Talking Shop: Tips for Pacing

"Well.  That escalated quickly."

 Have you ever been reading a book or watching a movie and suddenly think the plot jumped waaaaay ahead of the timing?  Here's a common one I run into in my genre: two characters meet, discover they dislike and sometimes even hate each other, and on the next page they've never felt such incredible magnetism, never been so drawn to another. On the next page, they're inexplicably in love.

Talking Shop: Writing Serious Erotica

Last week we discussed some of the obstacles erotic authors face in terms of how our genre is viewed by others. Thanks to preconceptions over sex writing, expectations of publishers over sex and story structure, and the fact that readers are often seeking erotica more for graphic sexual arousal than anything else, there’s little appreciation for erotica and romance as a legitimate and more complex style of storytelling.

But another reason good erotic authors struggle to be more fully recognized for their actual talent is because there are a lot of “erotic” works on the market that are written badly. It’s not a rule of the genre…but thanks in part to those previously mentioned obstacles and in part to the ease with which writers can now self-published, there are lots and lots of amateur, untrained, aspiring writers putting out material that falls short of skillful writing. As our friend Tamsin points out in her article, there’s a mistaken assumption that just because a writer may have great sex, they can write great sex. I’ll go beyond that even more to say that many aspiring writers out there believe that because they may have story ideas, perhaps a supportive group of friends serving as beta readers, and access to self-publishing services, they are ready to start selling books.

Talking Shop: Respect to Reviewers

Behind every good book is a gracious author.

There have been a number of horror stories going around lately about author meltdowns when bad reviews come in. Who doesn't love a good internet meltdown, right? As one of those Indie authors working hard to be discovered, though, I can say that every time one author throws a "Why-don't-you-get-me?" hissy fit, it makes everything a little bit harder for the rest of us. It goes beyond mere unprofessionalism, too: it's just plain rude.

Authors, remember:

Talking Shop: Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

***  
There's been some very sad news for us here at Foreplay and Fangs this week. Our regular publisher, Breathless Press, has announced its closure, and all Breathless books will be pulled from sales sites as of May 1^st.

All of my books will be available until May 1^st on the Breathless Press website, and all e-book editions are only $.49 until the site closes. After May 1^st, my books will be temporarily unavailable, until they've found a new home.  I will keep all Foreplay and Fangs readers updated. Thank you for your understanding.
***

Shortly after I started seeing some success in publishing my books, my father shared with me his own creative work: a Vonnegut-esque sci-fi adventure he's been working on since I was but a wee girl. He didn't even realize I remembered reading his first attempts when I was in fourth grade!

My dad has been asking me to help him get the book out there. The problem is, he—quite literally—wants nothing to do with promoting the book. He has no interest in creating an online presence or interacting with readers...he doesn't want to keep up with social media or blogging.

The problem is, for indie authors, it doesn't work that way.

Talking Shop: 5 Basic Rules for Writing

There are lots and lots of lists out there telling authors what to do and what not to do. Some of these cover marketing, querying, submitting manuscripts, editing...today I'm posting my own 5 Basic Rules for Writing (Anything). There's no order to these; I consider each of them highly important. If you are serious about writing, I highly, highly suggest you follow these guidelines.

 

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Yet Another 55 Words

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!

 

January Prize: A $20 E-book Gift Card

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

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Wednesday Writing Challenge: Transported

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!

 

January Prize: A $20 E-book Gift Card

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

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Wednesday Writing Challenge: Refresh Your Descriptions

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!

 

January Prize: A $20 E-book Gift Card

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

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Talking Shop: You're Always Showing

If you're a writer, it's a fair bet you've heard this one:

"Show, don't tell."

 

 For many writers, this proves to be a bit of a challenging lesson. For others, it comes fairly naturally. What many don't realize, however, is that whether or not you realize it, you are always showing something.

 

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Halloween Masks

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!

 

October Prize: A signed print copy of

Goblin Fires or Lotus Petals 

(Winner's Choice)

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

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Wednesday Writing Challenge: Uncommon Loveliness

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!

 

October Prize: A signed print copy of

Goblin Fires or Lotus Petals 

(Winner's Choice)

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Beyond Skin Deep

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!

 

October Prize: A signed print copy of

Goblin Fires or Lotus Petals 

(Winner's Choice)

~ For Full Contest Details, See Here ~

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Wednesday Writing Challenge: *Second Chance* - Sensory Deprivation

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

I was sad to see no one tried this one...so I'm giving it another go, but this time you can earn ~3~ entries in the monthly competition!

Do give it a try, darlings...

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 4-Pack of Brantwijn Serrah "Flirts"

Change of Pace

Phone Home

Eat Dessert First 

And the Breathless Press Bestseller

All Mad Here

 

All Flirts contain 2 coupons for more Breathless Press Titles!

~ 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!

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 And now...

***Here's Today's Challenge!***

Write about an everyday interaction.

Walking the dog.

Gardening.

Eating a meal.

Chatting at the office.

Spending time with a loved one.

Make up your own.

Describe the experience as though you are completely blind.

Talking Shop: Writing Towards a Goal

Portions of this blog first appeared on Savvy Authors on 10 June, 2014

http://savvyauthors.com/blog/

I've got a few new projects in the hopper lately, and that means it's time to break out the organizer and start up the scheduling.

 

Top of the list right now is the sequel to Goblin Fires. My vision for this book: a full-length novel of 65k words, done by October 21st (I'm hoping to have it done before National Novel Writing Month). 

 

That's a significant goal and a tight deadline. This Monday's Talking Shop article is about how one goes about meeting such a goal.

Wednesday Writing Challenge: Writing Under Restrictions

Welcome to the Wednesday Writing Challenge! 

Happy September, Lovelies!

It's a new month, which means a new prize!

And just because I feel like it, today you get

~~~ 3 Challenge Entries for Participating! ~~~

(but that means it will be tough....)

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 4-Pack of Brantwijn Serrah "Flirts"

Change of Pace

Phone Home

Eat Dessert First 

And the Breathless Press Bestseller

All Mad Here

 

All Flirts contain 2 coupons for more Breathless Press Titles!

~ 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!***

Write a sexy scene.

 

55 words long (ouch!)

Must include:

The color navy blue.

The number 9.

A stack of pancakes.

A ship's anchor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hints and Tips:

Wow, only 55 words?  God, I'm a bitch, aren't I?

The point of this exercise is to encourage your creativity to get past restrictions. The word limit will help you focus in on the most important details and images; the required details will stretch your creativity.

You have a very limited amount of space, so combine details. Maybe the pancakes are blue.

Not much to go on to build up sexual tension, so focus in on a specific sensual, erotic detail or act. Might somebody be bound to that ship's anchor while their lover slowly teases them?

Give me your best, darlings!!

Think it can't be done?

Highlight the hidden text below to see my attempt (exactly 55 words).

The water lapped at the side of the boat and Paulo's navy-blue flag flapped in the wind. We'd sailed out before sunrise, dropping anchor when we'd found an empty stretch of open ocean. He'd made a tantalizing pancake breakfast, but all nine flapjacks went to waste as he drizzled syrup onto my bare skin instead.