Does rape belong in a romance?

This is a controversial topic in any setting, but in a story that is supposed to be about love and happy endings, it seems to have no place there.

But, does it?

I think a writer should have the freedom to tell the story they want to without having to be censored. That being said, I don’t think rape should be glorified and used in a way that makes it okay or romantic. Because rape is not about love. It’s an act of violence. Sometimes rough sex can be misinterpreted as rape, and that can be a gray area if the lines are unclear. But most probably agree if a woman feels violated, there is no doubt that it is rape.

If a story calls for a rape scene and it is important to the plot, a writer should be able to do what is needed for that story. I can think of at least one example where rape could work in a romance—a woman recovers from a rape and has to learn to trust men again so she can find love.

It is a subject that should not be taken lightly, but it shouldn’t be taboo for a writer if it is a key part of the story they want to tell.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com           

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

http://www.goodreads.com/kheckart

My author page at amazon.com with all my books listed

http://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1341885749&sr=1-2-ent

Failure vs. Setbacks for Writers

We all know that writer's have setbacks: a character isn't cooperating, the plotline isn't unique enough or perhaps just the dialogue is beyond boring. These things are points that most writers must fight against as they craft their stories. Then when the story is complete, they struggle to find the best publisher.

Finding a publisher means wading through rejection letters that usually don't include suggestions on improving the story. The writer feels discouraged and may not return to the story for a day or two as they nurse their wounded pride, but then the story calls us back.

This isn't failure though.

A rejection is little more than a momentary setback to success. Some stories never get published but that doesn't mean the story or writer is a failure. No, I think that instead failure has to do with giving up the dream…the dream of being recognized as a published author.

Failure is the end to the quest.

The hero doesn't want to go any further into the forest; the heroine doesn't push through her fears and trust the hero with her heart. No, failure to simply letting "what could be" slip through the fingers in favor of the safety of knowing where we are is all we'll ever be. No more adventure, no more risk, no more opportunity for success.

 Now doesn't that sound boring.

Writers love to write because it gives us an adventure. We pour our hearts and imaginations into complex plots for the chance to taste authorly success. We want that book cover with our name on the front. We want others to know that yes we wrote this. We want to know that we ourselves never caved to our fears and allowed failure to be our legacy.

Yes, writing is emotionally intensive in ways non-writers can't imagine, but so worth the work when a story is completed.

As a writer you will have setbacks, but so long as you desire to tell a story and have an imagination that refuses to be silenced, you are well on your way to defeating the monster of failure.

Good reading and writing to all.

Mary Corrales

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Mary Corrales is a multi-published author of erotic romance and erotica. She writes in several different genres including paranormal, contemporary suspense and fantasy.  Tweet her or follow her blog for more interesting bit of writerly wisdom.

The importance of character motivation

I'm currently working with the first story in my publishing/mentoring project In fabula-divinos and doing the first round of edits reminded me of something important.

You need to know your character.

It's something I tend to forget, particularly in my short stories. I get so caught up in the language, and making the plot real, and I know the character and things work out the way they should but...

Knowing the truth of your character and putting it in your stories adds massive levels of colour and intensity to the piece.

The latest short story I've been working is a horror story. I've never written a fully-intended to scare the pants of you horror story before. So my focus has been about language that will cause the visceral reaction in the reader, hoping to make them squirm and shiver.

I kinda thought about the character - what they wanted and why - but I've not dealt with it in enough depth and I realised that when I got to the end of the story I was trying to manipulate things to achieve what I wanted, rather than how the characters wanted. As a result, it felt hollow... Didn't matter how well I'd used the language, if what the character wants and how they are straining to achieve it isn't clear, then the story doesn't work.

By getting into the character's motivations and making sure it colours what they do, they become real and the reader is able to more fully either relate to them or hate them. And that's what we want them to do.

Things that you need to think about:

* how did they get into this situation?

* what do they know/don't know about it?

* what is their history - family, education, relationships, employment (these things will colour their reactions)

* what do they want to achieve right now?

* what is the worst possible thing that could happen to them right now?

Get yourselves answers for both your protagonists and antagonists and not only will you have great information to filter through the story, but you'll probably get some great plot ideas out of it as well!

***

Nicole Murphy has been a primary school teacher, bookstore owner, journalist and checkout chick. She grew up reading fantasy; spent her twenties discovering romance and lives her love of speculative fiction through the Conflux conventions. Her urban fantasy trilogy Dream of Asarlai is published by HarperVoyager. Her publishing venture In fabula-divinos (http://thetaletellers.wordpress.com) is aimed at mentoring up-and-coming writers. Visit her website http://nicolermurphy.com

Blend Well, Strain, and Serve

Hmm...sounds like a cocktail recipe.
Don't worry, we'll get around to that.
It often amazes me how things come together in the writing world. I don't know why I'm so surprised when these things happen. After all, as writers, we're creative sorts, and most of us love a challenge of one form or another. Even so, I continue to be impressed by how quickly and easily a vague, seemingly random comment can mutate into an unstoppable juggernaut.
A case in point is the Lesbians Vs. Zombies line from Noble Romance Publishing, which kicked off Monday with the release of KevaD's "The Zombie With Flowers In Her Hair." My own tale for this line, "Dead Means Dead," debuts on February 13th. Hey, Valentine's Day and zombies . . . what could be more natural? I'll get back to that in a minute. (And yes, the recipe's coming. Just hold your horses!)

The whole thing started with Amber Green, one of the editors at Noble Romance and a member of Erotic Romance Authors, my crit group, making a remark in the group's private chat room: "I wonder if we could do something that combines lesbians, zombies, college, and music."
My initial reaction to this looked something like O_O. You would think, having been around her for some three months at that point, I would have learned to expect anything and everything from Amber. The concept really puzzled me, because I've never been a big fan of zombies. They're not exactly what you'd call versatile creatures, even less so than vampires. They eat people. Whether they're the delicate connoisseur type who's only interested in braaaaains (Yup. Intentional.) or the less particular variety (leg, thigh, breast, it's all the same to me), whether they run, walk, or crawl, that's what they do. Period. The end. Munch munch, crunch crunch, hey, you're a zombie. Have a nice day. Try the rump roast, it's delicious.
Thankfully, lesbians are much more, ahem, flexible.
One of the more amusing highlights of this conversation was when Amber asked me, point blank and in all seriousness, if I could write lesbians. This prompted a blink, and then a snicker, because I already had a vampire/ghost lesbian story to my credit: "Espiritu Sancti," from the Red Roses and Shattered Glass anthology. I laughed and said, "Oh, I think I'll muddle through."

So, a zombie's a zombie's a zombie. (Except that they're not. At all. Remind me to send a thank-you note to KevaD for showing the rest of us mere mortals up >.<) That left lesbians. I sat down, lit a cigarette, and got to work.
Only to run face-first into a migraine-inspiring stall.
I had the setting and the zombies. I even had a vague idea of what my heroines should look like. But what I lacked, and didn't realize until I was five thousand words in, was a musical angle that made any form of sense.
@*&%$##*! Back to the drawing board.

It didn't take me long to find the perfect solution, though. And with that last piece, the puzzle fell into place. In less than two weeks, I had sent off my story and moved on to other projects.
Here's the blurb for "Dead Means Dead." I'm still waiting on cover art, or I'd throw that up too. :) I hope you all enjoy it!
Stay tuned after the blurb for my own recipe for a zombie. Just the thing to chase the chill on those cold winter nights! And, if that's not enough zombie goodness for you, here's a link to the official LvZ blog, where you can find the prologue to "Dead Means Dead!"

Louise is having a bad day: a near-fatal overdose of nicotine while cramming for exams, rehearsal under a director she can’t stand, and ill-fitting shoes.  Surely there has to be a limit to what a girl has to put up with!  But then she meets the pretty new stagehand, Angie.  Instant attraction leads to a sexy sojourn in the dressing room. 
The day’s looking up, until the director barges in on their interlude and falls no-pulse dead on the floor–only to recover and attack Louise.  Angie savagely defends Louise and they flee to the safety of the quad.  The girls discover that their fallen assailant is only the first wave of a horrific outbreak and that their campus is cut off from the outside world. 
Their best hope to stay alive is to stay together.  Exploring one another’s bodies and learning the deepest secrets of their hearts in the enforced closeness, each finds in the other’s arms something she never knew she wanted.  But before they can fully explore their new passion, they must learn to survive in a terrifying new world.  
There oughta be a law: Dead means dead!

J.S. Wayne's Zombie recipe

1/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum
1 oz pineapple juice
1 oz orange juice
2 splashes Grenadine
1 tsp sugar
2 oz light rum
1 oz Captain Morgan Tattoo spiced rum
1 oz lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a fruit slice, sprig of mint* and a cherry.

*Optional

Have a great month, everyone! (And let me know what you think of the Zombies! You're welcome. :) )

Until next time,

Best,

J.S. Wayne

Happy New Year's Resolutions

Well it's that time of year again, when we don our party hats, dust off our scales and lick our pens in preparation for setting our new year's resolutions. I know I am more than ready - for some reason I've been inspired to clean my house as though I could sweep some inspiration into these walls like the Santa Ana winds that have rolled across the mountains near my home.

This year I'm vowing to work on my screenplay, finish two novels, crank out that short story and work up some new poems. Hmmm.... I think I'm going to need a twenty-five month year.  Or maybe twenty-five years all rolled into the next twelve months.

Many writing sites and books contain advice on setting goals, a notion I am ashamed I used to mock. It all seemed so simple. But that was back in my early days, before I was writing seriously, and before I heard a writing acquaintance speak of the years she spent honing her craft, goal by goal, so she could be the successful author she is today.

What are your new year's goals? Your hopes? Your writing resolutions and dreams? Whatever they are, I wish you much success in 2012.

Pathfinder

In 2010, when I got laid off from a job I'd been working at for about four years, I was really depressed. You don't need me to tell you how bad the economy is and how invaluable a job is if you want to keep eating and paying the bills. I applied for all kinds of jobs. Jobs I had no business applying for. Not like I was trying to get a CEO job or anything, just the types that didn't fit me. I was a data entry clerk for years. It's my calling, truly.

I asked God to put my feet on the right path. If He couldn't get me on the right path right away, could He please get me on the path leading to the right path? And failing that, the path next to the path that's going to take me to the right path? You get the picture.

I was laid off from May to September and then I found a job I love (by love, I mean I've worked in way worse places and learned that data entry is my thang, please, please, please don't ever make me have to work retail again, please, please, please).

It took some time and a whole lot of patience, but I got where I am today in a comfortable work environment with retirement and all the books I can read. I'm a catalog technician, by the way, which is a fancy way of saying I input books into the library computer system.

As a writer, I've been complimented and criticized (both pleasantly and unpleasantly). I've written, queried, revised and submitted. I've doubted my plots, doubted my characters, doubted my meager skills, doubted that my one and only talent is writing. I've been amazed that I wrote something as unique and masterful as a single sentence and I've deleted entire chapters that I struggled over with painstaking care.

Earlier this year, when I started edits and revisions on The Treasure Hunter's Lady, I said that this is the year I would be published. And if not this year, then next year. If not next year, then the year after that. Now, I'm relatively young in my writing career, so if I kept saying next year, next year, next year, I might not be too far off.

But with every rejection and every query, submission or contest, every revision and edit, I get one step closer to my destination. One of these days I'm going to step onto that path and instead of being lost in the woods, I'll find myself looking past the trees, on the other side of the mountain.

I'm on a path, but there are others on this path too and plenty of footprints to follow. I'm on this path, but I'm not alone.

Nifty Tricks

Did you know if you peel a banana from the bottom, you won’t get all the string? It’s how monkeys do it.

Also, holding a slice of bread in your mouth while chopping a round onion, prevents you from tearing up.

I thought about all these nifty kitchen tricks and wondered how a writer’s would use similar techniques in their writing.

Reading aloud for dialogue and content smoothness is one.
Turning on every proofing option available in your word processing program is another.

I did try reading my sentences backward once to catch errors. It didn’t work well for me.

Do you have any tried and true tricks of the trade? Any funny stories to share?

The Myth (And Reality) Of A Writer

Howdy, all!

Since the property damage from my last visit was so minimal, Tabitha graciously invited me back for another round! And, since I'm getting to know everyone, I wanted to take a little time and tell you what my "typical" writer's life looks like.

I get up bright and early at 5:30 every morning, to the sounds of birds chirping and the last of the nighttime crickets peeping. I bound out of bed, ready to start my day, jump in the shower, pour a cup of coffee, and sit down at my massive Louis Quinze desk. I spend a few leisurely moments catching up on the news and reading email, and then I start working, to the gentle strains of Mozart and Beethoven, while the sun rises gently in the east, welcoming me to the new day.
After a couple of hours, I'll have a nice breakfast and get back to work, where I'll be until lunchtime. .

*Record scratch sound effect*

Myth #1: I'm not a crack of dawn type of guy. The crack of noon's more my speed! Luckily, I work from home both at my day job and on my writing.
Myth #2: The early bird gets the worm, In my case, the early bird conjures dark fantasies of light-load shotgun shells. (No, I don't act on these. But this may become important in an upcoming WIP, and yes, there will be a quiz.)
Myth #3: I don't leap. At all. Ever. I'm not a freaking ninja and I'm not built for that. To say that I groggily stumble out of bed is much more accurate.

Myth #4: I shower when I have ten minutes to get ready. Otherwise, I rinse off the dirt and then settle into a steamy bath, where I'll be with my latest TBR project until the water starts to get cold.
Myth#5: Now that I'm ready to start my day, I grab a two-liter of Mountain Dew, a full pack of cigarettes, and a clean ashtray. The full items will be empty and the empty items full long before I get done with my day's work.
Myth #6: My desk cost me $20 at Wal-Mart.

Myth #7: "Leisurely" doesn't exist in my world or my vocabulary until the work is done. If I'm working on LESS than four things at any given time, someone's liable to ask me if I'm feeling okay. Multitasking is the only conceivable way I can get everything done that I need to!
Myth #8: I never watch the news. Least of all upon waking. If I want to be depressed or need proof that Darwin was right, then I'll look it over. Otherwise, my TV is very rarely on.
Myth #9: You will NEVER find the "classics" on my playlist. Substitute Metallica for Mozart and Black Sabbath for Beethoven and you're closer to the truth, with a liberal sprinkling of Tupac, LL Cool J, Paula Cole, and Melissa Etheridge.
Myth #10: If I'm seeing sunrise, you can bet I'm coming at it from the other side of midnight unless I'm sick, and I've probably been around the clock at least once already.
Myth #11: I eat once a day, and exercise for me constitutes getting into the car and driving to get more smokes or Mountain Dew. My preferred meal is dinner, at which time I usually eat what amounts to breakfast in most civilized countries. (This is because my body has been trained to consider my one meal of the day the end of the day, and so after I eat I'm not much good for anything.)

Oh, yeah. It's a glamour job. :)
Thanks for coming by and hanging out. I'll see y'all next month! (But, if you haven't had enough snark yet, come on by http://www.nobleromance.com, where I'll be hanging out today too!)

Until next time,

Best,

J.S. Wayne

Trick Yourself Into Writing More

Right now, I’m pretty sad. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s a blood sugar issue or I miss my girlfriend or I’m depressed because I haven’t yet won a Nobel Prize for literature. No matter the cause, I’m using this little ball of pain bouncing and grinding its way through my chest. I’m using it to write.

Two years ago, I started a new book for one reason: I was sad. On a Friday night, I had hoped to see some good friends, but they couldn’t make it. Nothing Earth shattering, but it stung. So that night I took that little pill of pain, used my suddenly free time, and started writing Poisoned Star. I concentrated on a futuristic universe filled with powerful starships and even more powerful aliens. I wrote about a boy in love who longed to see a girl who felt no one could love her.

Whenever I feel sad, I write. Now don’t get me wrong. This isn’t about me trying to expunge the feelings. I’m not out to write some cathartic poetry filled with depressing imagery. No, I want to take this bit of pain and use it as a motivation. For whatever reason, when I’m sad, I write well. It sharpens my focus and helps me concentrate. That might not be true for everyone.

Being a writer routinely comes down to discipline, but knowing yourself and when you write best can be incredibly useful. For example, I’m a morning person. I know I can be most productive before noon.

Last year, I wrote three novels in about three months. Each piece was longer than eighty thousand words. Sure, they were rough drafts and will require a lot of tinkering like pretty much all rough drafts.

How did this happen? I admit it, I’m a workaholic, but even then we’re talking about writing six or seven pages a day while teaching three classes and working half-time as a tutor. I was able to get this much done for one simple reason: I had my mornings off.

I didn’t go to work until one o’clock which meant I could wake up around seven and write until ten. Those three hours meant I accomplished a lot. I also trimmed back on my free reading and I did some writing at night too, but I knew when I could be most productive. When that time opened up, I took advantage of it in a big way.

It’s not just time you can use. Place can be a pretty big deal too. Like right now, I’m sad, but I’m also sitting in a library. This is a great place for me to write because I can enjoy the white noise. The librarians are chatting, people are typing at the bank of computers, pages are getting turned, and a printer is beeping somewhere behind me. I like white noise. This helps.

I’ve had students who say they write better with music or when they’re hungry. There are a thousand variables you can use to manipulate to trick yourself into writing more.