Join Adrienne, Tracey and Kelsey for tidbits about RWA National in Orlando, Florida this week!

RU crew, howdy from Orlando! If you’ve ever been to National (or another conference with around 2000 women), you’ll know it’s a wild and fun experience. You walk away from those few days exhilarated, educated and excited about writing. My first RWA conference was in San Francisco in 2008, and the only people I “knew” were a few gals I’d taken an online class with. They were sweet enough to let me hang out with them as I navigated my way through all the functions and sessions.

The national conference has different purposes for writers in different stages of their careers. To list a few: pitching books, networking, meeting with agents and editors, attending sessions, and obtaining writing awards.

So on to today’s sampling of RWA tidbits…

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Kelsey, Adrienne and Tracey began their RWA journey with jaunts to Epcot Center (intriguing Vikings in Norway), Hollywood Studios (hot German guy in the Indiana Jones show), and Magic Kingdom (Mickey is a soprano, but he still makes hearts flutter). Even though our gals were fighting 90+ degree temperatures and killer humidity, they had a blast playing Florida tourists.

Wednesday marked the beginning of the RWA conference experience, and the RU crew kicked it off with a small gathering of our readers and visiting professors. What fun to put faces to names and get to know the folks who have been so generous with their time, support and expertise! A special thanks goes out to Theresa Stevens, our Ask an Editor professor, who helped pull together the festivities.

Later in the evening, the gals hit the fantastic literacy book signing (can’t wait to read our VPs’ books!) and then the GIAM goals group meet-up. Kudos to Amy Atwell—both on her recent sale to Carina Press and her fantastic goals groups!

A preview of today’s activities…Tracey and Adrienne will practice manuscript surgery with Margie Lawson, and our gals will hang out with Ann Charles from 1st Turning Point to chat about platform development. Then they’ll hit lunch with the keynote speaker Nora Roberts, help with the PRO retreat (great agent panel – more info to come!), and sit in on sessions with great writers like Suzanne Brockmann and Lee Child.

Stop back by RU tomorrow for a recap of Thursday’s RWA happenings!

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Adrienne Giordano is a co-founder of Romance University and writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance and women’s fiction.  She spent seventeen years working in and around the newspaper and advertising industry and, after starting a family, chose to work part-time as a marketing consultant to allow her more writing time. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, a former board member of Windy City RWA, a member of Kiss of Death, RWA’s Women’s Fiction chapter and RWA’s PRO group.

Adrienne’s books have been finalists in the 2008 and 2009 Linda Howard Award of Excellence contests, the 2009 Sheila and the 2010 Write Stuff Contest. For more information visit Adrienne’s website at www.adriennegiordano.com.

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romance with a dash of danger. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Windy City, Hearts Through History, The Beau Monde and Kiss of Death Romance Writers of America chapters.

Tracey’s represented by Donald Maass of Donald Maass Literary Agency, and she accepted a three-book deal from editor Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks, Inc. in April 2010. Her first release, A LADY’S REVENGE, hits the bookstores Fall 2011.

Tracey lives in the Midwest with her once-in-a-lifetime husband and their alpha puppy. For more information, please visit www.TraceyDevlyn.com.

Kelsey Browning writes contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of southern sizzle. In her former life, she worked at one of the ten largest universities in the U.S., raising money and teaching students how to land their dream jobs. These days she pursues her dream job of freelance and fiction writing, which provides excellent benefits such as unlimited coffee and an office dress code that permits flip flops. Originally from Texas, she now lives in the Middle East with her husband, son and seriously spoiled dog. She’s currently at work on the first books in two new series. For more information, please visit www.KelseyBrowning.com.

Many of our readers have faithfully followed the first half of our yearlong series of lectures on different romance fiction sub-genres.  Today, we’re excited to talk about a sub-genre that has seen an explosion of creativity in the past few years. Paranormal romance started out with vamps and shapeshifters, but has moved into different worlds, heavenly realms and age ranges (who can deny that Stephanie Meyer made the vampire cool/kewl with pre-teens, teens AND their mothers?).

We’ve snagged three wonderful visiting professors for today’s lecture. Please welcome New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox, best known for her Accidental Demon Slayer series, and debut author Erin Kellison! Dorchester editor Leah Hultenschmidt will also stop by throughout the day to respond to comments and questions. RU crew, you’re in for a treat!

Kelsey: Ladies, what’s your opinion of the state of paranormal romance today?

Angie: Paranormal romance is hot, hot, hot. I keep hearing that it will slow down, but I haven’t personally seen that yet. As a writer, I just sold a new paranormal romance series. As a reader, I’m having a great time finding new authors and keeping up with favorites I’ve been following for years. There are so many authors out there creating fantastic new worlds. You have your authors who write darker, like: JR Ward, Laurell K Hamilton, Sherrilyn Kenyon. As well as those of us who pepper our stories with lighter moments and humor, like Charlaine Harris, Katie MacAlister and MaryJanice Davidson. My books are more in that vein as well.

The wonderful thing about paranormals is that there aren’t any limits as to the kinds of characters and worlds a writer wishes to create. As long as you make me believe, as a reader, that something is possible, I’m on board.

Erin: A stroll past the romance section at Wal-Mart will tell you paranormal romance is doing great. The genre is explosive. Why? Paranormals, to me, have it all. The subgenre allows for new world building limited only by the imagination, while tapping into and heightening basic human concerns and fantasies. Tone varies hugely as well, from light, comedic turns to dark fantasy, and everything in between. Even time period varies. Further, paranormals have a cross-genre appeal, even hopping the aisle at the book store. For example, my debut Shadow Bound is shelved in the Barnes and Noble fantasy and sci-fi section, while elsewhere it’s romance. Go figure. I don’t think demand is going to ebb any time soon. The main concern, I think, is how to stand out in a market where there is an abundance of fantastic authors.  

Kelsey: Why do you write paranormals, and do you write in other sub-genres?

Angie: I had someone ask me the other day if I ever planned to write about good ole humans and I had to think. Humans? Hmm…wait. There have to be a few humans in my books somewhere. The biker witches are human. They might count if you forget about their spell work. Seriously, though, I’m having too much fun with the paranormal right now. I love creating entire worlds where I get to make up the rules.

There are so many interesting things you can do. For example, when I sat down to write the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the first book, when Lizzie learns she’s a demon slayer and there are some very scary, very angry creatures on her tail, she takes comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’

I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where Lizzie can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, Lizzie can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I had fun with it. Pirate can say and do things that Lizzie can’t. He’s such a kick to write. And that’s the beauty of a paranormal.

Erin: I love and have always loved fantasy and sci-fi.  I grew up on Tolkien and Star Trek. Then, in the sixth grade, I read my first gothic romance, Jane Eyre, and I was changed forever. Combine the two and I am in heaven. Right now I just write paranormals, but I can see myself doing romantic suspense because I love danger and have a murderous streak J. Eventually, I’d also like to try my hand at YA.

Kelsey: Angie, how do you think this sub-genre has changed in the last five years?

Angie: Paranormal romance has expanded with the imagination of its authors. I’m convinced vampires will never go out of style, no matter how much readers enjoy delving into other things. It seems like fresh, different takes on vampires will always sell well. In addition, authors are writing some great books about werewolves and other types of shifters, mermaids, Greek gods, witches and even fallen angels. I think the genre will continue to grow and change and become even more interesting.

Kelsey: Erin, we’re hearing that even paranormals are becoming a harder sell to editors. What do you think made your writing stand out and ultimately sell?

Erin: When I started Shadow Bound, I was looking for a mythological figure with the same kind of pathos so popular in vampires, but with opportunities for fresh world-building. I found it in a banshee, who became my heroine. (Banshees are heralds of death.) She let me have fun playing around with the concepts of life, death, and immortality. My best guess is that the premise resonated with what was already selling, yet offered a different take and a new world to explore.

I sold out of an RWA contest. I’ve heard people praise them and dismiss them. I’m in the first group. I received hugely varying scores for the exact same submission. In fact, the day I got The Call, I got some first-round scores back, too. One judge had given me a don’t-quit-your-day-job kind of score, so I understand the frustrations of contests. However, they are a viable way to get your work in front of and read by an agent or editor. I was fortunate enough to find myself on the desk of an editor at Dorchester.

Kelsey: Angie, what do readers tell you they love about your paranormals?

Angie: The characters. I write about a reluctant demon slayer, a gang of geriatric biker witches and a talking dog – and I let them do what they want.

Like in A Tale of Two Demon Slayers when Pirate the dog finds a dragon egg. The thing hatches and he decides he has a pet. I mean, how fun for a pet – to own a pet. Lizzie the demon slayer is not happy about that. She has enough going on and doesn’t think her dog needs to own a pet.

So she tells Pirate to find a new home for Flappy the dragon (Pirate named him, not Lizzie). So Lizzie is battling evil people and losing track of what Pirate is doing. He keeps promising to find a new home for the dragon, but instead Pirate is hiding the dragon, and loving the dragon and teaching him tricks. Every time Lizzie realizes the dragon is still there, it’s gotten bigger and bigger and, well, it’s just one more thing she can’t quite control.

Kelsey: What do you think it takes to be a NYT bestselling author of paranormal romances?

Angie: Make the story big. I had an agent tell me that if I wanted to sell, my characters had to take bigger chances, have more to risk and lose. It’s easy to say, but a hard thing for a writer to do. It’s a vulnerable, risky place to be. I knew my first book was big enough when instead of ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” I ended them thinking, “No. I didn’t not just write that. I did not just make my character defend herself with a toilet brush and a can of Purple Prairie Clover air freshener.”

Also, you want to have a plan going in, but also be willing to let the story take you where it wants to go. When I began the Accidental Demon Slayer series, I started with a kernel of an idea that amused me. What if a straight laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she’s a demon slayer? And what if she has to learn about her powers while on the run from a fifth level demon? And wouldn’t it be interesting if she’s running with her long-lost Grandma’s gang of geriatric biker witches?

I started writing and let the story evolve based on the characters and that central issue of what happens when a reluctant heroine is thrust into a series of extraordinary situations. And I knew the story was working when I couldn’t wait to get back to the keyboard every day.

Kelsey: What advice do you have for writers who want to break into this sub-genre?

Angie: The key ingredients are: a love of books, a dedication to telling the best story possible and lots of determination and drive to keep writing, writing, writing.

I wrote three books that didn’t sell before I wrote The Accidental Demon Slayer. Those three books were rejected by everybody in town, with everything from written notes saying things like, “your death scenes are too funny,” to “not for us” rubber stamped on my original query. But if I’d have quit after any one of those three books, I never would have written my fourth book, which sold and ended up hitting the New York Times list.

Erin: Go for it. Trust your voice. Understand the basic elements of your subgenre and the industry. Write your heart out. Pursue every avenue to get your work on an agent or editor’s desk. When you finish one book, begin another. And most importantly, protect and nurture the joy of writing.

Kelsey: Angie, what are your predictions for paranormal romance in the next one to three years?

Angie: I think it will continue to grow. There are a lot of people writing paranormal romance right now, so the stories that sell will be the ones that are fresh and different. And that is great news for paranormal readers.

Kelsey: Erin, please feel free to share any other comments on paranormal romance or publishing in general.

Erin: I recommend to authors on the verge (who have a complete manuscript, are actively sending it out to agents/contests and pitching at conferences) to be already working on acquiring information on the business side of publishing. For example, I had begun a messy file of marketing tips. When I was putting together my marketing plan, I was so glad that I had amassed that information. Similarly, I had an idea about the process the manuscript would go through to publication and was basically familiar with each phase. There are so many firsts and so much to learn that having a little background is vital. 

Also, paranormals often sell as a series. I recommend having a good plan for the scope of any following books, with blurbs and/or outlines prepared. One of the first questions asked by my agent and editor was, Do you see this as a series? Do you have plans for subsequent books? My agent requested blurbs on the next two books immediately. It was a tremendous relief to go into this situation at least somewhat prepared and with a basic working knowledge of what to expect.

Strong plots are a necessary part of a good novel, but I think it is the characters and the fun things we discover with them that keep readers coming back.

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RU Crew, now it’s your chance to ask questions about paranormal romance or anything else the strikes your fancy. Erin and Angie will pop in to chat. Also – don’t forget to grill Leah Hultenschmidt from Dorchester!

Come back on Monday when writer Sally Bayless will continue her series on Confessions of a new writer.

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of the Accidental Demon Slayer series. She claims that researching her books can be just as much fun as writing them. In the name of fact-finding, Angie has ridden with Harley biker gangs, explored the tunnels underneath Hoover Dam and found an interesting recipe for Mamma Coalpot’s Southern Skunk Surprise (she’s still trying to get her courage up to try it).

Angie earned a Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. She worked in television news and then in advertising before beginning her career as an author.

Visit Angie at www.angiefox.com. You’ll find freebies galore and answers to burning questions, like What is Your Biker Witch name?

Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall.  Stories have always been a central part of Erin Kellison’s life. She attempted her first book in sixth grade, a dark fantasy adventure, and still has those early hand-written chapters. She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English Language and Literature, and went on for a masters in Cultural Anthropology, focusing on oral storytelling. When she had children, nothing scared her anymore, so her focus shifted to writing fiction. She lives in Arizona with her two beautiful daughters and husband, and she will have a dog (breed undetermined) when her youngest turns five.

You can contact Erin though her website, www.ErinKellison.com, where you can also sign up to receive her newsletter.

Urban Fantasy author C.J. Redwine is back for another installment of our ever-popular Query Writing 101.  This month, C.J. has chosen a letter from Jennie Bryant . Thanks to C.J. and Jennie! Readers, feel free to post questions for C.J.

Dear Ms. Agent or Editor:

Before I dive into the query itself, I’m going to address the length. This clocks in at just over a page and a half. You have one page MAX. You’re going to need to do some serious tightening to whip this into shape. You need one paragraph setting up Sarah’s character, situation, and goals. One doing the same for Max. One revealing the stakes of the story and what the two must choose/do/overcome and the consequences for failure. And one very streamlined paragraph delivering the mss title, genre, wordcount, any writing credentials you have, and one pithy sentence explaining why you’re querying this agency. (If you want to. That is totally optional.) I’m going to help you cut, cut, cut. Ready? Deep breath. Here we go.
 
Thank you for accepting my manuscript sample and giving me a shot at my dream, to become a published writer. It’s a dream that captured me when I picked up my first romance novel many years ago. (All of this can go. They know it’s your dream or you wouldn’t be querying. Use the space for hooking them on your story.) Your agency represents many great, reputable and diverse works that I admire.I think you will enjoy my book, Love and Honor, a contemporary romance between a divorced mom whose life and love faces continuous threats from her past, and the honorable Air Force pilot who struggles to protect her by her side and from abroad. The manuscript is complete at 90,000 words. We can totally streamline this. For example: “LOVE AND HONOR is a contemporary romance complete at 90,000 words. I admire many of the books you represent and feel my novel would be a good fit for your list. Thank you for your time.” I suggest you move this to the end of your query and hook them on your story first. Also, admiring many of the books on their list is a pretty vague reason to query. I’d either mention something specific about the agent, or mention a couple of books that are within your genre that they represent, or leave that part out and slide your writing credentials into that space instead.

So many women dare to fall in love with the man of their dreams, only to have that dream shatter into a nightmare of physical and mental abuse. This whole paragraph needs to go. We don’t care about so many women. We care about Sarah. Let us know in her paragraph that she’s fought hard to survive and be successful in the aftermath of an abusive marriage and that will be good enough.

Sarah is one of the survivors. A thirty-three year old divorcee, she has fought for and found success in the aftermath of her own nightmare. And that success has let her build a new home and a new future for her and her daughter in the small town of Lexington, Michigan for nearly five years. However, her nightmarish past has
left her in a shell, quiet, insecure. And while single life has seemingly suited her just fine, her heart lives in a fantasy world where the “knight in shining armor” still exists. Love the last sentence. I think you can streamline the rest and make it flow better. I’d suggest you carefully read aloud your paragraphs and listen for when your punctuation choices aren’t quite giving you the rhythm you want, or when your sentences feel a bit awkward. Here’s a streamlined version of your own words:

Sarah is a survivor. At thirty-three, she’s fought for and found success in the aftermath of life with an abusive husband. Now, all she wants is to build a new future for herself and her daughter in the small town of Lexington, Michigan. Her nightmarish past, however, has left formerly confident Sarah huddled in a shell of insecurity. She pretends single life suits her just fine, but her heart lives in a fantasy world where her knight in shining armor still exists.

Use what works. Toss the rest. J

Max is a devastatingly handsome man. Of course he is. This is a romance novel. J We don’t care that he’s handsome. We care what kind of man he is. I’d avoid this cliché and give us a connection with him as a person instead.  He has(He’s … using contractions gives you a more contemporary sounding voice.) made a career out of serving his country as an Air Force fighter pilot, learning the old school ideals of hard work, chivalry, integrity, and honor along the way. That old fashioned manliness (Manliness feels like the wrong word to me. Sounds very physical, appearance/strength driven etc. That may be just me.)  blends well with a penchant for charm, wit and romance. It is (It’s) a miracle he hasn’t been caught sooner. Actually, instead of the “it’s a miracle he hasn’t been caught sooner,” let’s do a quick sentence putting him and Sarah together and causing Max to unexpectedly fall head over heels. Then your last paragraph can cover the threat to Sarah, and their response.

Call it fate, clumsiness, or just dumb luck, Sarah’s and Max’s paths keep crossing. Sometimes they cross in an hour of need. Other times they cross in the most peculiar and humorous of ways. Whichever the case, there is a magic drawing these two together that neither can deny. But like all magic, there will always be those who try to ruin the trick. Just do one sentence at the end of the previous paragraph putting these two together and having them fall in love. You don’t need the rest of this.

Sarah’s ex husband Jeff is a man of power and prestige. In his mind, the divorce from Sarah was nothing more than legality. Sarah is still his and always will be. So when Max enters the picture, Jeff reminds Sarah who she belongs to in a terrible way. The jealousy becomes even more dark and sinister when Jeff teams with Max’s divisive sister, Amber, in a fight for family inheritance. What should have been a picture perfect love story has turned into a battle to keep the love alive.  This needs some pruning too. I’d suggest one sentence about Max and Sarah barely beginning their journey towards true love when Sarah’s possessive ex attacks her. Then continue with something like “Jeff isn’t the only one who’ll stop at nothing to cause this relationship to fail.” And finish with something like “With their picture perfect love story turned into a battle to keep love alive, will Max and Sarah defeat those who threaten them and prove once and for all that true love conquers all?” Or whatever actually works for you.

I am a active member of Romance Writers of America and Dallas Area Romance Authors. I have written for a local area website called Today on The Bay,as (missing a space after that comma) an art and entertainment reporter.  I’d use this in place of the “I’m querying you because you rep diverse books” stuff.

I’d be glade (glad) to send you my complete manuscript for your review. Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. No need to say you’d be glad to send your mss. She knows. J Save the space and just thank her for her time.

Sincerely,

Jennie Bryant

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Jennie, thank you again for allowing us to use your letter. Let us know how these suggestions work for you.  We’d love to hear from you. 

For our readers, if you have a letter you would like C.J. to critique, go to our Labs page and click the link or send your letter in the body of your email to QueryWriting101@romanceuniversity.org.   C.J. will also take questions if you would like to send them.  We will post a letter on the first Monday of each month so be sure to check back.

Join us on Wednesday for Anatomy of the Male Mind.

C.J.’s Bio:

C.J. Redwine writes urban fantasy with a side of comic relief and is repped by Holly Root of the Waxman Literary Agency. She also teaches a monthly online query workshop where she offers unlimited critiques of each writer’s query until it’s perfect. She has just a few spaces left in her July Query Workshop. To learn more, go to http://queryworkshop.blogspot.com.

Good morning and welcome Chaos Theory of Writing! Today, I’m excited to introduce supernatural thriller author Alexandra Sokoloff to the RU Crew. I first heard of Alex through a friend who used her Screenwriting Tricks for Authors blog to help her learn how to plot. Then I saw Alex’s latest novel Book of Shadows featured on the International Thriller Writers web site. And the clincher, the moment I knew I had to invite Alex to blog with us, was after listening to an RWA workshop on the paranormal sub-genre, featuring Alex and bestselling novelist Heather Graham. It became very clear to me why I was seeing and hearing Alex’s name here, there, and everywhere. She knows her stuff. It’s that simple.

Leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of The Harrowing or Alex’s newest release Book of Shadows. Thank you, Alex, for your generosity!

It’s time for me to let the expert takeover. Welcome to RU, Alex!

When Tracey asked me to guest lecture here at RU, the question she lobbed at me was “How have you successfully distinguished yourself in a genre dominated by men?”   (By which she meant – horror).

Hah.

I can tell you exactly.   I have never, ever forgotten that the most interesting authors in this genre have ALWAYS been women.

Don’t get me wrong.   I am the most avid fan of Stephen King, Ira Levin, Sheridan LeFanu, Richard Matheson, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, Dan Simmons, Thomas Harris, Bram Stoker, Shakespeare – and the grandfathers of horror, the Greek tragedians (ever read or see Medea?   Yike.).

But ever since I was – well, way too young to be reading this kind of thing – I have loved Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley, Daphne DuMaurier, the Bronte sisters, Anne Rice, and the lesser known but absolutely revolutionary Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who in The Yellow Wallpaper turned post-partum depression into a descent into hell that I personally may never recover from.

There are advantages and drawbacks to being – “special”.   When there are so few women writing what  do, I tend to stand out.   On the other hand, a male-dominated genre tends to have more of its share of not exactly female friendly critics and reviewers (recently a prominent dark genre magazine editor came under fire for running an article on 34 horror writers and directors – that had not one single interview with or mention of a female author or director).

But let’s face it – women have a lot to say about horror. We live with violence on a much more intimate and everyday level than most men do. A walk out to the parking lot from the grocery store can on any given night turn into a nightmare which a woman may not survive, or from which she will never fully recover.

I think security expert and author Gavin DeBecker (who wrote the must-read The Gift of Fear) got it exactly right when he said, “A man’s greatest fear about a woman is that she’ll laugh at him. A woman’s greatest fear about a man is that he’ll kill her.”

Women know what it’s like to be prisoners in their own homes, what it’s like to be enslaved, to be stalked, to be prostituted, what it’s like to be ultimately powerless. And they know everything there is to know about rage, even when it’s so deeply buried they don’t know that’s what it is they’re feeling.

(Actually the mystery to me is why more women AREN’T writing horror.)

So it’s that truth that I try to tap into when I write:  my outrage at the truly evil things that happen in the world… and my absolute belief that human beings have the capacity to fight and overcome evil.

Now, I don’t consider myself an out-and-out horror writer.  What I think I write is supernatural thrillers.    Well, kind of.   Maybe supernatural mysteries.    Or paranormal mysteries?

Oh all right, I admit it – I have a genre identity problem.  Depending on which bookstore or library you walk into, I’m shelved in horror, mystery/thriller, fiction and literature.  I go to mystery, thriller, romance, horror, and even sci-fi/fantasy conferences, and have avid readers at each.   Add to that the fact that as a screenwriter I would work on projects that could start out as adventure thrillers and end up as musicals, through that special process Hollywood calls “development”; and add to THAT my own personality disorder – I mean, chameleon nature – and the fact that my own publisher is careful not to call what I do “horror”…  yes, I’m a bit confused.

And I admit it – it’s hard, when paranormal and urban fantasy are SO huge, not to want to just jump on the bandwagon.  After all, I write about the paranormal, and about the erotic, and my books attract a lot of paranormal fans… it’s not that much of a stretch…   so tempting…

But the truth is,  I’m not a big fan of the wisecracking kick-ass heroine.   I would so, so much rather an author get serious and scare me, especially in a psychological way.    And I love a life-affirming ending, but I’d rather have honest ambiguity than a blanket Happily Ever After.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve asked my agent if I should just write a straight thriller for the next book, and he always says, “No, it’s going to take some time, but you’re doing something that almost nobody else is doing, and people will find you.”

Well,  people have found me, and I keep getting book deals and royalty checks, and I am starting to understand that my agent is right – not many people at all are writing this kind of thing, and people are paying attention.   I’ve been reviewed by the New York Times, nominated for Anthony (mystery), Bram Stoker (horror), and Black Quill (horror) awards and am the first and only woman so far to win an International Thriller Writers Thriller Award.

And I know from the letters I get that a lot of readers read me because I really do scare them, in a nail-biting, hair-raising kind of way -  I just don’t do any of that in-your-face stuff.   I won’t even read a book or see a movie that has torture or rape in it, so you know I don’t write it (I do write about characters who have been sexually abused, but that’s not something I’ll ever show).

The sensual thrill of the unknown…   the chilly feeling of something unfathomable behind the door…  that’s what I’m after.

So I’ve learned that I have to be true to myself and write what I most love to read – the same kind of thing that terrific writers like Tana French, Mo Hayder, Sarah Langan, Sara Gran, Elizabeth Hand, Sarah Pinborough, and Rhodi Hawk are writing.   What it is, is feminist horror.  Or since the Right has somehow insidiously twisted “feminism” into as dirty a word as “politically correct” – even just “feminine horror.”

That’s what galvanized me about Shelley, Jackson, DuMaurier and Gilman when I discovered them, growing up. Not just that they told ripping good scary stories, dripping with perverse sexuality and unnerving psychological insight, but that those stories were from an unmistakably and unrelentingly female point of view. About oppression and patriarchy and a kind of madness, but prophetic madness, that comes with always being the Other.

It might not be mainstream, but it’s the truth, as I see it – and live it.   And writing is just too hard to try to write against your own nature.

I’m lucky enough to be a full-time writer, writing what I love.   And that – is no small thing, these days.

So how about you?   Do you ever walk on the dark side in your reading and/or writing?    Or have you ever hesitated about writing something you were drawn to write because you thought, or someone told you, it wouldn’t sell?

Let’s talk about it!

- Alex

* * *

Thanks, Alex!

RU Crew, be sure to answer Alex’s question for a chance to win a copy of The Harrowing or her newest release Book of Shadows.

Be sure to visit again on Monday when urban fantasy writer C.J. Redwine critiques another reader’s query letter.

Alex’s Bio:

As a screenwriter, Alexandra Sokoloff has sold original mystery and thriller scripts and written novel adaptations for numerous Hollywood studios.  Her debut ghost story, THE HARROWING, was nominated for both a Bram Stoker award (horror) and Anthony award (mystery) for Best First Novel.   Her second supernatural thriller, THE PRICE, was called some of the most original and freshly unnerving work in the genre by the New York Times Book Review, and her short story, The Edge of Seventeen, won the International Thriller Writers’ Thriller award for Best Short Fiction.

Alex’s third spooky thriller, THE UNSEEN, is based on real-life experiments conducted at the Rhine parapsychology lab on the Duke University campus, and her new release, BOOK OF SHADOWS, teams a cynical Boston cop and a beautiful, mysterious witch from Salem in a race to solve a Satanic killing.

Alex is also the author of SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS, based on her internationally acclaimed workshops and blog. For more information about Alex, visit her web site http://alexandrasokoloff.com.

Good morning and welcome to Chaos Theory of Writing! Today, our dear friend Laurie Schnebly Campbell joins us to discuss the hero’s arc via the personality ladder. Laurie has a lot of ground to cover, so I’m going to “button it” and hand the class over to the professional. BUT first, I want to mention that Laurie’s generously giving away one free registration to her personality ladder class. All you have to do is leave a comment!

Laurie, welcome back to RU!

DAYS OF THE WEEK, DWARVES AND STAGES OF CHARACTER

There’s something magical about seven.

Seven wonders of the world. Sailing the seven seas. Seven deadly sins. The seventh-inning stretch. Seventh heaven. The seven stages of man. And the seven steps on the personality ladder.

What, yet ANOTHER way of charting our hero’s progress through the plot and character arc of a book?

Haven’t we got enough of those already? The 36 basic plots. The nine personality types. The four quarters of a synopsis. The 12 stages along the hero’s journey. The seven habits of highly –

– Oops, we’re back to seven.

There’s just something ABOUT that number! In fact, maybe that’s why the personality ladder has seven steps.

In real life, of course, we’re all climbing ladders all the time. From infancy to childhood; from childhood to adulthood; from irresponsible student to responsible worker; from carefree party-goer to committed spouse…life is full of ladders.

But the ladder our book characters climb isn’t a lifelong one — it lasts only from Chapter One through The End. Maybe that’s a five-day period of thrilling adventure; maybe it’s a two-year saga of blooming love…but regardless of length, it’s a ladder they climb from bottom to top during the course of the book.

We know they start at the bottom because, when the book begins, they haven’t yet needed to face the big challenge they’ll face by the end. They’ve probably had their share of struggle and growth and change during the backstory, before Chapter One ever started, but as we open the book they’re only beginning the journey that’ll occupy the next 250 (or however-many) pages.

During that journey, we want our characters to face something that’ll take some WORK for them to rise above.

And no matter what they face on an exterior level — a bank robbery, a pirate raid, being jilted at the altar — the biggest challenge is going to be interior. That’s where the real excitement takes place — not in how they handle the bank robbery (well, unless you’re writing a police procedural) but in how they grow & learn & change in order to become a stronger and better person by the end of the book.

So that’s why we care about the seven steps along the personality ladder.

Of course, not every character MAKES it all the way to the top. Villains, especially, get stuck on the fifth step…which is why they’re villains.

And even with those characters who go through all seven stages, some have a more dramatic climb than others. Have you noticed that in books of your own, or books by other writers?

Not every character achieves the same amount of triumphant growth from beginning to end.

Which is okay. Even in a romance, where we want the hero & heroine to be well matched, one might go through a whole lot more turmoil and challenge than the other.

EVERY character, main and supporting, has their own ladder to climb. Some of them, like the wise mentor or grandparents, have completed their climb before the book ever begins — their only job now is to offer sage advice.

Others reach the top of one ladder in THIS book, but we know that the next book in the series will have them climbing a whole new (and equally thrilling) ladder.

Some struggle with every stage of the journey, some soar through the first five steps and then get flummoxed by the sixth, and some proceed so steadily we don’t immediately realize what they’ve overcome along the way. All of those people can be fabulous characters, each climbing their own personality ladder.

Which is the topic of my August class, and which is what I’d like YOUR thoughts on.

In fact, I’d like to quote you in the class — because it turns out people love quotes from real-life readers and writers! — so be sure and let me know if that’s NOT okay.

My question for you: which character in your current book (the one you’re reading or writing) is going through the most dramatic journey? And do you like that character better than the rest?

No right or wrong answer…I’m just interested in characters going through those steps on their personality ladder. So I’d love to know who stands out in your mind when you think of people making a climb!

Laurie, with free registration to “His Personality Ladder” at

http://www.writeruniv.com/august_10_Laurie.htm

for someone who sends a comment (I’ll do a random-number drawing tomorrow)

* * *

RU Crew, now it’s your turn. Laurie will stop by to answer your questions.

Be sure to stop back on Monday for our spotlight on the medical romance sub-genre. Author Janice Lynn and Harlequin Mills & Boon Assistant Editor Lucy Gilmour will be here to share their thoughts.

Laurie’s Bio:

Laurie Schnebly Campbell (http://www.BookLaurie.com) created the Personality Ladder workshop after people from her psychology, fatal flaws and enneagrams classes requested more information on using ALL those techniques for building great characters. She’s introducing this expanded course in August at WriterUniv.com, and looking forward to meeting some great new heroes…as well as some she’s enjoyed before!

It’s that time of year again. The RWA conference buzz is widespread and we unpublished writers are polishing our pitches.

Whether you’re attending the conference or not, having your elevator pitch ready can’t hurt. You could be at a function one night and your friend will say, “Hey, I just met Joe Smith here and he’s an editor at XYZ Publishing. Tell him about your book.” Yes, it actually happened.  Turned out the publisher in question only handled non-fiction, but you get the point.

New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons is here to help us get our pitches ready.

Here’s CJ!

The Pitch is a writer’s best friend.

Why? Because it’s what you’ll use every time someone asks you to tell them about your book. Agents, editors, elevator folks, Great Aunt Martha.  Whoever.

 Since it’s verbal, shorter is better.  No more than 25 words total, 10-15 is best.  Short, sweet, memorable.  That’s what you’re going for—hey, I didn’t say it would be easy!

 There are several different types of pitches.  Here’s how I define them:

 Hollywood/comparison pitch: a very quick, easily memorable way to let someone who has never read your work know what it’s going to be like (note: not what it’s about, but what they can expect). 

 For my debut medical suspense novel, LIFELINES, it is: ER meets Grey’s Anatomy

 Implying that it has the edgy realism and non-stop action of ER, but also focuses on relationships like Grey’s Anatomy.

 I think elevator pitches were invented by all those ADD Hollywood types.

 It’s your down and dirty answer to: what is your book like?  It’s a comparison, not an explanation or description.

 The trick with elevator pitches is to use something universally known (like Indiana Jones) or something current and trendy.  You need to use comparisons your audience will understand, nod their heads and say, oh yeah, that sounds like something I’d read.

 Elevator or 15 second pitch: This one is more descriptive.  Start with your book’s hook line (also known as “tag line” or “log line”). 

 These are those throw away lines that scream at you from book covers.  Also look at movie posters and ads–they use hook lines a lot. 

 JAWS: don’t go into the water, ALIENS: in space no one can hear you scream, etc.

 These hook lines are useful in query letters to hook the reader and transition into your blurb. 

 For LIFELINES, the hook line is: July 1, the most dangerous day of the year.

 Notice what a hook line does that’s different than an Hollywood pitch. A hook line gets the reader to ASK questions, builds that emotional velcro by getting them involved.

 For LIFELINES, readers might ask: why is July 1 the most dangerous day of the year?  What will happen then?  Who is in danger?  What kind of danger? Etc.

 These hook lines are also great to use on websites, business cards, etc.  Often, they’ll end up on the book’s front cover.

Okay, so you have a hook line.  Sometimes that’s all you need, the conversation will evolve naturally from there.  Other times you use it simply to attract attention and move into a more detailed description.  This is where that 15-25 word story summary mentioned above comes in handy.  The hook line hooks the reader into wanting (or asking to hear) the short summary.

High Concept pitch: also quick and dirty, but here you’re going farther than a simple comparison. 

Instead of comparisons you use ICONs or universal concepts to connect your fictional world to the world of your audience.  This creates emotional velcro with your audience, leading them to be interested enough to want to know more!

To do this, you need to do two things: First, find a hook. This is the unique spin that you have put on your story. This means narrowing your search to one small part of your story. Start with your blurb, usually the hook will be apparent there.  If not, keep looking.

Basically you’re boiling your novel down to one and only one unique concept–whatever it is about your story that will create an immediate emotional connection or spark interest.

Note: often this isn’t your main plot line.  Often it’s the inciting incident or a unique detail that you expand upon in your world building.

Second, tie this unique hook to the larger world by using universal icons and feelings, implying that society at large is affected. Something that brings this hook specific to the time and place of your novel into the ordinary world of your audience.

You’re building a bridge here, connections, emotional velcro….whatever you want to call it, it needs to be so easy to grasp that anyone can feel it immediately. It’s all about the audience’s emotional response, NOT the story.

One of my favorite high concepts: ALIEN’s. It was: Jaws on a spaceship.

The unique hook = spaceship. Unique because no one has been on a spaceship, it’s something unfamiliar to the ordinary audience.

The universal icon = monster (Jaws). Everyone has had childhood fears of monsters under the bed.

We all know and understand fear, nightmares, terror. In fact, a large segment of the movie going audience (Alien’s target audience, in fact!!) pays good money to feel these emotions!

Add the two together and we have a universal fear of monsters combined with nowhere to run (trapped on a spaceship). A powerful one-two punch!!!

Feel how it evokes an immediate visceral response as well as intrigue???

The audience hearing this high concept immediately squirm in their seats, ask themselves: where can the people on the ship run? How can they fight the monster?

AND, the movie makers tied this high concept into their advertising by using a tag line of: In space, no one can hear you scream….

But note—there is no mention of character names, no long, involved psychological profiles, nothing except the bare essentials needed to pique the audience’s attention.

That’s the beauty of the high concept, it strips everything away except what you need to intrigue your audience.

It’s an emotional promise.  It does not tell the story (unlike your premise).  Instead it creates the same emotional response in your reader that your novel will evoke.

Another example. David Morrell’s recent book, SCAVENGERS used as its high concept: a scavenger hunt (unique hook) to the death (universal concept). The tag line used in advertising: Some secrets should remain buried…

Pretty obvious David’s audience are lovers of thrillers/suspense, and wouldn’t that audience immediately respond to that high concept? Be intrigued, think, hmm…I want to read that book, wondering what this master of suspense has in store for them.

Stephen King is also brilliant with high concepts. CUJO: rabid dog (hook) terrorizes town (universal fear). SALEMs LOT: vampires (unique hook–at the time) terrorize town (universal fear), CARRIE: prom queen (hook) terrorizes town….okay, anyone think King is writing sweet romance? Or has he earned his title of the King of Terror?

High concept depends who your target audience is and what kind of emotional experience you want to promise them.

For LIFELINES, my high concept is: An ER doctor saves the wrong patient.

Let’s dissect it.  ER doctor = universal icon (we can all see a doctor as soon as you read that, right?) 

Unique twist = saves the WRONG patient

Feel the sense of irony (implied irony really helps to make a high concept memorable)?  It helps you to connect to the idea, feel intrigued, want to know more.

This high concept actually only addresses one teeny, tiny plot point in the book—but it creates the emotional response that the book promises.  A world where even good doctors are powerless to save everyone, a world where saving a life can end up costing more lives, a world where no one is immune to danger…..

All that from seven little words!!!  That’s the power of a high concept.

Often, because the high concept is such a tiny taste of the entire book, as writers, we get frustrated because we’re looking at the big picture. We just spent months with these characters, we want to share them with our audience, expand on them, not boil them down to a bare skeleton.

But think of it this way–if you boil down a compelling high concept then the reader will spend hours with your characters and story as they read….after they pay their money for the book, of course, lol!

The high concept isn’t a synopsis or blurb, it’s merely a way to give your audience a sneak peak of the emotions they’ll feel while reading your book. And not every book lends itself to a high concept, so don’t get too frustrated if this doesn’t seem to fit your work!

This is hard, very, very hard!!  Be patient, keep trying, brainstorming power words, re-arranging and most importantly practicing saying them aloud.  Pitches are verbal so they need to sound smooth, natural, not awkward or stilted. 

The only way to learn how to do these is dive in and give it a try!  Go ahead and post your “perfect pitch” in the comments—I’ll comment on them, but I’d also like everyone who posts a pitch to comment on at least two others.  Explain why they worked for you or why they didn’t.

Format your pitch as: I’m pitching a (fill in the genre) titled (title).  Then dive right in!

Thanks for reading,

CJ

***

RU Crew, CJ has generously agreed to take your pitches and offer suggestions. Please, to respect CJ’s time, we ask that you choose one type of pitch (elevator, high concept, etc.) and  only pitch one book.  Thank you!

Join us on Monday when C.J. Redwine critiques a reader submitted query letter.

About CJ Lyons:

As a pediatric ER doctor, CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge suspense novels.  Her award-winning, critically acclaimed Angels of Mercy series (LIFELINES, WARNING SIGNS, and URGENT CARE) is available in stores now with the fourth, CRITICAL CONDITION, due out December, 2010.  Her newest project is as co-author of a new suspense series with Erin Brockovich.  Contact her at http://www.cjlyons.net

Good morning and welcome to Crafting Your Career! Today, debut author Victoria Gray will lead us through her intriguing process of using historical events as inspiration for her new Civil War trilogy.

Victoria, the class is yours!

History has always fascinated me. I’m drawn to the sense of connection with the past, the insights into how events great and small influenced the course of civilization over the centuries. American History is particularly appealing to me. Growing up in Virginia, surrounded by Civil War battlefields and spots where British and Colonial troops battled more than two hundred years ago, I’ve ridden my bicycle through Colonial Williamsburg, walked on the same fields on which George Washington stood, and touched the wall of a church in my hometown that still bears a cannonball from the Revolutionary War between its bricks and mortar. In this vivid context, historical figures are people, not just names in a text – people with strengths and weaknesses, passions and idiosyncrasies. People who laughed, cried, loved…and sacrificed to protect the causes they valued and the people they loved.

My fascination with the people behind historical events provided inspiration for my new Civil War-era historical romance, Destiny, published by The Wild Rose Press. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of American history could name the infamous assassin who gunned Lincoln down following the South’s surrender at Appomattox. John Wilkes Booth established himself as one of the most notorious villains in history when he pulled the trigger in Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865. Far fewer are aware that Booth was romantically involved with the daughter of a prominent Northern senator in the months before Lincoln’s murder – during the time when he and his associates planned Lincoln’s kidnapping and his eventual murder. Could Booth’s connections with a well-connected senator’s daughter have aided his conspiracy?

That question planted the seed for my story. Booth was a star of the stage, a heartthrob and respected actor. It’s not difficult to imagine Lucy Hale, the daughter of an influential senator,would have viewed the man described as “the handsomest man in America” as quite a catch despite what many viewed as his treasonable statements. With Lucy’s affection for Booth in mind, my heroine, Emma Davenport, began to take shape. History portrays Lucy Hale as a woman who wasn’t at a loss for suitors, but for the story to work, Emma has to be a bit of a wallflower, swept away by a charming rake she’d never dreamed would pursue her. Hungering for a life away from her father’s stifling control, she runs off, determined to be with Christopher Staton, the man who has snared her in a web of romantic lies.

My villain had to be a powerful, charismatic man bent on using Emma to further his treacherous agenda. I envisioned Christopher Staton with Booth’s charisma, looks, and flair for the theatrical. Driven by  a thirst for revenge, Staton sees Emma as an invaluable bargaining chip he can use as leverage against the man he holds responsible for his brother’s execution.

Of course, there has to be a hero – a to-die-for hero who’ll do everything in his power to protect Emma. I have to confess a weakness for stories where the hero takes the heroine captive – for all the right reasons. Major Jack Travis is a respected soldier tasked with snatching Emma off a train and keeping her out of Staton’s clutches, whether she likes it or not. Jesse James and members of his train-robbing gang were Confederate raiders during the Civil War, and cavalry soldiers on both sides were used for reconnaissance and raiding. So Destiny’s hero became a Union cavalry officer, an expert horseman capable of stealing a woman off a train and eluding pursuit, a by-the-book soldier, driven by duty and a grudge against Staton. He’d die to protect Emma, but she’s forbidden to him. But sometimes, even a man on a mission has to follow his heart.

While writing Destiny, visions of Owen Wilson danced in my head every time Jack’s partner,Steve, showed up on the scene. The man had to have his own book. No doubt about it. But he’d need a heroine who’d challenge him. He’d need to meet his match.

And he does. In Angel in My Arms, my upcoming release from the Wild Rose Press, Steve falls hard for Amanda Emerson, an accomplished Union spy living right under Confederate noses in Richmond with her crazy-as-a-fox Aunt Betsy, characters inspired by the true tale of Elizabeth Van Lew and her ring of female spies.

The fall of Richmond figures strongly in the third book in this series. The story streaming from my thoughts to the keyboard features Kate Sinclair, another of Aunt Betsy’s operatives, and Will Reed, the wrongly-accused Rebel officer who loves her. The story, with the working title Against All Odds, is currently a work in progress on its way to completion.

So, there you have it – how a heartthrob turned infamous villain, spies in corsets, and a love struck senator’s daughter became the inspiration for a trio of historical romances. History is truly a muse – especially if you pay more attention to the people behind the events than the dates.

* * *

Thanks, Victoria!!

RU Readers, can you share a current or historical event you’ve used as inspiration?

Join Harlow on Wednesday for a heart to heart on choosing the right agent for you. The great agent hunt begins long before you write your query letter.

Victoria’s Bio:

Victoria Gray developed a passion for writing as soon as she could hold a pencil in her hand. Now, with her ever-present laptop computer replacing her pencil, she is passionate about writing love stories that capture the essence of hope, courage, desire, and that powerful spark of recognition that ignites when lovers discover their true soul mates. She especially enjoys writing historical romance that celebrates American heroes and stories that touch on our country’s fascinating history.

When she isn’t writing or reading, Victoria cherishes time spent with her husband hiking in the mountains of Virginia, basking on the beach with a great book in her hand, or exploring the historical sites of cities and towns across America.

For more information visit http://www.victoriagrayromance.com.

Good morning and welcome to Chaos Theory of Writing! RU Readers are in for a real treat today. Urban Fantasy writer C.J. Redwine switches gears to discuss the art of synopsis writing. If you’re a regular at RU, then you already know how gifted C.J. is at writing query letters. New to RU? Do a search on C.J. Redwine or query letters and browse through her query letter critiques. You won’t be disappointed. I’m convinced C.J.’s critique of my query letter helped me nab not only my dream agent, but my fantastic editor. High-five, C.J.!

Read on for C.J.’s fab thoughts on synopsis writing!

If you’re anything like me, the thought of condensing my 90k novel of fabulosity into a 2-5 page synopsis was about as thrilling a prospect as getting hit by a bus. I stared my manuscript down and felt intimidated enough to worry that while every other writer could summarize their books, I alone could not. Failure, however, was not an option. I needed a synopsis for many of the agents I queried. After I signed with my agent, I needed a synopsis for some of the editors on our list. And when I start a new project, my agent needs to see a general idea of what I think that project will entail. I quickly realized writing a killer synopsis was a skill I had to master.

There are several rules to writing a good synopsis. You’ll be grateful to know avoiding pans of brownies isn’t one of them. No one has proven conclusively that brownie consumption aids in summarizing one’s plot, but then again, no one has proven otherwise either. So, grab a brownie (trust me, it helps) and hang on for a quick crash course in what makes an excellent synopsis and how to go about writing one.

What a synopsis is:

• It’s a narrative summary of your book written in the Voice of your manuscript.
• It’s written in present tense. (“Jack goes to the library.” Not “Jack went to the library.”)
• It’s written in third person.
• It introduces only your main characters, main conflict, and basic emotional arc.
• It delivers major plot twists and your ending. No cliffhangers allowed. Your synopsis must show that your plot has layers and hangs together until the end.
• It mimics the pacing of your novel. It’s like your novel’s Mini Me.

What a synopsis is NOT:

• It’s not a blow by blow summary of every single plot point in your book.
• It’s not a backstory dump. That way lies Synopsis Death.
• It doesn’t introduce every secondary character.
• It’s not a dry list of events; it’s a skillful weaving of your characters, the stakes, and the major plot events that hurtle them from beginning to end.

How to format a synopsis:

• Use the same font as your novel. (Times New Roman or Courier New. I prefer Times New Roman because more words fit on a page.)
• Double space any synopsis over 1 page in length.
• Make sure your novel’s title and your name are in the upper left hand corner.
• You may indent every paragraph, or choose to only indent after you’ve written your main character’s intro paragraphs.
• Introduce your main characters in the beginning paragraph(s) and set up the story there as well.

How long is a synopsis supposed to be?

• There’s no hard and fast answer to this. Some agents want 1-2 pages, some want 5, some don’t care. I write a 5 page and then condense (rather viciously … cue brownie consumption) to 2 pages so that I have one of each.
• If you need to condense, try these tricks: Give your main characters a one sentence intro (including story set up) rather than a paragraph, combine major plot elements into three paragraphs, one for each third of the book, change your font from 12 pt to 11 pt. And have a brownie.

Now that you’re familiar with the basics, how do you summarize your plot? What goes in? What stays out? At its heart, each book has three major sections. I suggest jotting notes beneath each heading and then turning that into a paragraph (or three, depending on the length of the synopsis you’re writing).

• The Precipitating Event: What starts your hero or heroine on their journey? What happens to push them into taking action? What takes them irrevocably from where they were at the beginning of the novel to where they’ll end up when they’re finished?
• The Road of Trials and Tribulations: The middle of your novel is full of bumps and jolts as your hero or heroine works his/her way through the escalating conflict and toward the conclusion. Not all of these trials and tribulations need to make it into your synopsis, but the major ones–the ones that push the emotional arc and the conflict escalation– should.
• The Ultimate Triumph: This starts when the hero/heroine finally confronts the major conflict (the book’s climax) and carries through to their victory, redemption, and resolution. In a shorter synopsis, we don’t need a blow by blow, but we need to know what happens and that it makes sense.

Synopsis writing, like query writing, is a specialized skill that you can learn. It might feel like pulling teeth the first time or two, but it will get easier. Especially with a pan of brownies by your side. Summarize, condense, revise, and then do it all over again until you’re happy with the results. Happy synopsis writing! *hands you a double-fudge tiramisu brownie and a notebook* Now, get to work.

* * *

Thanks, C.J.!

RU Readers, do you have any questions for C.J.? How about any pros and cons you’ve found along the way?

Check back next Monday when  author Victoria Gray reflects on history as a muse – how a heartthrob turned infamous villain, spies in corsets, and a lovestruck senator’s daughter became the inspiration of a trio of Civil War historical romances.

C.J.’s Bio:

C.J. Redwine writes urban fantasy novels and is repped by Holly Root of Waxman Literary. To learn more about synopsis writing, and to get an in-depth critique of your synopsis, check out her June synopsis workshop at http://queryworkshop.blogspot.com

Good morning and welcome to Anatomy of the Male Mind. Today, Laurie Schnebly Campbell joins us to dissect Alpha Males. Sound like fun? I thought so too!

Here’s Laurie!

Alpha males sell books.

No matter what else they might be good at — and we’ve all seen them be good at LOTS of things! — they’re fabulous at selling books.

But that doesn’t mean every reader, much less every writer, adores those classic alpha males.

For one thing, we have a hard time defining exactly what an alpha male IS. I’m going to ask your opinion, down below, but first let’s look at what we love about these guys…and why we resent them.

Alpha males take command, right? Which can be wonderfully attractive — and which can also be downright annoying.

What makes the difference?

Or IS there any difference?

COOL VS NOT-SO

Picture a guy who’s standing at the scene of a disastrous five-car collision, telling everyone what to do. “You! Back up the van. You! Get that bike out of the way. You! Move your vehicle toward the curb.”

He’s a laudable hero, managing to accomplish whatever needs taking care of and getting everyone around him to do what he says.

But now picture that same guy giving those same orders in a grocery store parking lot where nobody’s hurt; there are just a lot of cars milling around. Suddenly he’s a bossy jerk.

Yet he hasn’t changed his behavior. It’s only our interpretation of his behavior that’s changed.

Which is part of why it’s so tricky to write the kind of alpha hero who’s guaranteed to delight readers.

What else makes it tricky? Well, let’s see:

* There’s a fine line between a man who’s powerful enough to stand strong against whatever the world throws at him while never breaking down, and a man who’s incapable of expressing any emotion except anger.

* There’s a fine line between a man who’s all about protecting what’s his, including the woman he loves, and a man who views that woman as his possession.

* There’s a fine line between a man who’s so incredibly sexy that every woman in the room is dazzled by his sizzling presence, and a man who’s willing to share that smoldering sexuality with every woman in the room.

How much is too much alpha?

How little is too little?

(Okay, did everyone else’s mind just go to the same place mine did? Uh, never mind.)

Back to the fine line — women who love reading about alpha males don’t usually stop to think where that line should be drawn. All they know is, they LIKE their romantic heroes strong, courageous, forceful, vigorous, confident. Suave or rugged is okay, millionaire or firefighter is okay, battered Harley or magnificent steed is okay, but aside from those little details there’s not a whole lot of room for compromise.

With alphas, there’s NEVER much room for compromise.

And that’s exactly what makes them so easy to resent.

How come they always get to call the shots?

How come they can attract any woman they want just by crooking their little finger?

How come they don’t have to deal with the things all the rest of us do?

Oh, but wait!

Once this alpha hero falls in love with the heroine, he’ll have to change his ways. Right?

ALPHAS CHANGED BY LOVE

Er.

Well…

That’s tricky, too.

Because if suddenly this rip-roaring testosterone-driven leader of the pack is murmuring, “Yes, dear, I’ll pick up the drycleaning and be home for dinner whenever you say” — drat it, he’s no longer quite such a thrilling prize.

He’s more of a regular guy…the kind most readers experience in everyday life. So where’s the romantic excitement in THAT?

You see the dilemma?

Genuine alpha males can be as tough to write as they are to live with — and yet they’re so attractive, we can’t just throw them out of our pages!

How do we get around that?

Here’s where your opinion comes in. Two questions, and I’d love to hear what other writers and readers think. (I’d also love to quote you in my “Alpha Males From Abe To Zeus” class next month, so please let me know if that’s NOT okay.)

First question: Do you know any alphas in real life — and if so, what are they like?

Second question: Have you written any alpha heroes — and if so, what was the biggest challenge you faced?

I’m eager to get your thoughts on this…and by the way, if you live with an alpha male in real life OR in fiction, you have both my admiration and my envy!

Laurie, betting everyone here would appreciate tips on How To Live With An Alpha from those who’ve figured out the techniques

* * *

Thanks, Laurie!

RU Readers, get your keyboards a cookin’! I can’t wait to see your answers to Laurie’s questions.

Don’t miss C.J.Redwine’s special installment on Friday. She’s going to give readers her fabulous tips on synopsis writing.

Laurie’s Bio:

Laurie Schnebly Campbell has been intrigued with alpha males ever since she heard that they’re the ones who are always breaking dishes. (Suddenly her husband looked less clumsy and more sexy!) She’s teaching a brand new class on writing irresistible alpha-male heroes, from June 7-25 at http://www.cameoromancewriters.com/online_class.htm

Dear Theresa:

This might not be earth shattering enough to be posted – BUT – I’d really appreciate an answer on this one – as this type of scene is in two different spots in my current WIP. Basically, it’s a one-sided conversation being heard by the POV character outside of the scene (does that make sense?). What I’d like to know is – do I need to structure this differently because there’s one side the reader can’t hear? I kind of clumped the sentences together because I thought it reads better this way – but is this right? Should there be the dreaded … in between those sentences?

“Mom it’s for you, it’s Aunt Kelly.”

“Hey,” Jake heard Peyton say. “No, no better, I’m afraid. They have no idea. Good news? Yeah. I could use some.”

He heard silence for a few seconds and then Peyton literally sputtered. “Tell me you didn’t. To Mr. Ginger ale! No, seriously, you didn’t, did you? Why?” That last word came out as a soft wail. “I know. I know. It was my idea. It was a brilliantly funny idea and if I wanted to go out with him I would have-” Silence again, so Jake waited quietly, unwilling to miss any of this. Clearly, they were talking about him. She couldn’t have two Mr. Ginger ales in her life.  “What do you mean, why do I sound mad? Why wouldn’t I be mad?”

“Don’t even–” Kelly must have cut her off again because there was momentary silence. “No, I did not tell you that. You–no, I said – Okay, I said he was better looking than I remembered. You said he was a hunk. I did not – aww, man, he’s going to think-” Silence again and then, “Oh, yes he will, he’s–” she either turned away from the family room or wandered deeper into the kitchen and lowered her voice, because Jake couldn’t hear what she was saying.

“Quarter! You said a bad word,” Paige called out.

Thankfully, Jake heard her again when she said, “Just a second,” to Kelly and, “I thought you guys were doing your homework,” to the kids.

“We are. You still owe a quarter, Mom,” Paige insisted.

“You do know that what I said is the actual name of an animal, don’t you?”

“Um, not when you end it with ‘hole’, Mom. Sorry.” Jake laughed out loud at Spencer’s logical interference.

“Oh, for cripes sake. Yeah, Kel, just a minute.” Jake heard rustling sounds and then a clink. Apparently, Peyton paid the piper in the form of a quarter in the mason jar and if he didn’t miss his guess, he was the asshole. Great.

Okay. I can see why this is giving you some trouble. First, let me point out that Jake is doing nothing. The scene feels static because it is static — he’s silent, unengaged, and unseen, a ghost in the corner. Give him something to do. And remember the importance of relevant action. Don’t just have him watering flowers as he’s listening. Give him a goal, and put that goal into conflict with the overheard conversation. Maybe he needs to get something out of the room with the phone, and he needs to do it without being noticed. (In that case, his need for stealth takes on an extra dimension of dramatic purpose.) Maybe he needs to get out of the house — some emergency elsewhere — and the phone call is causing him to delay. (In that case, the dramatic tension would come from the opposition between the need to stay and the need to leave.)

Do you see how that works? The phone call doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Even if it’s not currently written that way, other plot elements are occurring around the phone call. Bring them in and let them put some dramatic tension into the scene.

My next tip is for the call to be tightened. There’s a lot of extra chatter in this scene snippet, and it weighs down the pacing. Now, before you go cutting to the bone, I want to point out that in its current state, this dialogue feels and reads very much like a real phone call. Natural social conversation is rarely direct and concise. People interrupt each other and themselves. Sentences wander. Ideas are dropped only to re-emerge ten minutes later. You’ve absolutely caught that reality in your scene here.

But this isn’t real life. It’s a fictional representation of how a real life might be, and to that end, we must sometimes sacrifice a bit of reality to keep the pacing tight and clean. For example, you could cut almost all of the interchange with the kids — which, near as I can tell, has little dramatic relevance. I think you may have included it for flavor, for a bit of liveliness and fun and character interaction. A bit of flavor is a good thing, but keep it neat.

You could pare that part of the exchange to something like:

“Quarter! You said a bad word,” Paige called out.

“I thought you guys were doing your homework,” She must have turned back around to talk to the kids, because Jake could hear her clearly again. He could also hear some rustling and then a clink. Apparently, Peyton paid the piper in the form of a quarter in the mason jar and if he didn’t miss his guess, he was the asshole. Great.

So there you have it, the two secrets to managing an overheard phone call scene:

1. Let the call unfold in the midst of another scene so that more is happening than just standing and listening.

2. Keep it tight.

Where else can this exchange be tightened in a way that doesn’t interfere with tone?

Theresa

* * *

Thanks, Theresa and Murphy!

All right, RU Readers, Theresa’s issued a challenge? Any thoughts on where else the exchange can be tightened? Be sure to post your comments below.

Join us again on Monday when agent Scott Eagan discusses the benefits of category romance authors having agent representation.

Theresa’s bio:

After earning degrees in creative writing and law, Theresa Stevens worked as a literary attorney agent for a boutique firm based in Indianapolis where she represented a range of fiction and nonfiction authors. The lure of the courtroom led to a nine-year hiatus from the publishing industry, but now Theresa is back as Managing Editor for Red Sage Publishing, a highly acclaimed small press. Her articles on writing and editing have appeared in numerous publications for writers. Visit her blog at http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/ where she and her co-blogger share their knowledge and hardly ever argue about punctuation.