Those of you who know me are undoubtedly aware of my reputation as... well, to quote the Spin Doctors, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong." What can I say? I've fought it for years, but the more I protest, the lamer I sound. And I guess there might be a kernel of truth to the label. I cried over each and every "B" I received on my report card. (Most of them were in gym.) Even now, I follow directions and always color inside the lines and don't fudge my taxes even though it's very tempting.
But those of you who know me very well also know I have a bit of a wild side. (Wow, doesn't that sound dorky? I told you, it's no use.)
Anyway...my goal over the next week or so is to tap into that crazy, uninhibited part of my personality so I can take a really important love scene from MIDNIGHT PROMISES to the next level. I found out yesterday that this scene finaled in SARA's Merritt Magic Moment Contest, and (fortunately!) I have a chance to revise it before my dream editor ranks it in the final round. Goodbye cliches! Farewell, point of view shifts! Au revior overuse of adverbs! You get the point.
I promise you, this scene is gonna be HOT. I'm thinking a glass of wine might help.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
"Romancing the Stone" and Other Catchy Titles
Some authors dread writing a synopsis; some labor over the back-cover blurb. Me, I have an issue with book titles.
A title is like an interview suit. Right or wrong, someone's going to make a split second judgment based on that one thing. You don't want to have a coffee stain on your blouse or toilet paper stuck to your shoe. But I digress.
What would my ultimate title do? In a nutshell, it would...
- pique the readers' curiosity
- reflect my story's theme
- hint at my characters' personalities
- convey a Regency setting
- tie into the plot, somehow, AND
- be completely original.
Phew, that's a tall order for 2 or 3 words. Frankly, I'd be ecstatic if I accomplished two or three of the above items.
My first manuscript is "Taking the Bait." I love that title. It ties into the fishing theme that I wove throughout the story, and it has a little innuendo to it. It's playful, and though it doesn't scream "Regency," I figured I could always address that aspect with some fantastic cover art (dream big, I always say!).
My second story is called "Midnight Promises." I'll admit this is a bit generic, but let me explain. See, my main character was jilted by her betrothed at her own engagement ball, precisely at midnight. And the hero of the story has a chance to recreate that awful scene, only with a happy ending. Also, "Midnight Promises" was really just supposed to be the working title. I slapped it on my manuscript before entering it in its first contest, and couldn't believe it actually finaled. After that, I was reluctant to change it - for superstitious reasons as much as anything else.
That brings me to my WIP. It’s saved on my laptop as “Phoebe’s Story.” Which is not entirely true, as it is actually Phoebe’s AND Rhys’ story. Also, I’m tired of calling it that. It needs an identity, even if it’s only another temporary one, so last night I began brainstorming for a proper title.
I scribbled some ideas on paper. Themes include finding one’s true self, learning to trust, risking all for love. Not much help. Fire plays a major role in the story, but any mention of fanning flames or burning embers seemed too …predictable. The heroine is a companion and the hero is a marquess, but neither started out that way. There could be something there.
Anyway, you get the idea.
Then, I thought of a title I really liked: “A Kiss to Remember.” There’s a pivotal scene in the story where Rhys experiences a flood of memories as he’s kissing Phoebe for the first time. It sounded classic and a little intriguing, no? I schlepped over to my laptop, went to Amazon, and searched for “A Kiss to Remember,” and guess what? It’s already taken -- a 2001 book by Teresa Medeiros. At least I was right – it was a good title!
So I went back to the paper and kept experimenting with variations of “kissing” titles, until I came up with… “The Kissable Companion.” I like it for now. I’m going to go with it. But before I get too attached to it, I’m going to go check whether “kissable” is a even a real word. Wish me luck.
A title is like an interview suit. Right or wrong, someone's going to make a split second judgment based on that one thing. You don't want to have a coffee stain on your blouse or toilet paper stuck to your shoe. But I digress.
What would my ultimate title do? In a nutshell, it would...
- pique the readers' curiosity
- reflect my story's theme
- hint at my characters' personalities
- convey a Regency setting
- tie into the plot, somehow, AND
- be completely original.
Phew, that's a tall order for 2 or 3 words. Frankly, I'd be ecstatic if I accomplished two or three of the above items.
My first manuscript is "Taking the Bait." I love that title. It ties into the fishing theme that I wove throughout the story, and it has a little innuendo to it. It's playful, and though it doesn't scream "Regency," I figured I could always address that aspect with some fantastic cover art (dream big, I always say!).
My second story is called "Midnight Promises." I'll admit this is a bit generic, but let me explain. See, my main character was jilted by her betrothed at her own engagement ball, precisely at midnight. And the hero of the story has a chance to recreate that awful scene, only with a happy ending. Also, "Midnight Promises" was really just supposed to be the working title. I slapped it on my manuscript before entering it in its first contest, and couldn't believe it actually finaled. After that, I was reluctant to change it - for superstitious reasons as much as anything else.
That brings me to my WIP. It’s saved on my laptop as “Phoebe’s Story.” Which is not entirely true, as it is actually Phoebe’s AND Rhys’ story. Also, I’m tired of calling it that. It needs an identity, even if it’s only another temporary one, so last night I began brainstorming for a proper title.
I scribbled some ideas on paper. Themes include finding one’s true self, learning to trust, risking all for love. Not much help. Fire plays a major role in the story, but any mention of fanning flames or burning embers seemed too …predictable. The heroine is a companion and the hero is a marquess, but neither started out that way. There could be something there.
Anyway, you get the idea.
Then, I thought of a title I really liked: “A Kiss to Remember.” There’s a pivotal scene in the story where Rhys experiences a flood of memories as he’s kissing Phoebe for the first time. It sounded classic and a little intriguing, no? I schlepped over to my laptop, went to Amazon, and searched for “A Kiss to Remember,” and guess what? It’s already taken -- a 2001 book by Teresa Medeiros. At least I was right – it was a good title!
So I went back to the paper and kept experimenting with variations of “kissing” titles, until I came up with… “The Kissable Companion.” I like it for now. I’m going to go with it. But before I get too attached to it, I’m going to go check whether “kissable” is a even a real word. Wish me luck.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Pride vs. Vanity
"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously....Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."
- Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Pride and Prejudice, 1811
Pride is a good thing, usually. (Unless it goes before the fall.) After all, we say "I'm proud of you," and encourage others to "take pride in their work." There's school pride, team pride, national pride, etc. , and all these are generally positive things. Right?
What I've been experiencing this week is not that. It's more sinister. It has me buying "eternally mauve" lipliner and digging through my jewelry box for shiny hoop earrings that I haven't worn in 10 years. It has me dragging my husband to the mall on cold rainy nights. It's pure, simple... vanity.
One of the first tasks of Golden Heart finalists is to provide a publicity photo. It'll be used on the RWA website, on promotional materials, and at the RWA National Conference in San Francisco. So, I wanted it to look just right. Professional, but not stuffy. Fun, but not frivolous. Easy for potential publishers and agents to visualize on the back of my book...
I'm not sure I accomplished all that, but I feel great relief in finding a pose that doesn't make me cringe when I look at it. I guess I can't ask for much more than that!
P.S. - Thanks to all my friends and family for the congratulations on my GH final. I feel like I've already won.
- Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Pride and Prejudice, 1811
Pride is a good thing, usually. (Unless it goes before the fall.) After all, we say "I'm proud of you," and encourage others to "take pride in their work." There's school pride, team pride, national pride, etc. , and all these are generally positive things. Right?
What I've been experiencing this week is not that. It's more sinister. It has me buying "eternally mauve" lipliner and digging through my jewelry box for shiny hoop earrings that I haven't worn in 10 years. It has me dragging my husband to the mall on cold rainy nights. It's pure, simple... vanity.
One of the first tasks of Golden Heart finalists is to provide a publicity photo. It'll be used on the RWA website, on promotional materials, and at the RWA National Conference in San Francisco. So, I wanted it to look just right. Professional, but not stuffy. Fun, but not frivolous. Easy for potential publishers and agents to visualize on the back of my book...
I'm not sure I accomplished all that, but I feel great relief in finding a pose that doesn't make me cringe when I look at it. I guess I can't ask for much more than that!
P.S. - Thanks to all my friends and family for the congratulations on my GH final. I feel like I've already won.
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