Suggestions for Those Considering the Genre
***THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON SAVVY AUTHORS BLOG DURING MY LOTUS PETALS BLOG TOUR, JULY 26, 2014***
August 31, 2014
August 26, 2014
Wednesday Writing Challenge: Who Are You?
Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!
It's the Last Wednesday of the Month!
Our final Writing Challenge!
And this one's a toughie...
~~~ 3 Challenge Entries for Participating! ~~~
Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.
Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once.
?? Want to Participate ??
The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!
August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal
Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah |
~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~
PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now...
***Here's Today's Challenge!***
Every character is more than what you can possibly see in the scope of one story, and perhaps even over the scope of a series. Every character has (or should have) inner feelings, motivations, philosophies, values and beliefs that make up their very core.
Today's challenge is this:
Choose one of your (existing!) characters. List the following:
1. Name and age.
2. Brief description (hair color, eye color, height)
3. Astrological Sign and why it is their sign.
4. Political feelings.
5. Religious feelings.
6. Favorite pizza topping.
But wait a second, Brantwijn, you say. A lot of that isn't relevant to my story!
Sure it is. It is part of who your character is. Even if it doesn't come up in a written form, you should be able to know your character well enough to know what they'll ask for on a pizza. Maybe there's something in their attitude that just screams at you that they're a spicy sausage kind of guy, or that she loves pepperoni and pineapple. You should know where they'll fall on a political spectrum and on a religious one (politics and religion can be found in any setting; another part of knowing your character is knowing their background world).
Think of it this way: you are sitting down to a nice glass of wine with your character and interviewing them. You're interested in the whole package, not just what comes up in their story. You want to get a good scope of their personal feelings, beliefs and wants.
Now, obviously, these things can't be summed up in just six bullet points. This is just a stepping off exercise to get you thinking about the scope of your character's beliefs and experience.
**NOTE**
This is not an exercise in language. You don't have to write a flowing narrative to include all these details. This is an exercise in getting familiar with your character "offstage". You can list responses as bullet points, just like I have, with a brief "why?" to accompany your answers (1 sentence or less).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hints and Tips:
Astological Sign: You'll probably figure out your character's astrological sign one of two ways. First, you know when their birthday is. No need to delve into how it affects their personality or if they are a fire or air sign; simply, "she was born June 13th". Second, you have an idea for their personality and you find a sign that fits it, such as: "she's passionate and a little stubborn and hot-headed, so she's an Aries".
Politics: Every world has politics, but not every political system is going to be divided into the parties and platforms as here on Planet Earth. If your character does not belong in an established modern political system, you'll need to know a little bit about the system he does exist in. You don't have to list a party but give a generic idea of progressive/conservative/liberal/radical/fascist/anarchist, at least. Include a short one-sentence "Why".
Religion: Same as above. Even if your character does not belong in a world populated by those religions we know and accept in ours, give an idea of his religious views anyway. Monotheistic, Polytheistic, Pagan, Agnostic, Atheist (please do not choose Atheist to get out of choosing a religion... remember your character needs to have a reason to believe what he does!). Include a short one-sentence explanation.
Give me your best, darlings!!
A Special Cover Reveal Today!
Book
Title: Arkadia
Author: Dzintra Sullivan
Genre: Paranormal
Paradox
Book Cover Designs
Synopsis:
I
am Arkadia Castner. I am beautiful. I am popular. I am also the most
messed-up witch you will ever meet. I can’t make water boil, or make the
wind blow; I can’t even light a match without the aid of a flint. My
18th birthday is in six months, and if I don’t pass the Paranormal
Safety Exams (PSEs) by then, I will be banished to the Isle of Shadows
for eternity, never to be seen again – it will be as though I never
existed.
I
found myself at the halfway house under the supervision and guidance of
Den Mother and telepathic empath, Eloise Mayflower. The halfway house
is the last chance for troubled paranormal teens like me to pass our
PSEs and avoid banishment. Eloise knows everything I think and feel, and
is supposed to be helping me, but I still can’t do basic spells a
six-year-old can do. I hate it here, but I have no choice. This is my
last chance.
I
had all but given up hope, when in walks Bohdan Drak. Tall, dark, and
so damn sexy it hurts to look at him – even his muscles had muscles. He
is a dragon shifter and wears the mark of having passed his PSEs. When
our souls meet, we realize we have found our soul mates and perfect
matches. My dying hope has found life again, and I finally have a reason
to look forward to a future.
I
thought everything would be fine, but darkness and despair creep into
my future. I have been framed for a murder, and everyone believes I am
guilty. The paranormal council now watches my every move. Can I trust
Bohdan and true love? I fear my destiny is to be banished forever …
Book
Cover
Teasers
About
the Author
Dzintra
Sullivan is a happily married mother of four amazing children. She lives on the
Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. She has always been an avid reader
starting with Enid Blyton and Judy Blume as a young girl. Quickly falling in
love with the Paranormal creatures in her teen years.
Dzintra
owns and runs the FB page Book Friends Forever, having started it to connect
with other book addicts from around the world. Dzintra has always had a dream
to write, and she is now living her dream. "Arkadia" is her debut
novel, and book one in the Halfway House Series.
Stalk
Dzintra
Give-away
A Rafflecopter Giveaway
August 25, 2014
August 23, 2014
Join Us Tonight! The Wonderland Authors are Chatting it Up on Taste Test!
Get ready for a lot of uncommon nonsense!
The authors of The Wonderland Tales are getting together for a Mad Tea Party of our own!
We'll have a great crew:
Sheri Velarde, Gayl Taylor, Brantwijn Serrah, Monica Schroeder, Jen Bradlee, Mia Aeon-Epsilon and the award winning Torie James!
Tonight at 8pm CST, on Taste Test
Part of the Writer's Online Network
On Blog Talk Radio.
 | ||
| Click the link to listen in!! |
And Check Out The Wonderland Tales here:
August 22, 2014
NEW RELEASE: "All Mad Here", an erotic Alice in Wonderland tale!
RELEASED TODAY!!
"All Mad Here" is now available
for just $.50!
(At the publisher's website)
 |
| Published by Breathless Press |
Treat yourself to a fun, sexy trip through Wonderland in this erotic ménage à trois fantasy! What happens to a modern-day Knight when his beautiful twin princesses reveal their hidden desires? A bit of uncommon nonsense meets a lot of frisky fun in this delicious sexy short!
~ ~ ~ ONLY $.50 UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST!! ~ ~ ~
August 19, 2014
Wednesday Writing Challenge: Using Your Senses for Erotica
Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!
Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.
Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once.
?? Want to Participate ??
The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!
August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal
Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah |
~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~
PLEASE REMEMBER YOU MUST BE SIGNED UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER. OTHERWISE I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU WIN!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now...
***Here's Today's Challenge!***
In Monday's Post we talked about using our senses and immersing ourselves in erotic description.
We also chatted a bit about how even non-sex scenes and situations involving no actual sexual activity can still be intensely erotic.
Today's challenge is to use sensory description to evoke an erotic image--one that does not involve sex.
Include imagery appealing to all five sense, but do not simply list images. Use narrative flow, character voice, and describe the scene or person naturally. Do not hang your scenario in space; give it context. Perhaps you run into your sexy neighbor at the grocery store and the way she's looking over those red, juicy, ripe tomatos is inexplicably alluring to you.
Try to do this in five sentences or less.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hints and Tips:
Avoid listing. "She smelled like strawberries and looked like a dream, her voice was like a melody". Describe a scene with a natural flow.
Look for the erotic in an everyday context. Discover sensuality in little things.
Think of a fun place in which you discover something unexpectedly erotic. (I once found myself pleasantly absorbed in fantasy while at the dentist's office, captivated by the way my dental assistant's earrings made me want to nibble her cute little ears).
Give me your best, darlings!!
August 18, 2014
Talking Shop: Good Erotic Content
It's been a while since I talked about
writing and how it pertains to erotica,
so let's bring sexy back, shall we?
Erotic content must be exactly that:
erotic. But good erotica is more than just a graphic sex scene;
oh, my, it is so much more.
(NSFW Under the Cut)
August 12, 2014
Wednesday Writing Challenge: Fear Itself
Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!
Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.
Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once.
?? Want to Participate ??
The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!
August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal
Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now...
***Here's Today's Challenge!***
Select a Phobia from this Wikipedia List of Phobias
You are a character with this phobia. In 5 sentences or less, describe a close-up confrontation with the object of your fear.
You may not use arachnophobia, claustrophobia, aquaphobia, agoraphobia, acrophobia, coulrophobia or glossophobia.
If a previous poster has already used a certain fear, you must choose a different one.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hints and Tips:
Consider the physical effects of fear and try to avoid overused descriptions (clammy hands, racing heart). Look for new ways to describe the sensation of fear.
Don't focus only on the fear; consider your mental reaction as well. Are you confronting your fear to try and cope with it? Have you been unexpectedly surprised by your fear, and now considering escape? Did you know you had this phobia or are you confused to be feeling this fear?
Don't forget to include a description of the object causing your fear.
Give me your best, darlings!!
Talking Shop: Don't Overdo It
What is a caricature? The dictionary defines it as "a picture, description, etc., ludicrously exaggerating the peculiarities or defects of persons or things". When most of us here the word "caricature", we think of something like this:
As a literary device, caricature is described as "a device used in descriptive writing and visual arts where particular aspects of a subject are exaggerated to create a silly or comic effect".
Here's a very recognizable example of caricature: in the Fox animated sitcom
Family Guy, a character is introduced
as a part of a domestic violence plot in Screams
of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q (Season 10, Episode 3). The character—Jeff—is
the loud, obnoxious, abusive boyfriend of Brenda Quagmire.
August 5, 2014
Wednesday Writing Challenge: Blood on the Floor
Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge!
Every Wednesday, I pose a new writing challenge here on the blog. These challenges come from books on writing, classes I've taken on creative writing, or sometimes just from my own imagination. If you're an author, hopefully they will help you get your writing juices flowing and help you improve your craft.
Some of these challenges may be very good ones or may include an element I consider highly important for writers to learn...so occasionally I may cycle through some of my favorites more than once.
?? Want to Participate ??
The Wednesday Challenges are open to all readers. In order to participate, simply comment on the challenge post with your response to the exercise. Not only is it good practice, but you could win something nifty and fun!
August Prize: A Lotus Petals journal
Including a personalized message from Brantwijn Serrah |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And now...
***Here's Today's Challenge!***
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)