Words of wisdom from Trish Wylie - Part One

Over the next three fridays here at the minxes, we are joined by Mills and Boon/Harlequin author, Trish Wylie, who is visiting to impart some wisdom about how to start your romance novel. Her advice is fantastic. Do check in over the next few weeks to make sure you don't miss anything!
Thank you, Trish, for the blog posts.
Now, over to Trish...

For many writers, the best part of the creative process is before they even open a file on their computer. But once the adventure of a new project becomes the challenge of a blinking cursor, many of us can become bogged down with angst. Quite possibly because we know how important beginnings are in the world of writing.


With some experience under my belt (that I plan to put into practice any day soon) and thanks to some extensive research on the subject, I now know there are several common ingredients every story has regardless of where it falls within the vast range of fiction. Once I knew what was supposed to be there, it made me more aware of how those ingredients were present in the books I had enjoyed. It could be argued having them makes a story ‘formulaic’ but the simple fact is, there are certain things we expect to get for our time and money, especially in a century when we can get instant gratification at the push of a button.

So what are we looking for in a strong opening? First up:

1/ The Inciting Incident.

This is the moment when something happens to change things profoundly for the characters. Prior to this they have already lived their lives and formed their personalities in the same way anyone would when they reach the same age. Think of them as people living ordinary lives (though obviously if they live in a paranormal world their definition of ‘ordinary’ may differ from ours) who are launched into a new adventure or series of challenges by something ‘out of the ordinary’. It’s the same turning point any of us can experience in our lives, the decisions we make from that moment on allowing us to take a different path from the one we were on. In a Romance, this is typically the moment when the hero and heroine meet. Keeping in mind the demand for instant gratification and we know this should happen as soon as possible, which leads us neatly into...

2/ Introduction To The Characters.

The main protagonist/s of the story should be identified as soon as possible to the reader and it should be clear which point of view we are in at any given time. We don’t need to know the characters entire life story prior to the inciting incident but we should know the basics. Their names, a description of how they look and - if relevant at that point - their job, all allow us to form an initial first impression. Not only is this typical of real life, the first insight into a character’s point of view allows us to see how the things they do and say may differ from what they thinking and feeling, leaving the reader with a set of questions that will encourage them to continue reading so they may discover the answers (See point 10). It also allows us to see how they change as the story progresses. In order to help them make that change they will have two issues to deal with...

3/ The External Problem.

As a direct result of the inciting incident, the characters will be presented with a scenario that will throw them together on the new path they have taken. How the characters react along the way reveals more of their personality - allowing us to get to know them better without the need for long explanations. Naturally at the beginning – as is the case with many of us when life throws us a curve ball – they may be resistant to change, but this is where fictitious characters differ from people in real life. Instead of avoiding the problem or sticking their head in the sand, they will tackle it head-on in a proactive manner; moving the story forward. At this point, how the external problem is resolved may seem to be what the story is about, but this is the PLOT as opposed to the EMOTIONAL JOURNEY, which brings us to the second issue...

4/ The Internal Problem.

This is below the surface on a psychological and emotional level. Initially invisible to the other characters but hinted to the reader in the beginning, it eventually leads into the ‘black’ or ‘all is lost’ moment when the crux of the problem is revealed to the characters and a happy outcome seems impossible. In all Romance novels this is literally the heart and soul of the story. What the inciting incident does is bring this problem to the forefront of the characters minds, forcing them to confront it and deal with it as the story continues. Typically what will happen is the ‘opposing’ character will in some way represent what the ‘main’ character fears most and they will recognize this on a subliminal level. Perceiving them as a ‘threat’ they will resist with one of our most basic natural instincts; fight or flight. The challenge that drives the story forward will then be how they overcome this fear to gain the reward of their ‘happily ever after’ in the end. Naturally, this isn’t possible without a change of some kind, so what the beginning of the story does is hint at the emotional block holding them apart while at the same time hinting at the ending, which brings us neatly to...

...to be continued...
The next items covered in this ongoing series from Trish are:
Foreshadowing, Setting, Tone, Backstory, Theme and Hook.
 
Trish’s long-awaited book, ‘The Inconvenient Laws Of Attraction’, will be out in the UK and Ireland in December 2011.

In the meantime, her third book, ‘Her Unexpected Baby’, is available for the first time in the USA and Canada direct from eHarlequin RIGHT NOW!


Find it here.  
You can find out more about Trish and her books at http://www.trishwylie.com/ or follow her between deadlines on Twitter @TrishWylie

Author Spotlight - Georgia Tribell

Today we're very honoured to have paranormal writer, Georgia Tribell join us to tell us all about herself and her books. Georgia writes for Harlequin/Mills & Boon Nocturne, and her latest Nocturne Bite,  Demon Love, is out now!
Now, on to the questions...

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?
Five years ago I was ready to toss in the pen, or in this case the computer, but it’s just something I couldn’t do. The voices in my head wouldn’t stay quiet and demanded their freedom. So I gave in and kept writing. On the serious side, I work outside the home, I’m a mom, along with at least a thousand other titles but my writing is for me. I love it and hope I’m lucky enough to continue down this path for many years to come.

2. What do you prefer writing, novellas or full length?
Out of all the questions on this list this one turned out to be the hardest. Novellas are fun, fast paced and get to the climax so much faster they help keep my need for immediate satisfaction curbed. Full length novels give me the time and page count to develop the characters, relationships and a more complex plot. I love getting deep into these characters especially when they surprise me. When I started out writing it was all about the full length novels, now days I seem to have embraced the novella and I’m loving it. Of course, I haven’t stopped working on the longer novels simply because some characters demand more page count.

3. You write paranormal, what challenges does that present?
I love writing paranormal because the boundaries you work within are so blurred they often aren’t even present. Even as great as this sounds, it is also the biggest challenge. I get to create my own worlds, but in doing so I must still keep it believable and consistent from start of story to end. If I have a character that at the start of a story can walk through walls and come out on the other side fully clothed, I can’t suddenly make it so her clothes no longer go with her. It is this kind of detail that makes paranormals a true challenge, especially if one story grows into multiple stories. Every story must be consistent with all the previous stories, which adds to the complexity of world building in paranormal stories.

4. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?
These days everyone seems to love a good vampire story and there are many out there that are just wonderful reads. When I started thinking about venturing into a nocturnal world I knew I wanted something different, but that still had the same feel, pull and sex appeal as a good vampire story. From there it wasn’t a far jump to the demons in my book, who are deadly sexy when in human form and just deadly when in their demon bodies.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
My dream is to be able to say good-bye to my day job and focus more on my writing and promotion. Like many reading this, that isn’t possible at the moment, but I’m a true believer in dreams and goals. My mother was my best friend and was one of those women who was always working on her next goal in life, so I do think I’ve learned how to do that well.

4. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
Nina Bangs. I had the privilege of meeting her at a local book store when I had just started this process and she pointed me to the West Houston chapter of Romance Writers of America. I went to the very next meeting and joined. Through this wonderful group, I’ve been lucky enough to get to know many other talented authors and learn from their vast pool of knowledge. If Nina had not taken the time to speak to me that day, I doubt I would be here today. She will always hold a special place in my heart for that.

5. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?
Many years ago, when my children were small and demanding, my husband plotted behind my back to take me away for a weekend. He drove me to work that morning claiming he needed to have his vehicle worked on. Then he picked me up with roses and packed bags. We didn’t go far from home and it was only two nights away, but the fact that he did this all on his own made it special and very romantic.

6. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?
How hard, demanding, draining and time consuming it would truly be. I never thought it would be easy, but the level of difficulty blew my mind. Of course, this is something you never really understand or appreciate until you are knee deep in it and there is no turning back. I now have a new appreciation for all the effort that goes into getting a book from a blank file to a published product.

7. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?
This is easy, turn off the internal editor on the first draft. The best stories I’ve done, IMO, are those where I’ve honestly done this and just wrote. I didn’t worry about if the story flowed or if it was believable or anything else. I just type and let the story roll out of me. For me, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. If I’m not careful I’ll start wondering if this scene flows with previous scene and did I get to the sex too fast – or not fast enough. These thoughts will sap my confidence and creativity faster than another hurricane trying to blow our roof off. So, if you are starting a new story or stuck in one, put your fingers to the keys and type what is bouncing around in your head. There will be time to edit, cut, move, delete and write again later during the rounds of edits. For that first draft, let your mind and fingers flow without hesitation. I think you will be pleased with the results.

8. I hear Mills & Boon have replaced Nocturne Bites with the longer Nocturne Cravings, does writing Nocturne Cravings appeal to you?
I’m looking forward to having a go at the Nocturne Cravings line. With these being longer stories I should be able to curb my craving for more in depth stories. (Yes, that was a bad play on words!)

9. Tell us about your latest release.
Demon Love is a fast paced, sexy story about two people who come from different worlds to fight for a united cause. Kendra Morton was born and raised on earth and remembers the days before demons roamed the streets of her hometown and destroyed her life. Thor Kensington is a highly trained Demon Hunter from the parallel world of Torlin and is half Demon. He has been sent to this world to help train the new recruits in the war against the demon invasion from his home world.

For Thor, this should be a simple assignment; after all it’s no different from the many he’s done before, except for Kendra. She shakes his well organized world and when her life is threatened, he realizes how much she means to him. Now, together they must find a trader if they want a chance at a life together.

10. What’s next for you?
Currently, I have two books I’m working on. Demon Magic is the second in this series and I’m in the tweaking process at the moment. If you read Demon Love, you’ll see the hero for this second story, Midnight. He’s my dark, sexy hero.

Then there is a long novel I’m working on that I call “DC” because I started plotting this story while on a trip to Washington DC. This story has two very opinionated archeologists who are very certain they hate each other. We all know this isn’t true, I just have to convince them otherwise.

You can learn more about Georgia at her blog: http://authors.coffeetimeromance.com/georgiatribell/
And pick up her latest release, Demon Love, from here.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Georgia!

Making Sacrifices

The Prince & Me is a sweet romantic comedy that I last watched several years ago. I remembered it as a fun, light movie, aimed mostly at the young adult market. A bit of fluff. But when I flicked through the TV channels yesterday to find something innocuous to play in the background with the kids around, it seemed the perfect answer. Until I got so engrossed that they nearly went without supper!

Yes, this movie is entirely predictable. Yes, the idea’s a tad far-stretched. No, it was never going to win any awards. But I was riveted! Because this film ticked the most important box of all: it got me invested in the characters.

I also learned something important while watching this movie yesterday: the resolution of any story (the Happy Ever After) is so much more satisfying if one (or both) of the characters have first had to sacrifice something really significant in the Black Moment.

[Spoiler Alert ahead]

In The Prince & Me, both hero and heroine make a sacrifice. The Black Moment scene is incredibly poignant. There are no raised voices, no slammed doors. It’s a quiet moment between two people who have already acknowledged their love for each other.

But they cannot be together without the heroine giving up everything she has ever dreamed of doing and being. In that moment she has a terrible decision to make: to choose between love or her dreams.

I hadn’t thought of this movie as being an example of award-winning acting, but in this scene Luke Mably is simply superb. With a completely under-stated performance, he conveys so much emotion. The viewer absolutely gets that the Prince is losing the only woman he’ll ever love. Without the heroine at his side, he faces a life of duty without the one person who has brought meaning, joy and love to his life. He will be lost without her. But even so it is a sacrifice he makes willingly, as he only wants her happiness.

Aaaaw.

That tear-jerker moment really made the resolution so much more satisfying.

I’m still far away from the black moment and ending of my WIP, but when I get there I’m definitely going to make a meal out of the sacrifice my heroine will make to ensure the happiness of the hero (or in this case, heroes!)

Should you keep a secret?

If a friend told you something in confidence, something that would make a terrific starting point for a story, would it be okay to write about it? If that friend had no interest in your writing, never read your work, and you could change the name and details, weave the secret in around a fictional world so nobody knew it was her, would you?

That's my current writing dilemma. I want to be a good friend, I really, really do. I want to keep my lips tightly sealed and, in real life, I wouldn't dream of telling. But this secret is so juicy I'm itching to get started on a story around it.

None of my non-writing friends ever read anything I write - not even the published pieces. In fact, I've never seen most of them read anything at all. So you could say it would serve them right if I did write about them.

And I've used conversations in the past - those with my own friends, those I've overheard - without a single moral twinge. I've written about a friend who was fed up of being treated as the baby of the family. Another who was prepared to leap into a fast flowing river to save the family pet. And yet another who moved into a new house to find the dog next door shared the same name as her baby daughter.

But these stories weren't secrets. And they certainly weren't scandalous.

What if I let time pass before I use it? A year? Two years? Would it be okay then?

Sadly, even if the friend never found out and nobody was hurt, it would still be a betrayal - and I'd know. So I think I must let this one go.

But I'm thinking I might write about a writer who betrays a confidence in one of her stories...if only I can think up an interesting fictitious secret.

Author Spotlight - Kate Hewitt

The Minxes are pleased to host the talented and very lovely Kate Hewitt on the blog today. Kate writes wonderfully passionate Harlequin Presents stories and can often be found on Twitter cheering on us unpublished writers (thanks, Kate!).

1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

Five years ago I had given up on writing romance and was writing short stories for women’s magazines in England and Australia. Sounds funny now, but I really felt like the Mills & Boon ship had already sailed for me at that point!

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

Ideas are strange things. Rarely do they fall fully-formed into my head, alas! This book started with the germ of an idea: a woman who agrees to a marriage of convenience fully believing the hero will never be attracted to her... and then of course I had to figure out how and why the hero changed his mind.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

Well, firstly I’d love to be doing just what I’m doing now, writing 4 books a year for Harlequin Presents. Secondly, and it is a far second, I’d like to be published in mainstream/women’s fiction.

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

Oh, so many! The very last one was probably The Other Side of The Bridge by Mary Lawson. Such beautiful writing.

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

Anne of Green Gables! I love that series with my whole heart, and it made me realize how books can plunge you into a wonderful fictional world--I wanted to create my own.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Neither, hopefully! If they’re really working I find them intense and moving. If not... cringe!

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

I think the little, unexpected things are the most romantic. My husband buying me lingerie when I’m nine months pregnant, or bringing me a cup of coffee without being asked. Just last week I came home right before dinner with the kids and he’d set the table even though he had to be out. Thoughtfulness, to me, is romantic.

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

I wish I’d known that insecurity and self-doubt do not magically disappear when you get a publishing contract or see your book in print. In some ways they get worse.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Write everyday. Write what you love, from the heart.

10. Tell us about your latest release

The Man Who Could Never Love is a Cinderella story, as well as a marriage of convenience. The heroine, Anamaria Viale, really had a mind of her own in this book--I kept wanting to write one thing and she demanded another. Vittorio falls in love with her strength and stubbornness! I love when the characters take over.

11. What’s next for you?

My retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, The Matchmaker Bride, will be a Harlequin Presents release in August. I am also self-publishing a historical novel, Down Jasper Lane, as an ebook, available on Amazon, Smashwords, and other e-retailers in July. This book is sort of a cross between Anne of Green Gables (I told you I loved that book!) and Little Women. It is the first in a trilogy and was originally published in hardcover. I’m excited to give it a new lease on life, and have revised and expanded it as well.

You can buy The Man Who Could Never Love or any of my other books through Amazon, Eharlequin, or my website. Thanks for having me, Minxes!