem to find a pulse. She’s … cold. Oh my God!” he said, his voice breaking.”

                                                      A brief excerpt from Gold Digger Among Us

 

I was once asked by a hopeful novelist, about the importance of author readings; “whether anyone is actually interested in listening to an author drone on and on from their latest book. Aren’t readings the cure for insomnia?” she asked. She also stressed that when she got published she didn’t want to get “bogged down with what clearly doesn’t work.”

 

That person was attending a literary event at which I was among the fairly long list of reading authors. Ouch! I certainly tried to make my reading lively and interesting, but there’s always room for improvement. And my answer by the way was that author readings are extremely important, as is preparing for them.

 

So without meaning to be preachy, I decided to jot down a few tips I’ve learned along the way about author readings. These are pretty standard do’s and don’ts, but I enjoyed getting back in the zone and ready for when things start to open up again, post-pandemic. Of course this is old hat for most authors, those who have already mastered this skill, but might be helpful for the uninitiated.

 

Continue reading for the goose.

 

Reading aloud to an audience who could potentially purchase what it took us so many months to create, is a golden opportunity. Readers are fans, or at the very least potential fans, and aside from the budding novelist I mentioned earlier, come to hear what we have to say. This is our book; these are our words, given voice, our voice. We are the star of the performance, because that’s exactly what a reading is – a performance. We will bring our book to life.

 

No one knows our book better than we do, understands it better, so when we’re given the stage, we have to make the reading memorable - for the right reasons. It’s important to speak slowly – not race for the finish line, eager to be done. Instead, breathe, pace ourselves, and enjoy the ride. Most readings are about three to five minutes, so we must keep our reading short and bright; read with purpose and enthusiasm. We should approach each reading as an actor prepares for a role, really get into it – and above all, have fun.

 

It might be a good idea to print your chosen passage in a larger font for easy reading, we don’t necessarily have to read from the book (unless you want to showcase artwork, as in a children’s book) but do let the audience see your book. We must practice until we can read with ease. Rehearsal really is key, and preparation should never be left to the last minute, it’s simply too important not to be ready. We should practice until we feel comfortable enough to lift our eyes to engage the audience, because we must not ever forget our audience. Practicing in front of a mirror works, and definitely time ourselves so we can keep to the time designated by our host. For many author readings the mike is simply shut off once the allotted minutes are up (and that allotted time includes thanking the host and any introduction to what you’re about to read), so we have to be ready to end on cue and at the right moment to put our book in its best light. Make people glad they listened to us, it truly is so important that they leave with a favourable impression, and ideally with one of our books tucked under their arm.

 

The selection we choose to read should contain dialogue and action, and it’s preferable to include only two characters, certainly not more than three, so as not to confuse people. Show conflict. The passage should best represent the book, without giving the key parts away, and it’s great to leave our audience on a cliffhanger; give them a reason to buy the book. Make them want more. For a children’s picture book, the reading would logically include the entire book, but whatever the genre, we have to make our characters real; make our subject matter real - relatable.

 

A ho hum reading will make for an audience that’s anxious to have it end because it’s painful to listen to. Boring. If we as authors don’t seem interested enough to do a standout reading, no one else will be interested either. If we’re nervous, and most everyone is, there’s nothing to be gained by sharing that with our audience; it’s best kept to ourselves. A nervous presenter can make for a nervous audience. Not good. Fake confidence and it will come. I’ve had authors at events that I’ve helped organize, insist that they’re just not good at readings. Well maybe that’s true at first, but we can get good at them if we try, because readings are a key selling tool. Also, we learn best by watching others – both what they do wrong and what they do right. Public readings are all part of the author journey. If we take every reading opportunity that comes along, we’ll eventually tame those butterflies and continue to improve.

 

Before we begin to read it’s a good idea to quickly brief our audience about the story, if we’re not starting at the beginning, and end the reading professionally, not just stop abruptly and hurry back to your seat relieved that it’s over. Take questions if we’ve been given the OK to do so, but even if it’s only a reading, save enough time to let the audience know where the book is available and remember to thank our host – onstage. We should also publicize the event ahead of time, and equally important is finding out, prior to the event, what the set-up will be. Will you be standing at a podium? Will there be a microphone? How much time is allotted per reading?

 

Above all, we have to get excited about our reading. If we’re excited and enthusiastic about our book, that excitement and enthusiasm will be contagious. We have to light a fire! Stand out from the crowd! Be original.

 

And now for the goose….

 

Another memorable event I attended included a reading from a children’s book about a goose. One of the authors, complete with brown leather aviator helmet and goggles, flew around the room (on foot with arms extended, goose-like), while reading. She immediately got and held everyone’s attention, and that reading is as vivid in my mind today as it was those several years ago. I don’t seem to remember the others….

Old Friends & Flowers on Memorial Day

 

Juliet Waldron's website

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Where to read Mozart's Wife

Perennials are my favorites. I can't claim to be a master gardener, but I do love to put my hands in the dirt and grow things.

Walking around the yard this spring, I'm pleased with all the color. We're past even the latest daffodils here in PA, but it's Memorial Day now and so the peonies are going great guns, as well as the irises and various other plants whose names my brain has misfiled. Perhaps I have forgotten the names, but I know that they come back reliably this time of year and that they have a delicate fragrance that I enjoy when I'm sitting on the porch. 

Many of my plants were gifts but ever so many of the givers are now dead. Each time I gaze at those  plants, blooming away with all their might, I think of the nice folks who shared them with me and I am grateful. 

Emily was one of the prolific givers. An athletic, charismatic red head, she and her equally good-looking husband Ray had a lovely down-a-country-road property. Over the years, Emily, who undertook nothing she did by halves, had turned their surroundings into a show place, with a stellar Koi pond surrounded by and ornamented with plants. There were the expected cattails and water lilies, but the papyrus she brought home from the nursery was a revelation, as I'd never actually seen a living breathing specimen before.

Over the years all the local wildlife found the pond, from deer to leopard frogs and tree toads. These little guys hatched in the water, then climbed, for the next part of their life cycle, into the nearby trees. They filled spring twilight evenings with their sweet quivering choruses. Herons came too, enraging Emily because they didn't just eat the frogs out of the pond, but her enormous Koi. 

We were visiting one night, enjoying their company on the deck--they worked together in their auto dealership and had a big supply of "people are crazy" stories--when suddenly Emily shouted, leapt up and ran, an Amazon screaming curses, towards the pond. It was all explained in a flash, when an enormous blue heron, his long, yellow landing gear still dangling, executed an emergency take-off. I'd never seen one of these big birds so close, and certainly never one with a large, flapping red and white Koi in his narrow beak!

                                                

These peonies came from Emily, who told me a long story about her favorite Aunt Pard, whose flower garden and warm presence she remembered with equal pleasure. These were the old-fashioned kind of peony, no ginormous blooms, but, instead, a fragrance you don't often find in modern cultivars. These peonies were not happy in her yard, but, for some inexplicable reason they loved mine. Consequently, over the years, I've split them many times. Now they perform their brief, bright celebration of May in many groupings all over my yard--and they do smell sweet! 

Today, enjoying the flowers, I remembered this couple, their out doors parties--blazing fires under 60 foot oaks, and barbecue-potlucks that lasted all night, their hunter's venison feasts and the annual trout opening day Bacchanalia begun before dawn, just behind their house on the rushing, brown Quittaphilia. So many laughter-filled, good-company evenings with them! 

Now, astonishingly, these active, vital people are both gone. Like many long-married couples, Ray followed his Em to the grave within 6 months. Although they are no more, I have these lovely peonies to always remind me of them both.

~~Juliet Waldron

Where to buy Mozart's Wife