AS YOU KNOW BOB...CONTESTS ROCK!

I am a contest whore.

Yes, you read that right. I can’t resist a contest. And romance writing contests...well, let’s just say I have lots of experience J

When I first started writing, I found it very difficult to find good beta readers. I asked my sisters, my friends, even a casual acquaintance. And they were all very willing to help out. Problem was, they were too nice.

Everyone loved my sample chapters. They thought I was the best writer since Margaret Atwood (little hint there that I’m Canadian). The only real criticism I got was from one sister who works as the Managing Editor of a prestigious medical journal. Apparently, I didn't use enough commas.

Around that time, I read a blog post by a romance author who extolled the virtues of joining a writing group. She mentioned the Romance Writers Association. I promptly looked them up and was delighted to discover they had a local chapter near me. Yay!

A whole new world of support and information opened up the day I became an RWA member. Not the least of which was a monthly listing of...gasp...contests. Yes, I am one of those people who fills in the little contest forms in malls and parking lots. I click every button that says “Enter here”. I tick every box that says “Sign me up.”

But an RWA chapter contest is a whole different beast.

Designed to give newbie romance authors substantive feedback on their work, the RWA chapter contests require the submission of several chapters and often a synopsis (gah). There is no “click here” button. No “easy entry.” Your work has to be read and reread, polished and spit-shined. And did I mention the synopsis?

I wrote and rewrote my chapters. I edited them with a fine-tooth comb. I read article after article about writing a synopsis and then proceeded to destroy a forest worth of trees. I realized then, I hadn't properly plotted out the story.

Back to the computer. Learn about plotting. Write and rewrite. Attack synopsis with the vigor reserved for really dirty ovens (at least in the days before oven cleaner was invented). Finally, I had something that didn't make me cringe.

But more than that. The process of reviewing and editing my own work taught me more than I had learned from self-help writing books and community college courses. There is nothing like ripping your own work apart. Except maybe forcing it into a two page synopsis. I did mention the synopsis, didn't I?

I learned more with every contest I entered (and there were quite a few!). My scenes became steamier when I entered a contest for the best “first kiss”. My writing became crisper when I learned how to condense for the “one page synopsis” contest. The best “cute meet” taught me how to put emotion into a scene.

Best of all, however, the feedback I received from contest judges was invaluable. Some pointed out inconsistencies in the story. Others made me realize that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. A few kind judges pointed out grammar errors (although no missing commas). It was through contest judges I learned to avoid the “As you know, Bob” literary device where a character blurts out a bunch of information in dialogue to another character that already knows the information with the sole purpose of informing the reader. Boy, was I guilty of that!

I would highly recommend contests for anyone starting a romance writing career. Not only did I get excellent feedback through the contests, I learned a lot about writing, won a few prizes, and I got an agent!

I still enter contests. After all, the learning never stops.

• What has been your experiences with contests? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

Thanks very much to Sia for hosting me today. I wish you many happy contests!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, CHAPTERS INDIGO ca

AGAINST THE ROPES--Available in stores and online now.

He scared me. He thrilled me. And after one touch, all I could think about was getting more...

Makayla never thought she'd set foot in an elite mixed martial arts club. But if anyone needs a medic on hand, it's these guys. Then again, at her first sight of the club's owner, she's the one feeling breathless.

The man they call Torment is all sleek muscle and restrained power. Whether it's in the ring or in the bedroom, he knows exactly when a soft touch is required and when to launch a full-on assault. He always knows just how far he can push. 

And he's about to tempt Makayla in ways she never imagined...

Excerpt



                                                                                                                                                                                                                     


Recovering lawyer, karate practitioner, and caffeine addict, Sarah Castille worked and traveled abroad before trading her briefcase and stilettos for a handful of magic beans and a home near the Canadian Rockies. Her steamy, contemporary romantic tales feature blazingly hot alpha heroes and the women who tame them.

You can find Sarah: Website, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter. 

You can also sign up for Sarah's newsletter for the latest scoop on books, contests, and appearances.

THE TROUBLE WITH PITCHES...

My scheduled guest, Lindsay Ashford, was unable to visit today. My apologies. We'll catch up with her later.  

I've only gotten serious about my writing the last few of years.  Don’t get me wrong, I've been a writer most of my business life and have written numerous articles for  newspapers, industry styled periodicals, radio copy, and developed seminars. And while I've told stories all my life, written down many of them, it’s only been a recent thing for me to consider fulfilling a dream of writing novels and having them published. 

I have several friends who are authors and who have been a big encouragement to me. They've taken an interest in my writing and try to help me improve. One asked me to give a brief blurb about one of my stories. I’m thinking, brief? You see, me and brief—especially in fiction, we have problems and we’re not exactly close friends. I thought, hey, I could do this. After all, I wrote several 90,000-word books so how hard can it be? I hunkered down and got to it.

Three days and seven drafts later I gave her what I thought was brief. 

Ahem, need I say it was in need of a major blood transfusion when I got it back? Then she added the word “concise”, sigh…I thought two pages was concise. She then gave me a helpful clue; think of the back cover of a book. 

Two days and twelve drafts later I hand her the blurb. 

Her response? Sia, just how big do you think a book cover is? 

Oh-oh. 

The next day and we won’t mention the draft count, I handed it back to her. Good word count, however…then came all this stuff about character goal, motivation, conflict, word choices, and yeah, it was still bleeding to death.

My friend is tough and has pushed me to be the best I can be and not to give up. She also thinks one should always practice pitches—who knows when you might meet an acquiring editor? I have a lot of respect for her. So, you know whom I went to when I was preparing a 50-word pitch for an editor. This time it only took me one day and four drafts—I had been practicing. I got it back, “close but not quite.” 

I growled—hey it impressed my dog.  I went for a walk, did the dishes, polished my nails and sat down, determined to get this thing right.

My final draft? 

“Wow, you got it!” Shock, followed by the wet noodle thing, and then elation.

Now, if an editor does more then just read the manuscript and says thanks but no thanks? 

I’ll tell you what it feels like to win a lottery. 

MONDAY MUSINGS—AUGUST BRINGS THE FALL

Summer is a time of play and having fun. Or so I've always thought. Probably a holdover from when I was in school. Couldn't wait for relief from homework and dress codes.

Summer was always a time of adventures. My two older brothers and I had a grand time thinking up stories to act out, forts to build, and trails to blaze through the woods for our bikes.  Our bikes became everything from horses, race cars, space shuttles (ala Star Trek), and motorcycles. Our yard and surrounding forests became our playground, our door through time to a new planet, the Wild West, climbing the mountains. In other words, it was our stage.

I’m not going to say we didn't have chores because we did. Plus my dad was in the trades and I was his number one helper on different projects from concrete work to bricklaying, with a few in ground swimming pools thrown in. There also the houses we renovated. A lot of hard labor where I learned much both about the trades and the men worked them. 

Those lessons didn't start until I was eleven and ended when I turned eighteen and went off to college. Dad always made sure I had playtime and down time to just hang out and read or, do my creative stuff. Summertime has always been a time for fun and tons of reading and I always have a book with me regardless of where I go or what I’m doing.

August was always a weird month. We started school the day after Labor Day. The last few weeks of August was gearing up for that workload.  I was glad to get back to school and I was ready. I actually loved school. I loved the smell of new clothes, paper, books, and the hint of autumn. I absolutely love September through November. I love the smell of wood smoke in the air, the intense blue skies, the gorgeous colors, and the snap of chill in the air. At this point in my life, I’m not particularly fond of icy cold and snow. *shrugging. I deal. I complain, but overall, winter has its beauty and joys too.

I think those attitudes are the same for me now. My mind turns to work oriented things, as if to say playtime is over. So it is this year. I’m back to my day job, which takes up quite a bit of time

and more mental energy than I like. Off time, my focus is more on completing chores around the ranch in preparation for winter but…I also have characters circling around in my head wanting to be let out to play. They want a stage to play on.  The fall is certainly busier and yet I seem to accomplish quite a bit. I find myself wanting to write more. Winter brings those lovely days of snowfall and storms, which seem to put my dragon muse in a tizzy to write. Over all, I do my best creative writing from August through winter—much better than I do in the summer play time.

How about you? How does this time of the year affect you?

BITCHES AND BASTARDS—CREATING CHARACTERS THAT ARE BOLDLY IMPERFECT

Jade Lee was scheduled for today but unfortunately was unable to visit. We'll catch up with her later.

My guest, is fiction editor, Beth Hill. Her topic is on creating characters the touch readers. If you get the chance, do stop by Beth's Blog and check out her archives. She has some fabulous articles on craft and they are a great resource for writers.

I was recently talking with a frustrated writer, frustrated because beta readers were finding fault with her lead characters.

Some readers didn't like her male lead; others had trouble with the female. They said the characters were unsympathetic, unkind, or just not nice.

No, her leads aren't rotten; they aren't the bitch and bastard referred to in this article’s title. They are simply characters with character.

And isn't that what we want for our stories, characters who stand out, who grab our attention? Don’t we want characters who make us notice them? Characters with character, characters we’ll remember for their bold actions, characters who stir our emotions? Don’t we want stories peopled with characters who aren't safe and who don’t blend in?

RUSSELL CASSE--INDEPENDENCE DAY

The characters we most enjoy have some growing to do. They aren't necessarily nice. They certainly aren't insipid.

They don’t always do the right thing, say the right words, and have the correct motivations. They aren't always politically correct and they may hurt others, both willingly and unknowingly. They may never apologize. They may make excuses. They may lie or cheat or steal. Characters who are bold, who aren't always nice or polite or solicitous, are the characters readers will remember.

So why all the fuss from beta readers?

My guess is that the readers don’t want the writer to submit something they think won’t be popular with either agents or editors.

Yet characters that stand out, who are outrageous or who stumble or who push the readers’ buttons, are exactly the kinds of characters agents and acquiring editors are looking for.

Who wants to read about nice characters, characters who don’t ruffle feathers or who don’t get into trouble or who always say the right thing?

Don’t we want bold characters who are different from us, who speak their minds—even when fearful of consequences—who press ahead despite fear and anxiety and feelings of worthlessness?

Nice characters don’t create tension—they’d work to diffuse it. Nice characters mean bland scenes and ho-hum motivations. Nice characters mean not-so-nice stories.

And lest anyone take offense, I’m not talking about doing away with characters who are good, who stand on the side of justice or integrity or decency. Good characters can be strong and bold and powerful. But nice characters, characters who don’t take a stand and who have no outstanding quirks and who don’t rock the boat are not strong enough to be the leads in a novel.

Characters without flaw are flat and the stories told about them can’t draw the readers’ interest the same way stories about imperfect characters can. What surprise is there when a perfect character defeats his enemy? Doesn't he always defeat his enemy? Was there any doubt that he’d win again?

HANS SOLO--STAR WARS

But what about the imperfect character who’s admitted to cheating to get ahead—can he win the biggest challenge in his life without resorting to cheating again? Will those around him let him forget what he’s done before and pull for him or will they always stand against him, no matter how honest he now is? Can a rude or belligerent character change enough to get other characters on his side when it counts?

If your lead character is perfect, how will he grow? If he’s perfect, how will his next victory be any different for him than his last? If he’s perfect, how will the reader relate?

The writer I was speaking with said the characters didn't resonate with the beta readers. Yet after hearing some of the comments her readers had made, I told her the characters certainly did resonate. They had those readers upset. The characters had succeeded in touching the readers.

And that’s exactly what you want your characters to do.

Consider Rhett and Scarlett, whose movie was on TV just in time to bring them to mind for this article. Neither Rhett nor Scarlett are perfect, but they are good characters. Great characters. They give us reasons to both loathe them and root for them. They are bold, brash, audacious, and larger than life. They pull us into their lives not by their goodness, but by their manner. Their personalities. Their daring and confidence. Who would work his way through Margaret Mitchell’s tome without the reward of Scarlett’s nerve and Rhett’s disregard for propriety?

So, be bold in ruffling feathers of both other characters and your readers and don’t be afraid of writing characters who stir the puddin’. Certainly don’t shy away from giving characters unlikable qualities. Give them those negative qualities and make us like them anyway. Or make us root for them, even if they have flaws.

No, characters don’t have to be bastards or bitches or cruel or crazy or repulsive. But they could be. And if you write them well, readers will enjoy reading them. 

Don’t play it safe with your characters. Create characters that are boldly imperfect. Write strong fiction by creating characters that are far from bland and nice. Your readers will thank you.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

I love the written word, the ability we have to create worlds and emotions with well-chosen phrases. It’s my intention to share tips and insights and encouragement with writers at all levels, to help you craft stories that will entertain and satisfy your readers. That will help satisfy you as writer as well. I am both writer and editor. My editing focus is on long fiction, primarily novels. I also mentor beginning writers.

A Novel Edit

The Editor's Blog

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

MONDAY MUSINGS—26.6 MILLION YOUNG ADULTS ARE STILL LIVING WITH PARENTS.

“And the thing is, Mom, Dad, I've lived upstairs since I was three, and it's been great.” Tripp, Failure to Launch, 2006.

Failure To Launch, a romantic comedy, was nominated for People’s Choice Awards in 2007 for favorite movie comedy. And it was funny but under the humor it addressed a real problem of the rise in young adults, ages 18-31, still living at home.

I was reading the PEW Research report on Social andDemographic Trends and learned that the estimate, in 2012, of young adults between the ages of 18 to 31 still living at home was 36%. Granted, half of home-dwelling millennials are college students, Pew found; most (56%) haven’t hit their 25th birthday yet. Just 16% of adults aged 25-31 live at home. The economy plays into this, as does student debt (average of $27k upon graduation). Still, that’s 26.6 million young adults still living with their parents in 2012.

It boggles the mind.

I was on my own at 18. I was proud of the fact I was living independent of my family. Granted, I didn't have a lot of skills but I had been raised to be a self-sufficient adult and that meant working at whatever job I could to pay my bills. In the early part of my 18^th year I lived with a couple of roommates until I could save enough money to buy a car. Once I had a car I moved out and rented a room from an older widow with kitchen privileges. I was attending college and working. It was great not having to share quarters—I had my fill of that. Not long after that, I found a better place renting from a widower who broke his huge house into 3 separate living quarters. I had the bottom half of the house and shared the kitchen with him. I had a four-room apartment and I loved the country setting with a huge yard, lots of trees and flowers, and at least 10 acres between neighbors and me. I could have my dog and my cat with me. The upstairs was a separate apartment and the tenet was an older woman in her 40’s. We all got along well but we had our own apartments to retreat to. There was a feeling of freedom and safety. It was a nice arrangement for a few of years. After college, I moved to take a full time job and my own ground floor apartment. Alas, my dog had to go to my parents’ house for a while. Eventually, I transferred to Virginia Beach and moved into a small house with cat and dog as roommates.

I had been on my own and independent for five years when I met the man who became my husband. I was 23. When we married, I gave up my small house and we found a larger place, ironically, only two streets over from where I had been living. It was a nice subdivision with large yards and close to work and the beach. J

I could not imagine moving back to my parents’ house as a young adult. In my mind that would have said I had failed to um, launch. It would say, I couldn't take care of myself.  My parents wouldn't have said no if I needed help. I received no financial help from my parents (who were still raising 7 other children) once I left home. I had to take care of me. It was my turn.

I’m not sharing this as a way of saying, look how good I am/was. It was more to give my mindset after graduating high school. Independence and self-sufficiency was a big thing for me.

But this generation, the Millennial generation born after 1980 and were between the ages of 18 to 31 in age in 2012 seems to be failing to launch. My son is on the tail end of that generation and he’s 18 now. On one hand he wants to be on his own but on other hand, he’s not quite ready to make that leap. I’m not surprised since males tend to take a bit longer than females to mature emotionally and gain their independence. Young women have a tendency to reach certain targets quicker than young men. 

This gender gap was addressed in the PEW study, “The men of the Millennial generation are more likely than the women to be living with their parents—40% versus 32%…" There is another study I found interesting and also talks about the gender gap and it was conducted by the BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY, entitled, TwoDecades of Stability and Change in Age at First Union Formation and addresses both the play of gender and education in the process.

I’m not inclined to shove my son out before he’s ready. J However, we have made it a point to let our son know that he needs to make wise decisions that will allow him to live independent of us. I expect him to find his own place and be self-sufficient with in the next couple of years. This past year was vocational college. The next step is finding a job and saving up for a car. I’m not giving him one although I will help. I think one has a greater appreciates for what one has to earn. We've also talked about giving him a section of the property to either build or move in a mobile home until he can build. That won’t happen until he can support himself and has a solid track record of being responsible.

• What are your thoughts on this tendency of this generation and it failure to launch?

"Look, many young men who should be able to move out, simply can't. It's called "failure to launch"…I promise you, when this is over; Tripp is going to be an independent, self-sufficient adult." Paula to Tripp's parents, Failure to Launch, 2006

DON'T BE SCHMUCKED—BEWARE THE SCAMMER

Most, if not all, of us have caller ID and we tend to screen calls choosing those calls we’ll pick up and those we won’t. When we see an 800 number on the screen it tells us tells us it’s either a business call or a telemarketing company. But, it could also be a scammer calling and make no mistake there are some very sophisticated scamming companies out there.

We hear more, these days, about online scammers or email scams originating from all over the world with the intent of defrauding people of their identity and/or money. We forget that scammers started out doing this by telephones and they still are. Don’t think that just because you’re using a cell phone you’re safe. Getting people’s cell phones isn’t that difficult these days.

Scammers use 800 numbers; after all they are a business, just not a legal one. Are you familiar

with the 800 prefixes in use in the United States? Not all 800 prefixes are toll-free numbers.

Here’s a test for you: which of these numbers, off the top of your head, isn't a toll-free number? 800, 888, 877, 876, 866, and 855? Keep in mind there are only 5 toll-free number prefixes in current use in the US and the FCC has reserved the prefixes 844, 843, and 822 for future toll-free use. Were you able to pick the bogus one out?

The prefix 876 is not a toll-free prefix. It’s the area code of Jamaica and it’s often mistaken for a toll-free number.  Surprised?

If you’ll notice the pattern established by the FCC for current toll free prefixes, bogus numbers tend to stand out.

The Jamaicans have quite a scamming business going on with the use of their area code and one of their most popular targets are seniors. Even if you aren't a senior, your parents,

grandparents, or aunts and uncle could be. So it’s a problem that affects us all. Sad to say, but this has happened within my family and my stepfather was a successful businessman for years, and is now in his late 70’s. He lost a substantial amount of money and fortunately my mother got suspicious and made mention of the situation and the sibs stepped in and prevented even greater losses. Law enforcement was brought in and legal steps were taken to recoup a portion of his losses and bring the scammers up on charges.

The obvious scams involve alleged lottery winnings. It’s something we get online but also via

wikicommons

phone scams. In fact this “lottery/sweepstakes” scam is on the Better Business Bureau top ten scams of last year. There is quite a list of different frauds/scams and you can check some out at  http://www.stopfraud.gov/report.html, and another good place is http://www.scamcallfighters.com/ and this one also addresses emails etc. Be aware there is also a new medicare scam going around http://www.stopmedicarefraud.gov/.

To compound the problem the scammers try to convince the victims not to tell their family but instead make it a surprise. Oh, it’s a surprise all right. If the scammers feel like they have a potential mark or victim the phone calls will increase in frequency—sometimes hundreds of calls.

Here are some tips from BEWARE: SCAMS FROM AREA CODE 876 http://www.bewareof876.com/

§         If you get a call saying you’re a winner – don’t pay any money to collect supposed sweepstakes winnings. Legitimate operations won’t require you to pay to collect your winnings.

§         It’s against federal law to play a foreign lottery – so if you get a call [or an email] it is likely a scam.

§         Never wire money to anyone with whom you are not familiar.

§         Never provide anyone with personal information such as bank accounts, pin numbers or Social Security numbers.

§         Check any unfamiliar area codes before returning calls.

§         Be aware that there are many 3-digit area codes that connect callers to international telephone numbers – especially 876.

§         If you do not have Caller ID, consider adding it to your phone service. Caller ID allows you to add a Call Intercept feature that screens calls and offers the option to reject suspicious international calls.

§         If you do not make international calls, ask your telephone provider to block outgoing international calls.

§         Contact your phone service provider, local authorities, or the Federal Trade Commission to report a potential scam.

deposit photos

Bottom line is; if it sounds too good to be true it generally is...it's untrue, a lie, fool's gold.

Like my brother puts it, don’t be a stupid schmuck and get…well you get the picture. J

MONDAY MUSINGS—HOW HIGH IS THE WATER MAMA?

Many of you know that my area has been declared a disaster area due to flooding. It’s been awful for so many people impacted. Most of the rivers are in my greater backyard, meaning minimum ten miles away from the closest leg of the twisty and winding Big Piney River. The Gasconade and Roubidoux are further away—at least 30 minutes away. They all interconnect and man what a mess when they all hit flood stage. The Big Piney has lots of little streams and creeks that shoot off from the main river. We happen to have one finger that winds around the backside of our property and it wrecked havoc with flowing over the county roads, flooding fields, trapping people at home, not because the waters came into their houses but because they couldn't use the roads to get out to yet more roads that were also closed and flooding. But, we faced minor issues in comparison to towns 30 minutes from here and closer to the rivers. 

We've been getting a lot of rain the past two weeks from a series of slow moving thunderstorms and more than our normal rainfall. We got quite a lot the first weekend of August and already the rivers were high from all the runoff. The ground was saturated and the storms that blew into our area Saturday and Sunday and just kept coming. By Monday morning it was getting serious.  We were getting a lot of warnings for flooding and flash floods.

In this area we have a lot of low water bridges—maybe two or three feet above the normal water flow. (click on any of the pictures to enlarge)

These streams and creeks are fed by the big rivers we have in the area but, low water bridges can flood, even without the additional river water feed, with a couple of days of steady rainfall. We’re in hill country so water runs downhill to these creeks and streams. We've learned to expect rising water and flash floods. Most county roads have an alternate way out and around these low bridges. This series of storms…well, lets just say, I didn't go anywhere for a couple of days and I’m on high ground.

We received about 15 inches of rain in 48 hours. Roubidoux Creek was 18.6’above flood stage on Monday the 6^th and 20.14' August 7^th at 6:30 pm by morning it was well over 21 feet, Little Piney almost 15’, the Gasconade was cresting at 28’ over flood stage on Wednesday the 7th and higher. The streets and roads in that area disappeared under the water. Even a section of I-44 closed due to a lake where the interstate used to be. Houses were half or more full of water. Some were pulled off their foundations by the force of the water. We tend to forget just how destructive water is when in flood stage. Especially flash floods.

Flash floods can be extremely dangerous, instantly turning a normally calm creek or stream into wall of water and sweeping everything in its path downstream. Scary to see, but even scarier to hear it coming and know you have seconds to react and get the hell out of its path. During this storm some of the rivers rose fifteen feet (that’s 15) in twenty-five minutes. Think about that. Flash floods can turn streams or creeks into a Class 4 and 5 whitewater rivers. No lie.

 

Like I said, we live in hill country and flash floods happen. One of the things that amaze me is people’s stupidity thinking they can cross a familiar road that’s flooded. Did you know that 66% of flood deaths occur in vehicles when the driver makes the mistake of thinking they can navigate through the floodwater? Especially at night. If the water is flooding then it means there is a current and one that is usually much stronger than a person thinks.

Six inches (6”) of fast moving water can knock a person down. Six inches can reach the bottom of most passenger cars and cause you to lose control or stall. Two (2') feet of rapidly moving water can float a large vehicle, even a bus or firetruck.

That goes for you and your pickup truck, Mr. Yahoo Smallbrain. “Well lil’ lady, I got me this here won ton pickup truck. It’s tuff. I’m tuff.” 

 “Uh-huh. I’ll be sure to send a tow truck to pull your sorry butt out of the mud once the waters recede. If we can find you.”

 

According to The Weather Channel, one-third of flooded roads and bridges are so damaged by water any vehicle trying to cross stands only a 50% chance of making it to the other side.

How high is the water? Well, I like the sign that says, TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN. 

Sounds smart to me.