Keep It Sensual

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received about writing was to remember to keep all the senses on the page. And then show the character’s reactions to those sensory experiences. Not only does using the senses of sight, taste, smell, touch and sound make the scenes more real to the reader, but describing how our hero and heroine react can reveal character as well.


Sight is the most used – and perhaps overused – senses in writing. I find it too easy to use the words look, gaze, saw, eyes, etc., but who can deny their descriptive value? When our hero sees the beautiful heroine and remarks about the sparkle in her eyes or the rich color of her hair, the reader can see what the heroine looks like through the hero’s eyes. But when he catches a glimpse of her firm breasts and his body hardens, the reader understands the hero is attracted to her as well.


Touch is another well-used sense, especially in romances. Silky hair. Smooth skin. The soft brush of his lips against hers. The passion-rough embrace as he pulls her soft body against his hard one. As a reader, I know I live for these descriptions in the stories I read. Because I want to experience them with my characters. When we go into sensual detail, our readers will feel the hero’s calloused hands as he tries to be gentle with our high-born heroine, and they not only vicariously experience the erotic scrape of his fingers along their skin but admire the man all the more for his hard-won restraint.


A baby’s cry. A dog barking in the middle of the night. A soft moan. A wicked chuckle. The wind howling as a storm approaches. Sounds are all around us and can be used in a variety of ways to make our scenes come alive. Our readers can relate to the sounds our characters are hearing and picture the scene more easily in their mind. But here again, how the character reacts to the sound can tell the reader a lot. Is he annoyed by the dog barking? Or alarmed? Is our heroine thrilled by the hero’s wicked chuckle or angry? And don’t forget how the quick mention of ragged breathing or that soft moan can add more detail to a love scene.


Smells often call to memories deeply buried in our subconscious. Adding a scent, odor, aroma, stench to your scenes can quickly put your reader in the middle of the action. Who doesn’t recognize the soft scent of baby powder? The foul odor of garbage? The mouth-watering aroma of warm apple pie? The musky scent of arousal? And remember when you add those details to your scene, do it in your character’s point of view, so we know what that smell says to him.


Taste is probably the least-used sense in writing. I mean, if your characters aren’t eating, what is there to mention, right? How about the salt from her tears? Her strawberry lip gloss when he kisses her? The faint hint of mint when she kisses him? The smoke so thick he can taste it on his tongue? Taste is a bit more of a challenge, but when you can add a detail here and there, it can make your reader feel as if she’s right there. And that’s what we want, isn’t it?

Some of this may seem so elementary, but I often find I have to remind myself to go back and add more sensory detail to my scenes. My first draft of a scene is usually heavy on dialogue and movement, and not much else. So I need to layer in not only the mention of the senses, but the characters reactions to them. To me, it can make all the difference for making the story come alive.

What do you think?

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

What Gets You In The Mood?

by Kristin Daniels

So far this week, we’ve discussed several different areas of writing. Openings, point of view, conferences and plotting. But what I’d like to know is what you do to gear yourself up to sit down in that chair at your cluttered desk (or curl up on the couch with a pad and a pen, or drive you and your laptop to the local Starbucks) so you can begin writing for the day.

We recently had this discussion at my local RWA chapter meeting. The varied answers crossed the board. One author told us she had to play several hands of solitaire on the computer before she could put word one on the page (her husband would see that and comment, “Ah, I guess you’re going to write today.”). Others would check the news, or go back to read what they had already written. Me? I do two things. One, I check my blogs. I have a lot of writer and editor blogs that I follow and I love reading those before I settle down to work. The second is listen to music. Music was a big factor for most of the authors at the meeting.

Some authors have what they call a ‘soundtrack’ for the book they’re writing. They’ll make a CD, or create a playlist on their iPod and that’s all they listen to while they work. For whatever reason, I can’t listen to music while I write. It always distracts me. But I can listen before I begin, like setting the mood in a way. It’s usually only one or two songs, but it’s enough to get those juices flowing.

My favorites? Well, currently I have a few. As an erotic romance writer, I deal with sexual situations, so the songs I listen to before I write any sort of sexual tension or the actual sex scenes lean that way. For starters (and yes, this is the edited version, LOL):

Then, of course, there’s always this one:

Those never fail to get me going. But what about other types of scenes (I do have some that don’t include sex!). If I’m going to put my characters through some angst that day I might listen to this one:

Okay, so I like the harder stuff, but you get the point. All those songs set the tone for what I’m writing. What about you? What works for you? What is it that gets you in the mood?

Another Opening

This week we’ll be talking about different facets of writing here at Fierce Romance. Today I’m talking about openings. You know, those first few lines or first few paragraphs that, if you can believe the talk, make or break your book.

I struggle with the beginning of every single book/short story/novella that I write. Openings carry so much weight. They not only have to set the tone for the story and introduce character and setting, they have to hook the reader with a story question and make them want to keep reading. It’s enough to give you writer’s block.

I used to get so discouraged when I heard that many editors and agents only read a few pages, and maybe only the first few paragraphs of a submission before deciding if they wanted to request the full manuscript. How could that be possible? They can’t really tell anything that quickly, right? Then I began judging contests and I can honestly say that I can tell in the first couple paragraphs how the rest of the entry will read. If the first few lines are choppy, if there are grammar and spelling errors, it doesn’t get any better as the manuscript goes on. If the opening flows smoothly, with interesting characters and an intriguing premise, the rest of the entry tends to be smooth, interesting and intriguing. The opening truly sets the tone for the rest of the book.


So how do we do that? Sometimes it takes me a while. I often go back and rewrite openings after I’ve gotten farther along in the writing and I know what’s necessary to set up the story. Yet some openings come to me completely the first time out and don’t change that much at all. One of those was the opening to my award-winning (I love being able to say that!) contemporary romance from Samhain The Ride of Her Life. It starts like this:


The day Dean Bastian walked into the bank was the day Sarah decided she was no longer going to be sensible.
But, to be honest, when it came to Dean, she’d never had a bit of sense. Seeing him again after all these years sent her right back to that gawky teenager who’d had a major crush on the bad boy next door.
Dean looked the same as she remembered, tall and dark in his black T-shirt and faded jeans. He crossed the lobby, his long legs covering the distance quickly. When she saw he was headed for her window, an unwanted thrill rippled across her skin. Her heart started beating faster and annoyance fought its way to the surface. She hated not being in control of her feelings.
There was enough she didn’t have control of these days. Like doctors and hospitals and test results.

So in these first few paragraphs I’ve introduced the hero and the heroine, the bad boy and the good girl, and introduced a couple story questions. I hope I’ve made the reader want to read on.



The Ride of Her Life starts with narrative, a good way to set the stage as long as it doesn’t get too boring. Another way to start is with dialogue. This is from the opening of Taste of Honey, my contribution to Ellora's Cave's Seasons of Seduction IV:


“How about a dance, cowboy?”
The come-on in that silky voice would tempt a saint, and God knew Jake Manning wasn’t hittin’ the Pearly Gates anytime soon. When the scent of expensive perfume drifted over the stink of beer, whiskey and stale smoke, his body stirred against his will. He’d ducked in here to nurse a draft and a heart that had been stomped into a million pieces. The last thing he needed was a sweet-smellin’ woman.
But he couldn’t stop from lifting his gaze off the condensation on his mug, and glancing over his shoulder. Sleek blonde hair. An even sleeker body molded by a tight fitting tank top and painted-on jeans. The damn high-heeled boots she wore probably cost more than he made in a month. He turned away and chugged his beer, hoping to rinse away the bitter taste of lessons learned the hard way.

Here again we meet the hero and heroine immediately, another case of opposites which I think makes for immediate and inherent conflict. The tone is definitely different from the last example, but I hope the reader is interested enough in what happened to Jake and why the sweet-smellin’ woman wants to dance with him. And want to keep reading to find out what will happen when they do.



The opening doesn’t have to include both the hero and heroine, sometimes it’s just not possible, even in a romance. So then you have to make sure what’s happening is interesting enough for the reader to keep going until the other character takes the stage. This is the opening to my Red Sage novella, Quinn’s Curse:



Nathaniel Quinn had lived his life at sea, it was only fitting that he die at sea as well. Quinn swallowed another mouthful of icy seawater and coughed as he scrambled to keep his purchase on the small piece of hull he’d managed to snag from the waves churning around him.
The storm had come out of nowhere, tossing the Tempest as if it were a child’s plaything. The churning waves dashed the ship and its crew against the rocks that hid beneath the surface of the water along this rugged Maine coastline. Cries of drowning men surrounded him. Men he’d lived with and worked beside for many years. Good men. Well, as good as a pirate could be.

We only meet Quinn at the opening of this story, but I hope by throwing him into this life or death situation, the reader will want to keep reading to find out what happens to him.

Another thing an opening must do is start in the middle of the action. No heroines staring out of the window reflecting on everything in her life that brought her to this moment. No information dumping allowed. You have to have the teenage crush walking to the teller window or the tempting woman asking for a dance or a ship-wrecked pirate floundering in the frigid ocean. Only give your readers the information they have to have at that moment and then dole rest out on a need-to-know basis. After all, you want them to keep reading, don’t you? If you give them everything they need to know in the first couple paragraphs, why would they bother to keep reading?

Then you finally have to write the rest of the story. Sometimes I can get so caught up in making the opening perfect that I find it’s turned into a procrastination tool. Sooner or later you have to finish chapter one and go on to chapter two and all the way to the end.

I could go on and on about openings. I have tons of favorite openings from favorite books. I used examples from my own stories because I know what I was thinking as I was writing and what I hoped to accomplish with them. Only the readers can say if I did what I set out to do.

So how about it? Do you pick a book off the shelf and read the first few paragraphs before you decide to buy? What makes you buy that book? And what would make you put it back on the shelf and walk away?

I’m just finishing up edits so I’ll be starting a new story in the next week or so. So I really want to know!

Natasha
Romance with more…sizzle
www.natashamoore.com

The End

Why finish writing a project?

I find that every project is different for me. Some I whip through, though most I get stuck on at some point, since I'm a pantser--writing by the seat of my pants. I couldn't plan out a story if I tried. I have lots and lots of story beginnings and some I've finished that need major revisions for one reason or another.

So why finish the story? Why finish more in the same vein? Because you might sell every one of them!!! I sold Heart of the Wolf, but had started Don't Cry Wolf before I sold, but quit, worrying that if I didn't sell Heart of the Wolf, why write another? Even though it was also a stand alone title. When I sold Heart of the Wolf, my editor wanted to see Don't Cry Wolf. It wasn't done! So I finished it and she wanted to see more...and bought Betrayal of the Wolf and Allure of the Wolf. So why finish the story?


Even if you don't sell, you still have them available to sell. And to me, that's the main goal. With every book you write, you hone your skills more. Some get really good at writing the first 3 chapters for contests, but what about avoiding the sagging middle? What about learning to give a compelling end that will encourage readers to pick up the next book and the next one? By writing the whole tamale, we gain more experience. :)

And the best part? We have books to sell. :)

Terry, who is off to work some more on Allure of the Wolf--54K done, 46K to go. Downhill slide!

Heart of the Wolf, Don't Cry Wolf (cover coming soon!!!!), Betrayal of the Wolf

Recapturing the Muse!

Recapturing the Muse

Here was an interesting exercise we did in writing with my local romance writer’s chapter this past weekend. Each member brought in a sack of six items and then we passed them around. We had fifteen minutes to write a story, then share with the group. After we finished this, we had time enough to write a new story, swapping our goodies with another member. Ironically, we all had an easier time coming up with the first story. It was as if our minds were still hooked on the earlier story, and we had to shift gears too quickly to come up with a new story.

How else can you encourage your muse to jump into a creative writing exercise?

Begin a sentence: The cop pulled over the pickup, expecting to give a warning for a blinking taillight, but as he approached the back, the odor from the bed of the truck nearly knocked him off his feet.

Now, everyone can come up with a story, and as vast as writers’ backgrounds are, you can be sure everyone will create a unique tale.

Or start out with a prompt: If I had a million dollars, I would…

Or take a well-known fairytale and have everyone turn it into something different, different ending, maybe the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella has ulterior motives, maybe it’s set on Mars…

Writing exercises like this can help stimulate your muse. Brainstorming can too. With others or on your own, come up with twenty ways to solve a problem, or create a motivation, or a goal for your characters. By digging deeper, we can come up with twists and turns we might not have thought of initially.

So if your stuck, get creative! Recapture your muse!

Terry Spear


http://www.terryspear.com/

Why Judge Writer's Contests?

I received a questionaire last night asking me why I judge writer's contests, how many, etc. And it gave me pause.
Why judge unpublished and published authors' contests?

I average 7 a year. Would be more if I volunteered for all the requests I receive for them. I'm a sucker when a chapter I've judged for asks me personally. I've been getting better at ignoring some of the ones that are mass mailing requests. The reason? It takes time judging contests. Lots of time. Particularly when it's for published authors' books and you have to read 5 or 6 whole book, rather than 25-30 pages per entry for 5 or 6 authors.

So why judge? The satisfaction of giving back to the writing community. I want to help others, who may have the chance to get their manuscripts before an editor or agent that they might not otherwise. To share some advice if a writer needs some help.

And often, I find wonderful stories that I hope I'll be able to read in print some day. One I fell in love with recently is now an American Title finalist and her manuscript is still in the running. I can't wait to read her book one of these days. Another was a published author's work that I probably would never have checked out, but I love her stories and she's made a fan of me. Just because I read it in a contest.

So why judge contests? To find new authors whose books I want to read, to help the beginning writer to succeed, and helping writing chapters out that need my help, but also, sometimes looking at a manuscript, I will see what works and what doesn't, which helps to remind me what makes a story riveting, that I want to read without putting down until the very last page.

Happy Hookers Online Workshop Coming February!

February 4-29, 2008

Happy Hookers! Engaging the Reader from Start to Finish

Instructor: Terry Spear
Cost: $25.00 payable by PayPal
Deadline to Register: January 30th

For more information go to:http://www.pasic.net/classes.html

Slow starts and sleepy endings to scenes and chapters can ruin a manuscript's chance of being published. Conversely, solid hooks can make the sale – as workshop instructor Terry Spear demonstrates, with six publishers currently hooked for six manuscripts. Setting such practical matters aside, what author wouldn't be thrilled to hear someone say, "I couldn't put the book down"? Strong hooks are a vital ingredient in strong writing. In this online class, which features lectures, discussion, practical exercises, and handouts, she'll teach students how to captivate readers with great openings, scene hooks, chapter cliff hangers, and intriguing back cover blurbs. Participants will have the chance to master the hook in all its environments, from the query letter through the novel.

About the Instructor:
Terry Spear has published in many genres, including historical romanticsuspense, contemporary, urban fantasy, and under the name Terry Lee Wilde, young adult paranormal and fantasy romances. She's the author of Winning the Highlander's Heart, is a debut paranormal author for Sourcebooks with the urban fantasy, Heart of the Wolf, coming April 1st, Don’t Cry Wolf, April 2009, and The Vampire…In My Dreams is already out with Samhain. Deadly Liaisons is coming in November, Relative Danger, TBA. She also writes nonfiction for numerous genealogy, WWII, teen, and family magazines, and has had romantic fiction published in magazines.

Currently, she's working on a third sequel to Heart of the Wolf, Betrayal of the Wolf.

Her website: http://www.terryspear.com/
Deadline to Register: January 30th
For more information go to: http://www.pasic.net/classes.html

Happy Hookers Online Workshop Coming February!

February 4-29, 2008 Happy Hookers!

Engaging the Reader from Start to Finish

Instructor: Terry Spear

Cost: $25.00 payable by PayPal

Deadline to Register: January 30th

For more information go to:http://www.pasic.net/classes.html

Slow starts and sleepy endings to scenes and chapters can ruin a manuscript's chance of being published. Conversely, solid hooks can make the sale – as workshop instructor Terry Spear demonstrates, with six publishers currently hooked for six manuscripts. Setting such practical matters aside, what author wouldn't be thrilled to hear someone say, "I couldn't put the book down"? Strong hooks are a vital ingredient in strong writing. In this online class, which features lectures, discussion, practical exercises, and handouts, she'll teach students how to captivate readers with great openings, scene hooks, chapter cliff hangers, and intriguing back cover blurbs. Participants will master the hook in all its environments, from the query letter through the novel.

About the Instructor: Terry Spear has published in many genres, including historical romantic suspense, contemporary, urban fantasy, and under the name Terry Lee Wilde, young adult paranormal and fantasy romances. She's the author of Winning the Highlander's Heart, is a debut paranormal author for Sourcebooks with the urban fantasy, Heart of the Wolf, coming April 1st, and The Vampire…In My Dreams is already out. Deadly Liaisons is coming in November. She also writes nonfiction for numerous genealogy, WWII, teen, and family magazines, and has had romantic fiction published in magazines. Currently, she's working on a sequel to Heart of the Wolf, Betrayal of the Wolf.

Her website: http://www.terryspear.com/

Deadline to Register: January 30th

For more information go to:http://www.pasic.net/classes.html