Guest:Candice Gilmer & Under His Nose


Today we welcome guest author Candice Gilmer! Take it away, Candice...
 
Let’s Make It Complicated! (Read--How I Give Myself Headaches)

By Candice Gilmer

Hi.

My name is Candice Gilmer.

And I am addicted to over-complicating my plots.

Ever heard the phrase “His eyes were bigger than his stomach”? Yep. That’s about how I write.

My ideas are bigger and much more exciting when I’m initially writing/plotting/world-building than when I’m actually doing the writing.

Take my latest book, Under His Nose. It’s the first in the Guys and Godmothers series.
 
The series overview? Three Fairy Godmothers decide to take on men for their charges instead of women. Sounds simple, right?

One would think.

Then I get in there, and start pre-plotting (whether this is a real term, I don’t know, but it’s what I characterize the series flow, etc.) and think, sure! Let’s make three books happen simultaneous! That’s no big deal, right?

Oh my God…

Seriously.

Someone kick me the next time I try to write three books that are going on at the same time. Especially where, in the beginning, the middle, and the end, all six main characters are together.

Don’t get me wrong, I really do love these books, they’ve been a lot of fun. You wouldn’t know it, to look at the spreadsheets, notecards, and outlines that litter my office space. I think I scared my husband the other day when he accidentally glanced at one of my outlines.

But they are.

I mean, Fairy Godmothers taking on boys? How fun is that? And in the first book, Under His Nose, the Fairy Godmother, Christy Molar (Married to Ewan Molar, a Tooth Fairy), has her work cut out for her, because what should be easy--best friends since grade school--turns out to be much more than she bargained for. Especially when her arch nemesis, Cupid, is running around with all his cherubs, shooting arrows into people, and screwing up all of Christy’s hard work.

The second book, Before His Eyes, comes out in early 2014, and the third, later in the year. And of course, with every book, I make it a little more interesting -- read ‘complicated’-- than the last.

So when they’re all done, I get a big bottle of wine, or a very large margarita, and cheesecake.

And believe me, I can’t wait for that margarita. Because I will have earned it.

What about you, when you complicate things, how do you reward yourself? (Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Amazon)!

Candice
http://candicegilmer.com

21 comments:

Jenna Ives said...

Welcome to the Fierce Romance blog, Candice!

Personally, I think it's always better to overcomplicate a plot rather than not have enough story to carry your book. An author always has the ability/luxury of editing out some stuff! JMO.

I look forward to reading Under His Nose!

Jenna
www.jennaives.com


Unknown said...

Hi Jenna, thanks for having me!

I agree with the story having enough complications to get it through to the end, no fun when it solves itself by 1/2 mark.

As all my friends will tell, I tend to over-do it, always.

As a matter of fact, I am working on a book right now that I'm "de-complicating" it because it was a little more overdone than necessary. :)

Leigh Court said...

>>Three Fairy Godmothers decide to take on men for their charges instead of women.<<

What a fun & unique idea for a series! Good luck with the books, Candice!

Leigh

Unknown said...

Thank you Leigh :-)

They have been fun to write. Complicated but fun, lol :-)

Ashley Applebee said...

Sounds like a fun series to read!!
Thanks for the great post!!
Ashley A
ash_app@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Thanks Ashley for coming by. It's been really interesting developing three guys who were distinct, each their own person. :) And to match them with their proper fairy godmother, too :)

Maria said...

Well, i have to admit to having a certain fondness for series and I agree that plotting out 3 books that take place simultaneously is probably hard but it also means you have to be really consistent in your writing and I like books that are really tightly woven together so...in the long run it will make me love the books even more:) Good Guest post and yes...you will have earned your Margarita:)

ringpop2010 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great series! I'm sure it will be awesome just like your other books!

Jennifer Mathis said...

SOUNDS GREAT ! I reward myself with a hot bath and a book

meandi09@yahoo.com

Suzie said...

Great twist on fairy tales, I'm looking forward to reading the series. Oh complications seem to crop up all the time unexpectedly. My reward, a big plata of pasta and a slice of cheesecake. Sometimes a mini meltdown deserves a milk shake.

Suzieqsbat)aol(dot)com

Fedora said...

ROFL! Candice, I know your plotting must be giving you FITS right now because of the complexity, but as a reader, I can't wait! These are going to be awesome! I guess in a way, it must be a bit like plotting one HUGE book and then slicing it into the three stories, but not so easy ;) At any rate, this reader appreciates everything you're throwing in (maybe the kitchen sink? ;))

fcammer2 said...

I have this book Candice I just haven't had a chance to read it yet. It sounds awesome.

Unknown said...

Hi Maria!

Yes, yes, I think I deserve that margarita too! :)

And I think as a reader, I like well-woven plots as well, which is probably why I write them. :)

Unknown said...

Hi Sherrie,

Thanks sweetie for stopping by! :)

Unknown said...

Hi there Jennifer! Oh a hot bath is always well appreciated! :) Though many times when I try to relax in a bath, I wind up coming up with more story ideas :)

Unknown said...

Hi there Suzie! You're making me hungry! I love pasta. Don't get it often at home, my family isn't big pasta eaters.

Cheesecake is always an awesome thing too :)

Unknown said...

Hi flchen,

I do throw in the kitchen sink. At least it feels that way, lol. :) Thanks for the awesome enthusiasm, I love it :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Unknown said...

Hi fcammer, I really hope you enjoy it! :) It was fun to write, a whole new world for me to build. Which is always exciting. ;)

Anonymous said...

I love complicated plots. So long as everything works out in the end.

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Anonymous said...

It depends on the gravity of the situation and/or what's most expedient. Instant gratification works for small stuff, involving some combination of chocolate, coffee, or Kindle books. If it's been a real crisis, I'll plan an overnight trip somewhere when it's done...

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