Advert in Romantic Times/wibble

[erastes]

 

Apparently Transgressions and False Colors have a full page advert in the latest Romantic Times Magazine. I knew that this was going to happen, just didn’t think it would be so soon.

Hoping that someone can get hold of a copy and scan in the ad, just so I can see it.

It’s very unlikely that RT will review the books, even though their advert contract includes a review as they are still notoriously not reviewing gay romance (Unless you are Suzanne Brockmann!!!) but we have to take what we can get. A Full Page advert is a full page advert and will get some attention. I hope.

So, hurrah!

my renenactor chum enolabloodygay said last night “I’ll take my copy to the English Civil War re-enactments this year.” Eek. I can just see the Very Serious Contingent™ of the ECWS (who, like many re-enactors can spend hours arguing over the colour of buttons) picking holes in my research…Buggrit. the suns out. I find it hard to be downhearted when I’m being sunned on.

The Colour of Buttons. There’s a book title right there. Bunnied.

Writing Wibble below the cut

I’m a pantzer, e.g. someone who just writes.  I think probably because I am is the reason why I tried to write earlier in my life and why I failed because I tried to force ideas and do what the books said to do, and write out the plot in advance. I now know that it’s not a great way for me to write. Oh I CAN, I’ve discovered, but I don’t like to. The only one of my novels that I plotted out in pretty well minute detail was Frost Fair and that’s because that’s what Linden Bay wanted.  But then the writing of that book became a real chore. Because I’d written the plot down, suddenly it seemed as though the book had already happened and to effort of transcribing it into long hand seemed hugely laborious.

I’m noticing the difference with Mere Mortals because this is the first major work I’ve attempted since Frost Fair. I was a little trepidatious about writing at all in case that feeling of “oh god this is hard work” crept over me again, but it hasn’t, and I can only put it down to the fact that I’m making it up as I go along.

I shouldn’t doubt myself. Just because I have no idea what’s happening it seems my subconscious does, and I need to trust it more often. In the last couple of thousand words there has been character development I wasn’t expecting, an item introduced purely out of the blue which I know I can use as part of the plot, and character bonding of an unexpected manner. The book must be in my head, even if I’m not aware of it.

It’s not a safe way to write, especially with the added adrenaline boost of writing live with www.Etherpad.com  but it works, or at least it seems to.  And it’s good to finally realise why I couldn’t write before and can now. Perhaps I’ll drag out those stalled projects of ten years ago and see what I can do with them. Trouble is, none of them are gay historical fiction! Both children’s novels and neither of them can be written as Erastes!

Comments

[the-sea-to.livejournal.com]

Write the way you write - MeMo makes sense- if it did not I'd poke you with a narwhal. And they are very pointy!

MWAH.

[vashtan.livejournal.com]

Making sense of a first draft comes *after* putting the words down. :) Don't worry about it.

[semioticwarrior.livejournal.com]

>Because I’d written the plot down, suddenly it seemed as though the book had already happened and to effort of transcribing it into long hand seemed hugely laborious.

Heh. I resemble that remark. Although for me, it's a toss-up between bemoaning the laborious effort, and tearing my hair out at running blind into *another* blind alley.

The way you write works for you. Don't feel pressured to change.

As for those children's novels, that's what pseudonyms are for!

[gehayi.livejournal.com]

Both children’s novels and neither of them can be written as Erastes!

I suppose you could write them under your real name.

Because I’d written the plot down, suddenly it seemed as though the book had already happened and to effort of transcribing it into long hand seemed hugely laborious.

Oh, God, YES. That's the way my mind works too.

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

Writing Wibble>>> Exactly! I would HATE to have to plot stuff out beforehand. My stories twists and turns love to sneak up on me. The feeling I get when a character or two decides to take the bull by the horns and alter the course of the flow is stomach-flutteringly wonderful. My last squee moment was when Brian admitted he could hear the ghostly twosome too! I had absolutely no idea until the words flowed from my fingertips. The lil imp!

Do you think you feel this way because you are more able to compare your writing with that of others? Me being the newbie, I haven't really had the chance to do that...except with your own masterpieces, of course. *proceeds to hide in corner under hoodie and wibble* LOL

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

Children's novels>>> Adventures of Lucius the Brave!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I love that, when characters say and do things that you don't expect. It really makes it all worthwhile. I'd hate to write a full sized novel where I knew what was going to happen all the time. I have a theme and an ending, and that's about it!!

No, I don't think it's because I compare my writing to others - I've got friends who write all different ways, people who plot every aspect of every chapter and those like me who make it up as they go along! I just had a bit of a revalation this morning because I finally realised why I'd failed before.

And yes, I'd really like to write Monsieur Malfoy's adventures one of these days!

[mallorypath.livejournal.com]

I was a little trepidatious about writing at all in case that feeling of “oh god this is hard work” crept over me again, but it hasn’t, and I can only put it down to the fact that I’m making it up as I go along.

Hurrah! I love to hear about other writers' processes, especially when they find or come to terms with something that works for them.

It’s not a safe way to write,

I'm inclined to think safety is not very useful if it stifles creativity. :)

especially with the added adrenaline boost of writing live with www.Etherpad.com

Despite the praise I'm hearing, I have yet to check out Etherpad. Is it interactive or strictly observational for those not doing the actual writing? I was just discussing with kitzheng how some of our best work comes from telling someone about an idea for a story or character, and somewhere along the way, exposition becomes actual storytelling narrative. I don't know if that's compatible with Etherpad, though.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Etherpad is interactive. It's just like a notepad but if you share the URL your friends can watch and comment, there's a chat window on the side where they can talk amongst themselves or add ideas and comments and they can amend the document to whatever level you let them, their amendments showing up as different colours and everything is deletable.

I do a lot of brainstorming via chat, so this is great for me.

[mallorypath.livejournal.com]

Oh, fantastic! Maybe I'll motivate myself to try it this weekend.

[crawling-angel.livejournal.com]

Theme and ending. Me too :) By flying by the seat of my patience knickers I get to enjoy the ride too, hehe.

Revelations rule!

Lucius Goes Forth
The Return of Lucius

...and everything in between. I'd love to read those L)

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Lucius' Secret Life!

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

I usually have to know where a story is going, but if something changes (some things always change)it doesn't bother me to scrap part of an outline. What stalls me out completely is having parallel timelines with different sets of characters and having to backtrack and figure out what the other guy is doing when Guy #1 is doing X. To me, the outline is like having the foundation and framing up for a house--it's easier to fill in the rest of it, and see where I need to do more research. Different strokes!

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

PS - have you asked the Running Press promo person if you can get a copy of the tearsheet?

[aunty_marion]

The Travels of Lucius; being an account of an adventurous gentleman.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Heh yes, parallel timelines - done that twice now, I'm staying away from that for a while!! I had to use a very long piece of paper tacked over the desk to keep track of what was going on in the war and what the boys were up to!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I had to look that up. No - good idea, I'll do that!

[erastes.livejournal.com]

I love all these - I would so love to write them, I can SEE them in my head, with lovely illustrations!