5 Easy Tricks to Writing Short

Please welcome guest blogger Paige Cucarro

Having a knack for writing short stories is kind of like having curly hair. People with curly hair wish they had straight hair and people with straight hair wish they had curly. A lot of writers find they can either write long or short, but switching back and forth becomes a problem. Since this is about writing short, we’ll focus on writers who find it difficult to condense their epic, multi-generational, globe-tripping, character-rich ideas into fifteen-thousand-word quickies. No surprise. Short stories aren’t supposed to be epics, right? Short stories are meant to offer a glimpse into a world where something interesting is just about to happen, and when the interesting thing is over, the story is done.

Short stories present a reachable goal, a surmountable conflict, a clear motivation and a satisfying resolution. All the extra stuff, is well...extra and can be left out. Okay, so with that in mind, here are a few tips that might help reel in that far-stretching, multilevel imagination of yours.

1. Clear the stage: If they aren’t stars, keep them in the wings.

In short stories, there’s no room for subplots, flushed-out secondary characters, or settings that steal the stage. For romance, there’s a hero and a heroine. If your story needs a sounding board, someone your main character can think aloud to, introduce them in the simplest terms. If the story isn’t about them, we don’t need a detailed account of what they look like, what motivates them, or their back story. You can just say she’s the heroine’s look-alike mom, or her perky friend, or her lazy dog. One-word descriptions work great, and then you can set these secondary characters to work propelling the story.

2. Reunion stories: Love can be better the second time around

An easy short cut is for the hero and heroine to have a history when the story begins. Having your characters already introduced and engaged in some sort of relationship -- friends, co-workers, work-out partners, etc... saves a TON of words by cutting out the “Hi, my name’s Sally. What’s yours?” stage of the story. It also saves time spent on revving up the interest between the hero and heroine.

3. Straightforward motivation: No time to be deep and mysterious about your characters' reasons.

The more basic the motivation, the easier your story will unfold. Sex, greed, love, hate -- these motivations are fantastic plot devices in a short story. Maybe your character needs a date to an office party, or she’s had the hots for the hero forever and finally decides to take her chances. Or maybe your character needs the prize money from dance contest, and the best dancer she knows is her ex-boyfriend whom she still loves. Whatever it is, if you can sum up your character’s motivation in a quick sentence, it’s a great idea for a short story.

4. Make happiness possible: Don’t try to lasso the moon; instead aim for turning on a light.

Like any story, regardless of length, conflict is the fuel for the story. But since a short story is more like a lawnmower and less like a limo, the amount of conflict and the level of complexity can be much less. Trying to resolve abandonment issues or mental scars from some horrific abuse in fifteen thousand words or less is like trying to fill a Dixie Cup by standing out in the rain. Too much unfocused information. Give your characters a fighting chance by narrowing your plot with conflicts that are more everyday. Examples: Friends deciding to take their relationship to the next level. Old lovers nervous over reuniting. Co-workers who reveal their true feelings when they’re stuck together during an office motivational retreat.

5. Tender moments: Happily-ever-afters don't require multi-generational sagas.

To make it even easier, shorten the time span of the story: one month, one week, one day, one DATE. Short stories are rarely the tale of an entire life. They’re snap shots, a moment in time snipped from two people’s lives in which they faced a speed bump and overcame it.

All stories regardless of length have a beginning, middle, and end; a character with a goal; a reason for wanting that goal; and a hurdle to overcome to achieve that goal. In short stories there’s no room for anything else. The key is to focus. You must narrow your plot, slim down your cast of characters, zero in on their motivation, simplify the conflict and offer them a goal that’s believably achievable in the short amount of time involved.

Happy writing!

Paige Cuccaro also writes under the pseudonym, Alison Paige. She is a multi-published author with Harlequin, Berkley, Samhain and Ellora’s Cave. Her latest electronic release is LITTLE RED AND THE WOLF. Look for her latest print release, NAUGHTY BITS 2 in book stores now.

Visit Paige at her website: www.PaigeCuccaro.com & www.AlisonPaige.com Or follow her on twitter: @paigecuccaro

Little Red and the Wolf

Who said being eaten by the big bad wolf was a bad thing?

Maizie Hood struggles to keep her bakery turning a profit, her landlord from evicting her, and her dear Granny in a nursing facility. Wrestling with the decision to sell Gran’s cottage is hard enough. The last thing she needs is her childhood big-bad-wolf nightmares turning into real-life adult fantasies. Sexy businessman Gray Lupo’s sudden interest just makes matters worse. Is he the answer to her problems, or just a wolf in gentleman’s Armani?

Since his wife was killed twenty-one years ago, Gray’s life has been focused on two things: protecting the pack and avoiding the grown daughter of his wife’s killers. When it becomes clear he can’t do one without compromising the other, Gray finds playing “big bad wolf” to Maizie Hood’s “Little Red” is a role he enjoys far more than he expected.

A real bad wolf’s attack on Maizie changes everything. Gray can’t deny the pull she has on his instincts—and his heart. Suddenly he finds himself taking on a role he never thought he’d want, as her protector and mate. Until the truth about his connection to her nightmarish past comes to light…

Birth of a Blurb

Please welcome guest blogger Marilu Mann

Blurbs are meant to be back cover matter. A blurb must hook the reader and make them NEED to read the book—not just want to read it. It’s an author’s first chance to show a new reader our voice, to hint what the reader can expect inside the story.

These blurbs do not spring forth from our foreheads fully clothed. Most often they tumble out in a mismatched array of verbs and nouns that we have to delicately carve and fit back together. Here is a peek at the raw footage for the blurb for Sex and Trouble available April 2 from Ellora’s Cave.

First attempt: January 26, 2010 from Cai.

Marielle Greenlea inherits a creepy old Victorian house and all its contents. Not bad, you say? Well, what if you find out that that house comes with a Demon. Not just any demon, a Hedonae-or sex demon, who has been bound to the house by your estranged father. Now, not only does Marielle have to deal with her inheritance from her father and learning that she's a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free!

Rosier can't believe he's still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who's sexy as all get out but unaware of her own appeal. A fledgling witch who doesn't really believe he's a demon-until she sees his-ahem-horns; and the fact that Marielle has never had an orgasm with a partner. Not only does he have to bring her to orgasm once, but three times—and they must be three simultaneous orgasms! Marielle and Rosier have to find three keys to unlock Marielle's power, defeat a former student of her father's and have mind-blowing sex to affect Ros' release from captivity. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Second attempt: January 28 from Arwen

You know it’s going to be a bad day when:

1. Your father dies leaving you a creepy old Victorian home.
2. Butler isn’t a butler and he comes with the house.
3. Your father’s enemies are after everything in the house—including you and the butler?

Meet Marielle Greenlea. She’s just learned that her inheritance involves not just an old house but also a butler-cum-demon. And not just any demon. He’s a Hedonae—or sex demon—who has been bound to the house by her estranged father. Now, not only does Marielle have to deal with her inheritance from her father which includes learning that she's a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is.

Rosier can't believe he's still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who's sexy as all get out but unaware of her own appeal. A fledgling witch who doesn't really believe he's a demon. But once she sees his-ahem-horns, she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex. But he wants to go home and if that means making her scream with his name over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it.

Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen according to her exes, she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms when she’s never had even one? Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex? What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Lie down and take it!

Cai’s Response: Was able to see it on here (meaning an iPhone), blurbs are only supposed to be two paragraphs long we'll have to work on this.

Third attempt: January 28 from Cai.

I say we use yours as our Blog entry. Here's my go at the blurb in two paragraphs...

Marielle Greenlea has just learned that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. Ros is a Hedonae, a sex demon, bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Marielle have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s sexy as sin, but unaware of her own appeal. She’s a fledgling witch who doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his-ahem-horns. But he wants desperately to go home, and if that means he’ll have to pleasure her into a coma, he’s willing to give it a go.

Mari truly wants to help him, but as the reigning Popsicle Queen, according to an ex, she doesn’t believe she can. Three simultaneous orgasms? Three? When she’s never even had one with a partner? Now, not only does she have to deal with her crazy father’s influence, she has to find three keys to unlock her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex? What’s a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Fourth attempt: March 2 from Arwen. We are getting serious now because we are counting words.

This is yours and mine combined. :) 254 words total.

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you learn that your inheritance from your estranged dad involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. A Hedonae--sex demon-- is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Mariell have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, but she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free! Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns. , she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s hotter than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal. But he wants to go home and if that means making her scream with his name over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen according to her exes, she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one. Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads her to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Fifth Attempt: March 2 from Cai. You will see a back-and-forth on how we first introduce the heroine in the next few versions.

A few changes/corrections (spelling of Heroine's name for one!!) - 253 words:

You know it’s going to be a bad day when you learn that an inheritance from your estranged dad involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon. A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Now not only does Marielle have to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch, she also has to figure out how to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Now he has to deal with a woman who’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal. Still, he wants to go home and if that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. Mari wants to help him but as the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), she knows she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Sixth attempt: March 2 from Arwen

More alterations. Changed the opening line. :) 237 words. Tightened and emphasized.

You never sleep with the help. When Mari learns that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon, she may have to break that rule. A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Mari has to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch and she has to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Even though Mari’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. As the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), Mari insists she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex—all in two weeks time. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Attempt seven: March 2 from Cai.

Just changed her name at the very beginning since I think we need to put her full name in there at least once...If you disagree, change it back.

You never sleep with the help. When Marielle learns that her inheritance involves not only a creepy old house, but a sexy-as-hell butler…demon, she may have to break that rule.

A Hedonae—sex demon—is bound to the house by her father’s magic. Mari has to deal with finding out she’s a hereditary witch and she has to set Rosier free. Because no way is she keeping a slave—no matter how sexy he is! She’s doesn’t even believe in her own power, much less that he’s a demon until she sees his—ahem—horns, then she has to face facts. One of those facts is that the only way he can be released is through sex.

Ros can’t believe he’s still captive to the Greenlea family. Even though Mari’s sexier than any human he’s ever known and completely unaware of her own appeal, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream his name in ecstasy over and over, well, he’ll just have to grin and bear it. As the reigning Ice Queen (according to her exes), Mari insists she can’t. Three simultaneous orgasms? THREE? She’s never had even one! Now she has to find the keys to her power, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex—all in two weeks time. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Lie back and enjoy it, of course!

Well, finally! We had a blurb! Full of happiness and enthusiasm, we sent it off to our editor…only to get this response:

I have this, but it is far too long. The blurb for a book this length needs to be 120 words or less.

Want to take another crack at it and resend?

So, it was back to the drawing board! Now we had to condense the blurb even more.

From Cai:

Per B’s email—stripped the blurb. Could only get it to 127 words—we need 120 or less. Here’s what I came up with. See what you can do with this.

Marielle’s inheritance involves a creepy old house and a sexy butler…demon. Finding out he’s bound to the house by magick and that she’s a hereditary witch only compound her problems! Mari doesn't believe in her own power, or that he's a demon until she sees his…horns. Then she has to face facts—one of which is that he can only be released is through sex.

Though Mari's sexier than any human Ros has ever known, he just wants to go home. If that means making her scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. Now they have to find three keys to Mari’s power, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex! What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

Arwen’s response:

Marielle just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance involves a creepy old house with a hot butler who happens to be a sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. Then she sees her butler‘s—ahem—horns. Then she has to face facts—one of which is that he can only be released through sex.

She's sexier than any human he's ever known, but Rosier just wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream his name in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. First they have to unlock Mari’s power, defeat her father's enemy and have mind-blowing sex within two weeks! What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

After a few more back-and-forth emails to tighten even more, here’s what we finally sent to our editor:

Marielle has just learned she's a hereditary witch whose inheritance comes with a creepy house and a hot butler who’s really a trapped sex demon. Mari doesn't believe in magick or demons. But once she sees her butler‘s—ahem—horns, she has to face the facts. And, he can only be released through mutual sexual pleasure.

Although Mari’s sexier than anyone he's ever known, Rosier wants to go home. If that means making Mari scream in ecstasy, he'll just have to deal. It’s simple…they have to unlock her powers, defeat her father’s enemy and have mind-blowing sex…in the next two weeks or he’s trapped forever. What's a girl to do when her inheritance leads to Sex and Trouble? Enjoy it!

This last one IS the final version. What do you think? Do you prefer one of the earlier versions? Does your reaction to a back cover blurb really influence you to “buy the book”? Are you ever disappointed by the blurb not having anything to do with the actual story? Tell us your thoughts and if you like our final blurb.

Official Bio:

Marilu Mann brings the steaminess of the Louisiana bayous to her books and she doesn't stop there. Marilu's willing to travel to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin to heat up those northern nights and melt a little snow. She'll also circle the world to Wales, Ireland, Scotland and back just to bring you books that make you sweat.

Currently residing in Texas, Marilu is an avid armchair traveler. Her sexy shifters will set your blood to boiling in no time. Owned by one Diva Teen and various animals, Marilu keeps busy writing the novels her readers beg for.

Marilu is thrilled to be a part of the Ellora's Cave family and loves to hear from readers.

Read the real bio here. http://www.greatmta.com/bio.shtml

The Key

Please welcome guest blogger Eilis Flynn

Keys are interesting. They’re functional (they give you access to your home and keep you and your stuff safe), they can be artistic (you’ve admired skeleton keys, haven’t you? They can be so graceful), they can be metaphorical (you’re all writers, I don’t have to expound on this one, do I?).

For me, keys are also mementoes. For instance, I have a broken house key (actually, I have two, but that’s beside the point) that I keep on my ring. Decades ago, when we lived in Bay Ridge, in southern Brooklyn, I came home one afternoon and inserted that very same key, back when it was intact, into the lock of my apartment’s front door. I must have turned the key a little too sharply (or the metal might have been a tad worn, for all I know) and snap! That was that. The top part of the key got left in the mechanism, and so I was locked out of my second-floor apartment.

My neighbors in the building weren’t home yet, getting in the back door would have involved breaking glass (no key available for that door), my husband wasn’t expected home for hours, the landlord was off-site and not really one of those caring landlords … and I was running out of options. There was one thing left I hadn’t tried: Getting in the window we’d left cracked open, because it was late spring, and if you’ve ever been in New York City in late spring, you know that it can be pretty warm (and sometimes pretty stormy, but fortunately that was not the case here).

That window looked like the only option I had, because these were years long before cell phones (yes, that’s how long ago it was) and my husband was not within a phone. The only trick in getting to that window was that nobody in the immediate neighborhood had a ladder that tall (because as I said, we lived on the second floor, and by then my neighbors all around were getting alerted to my little dilemma), but the good news was that there was a drainpipe. And also fortunately, it was a sturdy drainpipe, which I was still leery about shinnying up, because even though I was a lot younger and a lot thinner back then, drainpipes still weren’t, and aren’t, meant to be used as climbing apparatuses.

But I was out of options. So yes, much to the entertainment of my neighbors (with whom we were acquainted, or else that would have added yet another layer of comedy to the proceedings if someone decided to call the police), to get into my apartment, I shinnied up the drainpipe. My neighbors, good Brooklynites all, applauded when I finally crawled in the window (and back then, I wore these conservative little suits, so the idea of my suited derriere wiggling in probably had even more entertainment value for those who didn’t think much of Wall Street types).

And finally, finally, finally, I was home. I went downstairs, retrieved my sensibly heeled shoes and briefcase, thanked one and all who had nothing better to do than to encourage me in my somewhat rash actions, and collapsed once I got back upstairs.

And what the heck does this have to do with anything? Well, I guess I could tell you it had something to do with the symbolism of the key, how my apartment was the heart of my life blah blah and I had to get in somehow, even if it meant doing something stupid, or how my keeping the key around was symbolic of doing what had to be done, or … well, I’ll tell you what it means.

I like keys. A broken key was interesting. It was a bizarre afternoon, and I got to know my neighbors (in very, very unexpected ways). And yes, it did end up being a symbol of, say, determination. And on occasion, I look at that key and it makes me think of all sorts of things. It gives me inspiration of what I can do, it gives me inspiration for writing stories with unexpected twists, and it gives me inspiration for amusing anecdotes.

Everybody has his or her own version of that key, something that inspires you, something that has symbolic meaning, something that makes you think. What’s yours?

Eilis Flynn has written fantasy, comic books, and financial copy as well as romance. And she much prefers fantasy romance. 

Echoes of Passion

Part of the Hunters for Hire series.

 
Neotia Prime… The home world of the Neoti and the Vozuans was destroyed by a doomsday device twenty years ago, but the troubles and unrest that led to the event still plague those who resettled on the twin planet.
 
When Daegon Bosaru arrives on the unnamed world, determined to uncover who is out to smear his dying father’s good name, he discovers that the tragedies of that civil war still haunt those who remain. Not only that, the mysterious, beautiful woman he’s been seeing in his dreams over the past twenty years may have information he needs. But when he finally meets Imreen Dal in the flesh, she seems not to know him—and furthermore, she runs from him every time she encounters him. Why?
 
Rumors persist that the crazed dictator who set off the doomsday device may still be alive…with fresh plans for conquest. Bosaru needs to find out how his father, the mysterious Imreen and the madman are related…and stop another world from being destroyed.

Writing Between the Sexes

Please welcome guest blogger Leigh Michaels

Let's say when you're wandering through the bookstore, you flip open a book by someone called Chris Smith, and you read this:

Max, incidentally, had spiffed himself up for the feds and/or the press by putting on a tie, a silly one decorated with nautical flags. Elizabeth was still wearing her tan suit, but had removed her jacket, revealing one holstered .38 and two holstered 36 D's.

Now based on the name our author goes by, Chris Smith could be either sex. But I'm betting you have a pretty clear picture in your head of Chris Smith, just from those two sentences. And I'm betting you know whether Chris wears boxer shorts or underwires.

How about this one? Is the author male, or female?

Reluctantly turning off the tap, she reached for a thick purple towel, winding it around her hair, turban-style. Wrapping another around her torso, she stepped from the shower and surveyed her steam-filled bathroom with a sigh. The old house didn’t have vents to carry away the humidity, so she removed her towel to wipe, ineffectually, at the mirror. She saw the blurred reflection of a tall, slender redhead with very pink skin. I look like a lobster, she thought, applying the towel to her still-damp skin.

Or this one?

She looked at the mirror as she toweled off. Not too bad for a thirty-six-year-old with an adolescent son, she thought to herself. Her breasts had always been smallish, and though it had bothered her when she was younger, she was glad now because they hadn’t started to sag or droop like those of other women her age. All in all, she was pleased with how she looked this morning.

Or this one?

Her eyes narrowed. “Does this have anything to do with my being sick?”

Warily he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Are you trying to get me to rest more?”

“If I am, do you have a problem with that?”

Men and women think, act, and talk differently -- and vive le difference! But when women write the actions and dialogue of male characters, those guys often come off sounding like girlfriends. And when men write the actions and dialogue of feminine characters, those gals often come off sounding like tough guys.

Why is that a problem? Because when readers encounter a male character who doesn’t sound masculine, or a female one who doesn’t sound feminine, they may stop believing in the world the author is trying to create. You may get by with that if your audience is the same sex you are – but if you’re aiming to broaden your readership, here's a place to sit up and pay attention.

In WRITING BETWEEN THE SEXES, we’ll look at the behaviors and traits which most commonly lead us to tag someone as feminine or masculine, and how to use those behaviors and traits to create realistic -- but not stereotypical -- characters of the opposite sex. I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

Leigh Michaels is the author of 80 contemporary romance novels, with more than 35 million copies in print in 25 languages. She currently writes single-title sensual Regency-period romance. She is the author of On Writing Romance, which has been called the definitive guide on how to write romance novels. A six-time finalist in the RITA contest for best traditional romance, she  has also won Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times and the Johnson Brigham award from the Iowa Library Association for outstanding contributions to American literature. She teaches romance writing online at Gotham Writers Workshop and many of her students have gone on to be published in romance fiction. She wrote her first romance novel when she was 14, then went on to write and burn five more books before her first submission was accepted and published.

WRITING BETWEEN THE SEXES runs from April 5, 2010 through May 2, 2010

Brainstorming

Please welcome guest blogger Ella Drake

Before I started writing with the goal of publication, I worked for a time in a product development and user testing environment. Part of my job was to help in creation of new ideas, products, websites, etc. This involved coming up with ideas as a group, and sometimes we used various ways of directed brainstorming. I thought I'd show you some of the tools we used and then relate it to how I brainstorm for story ideas.

Tools. In a group meeting setting we sometimes used props such as the Creative Wack Pack by Creative Think http://www.creativethink.com/. This is a deck of cards that ask various questions to direct you in thinking of your problem in several angles. One way the cards do so is to prompt you to think in a new directions. Like, looking at something in the opposite way, or relating it to a random object. It was an interesting exercise in idea creation, but we didn't end up using it frequently in the product environment, but it might be fun to try again as a writer. They now have a Iphone/iPod version of the card deck. It might be worth taking another look: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id307306326?mt=8

There are other brainstorming tools out there, if this is an area that you feel you need to work on, then do a quick search. You'd be surprised at the number of tools available.

The White Board. We'd sit in a room with or without snacks (I venture to guess we did better when we had snacks) and cover the white board with ideas that people throw out. Sometimes we might have columns and think of ideas in specific idea areas or we might just throw anything up on the board to think about. It really helps if you have one of those new boards that can capture what's been written. The important thing here is that all ideas are captured, no matter how tangential they may seem. Because at some point, that idea may be used to freshen the idea or move us in a new direction.

Mindmaps and flowcharts. Put all the elements you need and start building out from that. This was usually implemented when we started from a set of requirements. We already had building blocks, so now we worked on the flow of how a product would work. What happens if a user clicks here? Flow-charting ended up being my most relied upon tool in thinking through how a product works.

Drawn sketches or storyboards. As simple as sitting down together at a table and sketching ideas, discussing them, moving them around. These could be as simple as stick figures or as elegant as a fleshed out graphically designed screen shots.

Focus groups. Bring in a group of people and ask directed questions to prompt them to brainstorm. Things like, look at this, how does it make you feel? What would you do here? What concept do you think of? What do you think happens next? This is another sort of skill I reuse as an author. The "why". If the hero does this... why does he do it? What happens next? Why does that happen next? The worldbuilding is set here. Why is it set here? Why does the science work this way?

All of these ideas and techniques have helped me in my role as author. The ones I've found that I use the most are the flowchart and the concepts behind the focus group. I frequently use a flow chart for my plot. This is the closest I get to plotting, but it makes sure I hit high points and I capture any concepts I need from each plot point.

But my most effective brainstorming tool now is to just let my mind go. Frequently I'm hit with a storm of ideas while on a walk, in the shower, or when I'm lucky, when I direct the tail end of a dream. This is rare, that moment during waking when my mind isn't quite awake and I can let it wander down the path of a story. The key point I've taken away is that no idea is bad. Capture all those ideas, and let your mind wander and wonder.

How do you brainstorm?

Ella Drake

Author of The Forbidden Chamber from Samhain Publishing, erotic paranormal short stories "Scent of Cin" and "Wolf-Bitten" from Cobblestone Press, and an erotic SciFi-Rom novella, "Firestorm on E'Terra" in the Hearts Afire: December Anthology from Liquid Silver Books.

http://www.elladrake.com/ || twitter || facebook

Last Chance for PRISM!

The Prism Contest for Published Authors is one of the most prestigious contests for Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal romance. Have you had a new futuristic, fantasy or paranormal romance release in 2009? What are you waiting for? Get those entries in now!

Categories are: Dark Paranormal, Light Paranormal, Futuristic, Fantasy, Time Travel/Steampunk, Erotica/Romantica, Novella (between 20,000 and 40,000 words), and Young Adult.

***Erotica/Romantica and Young Adult categories are low on entries.***

E-books and small press-published books are welcome, as long as they are non-vanity/non-subsidy as defined by RWA. All finalists receive a certificate and pin; winners also receive a beautiful, crystal Prism award (author in photo not included). The deadline for entries is March 20th, 2010.

For more information, visit the main contest site at http://www.romance-ffp.com/contests.cfm or email contest coordinators Marie Andreas and DeAnn Sicard at PrismContest @ romance-ffp.com (without the spaces).

Enter NOW!

It’s All About the Characters

Please welcome guest blogger Susan Meier

Next month I’ll be giving one of my favorite, most popular workshops, JOURNEY STEPS, TAKING THE TRAIN TO SOMEWHERE. This workshop thoroughly deals with plotting. Just between us, I give away some of my best secrets for coming up with interesting, fun, innovative twists, turns and back story, as well as some great ideas for just plain making sure you have “enough” story!

The implicit thread that runs through the workshop, though, is that everything that has to do with plot always relates back to character.

What do I mean?

Simply put, characters take the steps that become the “journey” that is your plot. And there are two things that impact those steps. First, the beliefs they’ve created in their pasts will guide decisions they make. Second, every step your character takes has to be properly motivated.

So even though you think plotting is all about action, maybe external conflict or situations…the truth is…all those steps are really about the people who are taking them.

Let’s borrow some info from my workshop MAMA ALWAYS LIKED YOU BETTER THAN ME…Mining your characters’ pasts to find a real conflict.

Just as your characters need friends and family, jobs and neighbors, because no one lives in a vacuum, they also can’t be “hatched” in scene one of your book. They were babies, children and teenagers before they became adults. They’ve had successes and failures. These successes and failures produced core beliefs – beliefs about themselves, other people and life in general – that ultimately become a ‘shorthand’ for decision making.

For example…

When you turned twenty-one, if you went out with your friends and got extremely drunk and had a hangover the next morning, nine chances out of ten you formed some core beliefs about drinking alcohol. One of them might have even been it’s not worth a hangover to drink. So when you go to a bar or out to dinner with friends, you don’t have to pause and ponder…Hum…should I have a drink or should I get a cola? Your subconscious does not want to have another hangover and you order the cola. You don’t have to think it through. You simply order.

The same is true with your characters. Things that have happened to them in the past have created core beliefs designed to avoid pain or gain pleasure. If a hero has always had bad luck dating rich girls, he’ll probably stay away from them. If a heroine was left at the altar by a playboy, (as mine was in MILLIONAIRE DAD, NANNY NEEDED) you can bet your bottom dollar she’s not going to want to date a playboy. Which means, if one strolls into her life, no matter how good looking or sweet, she’s going to be wary.

Some core beliefs come from comparisons. Things your characters see happening in the lives of their friends will also cause them to form beliefs. If the hero’s parents had a terrible marriage, he may form the belief that marriage is bad, or a trap, or for fools.

Your characters’ beliefs should be formed the same way.

The bottom line is there’s always a reason for everything your character believes. Especially for the belief that forms the basis of the internal conflict because the internal conflict is what drives the plot.

No one decides to spend his or her life without companionship without a good, solid reason. Yet most of us create heroes who don’t want anything to do with the lovely heroines thrown in their paths. There has to be a reason he’s made this choice. Otherwise, if he growls at our lovely heroine for no reason, readers begin to form some unhappy beliefs about him – like he’s a grouch! Or not attractive. Or not appealing.

Think it through…

If you’ve created a hero in his thirties, who has never married, he’s got to be the unluckiest guy in the world – never to have met a girl he wanted to marry – or he’s got a core belief that prevents him from marrying. And there’s a reason for that core belief. He might have been hurt. His dad could have been unfaithful – making him wonder about himself. He might have seen three or four awful marriages of his friends. Or maybe he just plain thinks being single is fun – but why? Did somebody show him marriage wasn’t fun? Does he see it as a trap? Even if he’s having such a good time that he doesn’t want the party to end – that means he sees marriage as the end of the party! LOL What makes him believe that?

Creating characters strong enough or tortured enough or in desperate need enough to drive an entire plot isn’t just a matter of knowing who their first grade teachers were or what they like or breakfast. It’s more a matter of knowing what happened to them, what situations “formed” the belief systems that made them the people they are on page one of your book, and how will those systems work or fail when faced with both the terrible trouble and the hero or heroine!

So don’t just create a light, cute sketch of a past for your characters. Dig deep. Give your characters pasts that will give you fodder for your plot!

Susan Meier is the author of 40 books for Harlequin and Silhouette and one of Guideposts' Grace Chapel Inn series books, The Kindness of Strangers. Her books have been finalists for Reviewers Choice Awards, National Reader's Choice Awards and Cataromance.com Reviewer's Choice Awards and nominated for Romantic Times awards. They have been published in over twenty countries, touching the hearts of readers of many cultures and ethnicities.
 
Susan loves to teach as much as she loves to write. Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere! is one of her most requested workshops. Her article “How to Write a Category Romance” appeared in 2003 Writer’s Digest Novel and Short Story Markets.  Susan also gives online workshops for various groups and her articles regularly appear in RWA chapter newsletters.

Her newest release is MAID IN MONTANA, Harlequin Romance (June 2009.  Her next release, just in time for Christmas is:  THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Romance coming November 2009.

With her little foster son Harry to care for, Christmas suddenly sparkles again for secretary Wendy Winston. The only fly in the ointment is Cullen Barrington. He's her boss, yet insists on playing the part of Scrooge.  When they are stranded together in an ice storm, Wendy sets about showing them just how magical a family Christmas can be.



Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere runs April 5, 2010 through May 2, 2010