Guest Blogger Julie Cohen

I feel so popular...we get all the cool kids on our blog. Y'all welcome Julie Cohen and make her feel at home.

Ready to rock?

First, thank you ladies for having me here in the playground, and especially thank you to Problem Child who invited me here to talk about my long-running obsession.

I started my writing career in high school, in chemistry class with my best friend. We wrote a book together about us and the Beatles, circa 1965. She loved George Harrison and I loved Paul McCartney, and I’d write the bits about her and George, and she’d write the bits about Paul and me. We gave Ringo and John to two of our other friends, who weren’t writers but who liked to read. The plot was, I must admit, mostly a vehicle for lots and lots of sex scenes.

The best bit was writing a scene about Kathy and then passing it to her. Second best, but only very narrowly, was reading a scene that Kathy had written about me. The complete joy of giving someone a story from my own head, is still one of the most amazing things about writing for me.

After the Beatles, we wrote a story about us and the Monkees (I had Peter Tork, she had Davy Jones). Then--I’m sorry, but I must admit it, though it betrays our age--us and the New Kids on the Block (I had Joey McIntyre, she had Donnie Wahlberg).

Our writing interests wavered into different channels as we grew up; she wrote about vampires, I wrote about celebrity chefs. The musician-love never died, though: I moved to England and married a guitar-playing Englishman who works for rock stars.

Which made it useful when I had to do research for my latest release, HONEY TRAP.

A couple books before, in SPIRIT WILLING, FLESH WEAK, I’d introduced a character called Max DeMilo. Max was a former rock star, a guy who used to be famous in the 1980s, who was planning a comeback tour. I loved him. He was in his early fifties, he wore lots of silver jewellery and leather, he had long hair and tattoos. Max was so laid-back that he was nearly horizontal. He told long, pointless stories about his crazy life on the road and for the past few years he’d been retired on a farm in Yorkshire, raising llamas. (He always wore his leather trousers and silver jewellery in the fields, whilst mucking out, etc.) I don’t know if it was the llamas or the years on the road, but Max had a sort of skewed wisdom and true kindness that helped heal everyone he was with.

I knew I had to write about him again, and show his comeback tour, which I knew was going to be fraught with peril. For one thing, This Is Spinal Tap is like one of my favourite movies. But the problem was, Max wasn’t hero material: he was too old for my target audience, and I’d also paired him off with someone in the previous book.

So I made up another rock star: Dominick Steele. Max had come out of the other end of fame and fortune with his soul intact; Dominick is his dark shadow. He’s tall, dark, sexy, brooding and immensely talented, the former front man of Dirtysweet, one of the most successful bands in recent years. He’s also an alcoholic who has systematically destroyed everything he’s ever had or cared about.

Oh yeah. This is a hero I can sink my teeth into.

In HONEY TRAP, Max needs a bass player for his tour. He calls Dominick, who has utterly dropped out of the musical world, and pretty much the real world, too, since his wife divorced him and his band broke up. Dom, on the verge of bankruptcy with nothing else to lose, agrees, because this is his last chance. But he instantly regrets his decision when he sees who else is on the tour: Sophie Tennant, the former private detective who broke up his marriage.

I’m not sure why I’m attracted to the darker side of the rock star world: the temptations, the self-abuse, the tortured geniuses. I wouldn’t put up with my husband indulging in any of that crap. But in fantasy, how I love it. It’s Jim Morrison, it’s Stephen Tyler and Joe Perry, it’s Mick Jagger, it’s Jeff Buckley and David Bowie, it’s all those darkly sexy men and their leather trousers.

It is, perhaps, not quite so much Joey McIntyre. But we all grow up, right?

Who’s your favourite bad-boy rock star? And why do you find him so sexy?

Julie's going to give away a copy of HONEY TRAP to one of today's commentors. (Although I think it should be me since I can't believe I just put one of the New Kids on my blog...)

Visit Julie at http://www.julie-cohen.com/

Find Spirit Willing, Flesh Weak here or here and Honey Trap here or here.

Walkabout Wednesday goes grave with Julie Cohen

It's Walkabout Wednesday, and my buddy Julie Cohen asked if she could take us on a field trip. Silly me forgot to ask Julie *where* we were going on this field trip, so she's taking us to a graveyard...


Hello and thank you for having me back in the Playground!

One of the greatest things about being a writer is being able to research anything you want and put it into a book. I decided to set my latest book, NINA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF GLOOM (out this week!) in the North London area of Highgate, just so that I could make a key scene happen in Highgate Cemetery.

Highgate Cemetery is, as far as I’m aware, the best cemetery in the world. And I’m a bit of a cemetery fan, I must admit. It’s a Victorian temple to death, completely over the top and Gothic and wonderfully creepily beautiful. It’s actually two cemeteries; the eastern side is newer and open to the public to stroll about and holds such notable corpses as Karl Marx and George Eliot. The western side is wilder and darker, fallen into picturesque decay, and only open to visitors at certain times and by guided tour.

It’s an important habitat for London wildlife, both plant and animal, and it feels like an alternative universe. The minute you step into the cemetery, by climbing a stair up into a row of gravestones, you can forget you’re in one of the world’s greatest cities; in fact you can forget you’re in a city at all. It is hushed, and green, and special.

It even has its own vampire legend, an undead creature who prowled the night in the 1970s preying on unwary Highgate residents and, er...foxes.

Here’s an excerpt from NINA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF GLOOM, about the western side of the cemetery. Nina Jones is taken there at dusk by her mysterious upstairs neighbour, Viktor, and they walk along tomb-lined paths to the incredible Circle of Lebanon, a circular construction of mausoleums with a giant Lebanese cedar growing from the centre of their ceiling.

****

The stone stairs in the curved wall climb upwards, and are pitched in such a way that I can’t see to the top of them. “Are we the only people in this place?”

“The only living people, yes.” He smiles at my hesitation and that’s enough to get me moving up the stairs. At the top, I gasp.

Trees loom over the gravel path, forming a canopy. And between them, behind them, around them, through them, a city of graves.

“Holy crow.” I wander forward. You can’t hear the city, only a rustle of trees and our feet on the gravel. The gravestones crowd together, some spiky like jagged teeth, some elaborately carved, piled on top of each other as if jostling for position. In the deepening shadows I see a stone angel, a shrouded pillar, a weeping woman without a hand.

“This way,” says Viktor, leading me up the path. Leaves crunch and whisper. They are orange and brown, and the foliage around us a muted curtain of colour in the fading light. Against this, the graves are subtler hues of grey and pink and brown stone, greened over by lichen and moss.

“It’s beautiful,” I murmur. A slow riot of life and decay. I try to read the inscriptions but it’s difficult in the shadowy light; anyone could lie here, deep beneath, sleeping.

It’s definitely getting darker as we ascend, but my eyes adjust to it and so I can see adequately, within the tunnel of trees at least. It feels as if the cemetery stretches in a labyrinth for miles around us.

“Last week I was spending most of my time in an alley behind a dry cleaners,” Viktor tells me. “This place has more perks, if you don’t mind it being a little spooky. Speaking of which, here we are.”

“Oh, wow.” Suddenly, out of a wall of trees, there’s a big stone gateway, flanked by improbably elaborate pillars. “It looks like a set for an Indiana Jones film.” I point through it, to an upward-sloping stone corridor. No roof, just doors either side, their entrances pitch black. “You can so imagine a big ball rolling down through there to crush us both.”

“Want to take a chance?”

“Sure.”

This is creepy. This is really creepy. I don’t need to be told that these are crypts. There are skeletons lying behind these doors. Skeletons, rotting grave clothes, and lots and lots of spiders. Our footsteps echo slightly and the air has grown distinctly colder.

“Are you scared?” Viktor asks me. The fingers of his free hand brush my arm.

The hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. My heart is pounding. Every shadow seems poised to leap out at us.
“I’m not scared.”

****

What’s the most magical place you’ve ever visited? I’ll give a signed copy of NINA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF GLOOM to a commenter.

Julie’s website: www.julie-cohen.com

Buy NINA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF GLOOM with free worldwide shipping!

Guest Blogger B.H. Dark

B. H. Dark is the pseudonym for bestselling authors Julie Cohen and Kathy Love. Their first jointly-written book, erotic science fiction romantic comedy CLOSE ENCOUNTERS, was released with Samhain Publishing yesterday. They've agreed to be interviewed today for the blog, so y'all give them a big Playground welcome!

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is about what happens when aliens with strange ideas of human sexuality, and no clue about human love, abduct two human men and two human women to help form an intergalactic porn empire.

How did you two meet?

Kathy: Julie and I actually met in kindergarten. We went to different elementary schools, but we had a group field trip to the zoo, and we were matched as partners. We didn't meet again until junior high. Which was a good thing, because Julie was really strange when she was five.

Julie: In high school we used to write books together about us having sex with rock stars, and then we both grew up to be romance writers, which is hardly surprising, really.

How was B. H. Dark born?

Julie: I think we were drunk at an RWA conference and one of us suddenly said, “We should totally write another book together, we’d make millions! Or at least, like, ten bucks for more booze.”

Kathy: Yes. Will write for booze.

Why porn-loving aliens?

Kathy: We really just felt it was a subject not addressed nearly enough in literature. Or in porn either.

Julie: We figured some porno-flick aficionado got sick of his collection and jetted it into space, and the aliens got hold of it, and they think these films really reflect human behavior.

If Kathy’s in the US and Julie’s in the UK, how did you write the book?

Julie: We’d talk about each scene beforehand, and then decide who was going to write it, each focusing on one couple. Once we’d finished, we’d email the scenes to each other. When all four humans were in the room together, we wrote it over Instant Messenger, as if it were a real conversation; I’d cut and paste and edit into the book document. We both went over the whole thing a few times to blend our voices and add in bits.

Kathy: Yeah, given the physical distance, it was remarkably easy to write. We know each other so well, and understand each other's voices, so it wasn't a problem at all. And we agreed with each other's changes and suggestions--again, I think because we have been friends so long.

What’s your favourite part that the other person wrote?

Kathy: I loved the admission of love between Cassie and Beau, one of the couples. They are, of course, in sexual congress, but what they are doing sexually just doesn't, at least in my experience, lend itself to declarations of undying love. I also love the great "fight" scene between Beau and Leandros, the two heroes. I find it oddly quite sexy.

Julie: It’s when the four humans are in the Western scenario, Bone-anza, and Eve, one of the heroines, is sitting on top of a piano dressed like an Old West whore. Around her, a bunch of holograms are getting ready to have an orgy. The piano player, who is also a hologram, suddenly looks up at her and says, “I ain’t been much of a pa to you.” I don’t know why, but that cracks me up every time.

What does B. H. stand for?

Julie: Burly Hulkman.

Kathy: Beni Hana.

Who’s your favourite hero in the book, Beau the southern mechanic, or Leandros the Vegas lounge singer?

Julie: Definitely Leandros. He’s this total alpha male, arrogant and sexy as hell, and he can sing like nobody’s business. Plus he calls his woman “baby”. What’s not to love?

Kathy: Definitely Beau. He's sweet and sexy--a Southern gentleman to the core. Yet he isn't afraid to do his woman in a pick-up truck or in a glowing blue tube or anywhere really. Plus he calls his woman “darlin’”. And he doesn't sing, but if he did it would be like nobody's business. Oh, and he likes dogs, too.


B. H. Dark’s website: http://bhdark.blogspot.com/


P.S. Watch for Julie/Kathy/B.H. to go Under the Bleachers with an informative (and fun, of course!) article on the Playground website soon!

Guest Blogger - Julie Cohen

Julie has long been a friend of the Playground! Which is why we're so excited to have her back today to celebrate the release of her newest book, Girl from Mars. Please give Julie a warm Playground welcome.

Chic or Geek?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

You may think that I’m a glamorous romance writer who lives her life making up stories about rock stars, male models and celebrity chefs. Effortlessly hip, always looking good, forever able to toss out a quick and witty line in any situation, without even breaking stride in my Jimmy Choos.

Nope. I’m a total geek.

I’m here to tell you that I spent large chunks of my teenagerdom, perfectly good days when the sun was shining outside, playing Dungeons and Dragons in a shed. I have been known to put on a sheet and run around with homemade magic wand. In high school, I wore oversized men’s clothing that I found in charity shops. I had pink hair and I could quote any page you liked from The Complete Sherlock Holmes or The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. When I met my husband-to-be, I was wearing purple Doc Martin boots with day-glo laces and a denim jacket I’d hand-painted with gremlins and which was so desperately ugly and uncool that, as soon as we were a couple, he urged me to burn it.

And I’m proud!

A lot of chick-lit type books are written about women who are fashion buyers, or executive PAs, or have high-flying and aspirational lifestyles, who hoard shoes and read magazines and are generally, well—chicks. I wanted to write a book about geeks. People who grew up like me, who wouldn’t know “hip” if Mick Jagger gave them the bump, who always had the wrong hairstyle and felt like everyone else knew a secret they didn’t.

That’s why I loved writing Girl from Mars. The heroine, Philomena Desdemona Brown (Fil for short) is a total geek. She’s an artist for long-running (and poorly-selling) comic Girl from Mars, and she spends all her time drawing or hanging out with her three geeky male friends, arguing about Star Trek and The X Files. She’s got two pairs of shoes and both of them are sneakers. She hasn’t worn a dress since she was about six and she thinks the word “date” is a synonym for “slowly having your fingernails ripped out.” I absolutely love her.

But she still has the same dilemmas every chick-lit heroine—every woman—has. About her job, about her friendships, about her family, about her self-image, about falling in love. These things are universal, no matter what shoes a heroine wears.

And it’s my deep-seated belief that geeks turn out to be the coolest people anyway. Being an outsider in some ways can make you understand what it’s like to be an outsider in other ways. It can give you compassion and focus you on what’s important in life. It ain’t shoes. It ain’t Star Trek either. It’s people.

Go on, tell me: are you chic, or are you geek? Reveal your deepest geeky (or chic-y) secret to me in the comments, and I’ll choose the best one to win a signed copy of Girl from Mars, and some extremely non-fashionable space age day-glo bracelets.
Girl from Mars is published TODAY (11 June) by Little Black Dress books. Julie’s website: http://www.julie-cohen.com/

Link to buy Girl from Mars from The Book Depository (free worldwide shipping!): http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755341399/Girl-from-Mars

Link to buy GfM from Amazon.co.uk:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Mars-Little-Black-Dress/dp/0755341392/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231345183&sr=1-8

Guest Blogger Julie Cohen

Today we welcome back good friend and guest blogger Julie Cohen! (And while I have to admit, I did the puppy head-tilt when she told me what her blog would be about, it's amazing the insights she can bring to the discussion of a Disney movie...)


I’ve thought about several serious topics for this guest blog post on The Playground—stuff about the deep existential angst suffered by writers, stuff about the huge and exciting step I’ve just taken in my career—but at last I have come to the conclusion that you fine intellectual people will appreciate it much more if I talk about a Disney film.

Specifically, Cars.

I have a son who is nearly four years old, and therefore I have watched Cars roughly 48,721 times. And you can imagine my consternation on the day when I realised that my last two books have had the same plot as Cars. Well, if you leave out the fact that the heroine is not actually a car. Or on Route 66. And she doesn’t engage in any races. Or fall in love with a Porsche. Or make friends with a tow truck. Or go tractor tipping.

Aside from all of that, they’re almost identical.

And thinking about it, why not? Writing, after all, is an exercise in inspired plagiarism. You see a plot you like, and you take it and twist it to fit your own needs, and hopefully no one will notice, or even care. If Shakespeare ripped off plots, it’s good enough for me.

The thing is, Cars has a perfect plot. A hot-shot racing car dude who can’t even cooperate with his own pit crew gets stuck in a dead-end town called Radiator Springs. At first he’s dismayed—he’s too important for this place! But eventually he starts to see that his values have been all messed up. He’s been out for himself, when he should have been building a team. He falls in love with the girl who’s a Porsche, and makes friends with the natives who seemed, at first, to be a bit odd. And then, when he’s beginning to realise that maybe Radiator Springs is actually the perfect place for him, his old life finds him. He’s swept away back to the big race, back to everything he thought he wanted in the first place. And now, it’s empty, because he can’t have the people—wait, sorry, the cars—he cares about with him.

Talk about character arc? That’s a character arc if I ever saw one.

It also has the perfect structure. It begins with a race. Lightning McQueen is a rookie. Nothing matters more than winning the Piston Cup. He has two rivals: The King, a good-natured champion about to retire, and Chick Hicks, a ruthless self-server. Despite Chick’s cheating (which causes a massive crash), and McQueen’s lack of pit crew, there’s a three-way tie, and there’s going to be a rematch in a week’s time in California. On the way there to schmooze with the Big Important Sponsor, McQueen gets waylaid in Radiator Springs, where he finds the key to happiness (love and friendship). But then he’s rescued, and there’s another big race scene just like the first, except just with the principal cars this time. And when Chick’s cheating causes another crash, McQueen has a choice to make—what’s more important? Winning, or doing the right thing?

I’m a sucker for circular structure, when at the end of the book the hero or heroine ends up with exactly what s/he thinks she wanted at the beginning, and it’s not good enough any more. When the writer takes a scene that meant one thing at first, and gives it to us again at the end, with a whole different meaning. It’s just so...satisfying.

Anyway, I could go on and on about Cars, talking about efficiency of characterisation, about wittiness of setting, about how my kid always laughs when Mater jumps backwards over the moon. And we won’t even mention how I totally fancy Owen Wilson and Paul Newman, even as cars. You get my point. Hopefully this will send you straight out to watch Cars, and maybe even to buy my last book and my latest book, to see if they really do have the same plot, or if this post has just been an excuse to talk about my kid’s favourite movie.

How about you? Have you blatantly ripped off a plot lately?



Julie’s latest book, GETTING AWAY WITH IT, is about Liza Haven, a hot-shot stunt woman heroine, who crashes a fantastically expensive Ferrari Enzo and has to return to the small town where she grew up. But when she gets there, she finds that her perfect identical twin sister, Lee, has disappeared, and the entire town thinks that Liza is Lee. And yes, Liza falls in love with the Porsche, though in this case, it’s her sister’s boyfriend Will, who drives an Aston Martin DBS in British Racing Green. No, she hasn’t watched Cars too much, honestly.

GETTING AWAY WITH IT is out in hardback on 28 October, and paperback on 17 March 2011. You can pre-order it with free worldwide shipping here.

Or, if you want to have a chance to win one of three ARCs of GETTING AWAY WITH IT, all you have to do is sign up for Julie’s newsletter, and you’ll be in with a chance of winning. Visit here to enter.

If you say the Writing Playground sent you, Julie will even enter you twice!

What I’m not reading… (Darn it)

My To Be Read pile teeters alarmingly at the moment. The sad thing is that I haven’t had a chance to read anything for a while now. But I keep getting books that I want to read and adding them to the pile in the hopes that one day, I’ll get time to lose myself in a good book.

I’m a fast reader, and I love to read, so those two issues aren’t really issues. The problem is that a) I just moved into a new house and I seem to have spent way more time than estimated stripping wallpaper and shopping for new light fixtures; b) I find it very hard to read while I’m writing, because I need to keep my head in my book, not get lost in someone else’s (no matter how tempting); and c) I’m so dog-tired and busy that when I do have a moment to sit quietly I tend to fall asleep.

Sigh.

So, my TBR pile grows and depresses me more every day when I see the wonderful stories I could be lost in but am not. It sucks. But, just for giggles, let’s explore what I’m looking forward to reading.

The May and June Presents Extras: This really sucks, because I’m dying to see what my line buddies are dishing out at the moment. (They’re guaranteed to be fabulous books, and I’m kinda invested because I remember when we celebrated when each one was turned in and accepted.) So, on top of the TBR pile awaiting my next soak in the tub are Overtime In the Boss’s Bed by Nicola Marsh, Good Girl or Gold Digger by Kate Hardy, Hot Boss, Boardroom Mistress by Natalie Anderson, and our newbie’s debut Wild Fling or a Wedding Ring? by Mira Lyn Kelly.

Suzanne Enoch’s Before the Scandal: This book is from 2008 and I don’t know where it’s been hiding that I just now found it. (Surely it hasn’t been on my TBR pile for 2 years!) I love a big, fat historical.

Monica McCarty’s Highland Scoundrel: I read one of the other books in this trilogy while judging a contest, and I liked that one so much I went and bought the other two. The only thing I love more than a big, fat historical is a big, fat, Scottish historical. (I have a thing for Scots, if you didn’t know. ~blows kisses to DG~)

Jane Porter’s Flirting With Forty: This one was in my goodie bag at the HOD luncheon this year. I’ve heard really good things about it (and I watched the movie on TV), but somehow, it never managed to make it to my reading list. (Yes, I know it’s a 4 year old book. I’m behind, I tell you!)

Julie Cohen’s Girl From Mars: This one I bought, read the first chapter, and then packed it in a box accidentally, where it didn’t get unpacked until last month. I mourned it while it was missing; the first chapter was fan-freaking-tastic and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. Of course, I love Julie Cohen (she’s a former Modern Heat gal), and these quirky books really seem to suit her.

Blood Born by Lind Howard and Linda Jones: One of the newer books in the pile. I’m not normally a fan of vampire books, but I am a fan of our Lindas. I will give vamps another go because of the authors!

That’s just a random sample of the pile – and random also seems to apply to my reading tastes as well!

Of course, the thing about TBR piles is that they never go away. You never catch up. There’s always another book released or another author discovered (whose backlist must now be glommed) to keep the pile growing. That’s not a bad thing, mind you. I don’t want to live in a world where I’ve read all the books and there’s nothing new to look forward to.

So tell me the top three books in your TBR stack. If one of them matches something in my TBR pile (other than the ones listed above), I’ll send you a little prezzie. Maybe a book to add to your pile…

Or not. ~grin~

PC

PS. WINNERS! We're pleased to announce that Gigi is the winner of Lori Handeland's prize and Margay is the winner of Free Book Friday! Please email smartypants@writingplayground.com with your snail mail info to claim your prizes!

Guest blogger editor Tanya Saari

You all know that I'm a big fan of the fabulous Julie Cohen. Well, Tanya bought Julie Cohen's first book, so you know she's one smart cookie! And the advice she offers today is awesome (and exactly what I needed to hear...)

Stuck In The Middle With You

Or, Help! I Don't Know What To Do Next!

Hi, everyone! Thanks so much to The Writing Playground for having me here today. For those who don't know me, my name is Tanya Saari and I'm a freelance fiction editor. I thought I'd talk a bit today about what to do when your novel's wheels of progress grind to a halt.

There are any number of reasons why you're stuck. You know your story better than anyone else, so with a little thinking and detective work, you should be able to figure out what the problem is. Today, I'm going to talk about three major areas where you might have problems, and offer a few suggestions for solutions.

Problem One – Plot

So things are moving along fine and dandy in your story when you hit a brick wall. You have no idea what's supposed to happen to your characters next. For the plotter, this shouldn't be as large of a problem. I'd presume you've planned most (if not all) of your story beforehand, and at this point you should be able to look at your outline (or whatever notes you have) and see that Jim and Sue are currently at point X and need to get to point Y. Here you would ask yourself: what needs to happen to either Jim or Sue (or both) to get them to that next point? (As a friend of mine would say, Throw in penguins! With machine guns! but I am loath to recommend that as a legitimate solution.) And that action to move Jim and Sue forward should ideally be in line with your story arc and character growth. Essentially, you know your destination – you just need to get your characters there.

For the pantster, or the person who doesn't plot things out beforehand, this problem is a little bit trickier. You don't have your series of dots to connect – heck, you might not even know exactly how the story's going to turn out at all! – so your best friend in this situation is the question WHY? Ask yourself: Jim and Sue got to point B. Why are they there? Why did Jim and Sue make the decisions they did to this point? Why are they behaving the way they are? Why do they need to keep moving on? Brainstorming here can help. If you know the resolution of your story, you will have a basic idea of what your characters need to do to reach that conclusion. It's a matter of working backwards to reach your goal. If you don't know what's going to happen at the end, brainstorming can also help by giving you ideas for new directions, new paths to take. You never know when one idea can spark a whole new plot point!

Problem Two -- Characterization

Another reason why your story might be stalled could be due to characterization. Are your hero and heroine behaving the way you'd imagined? Are they fleshed out deeply enough, well-layered in motivation and personality? Is the problem of moving from point W to point X because Sue simply wouldn't do something like that? Perhaps you need to tweak Sue's character (which would mean going back through your manuscript to make all of her character modifications through the earlier pages as well – don't forget!) or you need to figure out a different way for Sue to get to point X, a way that remains true to who she is. Readers will have trouble believing the actions of a heroine (or hero, too!) if she behaves in a way that conflicts with the way you originally outlined her. Don't try to force your characters to do or say things that wouldn't match with who they are. If you need to rethink your characterization to make your book even stronger, then I say go for it! (I know, this could mean having to do a lot more work, but the end result is better, isn't that the most important thing?)

Another question to ask yourself is: are the characters' growth arcs solid? Jim and Sue have to change in some way by the end of the novel, right? Otherwise, what's the point? So if you think characterization is what's causing problems for you, investigate their character arcs. Have Jim and Sue learned their lessons (so to speak!) already? Or are they still too unchanged for where they should be at this point? Their behaviour should reflect where they are in their growth. Perhaps you need to tweak either the story arc or their growth arc – or maybe even both – to tighten up the story and get it back on track.

Problem Three – Conflict

Have Jim and Sue resolved all of their differences halfway through the book? That's certainly one way to stall your writing. Remember that for every action there should be a reaction. It doesn't matter so much what kind of reaction this is, as long as it keeps your story moving and is related in some way to your plot and your character arc. It doesn't even have to be a large, dramatic reaction (in fact, most of them probably shouldn't. Readers will start raising disbelieving eyebrows as your characters face one life-threatening problem after another.) You can imagine this to be somewhat like a chess game. Jim makes a move. Sue reacts to that move and makes one of her own. External forces, secondary characters and villains can make their own moves, as well, and the characters should react appropriately to those moves.

And finally, when all else fails, I strongly believe in the value of a great critique partner, or at least a fresh pair of eyes to give you a read-through. Other people will think about things differently than you do, and may just have vital suggestions that will help with your story.

Well, gang, I hope that this post helps in some way. Thanks again to the Playfriends for having me here! And as a special bonus, just for being here and reading today, I'm offering an exclusive discount coupon! Just quote the code TWP1111 in your query email and you'll receive 15% off any of my services! (Code is valid until December 15, 2011. One code per person, please.)

Cheers, and good luck with your manuscripts!

Tanya

Tanya Saari has been working in the publishing industry since 1998, when she started as a Proofreader with Harlequin Enterprises. From there, she became an Editorial Assistant, in turns working with the Temptation, Duets, SuperRomance and Blaze series. She also maintained a presence in the eHarlequin community (under the name Tanya Starratt) first as a contributor, then later as a host. In 2005 she left Harlequin to pursue other avenues, but has continued to edit in a freelance capacity.

Tanya has a post-graduate diploma in Book and Magazine Publishing from Centennial College in Toronto, Ontario, and an Honours Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Rates and services for Tanya Saari, Fiction Editor are available on Tanya's blog: http://editortanya.blogspot.com

Contact Tanya with any queries at tanyasaari@gmail.com

PC's Conference Notes...

Can I just say how impressed I am Angel was able to write a coherent blog post for yesterday? My brain is really fried, so her writing ability just hours after arriving home floors me.

I did have a fantastic time at the conference; it’s hard to pick a highlight – or even three dozen – to share.

Meeting the Executive Editor for the Presents Line, Tessa Shapcott, for a cup of tea and a chat was really neat, as was going out for lunch with the other Presents authors (all of whom are funny, fab, and oh-so-nice). Several of the other M&B editors were around – including Jo Grant, Kimberley Young and Sheila Hodgson – and, seriously folks, they’re sooo nice. (Much more than I would be after listening to dozens of pitches all day long.)

I also happened to be at the RWA registration desk when NPR dropped by to check out the conference. I’m a huge NPR geek, so finding Scott Simon in front of me was a fan-girl moment. He was kind enough to pose for a picture with me. The interview he did with Nora Roberts that day is available on the NPR website. (I can't find the cable to download the pictures off my phone at the moment, so you'll just have to trust me that it's a great photo.)

Quality time with my fabu CP is something I never get enough of, so actually sharing a room this year gave us a little more opportunity to chat and hang out. I love her and she always tells me how thin and talented I am… (but that’s not why I love her. It’s just a bonus.)

Meeting up with Barbara Vey from the PW Beyond Her Book Blog is always a special event for me. She’s so awesome, but we really have to rethink the 8-am-after-the-Harlequin-Party-breakfast for next year. I was a bit of a zombie.

I had a great random chat with Blaze author Karen Anders in the hotel lobby. She told me about this great meditation program she used that really upped her creativity and production. If it works half as well for me, it will be well worth the money I spent just hours after arriving home. (Stay tuned to the blog and I’ll keep y’all up to date as I go through the program. We’ll see how it works.)

Honestly, those random chats in the lobby and the bar are some of the best moments of conference – you never know who you’ll bump into and end up having an amazing conversation with. For me, that included Diane Pershing (RWA’s President), Madeline Hunter, several wide-eyed First Timers, and debut author Beverley Kendall (who became my newest BFF when she saw my name tag in the elevator and told me she’d just downloaded my book onto her e-reader).

Sadly, most of my Modern Heat author friends live in either Australia or England so it was up to me and Julie Cohen to represent the group. Which I think we did pretty well until that last glass of wine I really shouldn’t have had. (Julie is a bad influence on me. But she did give me an awesome glow bracelet since she sold out of her new book at the Lit Signing in about twenty seconds.)

Signing at the Literacy Signing was so cool, but I kind of missed being able to walk around and see everyone. Granted, the lack of a Nora-like line to my table probably meant I could have taken a stroll around the room, but I didn’t. Several people came up to say hello, saying they knew me from here or Facebook, which was nice. Boy, that room was crowded though…

I’m giving Honorary Playfriend Barbara a shout-out here in the hopes she’ll de-lurk. SP and I were in the elevator chatting when the other woman with us mentioned how she already had both my books (she’d gotten the UK version of the one that won’t be out until Oct in the US), and then went on to tell us how she came to the blog all the time. SP and I were giddy at meeting her (and she seemed shocked that we were). Just for the record – any blog readers who see us anywhere are welcome to stop us and say hello. It makes our day to meet the folks who make the Playground such a great place to be!

See, so many neat things and I haven’t even mentioned the Harlequin party, the RITA ceremony, the great response to the workshop I was a part of at the Leadership Retreat, the amazing Lebanese restaurant just a short walk away, the free night at the hotel I scored for being flexible, the fan-girl moments of spotting an author I really admire… the list goes on and on.

But the best news of all – the Problem Child made it through another conference without doing permanent damage to herself. No injuries to report (unless blisters count). That’s two in a row. Now, if I can just work having a conference where I don’t stick my foot in my mouth at least once… sigh.

PC

WINNERS!

I have winners to announce!

Julie Cohen's winner from Tuesday is Shelley! (Send your snail mail addy to problemchild@writingplayground.com and I'll pass it on to Julie.)

And, as promised I have finally made it to the end of February and drawn a winner for the Beach Break contest... Mary Ann Derbin from Highland, MI! Congrats Mary Ann. I'll get your prize in the mail soon.

Thanks for your patience, everyone! Have a fab weekend!

Clutter, Clutter, Everywhere!

Lately, I’ve been on a cleaning kick. The past two weekends have had significant parts of them focused on moving out the clutter. I’ve found the floor of my office once again, along with some organizational helpers to make finding things easier. The hubby and I worked on the garage on Saturday (not finished, but we made significant strides). And I’ve dug through the extras in the kids’ rooms to get out the too-small clothes and leftover baby accoutrements. I probably wouldn’t have tackled that job, except the seasonal consignment sale that I participate in is coming soon.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are not neat freaks around here. As a matter of fact, I’m often bothered by the fact that clutter and piles (of Lord knows what) often find their way into the house, sometimes within an hour of my cleaning it. But as long as the carpet is vacuumed, I can handle quite a bit. I can safely say that our house will never look like those in the magazines with everything PUT AWAY.

But from the time I was a teenager, I’ve had a certain tolerance for clutter. I can handle it for so long, then it’s clean sweep time! Of course, I try to institute areas, containers, and the like to prevent piles from creeping back up, but no one uses them except me. Eventually, I get so overwhelmed picking up everyone else’s crap that I don’t get around to mine and… Deep breath.

But I have to say things are looking quite nice at the moment. Maybe I’m more into fall cleaning than spring, which is busy with lots of school stuff and the HOD luncheon. Seems like I went through a similar spell last September with the still-unopened boxes from our move…

So, what’s your clutter strategy? Do you find it helps you get more writing done if your office is in order?

Angel

Coming Soon!
Author Julie Cohen joins us on Wednesday Sept. 10!

PS. I typed The End on my latest manuscript Friday night. Yay!!! Now I've got September to revise 2 books. Boo!!! :)

MOANday-Matt Damon

MOANday is here once more and I’ve selected a long-standing Hollywood hottie for this month’s viewing pleasure.

While I was a fan of his movies, I never really considered Matt Damon leading hero material until I saw him in the Bourne movies. The action and complexity of that character really drew me. Seeing previews of his new flick, Green Zone, reminded me of this. I probably won’t see it in theaters, since war movies aren’t a big thing for me, but he has the same look in the trailers as he does in the Bourne movies. So enjoy a little Matt Damon this month:







Yum-O!!! :) Happy MOANday, I mean Monday!

Angel
Coming Soon!
Join us on Wednesday, March 3, when author Julie Cohen comes to play on the Playground!

Hey Sister, Go Sister, Soul Sister, Sister Flow

I’m the only Playfriend without a sister. (Okay so there’s a huge age gap between SP and her

sister, but they’re sisters nonetheless.) I have an older brother, but we’re not what you’d call close. I have female cousins, but I’m not close with the ones who are close in age because I lived away so much when we were young. There’s an age difference with my other cousins that just wasn’t ever bridged. I’m very close to my mom, but she’s my mom, not my sister, and there’s a difference.

We moved around so much when I was a child that I don’t have close friends who have truly known me since childhood. I have a few friends from Junior High that I still see occasionally or that I’ve reunited with via Facebook, and I have Counselor Shelley who’s been around for 20 years now.

But Shelley lives in Louisiana and has since 1991. It’s not like we just decide to have lunch on the spur of the moment. When we get together, it’s planned. I had plenty of friends, but very few were what you'd call really close.

While no man is an island, it is possible to be a peninsula?

Then enter the Playfriends. Nowadays, I have folks stopping by my house with only a moment’s notice, and I only make a perfunctory sweep of the big crap off the couch. I often make them pick up their own food on the way (and bring something for us to eat too). I’ve been known to make my husband baby sit their kids so we can go shopping. I “talk” to all of them constantly, usually all at once due to the wonder that is a yahoo loop. Very little happens in my life—good or bad, boring or not—that they don’t know about.

They know how much I paid for my house and weighed in on the color I’m going to paint. They know which medicines I take, debate with me over the tattoo, and have absolutely no problem telling me that something makes me look fat.

They help plot books and obsess over editorial letters. They advise on my hair and tell me I don’t need to lose weight. On Saturday, we fought over purses until we finally agreed to share.

Danniele makes my crafts, Kira orders my business cards, and Andrea does my makeup. Marilyn straddles that lovely line of mothering us while she eggs us on. (Yes, it’s an interesting trick, not to be tried my amateurs).

In reality, the Playfriends have only been around for a few years, but I really don’t know how I functioned without them. I was never in a sorority, but I’m thinking this is sisterhood.

Now I understand why catalogues have all the “my sister is great” stuff. Sisters are pretty cool.

Poor AC, she doesn’t have a sister either (and she’s not getting one, no matter how much she asks). She’ll just have to make do with Drama Queen, Baby Girl and Sweet Pea. But if they’re anything like their moms, it’s going to work out grand.

Do you have sisters? Is it as great as it sounds, or do you really want to be an only child? What’s the best or worst thing about your sister(s)?

PC

ROBERTSONREADS--you need to contact me ASAP! You were Heidi's winner, and if you don't claim soon, I'll have to give your prize to someone else!

TRAVELER--You're Julie Cohen's winner. Please send me your snail mail addy!

Not So Bad After All?

I know we’ve talked ad nauseum about my obsessive compulsiveness before I leave town. Lists, laundry, cleaning house, food buying… it never ends, it seems. And I do it to myself, I know. I’m currently getting ready to go out of town again, leaving family behind, and I’ve done the usual rounds of the grocery store, laundry room (although my husband assured me this time he could handle the laundry because he’ll have a day off while I’m gone, so I just washed loads that included my clothes), and cleaning the bathrooms (which this time is actually important because the day I come home, I have family coming into town for the weekend who are staying with us—I’d be totally embarrassed to find the bathrooms growing mold!).

But a funny thing happened yesterday to make me feel better about myself in this area. I was talking about the trip with my mother-in-law, who wonderful woman that she is, will be doing afternoon duty with my children after school this coming week. As we were talking, she said, “You’re going to write all this down for me, right?”

I hesitated, because I naturally assumed my lists were an aggravation at best, an indication of my control freakishness at worst. Then I said, “So you don’t mind the lists?”

“No,” she said, her brows raising in surprise. “I’m actually having a bit of a struggle because (her daughter) won’t leave me one. I can’t ever figure out when was the last time the baby ate or what time she’s due for a nap. I always end up calling her. You trained me well.”

Hmmm… maybe this obsessive compulsiveness isn’t so bad after all. It makes me feel better about leaving, and makes her feel more confident that she’s meeting our children’s needs. That’s got to count for something, right? It’s like all those things you go over with your children before you leave them alone in the house, or before they go off with friends, all the details I talk about with my mother in case something happens to her and her husband and I need to know where the security box is, the “In Case of Emergency” phone numbers and the calendar that keeps up with all our appointments. She doesn’t have to go searching for the information—its all right there if she needs it. She doesn’t have to call me or wonder what our normal routine is for homework. I’ve laid it all out for her, in stunning, OCD detail. ;)

Angel

Coming Soon!
This Friday author Julie Cohen drops in for another visit on the Playground!

Birthdays: Blessing or Curse?

This past Friday I turned 35.

I’d been really dreading this birthday. It felt like a milestone, and not really a pleasant one. Now, I know some of you out there are thinking that I’m still a baby. I can appreciate that. And I know some of you out there are commiserating my “old lady” status. I'm not the oldest Playfriend, or the youngest. I'm just... I'm 35.

I honestly wasn’t ready to turn 35. I tried not to make a big deal of it, because I knew how irrational the feelings were, but it just felt like this birthday was telling me that more of my life than I cared to acknowledge had now passed me by and I still had some things that hadn’t made it to the accomplishments list.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m usually a big birthday person. I feel like everyone should have that one day when they are made to feel really special and celebrated. It drives me crazy that my hubby's birthday is on Christmas, which makes it difficult to celebrate his big day. There is nothing better than being appreciated and what better day to do it than the anniversary of your birth? For some reason, I just wasn’t feeling it this year.

But as much as I was dreading it, the day itself went really well. My sister had my children for most of the day (we’re doing a child swap this summer) and I managed to write 25 pages to finish my book. Yay me! My husband sent me a dozen roses and a gift card for Barnes & Nobles. He’s a keeper, alright! My in laws cooked dinner to celebrate and after being on a low carb diet for 3 weeks, I enjoyed every bite of my taco salad and brownie sundae. The next day, I got to celebrate with my Playground sisters and spend the day talking writing with fellow authors. Awesome!

I went to bed happy and actually feeling better about myself than I have in a long while. I was surrounded by people who love me and that can make all the difference in the world. I’m not sure what this year will hold, whether it will be full of joy or the same old struggles. But if it is one thing I’ve learned in my first 35 years, having people there to support me is the best gift in life.

What was your best/worst birthday year? If you could have anything you wanted for your next birthday, what would it be?

Angel

PS. Jean is Julie Cohen’s prize winner from last week. Please email Instigator with your snail mail address to receive your prize. Prizes not claimed within 7 days will be regifted.

Coming Soon!

Tomorrow is Big Hair Day and we have some awesome pictures to show you! Join us for wild looks, prizes, and a big dose of nostalgia.

Keeping Pace...

For the past month, I’ve been juggling two projects. One is a proposal for a Harlequin line, the other is the second half of a book I’ve chosen to transform into a single title. I’d work on one until something came up with the other, then switch. Now, this isn’t a very efficient way for me to work, because there’s always a period of adjustment for me to really get back into the story I’m working on. And, quite frankly, I was starting to get tired of both projects because they were dragging on so long.

But I wanted to get the single title done before Nationals. That is my goal, because I’m pitching this book to an editor and agent while I’m there. Plus, if I get too tired of it, I’ll just give up and move on to something more exciting (like the brand spanking new idea for a single title series I have roaming my brain at the moment), and that would be a waste of the six months I have invested in this story. Not to mention that I haven't abandoned a story yet... I don't want to start with this one.

I decided I needed help and external motivation to accomplish this task. So I signed up for a class called Fast Draft (taught by author Candace Havens) where you write a book in 2 weeks. And that’s exactly what she expects you to do. 20 pages per day. No excuses. Lucky for me, I have 1 very good caveat: my book was half written already. So my goal has been 13 pages per day and in a week I’ve written 98 pages. I’m quite impressed and finally seeing the end of the tunnel after a long time in the trenches.

Not that it’s been easy, by any stretch of the imagination. Though I’m sure I have it a lot easier than women who have to work full time. But I do have rug rats underfoot all day, who require being fed and toted places occasionally. It’s really hard to keep your focus when munchkins come in asking you questions all the time or just wanting to tell you about something interesting. I can shut them out for a little while, but not all day.

According to the teacher, the average author can write 20 pages in about 3 hours. I’ve always thought I was a slow writer and now I know it for certain. It takes me 4 hours (approximately) to write my 13 pages. On a good day. Add in interruptions, and it is taking me quite a large chunk of my day to get this accomplished. But accomplish it, I do. Of which I’m very proud.

My birthday is coming up this week and someone asked me what I was going to do to celebrate. My answer? Write. The class won’t be over yet, but the book will be almost done. :)

When you are working on a project, do you like to sprint to the finish or pace yourself? Authors, do you think fast drafting would work for you? Why or why not?


Angel

Our very own Instigator is blogging today on the Blaze Authors loop.

Coming Soon!

On Thursday, June 11th, welcome author Julie Cohen to the Playground.

Don’t forget!! We are currently suffering from a fit of nostalgia… 80’s nostalgia. As part of the madness, we’ve declared June 16th Big Hair Day on the blog. Send us pictures of your Texas Hair, your Mall Bangs, your poodle perm, or even that asymmetrical Flock of Seagulls hairstyle you wore so proudly! There will be competitions, bragging rights to be gained, prizes, and much amusement at what used to be so attractive. Send your photos to problemchild@writingplayground.com by June 10 if you want to play along!

Tasteful Tuesday -- Olympic Fashion

I’m no fashion guru, and I certainly don’t have a lot of room to criticize other people’s wardrobe choices, but geez, the Olympics have brought out my inner Joan Rivers…

Join me on the Red Carpet..

Let's look first at the stylish outfits worn at the opening ceremonies:


I know Ralph Lauren designed these outfits (and they aren't truly hideous), but this just doesn't say "elite athlete" to me. It rather speaks of Grey Poupon mustard, pipes and brandy by the fire, and discussions of the Great War. I mean, honestly, these people are the best of the best; they are a miracle combination of genetics and training and technology, and this outfit makes them look like they're one bus stop from the old folks' home.

Next up, Snowboarding:

This is the official team outfit.

Snowpants made to look like ratty jeans? Come on, this is the Olympics: World-wide television, representing your country, making your mom so proud... I know you're snowboarders: you're cool, you're hip, and stoner-boy is the current trend. But today you are an Olympic athlete. Can you at least humor your mom and the IOC and wear something that doesn't look like you grabbed it off the dirty laundry heap on your bedroom floor?

I know, you snowboaders don't want to wear one of these:


And I can't really blame you. But surely there's a happy compromise in the middle.

So after posting that last picture, let's go ahead and talk lycra. I fully understand that these athletes are going for function over form. Substance over style. They need something that's warm, but doesn't add bulk or weight or restrict range of motion.

This suit is perfect for that.

It doesn't mean it's going to look good.

Now, if I had the body of an Olympic athlete, I'd be flaunting it. Everywhere I went. Lycra would become an important part of my wardrobe. But head-to-toe lycra isn't a good look for anyone -- regardless of the shape they're in. But I get it, I really do: FUNCTION OVER FASHION. But whose bright idea was this:

Are those flames on her thighs? I know she's a speedskater and faster than greased lightening on those skates, but flames? On her thighs? Are they trying to make her look like a Hot Wheels car?

And this:

That's just cruel. Like Two-man luge isn't a strange enough sport, they had to put them in those outfits? No one -- I don't care how great your shape is -- can make that look not horrible. (Of course, these guys are crazy enough to do two-man luge -- which I think is code for "don't-tell-my-mom-I'm-rocketing-down-an-ice-tunnel-on-a-sled-I-can't-really-steer" -- so they have many other issues to deal with besides horrible outfits.)


Last, but not least, the strangest outfits of all: Men's Figure Skating.


Skaters, too, need to have the whole range-of-motion, non-constricting outfit need. Plus, this is an artistic sport, so uniforms are out and costumes are in. I'm totally on board with that.

Please understand that I grew up in a ballet company. The guys I went to school with wore tights every day. And they wore them on stage with little more than an interesting waist-length jacket to complete the look. I understand costuming traditions. I'm all for expression of the music and mood through fabric choices. A little glitter and pizazz never hurt anybody. I understand that tights are not in the least bit indicative of sexuality or prowess.

But, guys, honestly -- are you not getting taunted enough these days just for being a figure skater?

Do we really need to egg on the bullies with something like this:

Or this?

You are strong, powerful, flexible, and graceful -- not a combo we see in most male athletes. You are also wearing extremely sharp blades on your feet. You could could probably combine some kind of spinning-jump-kick and remove my head with those things. You are practically a lethal weapon. Set to classical music. You're a martini and a gun away from being James Freakin' Bond. Come on, guys, can you show me some testosterone?

And then there's atrocities like this:




Who told this couple those outfits were anything other than ridiculous? They look like the the junior high drama club's costume department threw them together on a Saturday morning from stuff they grabbed out of the craft closet. Did they lose a bet? (I'd say yes, but as you can tell from the captions above, they wore this costume twice. On purpose.)

Now, I understand that most of the athletes -- other than the skaters -- don't have a lot of choice in their Olympic wear, and their focus is on winning. Not on how that red-white-and-blue lycra suit would make even the most buff and toned look strangely lumpy in places. I will raise an eyebrow, but realize that function trumps form for a gold medal.

The snowboarders? I want to tell them to pull up their pants.

The skaters? Don't you just know that Clinton and Stacy are dying to burst into the dressing rooms and clear the racks of costumes?

But no matter what I think of what any of them are wearing, I bow to their dedication, discipline and drive. Not just Team USA, but all the athletes who train their whole lives for a shot at a medal. The fact you're at the Olympics at all puts you in a whole different class.

So, was there an outfit at the Olympics that bugged you?

PC

PS: Julie Cohen blogs tomorrow on something creepier than that pair's outfits...