Author Archives: Colette Black

Romance in the Air, But Not Taking Over the Plot

Character Colette Black Craft & Skills 2 Comments

romance-04If you’re a genre writer, you’re probably a romance writer. But no, you say? You write fantasy, or science fiction, or mysteries, or…doesn’t matter. One thing about us genre writers, to some extent our genres usually mix, and the most common secondary element is romance. There’s a reason that so many writers from so many genres show up at the romance-centered panels during conventions. For many of us, romance is a strong sub-plot that runs through most of our fiction. So, why should we use it, how should we use it, and to what degree?

Every element of interest we add to our story increases the level of interest to readers. Of course, we don’t want some eclectic hodgepodge, but who doesn’t love a good fantasy book with elements of horror, mystery,  and romance. Sometimes we substitute the romance with the growth of a friendship or business partnership, but that relationship growth is something that carries us along. It gives the story focus when the main plot needs a hiatus, when the bad guys are readying their next assault, when the good guys are recovering or regrouping. Some type of relationship story, in some form, is almost always fundamental to a good book. We need those relationships in order to become truly invested in our protagonist’s well-being.

Integrating romance into a story is like adding spices to a good pumpkin pie. The crust may have no extra flavor, but it’s taste is influenced by the spices running throughout the filling.  And the best pies will have the occasional design on the crust, maybe a cut-out leaf or a small pumpkin, with plenty of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top that gives our palates a surge of the wonderful flavors within. So, in a good story. Hints of the relationship will flavor the entire story: a look, a touch, a comment, a moment of inner dialogue. But then we will have the turning points in the relationship, where it takes center stage, even if only for a few paragraphs; the moments when the relationship moves to the next level. This may be the moment when the protagonist realizes he has feelings for his love interest, maybe their kiss, maybe more. It may be a point where the protagonist realizes his contagonist isn’t his enemy but can become an ally. Moving this story arc in concert with the main story will make a more intriguing book. These sugar-coated biscuits dotting the crust move us eagerly through the story as much as the action scenes, giving our tales more depth and emotional resonance.For anyone needing help with this, let me refer you to David Farland’s book, Million Dollar Outlines. I attended the workshop, but I’m sure the same tools and techniques are discussed in the book.

What level of romance or relationship we use can vary from book to book or author to author. For the best discussion I’ve yet seen on the subject, I refer readers again to David Farland and his writing tips at www.davidfarland.net.  Though romance may lead to a sexual relationship, romance itself is the process of falling in love. I think most readers, even men, enjoy participating in that process. Some readers would like to see that romance go to the next level, with every sexy detail, while others would rather have the door closed and know the protagonist and their love interest lived happily ever after. Which is right for you, as a writer, is a very personal decision. I will say though, when you put romance in your books,  or any other kind of relationship, learn how to do it right. Just as a reader won’t accept a moral, honest character suddenly stealing a horse and knifing their victim, they won’t accept a usually open and forthright person suddenly clamming up about their feelings for the sole sake of adding tension to a relationship. Keep your actors in character, in ALL situations.

For me, romance is the cinnamon in my cinnamon rolls, my favorite flavor in fantasy and science fiction. Even my upcoming horror short story, Demon River, has an element of romance that helps us root for a very troubled and difficult protagonist. Love makes the world go around, whether it be this one, a planet galaxies away, or the fantastical ones of complex imagination.

 

In Conclusion…

Business Colette Black Conventions Networking 5 Comments

Hey all,calendar_25

We’ve had a great time talking about conventions, conferences, workshops, and seminars throughout the month. We hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. I wanted to take a minute and summarize our posts for the month as well as mention a couple of venues that didn’t quite fit into our schedule:

Some local conventions:

The big babies:

Workshops and seminars:

  • Superstars Writing Seminar (mention fictorians when you sign up and receive a free, autographed copy of one of Kevin J. Anderson’s books)-Colorado in May
  • Caravel Writing Workshop (6-day cruise with David Farland, Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, and Grammar-girl Mignon Fogarty; from Vancouver B.C. to San Diego)-October
  • David Farland’s Writing Workshops (mention fictorians when you sign up and get $20 discount or dinner with Dave)-throughout the year, most in Utah, but not all
  • Dean Wesley Smith Workshops (online also available)-Oregon, varying dates

These aren’t all the workshops and conferences in existence. There are many more. But these are the ones fictorians members have either attended or heard good things about. As you plan your year, and plan your goals for the year, we hope this list can help.

Stay tuned next month as we talk about romance in writing: levels of heat, as a main plat and a sub-plot, where to get information and instruction, writing different types of relationships, relationship conflicts…. It’s going to be a good month.

Local Conventions: Priceless Gems

Business Colette Black Conventions Networking 3 Comments

Local conventions tend to be, well, small. They may not seem worth the time or even the relatively small amount of cash, but as Clancy pointed out with her post on LTUE, there are  a number of good reasons to go.

First, local networking: This is your chance to get to know local authors. Clancy listed a number of writers she’s met at LTUE, most of whom I recognize as Utah natives. I live in Arizona, but I traveled up to Utah to attend a small local convention called Conduit. There, I made it on the list of people to play Magic with Brandon Sanderson. He took pity on me, and the many years since I’d played the game, and helped me out. As I got my butt kicked playing the game mano-a-mano against Brandon, I asked him writing advice that changed my life. I told him where I was with my writing and asked him where I should go next. He pointed me toward David Farland and his workshops, which we’ll talk about in a later post. My point is that I could have never had that opportunity at a large convention. In a small one, the authors aren’t so busy, and they’re more able to be themselves and talk with  people on a personal basis. I had a similar experience with James A. Owen at CopperCon last August, having another life-changing conversation that had nothing to do with writing. But wait, everything has to do with writing, because writing is life portrayed through story.

In a local con, you also meet local fans. If you’re a novice, self-published writer, or just getting started in the NY publishing industry, or even if you’re well-known across the world, at a local con you have local fans who take an interest in their home-grown stars. I once had a well-published writer tell me that the local cons are imperative, because the fans there are your home-base, they’re your friends that will give you support when the going gets rough. It’s true, and I’ve met some wonderful people and wonderful friends through local conventions.

Second, Guests: Almost every convention on the planet, no matter how small, brings in an outside talent. As with local authors, the guests are usually more accessible at a local con than at a world-renowned convention. At LepreCon 2011, Elizabeth Bear was their Guest of Honor. I never saw Elizabeth long enough to start up a conversation, but to my surprise, her editor, Beth Meacham of Tor, had come. I sat at a cafe table with Ms. Meacham for a few minutes, and though she had to know I sat with her for the sole purpose of meeting her, she was gracious and kind. We talked about the future of publishing and she explained the options for YA science fiction from an editor’s point of view. When the party she waited for arrived, I thanked her for her time, and made a quick exit. I didn’t pitch, and she didn’t ask about my work, which means I didn’t make a nuisance of myself. If I ever have the privilege of speaking with her again, probably by means of an agent, then I hope she’ll remember me favorably because I didn’t play the part of an annoying wannabe who pinned her down for twenty minutes to talk about my novel.

Third, the money: Local conventions are so much cheaper than the big ones. Conduit is $35 as is LepreCon, compared to the $180 and up that most of the big conventions cost. Also, if you live local, you can choose to drive to the convention and back instead of staying at the hotel, and though their hospitality suites aren’t usually quite as nice as the big conventions, they still have decent enough ones to grab a snack here and there and cut on your food costs.

Fourth, community service: When you go to a local convention, and encourage your friends to attend, you’re supporting  your genre within your community. Local fans have a place to go that they can afford, and your genre has a venue from which to publicize. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Here are some upcoming conventions in AZ : Tuscon Festival of Books (related post), March 9-10, Free; LepreCon, May 9-12, $35; Phoenix Comicon (fairly crowded), May 23-26, $40; Coppercon, August 9-11; TusCon, November 9-11, $35

Some outside of AZ that I’ve heard about: CarolinaCon in North Carolina, March 15-17, $20; Conduit in Utah, May 24-26, $35; FenCon in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, October 4-6, $30

For a more comprehensive list of science fiction conventions, go to www.westernsfa.org

(All prices represent the current cost. Some registration costs go up at later dates.)

These are the ones I know about. I’d love to hear about others, especially for other genres.

The Next Big Thing

Colette Black Craft & Skills No Comments

I’ve been tagged by the wonderful Marsheila Rockwell to participate in “The Next Big Thing,” a writers chain letter designed to let fellow writers and readers know about the projects we’re working on. At the end of the post are links to more fabulous writers who will tell you next week what they have on their drawing boards.

So, for the questions:

What is the working title of your book?

I finished a rough draft on a novel I’m calling, “Fourteen,” during nanowrimo, plugging in the last 50K  over the course of the month. It’s in the editing process, and I’m very excited about the story and the characters. I think I’m in love with my protagonist, though he’s too young for me.  (Don’t tell my husband.)

Where did the idea for the book come from?

A very dark place. Much of the idea came from musings about how a person changes from a basically decent individual with high ideals into a crazed tyrant. What has to happen and how long would such a process take?  As those thoughts churned, I found myself increasingly intrigued with the very complex villain that formed and the events that would make it possible for a hero to destroy him.

What genre does this fall under?

I’m currently calling it a fantasy, though what kind of fantasy I have yet to determine. It has 1930’s technology, which makes it too far in the past to be considered contemporary, and the world has magic that meshes with the more modern aspects. Some have suggested steampunk, but it doesn’t go there either. I like that it’s a unique meshing of concepts, but finding a subgenre is a challenge yet to be addressed. As always in my works, there will be some romance, and lots of action.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie version?

Like Marcy, I don’t really think of my characters in these terms, but to play the male protagonist, Fourteen/Gabrick, I think Kim Jaejoong with strawberry-blond hair (at least for looks. I have no idea how well he acts or speaks English). Jodelle Ferland or someone with similar looks would do well for Mariessa, the female protagonist. For the villain, Beht Han, we’d need an older version of the protagonist, but I don’t have anyone in particular in mind.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of the book?

Fourteen believes becoming the next emperor will grant him unequalled divinity and knowledge, but the choosing is a death sentence from which no one has ever escaped.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

That is yet to be decided. I’ll show it to my agent, the wonderful Cherry Weiner, and then we’ll go from there.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

That’s a tough one. I left and came back to this story numerous times. Research was at least a solid month. The outlining phase was also a month or two, and the writing was probably three months, but that’s hard to say because I had other projects and some editing in there as well. I’d guess, start to finish, about five months, but it’s a guess.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I think it might compare in some ways to Brandon Sanderson’s Mystborn series. It has a hero’s journey, which is common in many fantasy novels, except instead of starting from poor and difficult circumstances our main protagonist comes from an environment of wealth and a puffed-up sense of his own self-importance.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The same ones who inspired me to write as a career are my motivators for putting any of my ideas into print, including this one-my family. It’s too long of a story to share here, but when my website is up and running, www.coletteblack.net, I’ll have the background of my late-in-life writing career on my About Me page. Look for it in the next couple of months.

What else about your book might pique the interest of readers?

Hot guys with years upon years of training in hand-to-hand combat, a buxom babe who’s good with a gun, and a girl with a temper, a lithe body, and an uncanny ability to throw knives. Add to that a world where only the elite own guns, motorcars, or have access to aeroplanes; the poor are relegated to solving conflicts with knives and swords, trying to survive a ruthless caste system; and every living thing leaves behind a stone of some power, whether it be a light in the night, an instant poison, or a prophecy that will change the world.

And now my taggees, in no particular order, whose own entrees (unless otherwise noted by them) will go up on or around 12/19:

1) I met S. James Nelson at WFC 2011 and discovered a great writer and good friend. Author of The Demigod Proving Grounds–a personal favorite, Keep Momma Dead, and winner of David Farland’s short story writing contest, placing his story in the anthology, “Nightingale Songs,” if you haven’t looked at his work, you should. Find him at www.sjamesnelson.com

2) A fellow superstars attendee, fun person to hang around with, and amazing fried-twinkie-eater (alas, we will see this no more), is Kim May. If you scroll down her blog a bit, you can see her testimonial from the Superstars Seminar we attended together. Go to www.ninjakeyboard.blogspot.com

 

Enjoy!