Shifting Gears

Demon Trappers Book #2 is now in the hands (or at least on the computer) of my editor. It was a difficult book to write because it was an emotional one. I do emo fairly well, but prefer action and mayhem. Combining the two takes some serious effort, but I think I got the balance just right. I'm hoping the readers like the twists and turns because there are quite a few.

Now that the book is gone (at least until the editor sends me revisions) I can revel in the euphoria of another major project off my list. That "Whee! It's outta here!" sort of buzz. It is always tempered by the "What if it really sucks?" Gollum-type murmurings in the back of my mind. Every writer has them. If you don't, I worry about you.

This is why a supportive spouse is very helpful. The convo went like this:

(In the kitchen during one of my caffeine acquisition treks).
Me: I'm not sure if I did everything I wanted in this book. It's good, but... (mumble, mumble)
Him: Is this version better than the one the betas readers read?
Me: Oh hell, yes.
Him: Then your job is done. Here, have some wine.

He also kept me fed, watered, ice-packed (for my neck, wrist and arm) and did all the errands and bought groceries so I could put in my 12 hour days without worrying about anything but The Book. He gets instant sainthood in my book. I think he'd rather have another banjo book instead.

I'm taking a week off before I start Book the Third (due April Fool's Day -- hold the jokes please). This week is promo and marketing. The good folks in the UK would love a playlist for the first book (titled DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN over there) and I've got Guild patches and a tee shirt to order and other good stuff to happen. All of this is rolling toward those Jan and Feb launch dates when Book the First toddles out in front of the cameras and takes a bow.

But for now it's back to the coffee then I'll cue up Pandora. Life is good here. But then I wouldn't want it any other way.

Time Passes

It is with deep shame that I realize I've not posted since *cough* May. Lots has been happening in my world, all of it grand. My life is now divided between the books debuting in the US and the UK so we'll do a list so you folks don't have to read a lot:

The United Kingdom:
1) UK cover is live. It rocks! I LOVE the demon wing graphic and the word on the Interwebs is that other folks do too.
2) The UK version of the book (entitled DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN) is available at various locations, including Book Depository which is selling it at a pre-order price of half-off. (Such a deal)
 3) I've completed the copy edit of this book. Next up is the page proofs.

The United States:
1) US cover is still in production, but I've seen an early mock-up and it's way cool. Lots of urban fantasy goodness to it. US title: THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER (no link yet)
3) US copy edit and page proofs have been reviewed and returned. Next stage is Advanced Reading Copies which will be circulated to reviewers, bookstore buyers, etc.

The Work in Progress:
1) Book #2 is due to the US editor mid-August (eep!) After we've completed revisions it will be sent to the UK for their revisions. US version does not have a title yet. UK version: DEMON TRAPPERS: FORBIDDEN

And the now for the really awesome news -- we got publication dates!!!

DEMON TRAPPERS: FORSAKEN (MacMillan's Children's UK) will be published Jan. 7, 2011
THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER (St. Martin's Griffin US) will be published Jan. 13 Feb. 1, 2011

January is gonna be one very busy month, folks.

That's the update. Will try not to be so quiet from this point on. And now that obligatory link to something cool on the Web. Check out the photos. Somedays I feel like the croc with the hippos.

Postcard from the Writer Person

Manuscript to Editor on Nov. 1st? Check
House tidied? Check.
Twitching to work on next book? Check.

All systems normal here. While I await The Verdict from my editor on the first book in the Demon Trapper's Series (tentatively titled THE DEMON TRAPPER'S DAUGHTER) I've been tidying up my environment in an effort to keep me away from Book #2. I need a break, but the writing virus doesn't believe in time off so I have to trick it into submission by diverting its attention. So far that diversion has been successful.

I've had a couple folks ask how matters will progress from this point forward. It's pretty simple, actually. The process is much like it was for Dragon Moon Press, though on a grander scale. Once I've made any revisions my editor requests and she gives it a thumbs up, the next step is copy editing, wherein some wonderful person fixes my grammatical boo-boos etc. Somewhere along the line I'll get to see the new cover design (can't wait on this one -- St. Martin's has gorgeous covers) and I proof the "galley" for any typesetting issues. Then the book is into the chute and headed for press. ARC (Advance Reading Copies) will come out first and be sent to reviewers, then the real deal will land on my doorstep and in bookstores. There will be champagne flowing on that day, for sure.

I'll start working on Book #2 after our vacation and Thanksgiving. Meanwhile I'm enjoying the time off, while trying to ignore that tiny nagging voice hissing "Must Write! Must....write...now!" Time to clean another closet, me thinks.

Of Vampyres and Friends

Every now and then I blog about friends of mine, especially when they're doing cool stuff. This post is about P.C. Cast who I met eight years ago at Arcon in St. Louis. Her first small press book had just been published. At the time, P.C. was a schoolteacher in Oklahoma. She was (and still is) a blonde dynamo. We met at a signing and I watched her work the crowd. GODDESS BY MISTAKE was a paranormal romance, but you wouldn't have known it by the line of guys waiting to buy the book. I suspect that might have had something to do with P.C.'s sassy attitude, hot pink sweater (with discrete cleavage) and the miniskirt she was wearing. Savvy woman.

We hit it off immediately and readily shared our dreams of being published by one of the Big Houses. It started to happen for P.C. right off -- her book received a rare 4-1/2 Star Top Pick Gold from Romantic Times. Then it won four major romance awards in one year. P.C. signed with a top NY agent (Meredith Bernstein) and went on to publish both fantasies and paranormal romances for Berkley and Mira. All the while she continued to be a single mother and a schoolteacher struggling to pay the bills. She'd come home from teaching and write until late at night. That's what it took to put food on the table.

Over the years we've shared the joys and heartbreaks. For the first year I kept receiving emails from her with "!!!!!!" in the subject line announcing her book had finaled in one contest after another. Then she won those contests. Then more book contracts came her way. In 2007 I got to retaliate with my own flurry of "!!!!!" emails when one of my books did so well. We also traded rants about this, that or another, the kind of candid emails or phone calls only close friends dare to share. Between the rants and the happy dance emails, time marched on.

P.C.'s career underwent a sea change in 2005 in Reno at a Romance Writers conference. P.C. and Meredith cooked up an idea about a series based on a Vampyre Finishing School and The House of Night concept was born. I remember thinking, "Wow. Cool concept. This will rock." We both joked how awesome it would be if she made the NY Times list with a Young Adult series.

And lo -- The House of Night Series (co-authored with her daughter Kristin and published by St. Martin's Press) did just that. The third book in the series (P.C.'s eighteenth book) made the NY Times list. The series is a MEGA bestseller. P.C. and Kristin have appeared on national TV shows, been on book tours in the U.S. and the U.K. They've camped out on the NY Times list for so many weeks I've lost track at this point. The series is in 30 countries now. I remember her calling me in July 2008 and, in a state of shock, telling me one million copies of her books were in print. We couldn't wrap our minds around that number. Now it's closer to eight million. Still can't fathom it.

I've been blessed with the front row seat to all this wonderfulness. A writer's road is a long and steep one so it is beyond joyous to watch a dear friend make that climb and hit the big time. Especially someone who worked so hard to reach that pinnacle, who paid their dues and got rewarded.

(TEMPTED) P.C. and Kristin's latest book in the series will debut today on the Wendy Williams Show. And even better, their multi-city book tour will bring them to Atlanta on Nov. 2 and 3rd. If you liked to meet my dear friend and her charming (and equally sassy daughter) they'll be signing at these bookstores:

Monday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
7660 North Point Parkway
Alpharetta, GA 30022


Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 7p.m.
Borders
4475 Roswell Road - Ave. E Cobb
Marietta, GA

As P.C. said a few months back -- "Now it's your turn, dahling." Who knows, maybe someday she'll be writing a blog like this for me.

Book Crazy or Why Writing Drives Me Insane

I'm coasting toward Dragon*Con and hacking my way through Book #2 of the Demon Trappers Series whilst I wait for edits on Book #1. So I thought I'd give you an idea of how my writing process does (or doesn't work).

I start the first book. This is like first love! I discover characters. I realize they're not telling me everything, which means there will be an author gotcha down the line. I pray that said author gotcha doesn't happen after the first book is printed and there is no way to change something I will live to regret.

Finish first book, convinced it rocks. No, it sucks. Rocks. Sucks. Repeat those two in an endless loop until I start Book #2 so I don't go nuts.

Book #2. Yup, I'm working on Book #2. Fingers on keyboard, butt in chair, iced tea at elbow. Long passages of prose will flow any moment now. Any moment now. Hello? Earth to Jana? Why aren't those fingers moving?

(Crickets chirping). Gee, maybe I should clean the catbox. Oh, don't have one since the feline moved onto a new address (points upward).

Okay, then I'll write. (Crickets.)

Maybe the heroine should...ah...do some laundry or something. Yeah, that's it. She's not done washing in Book #1 and is probably low on underwear and jeans. That outta eat up a page or two.

(Crickets.) Let's take her to the hospital to visit "X" (major plot spoiler here if I reveal the name).

Okay now we're visiting "X". This is working. Deep, angsty scene. Cool. Lots of hidden stuff that will be really nifty when it's revealed down the line.

Now a scene with the hunky, mysterious dude. A scene with the one guy who pushes all her buttons, in sequence.

(More crickets.) Okay, how's about the big battle scene?*headdesk* Battle scene is in BOOK NUMBER THREE. So is Big Decision Scene and the Big Emotional Scene, all of which are VERY clear to me at this point in time.

Why am I only getting scenes from Books #3 and beyond when I'm working on #2?

Because that's the way my author mind works. It lives to torture me. Over the years it's gotten quite proficient at it. If you listen closely, you can hear its evil chuckling in the background.

Situation normal. I think I'll go around the neighborhood and find a catbox to clean just for something to do.

(Cue crickets.)

The Wisdom of Others

The Second Book Saga continues. I'm at about 20K (I need about 85K) and I keep hitting walls. Frankly, the computer crash came at a "good" time since I was still trying to work out the plot for Numero 2. Well, I do know the big stuff that's going to happen in the story, but it's all the rest of it I'm pretty foggy on. Which is par for the course at this point so I'm not freakin'.

Fortunately a fellow writer (the talented Gillian Summers) pointed me toward a review of THE AWAKENENING by Kelly Armstrong. The reviewer is Sarah Rees Brennan the author of THE DEMON'S LEXICON, also a Young Adult author. Sarah wisely explains how she feels a three book set outta play out (and I quote here): "Book 1: set up. Book 2: make out. Book 3: defeat evil!"

Well, there we are. Frankly it makes a great deal of sense and also explains why Book 2 has been kicking my can -- I do have a lot more interaction between Riley (the heroine) and the other folks in her world, in particular Simon (her new boyfriend), Beck (who insists on acting like her annoying big brother) and her best bud Peter. And then there's the mysterious hunky guy who is making her eyes cross cuz he's just so...hunky. Sigh... Much is happening in this book, but on a more intimate, personal level. If I work hard, I'll pull it off.

I also really enjoyed a recent post by Maggie Stiefvater who laid out the basics of how to write a novel. It's completely on target -- no butt in chair, no novel. Even writing a few hours of day will eventually get you a book. She's proof of it. So go forth and procrastinate no more, would-be writers. You have been given your marching orders.

And now back to teasing out the finer points of teen angst with a nice overlay of nasty demons. I've said it before -- my job rocks!

Rollin' the Rock

Second book hell. Or Hades for those of you with gentler sensitivities. First books are always fun to write. I steam right through them, creating worlds and plot and characters like a playful god. Luckily this is my third series so I know the books after #1 get progressively harder. The first time this happened I was sure I couldn't ever write another book. Now I know it's just a b*tch to get into the new book and then it gets better. Even one of my most favorite authors (Ilona Andrews) occasionally blogs about this sorta thing.

Since the first book in my Y.A. series didn't exactly follow the synopsis (do they ever?) I have a new starting point for the second tome. I always get hung up on first and last scenes because if I can see those, then the middle just happens. I don't know the last scene of this book yet, though for some queer reason I do for Book #3 (of course). So I've spent the last couple of days typing out, then rejecting opening scenes. The husband recommended an action scene, but at this point in the story there isn't much action since lots of seriously bad stuff happened at the end of Book #1. Still, I'll keep that suggestion in mind because most of the time the guy's right. As of this afternoon I think I've got something, but it's certainly not set in Jello at this point. Most of my first scenes are rewritten no less than ten to fifteen times so I have a lot more to burn through.

So for you writers out there (yes, this is an interactive blog) how do you get yourself psyched/into the next book in a series? Is there some special way you get into the zone, besides imaging what it would be like to live without the electricity bill being paid? Any special tricks, suggestions? Come on, don't be shy. You know you want to tell us.

I Was Promised Pie. And A Cemetery.

My trip to D.C. and the Romance Writers conference was grand. I just forgot to pack my digital camera. Nothing against iPhones, they're bloody brilliant, but they don't take great pictures indoors, like during parties. So there are a minimum of cool pix to post. But I digress.

I sailed into D.C. on Tuesday the 14th. I had a hangover. This was entirely my own fault. Why I chose to drink to excess the night before I was leaving town is unfathomable. I know better than that, however while I was rereading one of Ilona Andrews’ most excellent novels, I augmented my fluid intake with wine, schnapps and vodka. That made me one unhappy critter the next morning. Much water and Advil later, I still felt awful (as I so richly deserved). I checked into my B&B (Woodley Park Guest House - these guys get a FIVE STAR rating from me) and then met my great author buddy, Jean Marie Ward. Spider lives in the D.C. area so we set off for a walking tour of Adams/Morgan, including a delightful dinner at a Creole restaurant. She was easy on me, knowing that I FLC (felt like crap) and that my right knee can be finicky at times. Since this is a lady who can trot along at an incredible speed in heels, she was very kind.

By Wednesday I was human again. We started off at ten in the morning and I didn't get home until near eleven that night. Since I was packing the portable cane, I didn't need it once. And for some odd reason, the walking eased up the knee beautifully. We toured Lafayette Square, the Renwick Gallery, visited Black Aggie, the Freer and the Sackler Galleries, and the Library of Congress. As to the latter, this is where our books go when they get copyrighted. I didn't visit my tomes but we did take in the magnificent architecture. Built in the late 19th century, the place has all the Victorian excesses I love. Guilded everything. I could easily see some of the influence from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. We visited Thomas Jefferson's library collection (lord, did that guy love to read) and in between all our trudging we indulged in some of the most marvelous food imaginable. The Eastern Market is home to Monmartre, a French restaurant with some excellent delicacies. The gazpacho was unreal. For dinner we ate at RT's, a Creole restaurant and a long time favorite of my hostess. Then we did the Alexandria ghost tour which ended in a very old and cool cemetery.

But what about the the baked goods, you ask?Jean Marie took me home to meet her hubby, Greg (a cartoonist in his own right) and to indulge in homemade berry pie. Okay, I was spoiled. Big time. She's coming to Atlanta for Dragon*Con and I'm going to have to hustle to match her incredible hospitality. I think we'll start with the cemetery, move onto the pub and then settle in for some Jonesy Port. Yeah, that's the plan. No pie. I'm not that good at making crusts.

The rest of the conference was a blur. Thursday I attended a few panels and then the Prism Awards ceremony. I took Third Place, while Colby Hodge won the Prism for Time Travel. Colby (aka Cindy) and I found out we share the same agent, the truly amazing Meredith Bernstein. Another writer friend of mine won the Prism for Light Paranormal. Jeri Smith-Ready has been nominated for the award a couple times before, so it was awesome to see her win her very own pyramid for WICKED GAME. Very cool.

I slipped into the Kiss of Death (Daphne Awards) but the room was so crowded I retired to the bar with Jean Marie where we chatting about writing and politics while I enjoyed a modest amount of single malt (remembering my indiscretion earlier in the week).

Friday was more panels and then one of the moments I'd been waiting for: the St. Martin's Press cocktail party. I got to catch up with my dear friend P.C. Cast, whose House of Night vampire series is kicking serious butt. I think she has seven million books in print now. OMG. She and Meredith introduced me to the movers and shakers at St. Martin's. It was good to meet the folks I'll be working with. Alas, my editor wasn't there so I'll have to save that meeting for down the line. But gee, that means I just might have to fly to NYC. Darn, that would be such a penance (not).

After that party, we moved onto the Harlequin bash, which is always a blow out. P.C.'s dad (Dick) held his own with the ladies. Lord, can that man dance! I did a little dancing, but not much as the knee was bitching up a storm if I moved wrong and since it’s healing I really didn’t want to piss it off further. Jean Marie and I called it an early night about ten as we took the Metro to our respective homes. Kennedy Center was just getting out so the Metro was packed. I blended right in. For some reason I was starved, so I stopped at the McDonald's down the street from the B&B. Mind you, it's now eleven at night and I'm dressed to the nines. No one batted an eye. (And to those concerned about my safety, I’d already stripped off my costume jewelry before leaving the party and I pack a LOT of attitude).

Saturday (more panels) including one with agents Denise Marcil and Meredith Bernstein entitled The Secrets of Authors with Long Careers and How They Sustain Creativity and Success. They conducted interviews with successful authors who've stayed the course and listed out a series of traits these authors possess. Very interesting information. A few authors in the audience shared horror stories (they were truly horrific) about the uglier side of publishing. As this was a PAN workshop (part of the Published Authors Network) there were no editors present so candor was rampant. That’s a good thing. You need to know where the bodies are buried.

Though Meredith and I really wanted to go to a particularly well-recommended restaurant, they had a forty-five minute wait. We chose an Indian buffet instead and spent most of the time deep in conversation. The relationship between an agent and a client is much like a Victorian marriage at first – arranged because it suits both partners’ career and financial goals. It’s what happens after that “marriage” that counts. This was the first time I really got a chance to chat with Meredith and we made the most of it. She’s fun, intelligent, and very savvy. I sincerely respect that. In return, she respects my opinion and together we can make sound decisions as to my career. A partnership. That’s the way it should be.

I returned home to find my house clean and that my dearest spouse (sincere brownie points for this) had cleaned out the refrigerator. Wow. I should go away more often. Now that I’m over the trip lag, I’m working on projects that I’ve ignored while finishing the second draft of the manuscript. Next convention: Dragon*Con. And it's not that far away, folks!

On Learning New Stuff

I swear if anyone says, "How hard can it be to write a kid story?" I will not be responsible for the harm they incur. Writing Young Adult is an adventure! It's definitely different than what I've done before. And here's why:

My previous books ran about 125K words. This first book in the Demon Trappers Series (yet untitled) needs to be about 90K. So where's the problem, you ask? I didn't see any issues when I started writing the book. I've never had problems with coming up with enough words. I did know that I had to de-complex the story since I don't have enough real estate for complicated interlaced subplots and raft of secondary characters. But other than a short story and a non-fiction piece, I've never had to write to a specific word count before.

So my plan was: Stick to two or three main points of view. Riley (the teen heroine), Denver Beck (the twenty-two y/o Demon Trapper) and a third, yet to be revealed character. So this should be way easier, right?

Wrong. I'm now having to concentrate on the internal emotions, thoughts, etc. of my two/three main characters rather than a grand over arching plot. In other words, this story is more character driven than plot driven. I can write deep, internal thoughts/emotions, but not usually this much in one book. I know I'll meet that challenge, but it's stretching me in ways I'd not anticipated. Part of that is scary for an author, but it's also exhilarating. You can get too complacent. By shaking up the mix every now and then, you stretch yourself in new and fun ways.

Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. I've completed my first rough draft (74K) which you note is considerably shorter than the 90K I need. That's okay because I write tight and need to expand out scenes, put in new ones, etc. But with the book not having that arcane complexity, that's proving a bit harder than I planned.

So I've fallen back and regrouped as I start my second draft. The two main characters (Riley & Beck) are what the readers are going to care about (hopefully). How are Riley and Beck going to cope with her new life-changing situation? (avoiding spoilers here) How can I show more of this unique dystopian Atlanta I've created? And what about those demons? (grin).

As a wise friend of mine put it, "I have only three words for you, Grasshopper: subplot, subplot, subplot."

So the rock is slowly being pushed up the hill, one inch at a time. I really love the characters and the story is starting to cook. The rest will come. And at the same, I'm having an adventure!!!

Of Projects & Moons

Our jaunt to Chicago for some R&R went quite well. We wandered around the Windy City using buses, El and other trains. This time around we stayed north of the Chicago River, a few blocks from Michigan Avenue. Unfortunately my right knee has been bugging me recently so I had to resort to alternate support--yeah, I had to buy one of those nifty collapsible canes. Worked great. The Chicago bus drivers would wait until I almost got to the nearest handicapped seat before they floored it as compared to when I wasn't toting the cane. Now that I'm home the knee is improving, but still not enough to do Tai Chi. Disclaimer: this ouchie wasn't because of that wonderful martial art, but something I did on the drive home from Orlando. Go figure.

Last Monday I began my new job, i.e. the work I owe to my editor at St. Martin's. As hubby put it, "You're not longer on the dole." Not that I wasn't earning $$ with my small press publisher, but this time around there is an advance and I need to earn that money back or there will be Complications.

I spent a few days doing some series planning and then dug into the first book. I had about 40% of it written earlier this year, then had to do a rewrite for another editor (that publishing company ultimately did not pick up the series) so now I'm having to get back up to speed as many of the scenes have changed or are totally useless. I need to get a pretty good idea of where the story arcs end for each book, some of the key elements of those arcs, etc. I didn't do any of this for the Rover Series which led to a lot of bottles of Advil and wine being consumed. Learned, we have.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. Oh, and I need to think up a title for each of the books, including Book the First--BLACKTHORNE'S DAUGHTER didn't fly with my editor. I have to agree that it does sound like a pirate novel. Probably with a clinch cover, which is so not Young Adult or Urban Fantasy.

How's about POTATO MOON? Nyah, that's already taken. If you want to read this parody on RUSSET MOON (the totally illegal sequel to Stephanie Meyer's TWLIGHT series) start reading near the bottom of this page. Just make sure your keyboard is waterproofed. If I wasn't so engrossed in my project, I'd love to add to the madness just to say I was part of it.

David B. Coe on Characterization

As promised, today my guest is David B. Coe and we are going to savor his wisdom regarding characterization. It seems I've known David forever, though it's only been a few years. We don't get to see each other at the conventions very often, but when we do it's always a pleasure to catch up on what's new in our respective lives. Since David has plenty of experience creating memorable characters, he is the perfect candidate to tell us how he goes about one of the trickiest aspects of novel writing.

Hi. I’m David B. Coe. Jana invited me here today to discuss my approach to developing characters for my books. Thanks, for the invite, Jana. It’s good to be here.

Let me begin by telling you a bit about myself: I’m the author of ten published fantasy novels including the LonTobyn Chronicle, Winds of the Forelands, and Blood of the Southlands. My most recent novel, The Horsemen’s Gambit, the second book in my Southlands trilogy, came out in January. The final Southlands book, The Dark-Eyes’ War, will be out early next year. You can find sample chapters of all my books, as well as contests, world maps, and other information at my website, www.DavidBCoe.com.

In many ways, Jana asked me the $64,000.00 question (actually that’s been devalued a bit over the years -- let’s go $64,000,000.00). To me character is the key to a successful novel or story. Worldbuilding and plotting are important, but to my mind really interesting characters can overcome flawed worldbuilding and a lackluster plot. But if your characters are flat, boring, or unsympathetic, no amount of fancy worldbuilding or plot complexity will save your book. That’s my opinion anyway.

So how do I develop my characters? What I’ll outline here applies mostly to lead and major secondary characters, though the differences between what I do with them and how I handle the minor characters are more differences of degree than of fundamental approach.

Step 1 -- Inspiration: I’m often asked where I get my ideas for my books and stories, and it’s a question I kind of hate. The reason is I can’t answer it. My ideas come from all over, they come from everything I experience, every conversation I have, every emotion I feel. They come from that part of my brain that is constantly asking “What if?” But though one book idea might begin with a scene, and another with a magic system, and yet another some aspect of worldbuilding, those initial ideas are always followed closely by the first glimpse of my main character. I won’t get much from this initial inspiration -- a name might come to mind, or some key trait, or perhaps an important detail from his or her past. Just enough to make me realize that a) this is the lead character in my new project, and b) I need to get to know this person better.

Step 2 -- The Interview: All right, I know that sounds weird. I’m going to interview a character I’m making up in my head? Well, yeah, I am. The interview consists of taking that kernel of an idea from step 1 and turning it into a living, breathing person. So I begin to ask questions. Sometimes that’s literally what I do. I open a blank word file and begin to brainstorm by asking myself questions about this person and typing out answers. (For the sake of simplicity in this post and to avoid the “he or she” thing, I’ll assume it’s a man, as it is in my latest work) Where is he from? Who were his parents and what were they like? Does he have siblings? What was his childhood like? What are his best traits? His worst? What does he look like? What does he do for a living? What has been his romantic history? Is he outgoing or a loner? Where has life taken him thus far?

There’s really no end to the questions one can ask, and to be honest, the answer to one quite often leads directly to the next, so that I usually stop “asking” questions fairly early in the process and just let his life story flow. The important thing for me is to get all the background that I need before I begin to write.

Step 3 -- Finding the Voice: More often than not, my lead character will also be my point of view character -- my narrator, in a sense. In my multi-strand novels, several of my major characters will be point of view characters. So the next thing I like to do is begin writing scenes and short stories from the viewpoint of the character I’ve created. Some of these might find their way into the book and in fact at times I merely begin work on the early chapters, though they usually wind up being reworked considerably. At other times, I’ll write a short piece that will have nothing to do with the book but that I might try to sell as a stand alone short story. The primary point of this is to take all that information I’ve gathered in the “Interview” and turn it into a unique and compelling voice for writing the novel. It’s not enough for a character to have a detailed and distinct personal history. He also has to have a personality, and that comes out in the way he tells his story.

Step 4 -- The Quickening: The verb “quicken” can mean, in its more obscure usage, the act of coming to life, and people have often referred to the quickening of a pregnancy as the time when a child is first felt to move. That’s exactly how I mean the word here. There comes a time in my writing when my character(s) begin to act on his (their) own, when I find myself surprised by some of the things they do and say. It’s a wonderful feeling, almost like when one of my daughters expressed her first truly original thought or first said something truly, creatively funny. That moment in a character’s development when he begins to take on the traits of a living, breathing person who is as independent of me as any creature of my imagination can be -- that’s the moment when I know that steps 1-3 have worked. At its best, character development is the creation of people who are capable of interacting freely with each other and with the world I’ve shaped for them. When my work is flowing well, when the characters are fully realized, when they’ve “quickened,” I become little more than a chronicler of their actions and a stenographer keeping track of their conversations. The growth of my characters and the development of my narrative become linked at an organic level so that it seems that the characters are driving the plot.

There’s really no secret to creating good characters, and it may be that your approach is nothing like mine but achieves results that are just as good or better. This is the process that works for me, and if you’ve been struggling with your character development recently you may find that adopting some or all of my method will help. In any case, happy writing!

What a Character!

It's been over a month since I last posted. Life has been full and that's been the reason for the radio silence. Good things may be in the works, but none have come to fruition so I'll keep them under my hat at the moment. Should one of them blossom, you'll hear it pronto.

In the meantime I've been mussing around with characterization, my personal project for 2009. I've invited a few of my fellow authors to blog about characterization and the first of those posts will appear next Wednesday (April 1) courtesy of David B. Coe. David's an accomplished author who crafts the most fantastic, vivid and entertaining fantasy worlds. But for all that, if his characters didn't ring true the stories wouldn't be worth reading. David knows the ropes, so be sure to stop back and see what tips he has to offer on the subject.

To help me figure out the characters in my current urban fantasy project, I created a Character Dossier for the really important characters. For example, my heroine's dossier includes information such as:

Full Name: Riley Anora Blackthorne
Name Means: Riley - “Valiant” Anora - “Light”
Age: 17-1/2
Birth Date: (to be determined)
Location: Chicago
Birth Order: Only child
Parents: Paul & Miriam (Henley) Blackthorne

Riley hasn't told me when she was born (yet) and when she does that will give me additional clues to her personality when I correlate her birth date with the Zodiac signs. Being an only child is something I can relate to. I've been to Chicago and love the area so I sorta have a sense of what Riley's life was like until they moved to Atlanta. I also have a photo of Riley (to me she looks like Emma Roberts). Taking this information, I've extrapolated where Riley is at the start of the series, where she should be at the end of the series, and the life-changing events that occur to her in the meantime.

Sounds good, right? It is. I know this character fairly well despite the fact she's *cough* a number of years younger than me. I have more of a sense of Riley than I do most of my heroines at the beginning of a book, and I can see where the story arc is headed. I have come over to the Darkside (sort of) as there will be less fog walking through this series than, let's say, the Time Rovers, which originally was a standalone book (SOJOURN) that grew into a series. For me to have this much information going into a book/series is unheard of. That tells me this one is really going to rock.

Fine and good, you say. You got what you need. So write the books. The issue is transferring the intimate knowledge of any given character into the story. How do I layer in those details over the course of the books and how to I show Riley's growth as the stories spin out?That's where it gets tricky.

I think part of that issue is already taken care of by the mere fact I have that character dossier. I've been referring back to it as I write, checking off the various aspects of Riley's hellish life as I complete each chapter. But lest you think I'm hewing strictly to this dossier, I'm also correcting and changing it as I go. The further I trudge into the story the more I know each character so I'm reflecting that in the dossiers. So it's a dynamic process.

So how do you deal with characterization in your books? Any tips on how to coerce recalcitrant characters to reveal their innermost souls?

Be sure to stop back Wednesday for David's wisdom. It'll be about the only thing on April Fool's Day we can take as kosher.

2009's Writing Challenge

Every year I try to tackle another aspect of the craft that I know needs work. In years past I've confronted my point-of-view problem and now I don't head hop anymore. Back when I began I told a story rather than showed it through action or dialog. I don't do that now unless it's for effect. So what's my challenge for this year?

Characterization. I recently submitted a Young Adult Urban Fantasy series proposal to my agent. We discussed the sample chapters and she mentioned she felt my characterization wasn't up to the same level as the worldbuilding or the plotting. My agent is right on the money. Luckily, it's a fixable problem.

This isn't new for me. I don't usually layer in the deep characterization until the last pass through the novel. In the case of my Time Rovers' books that was because my editor was pushing me to get inside the characters in each scene. Once she asked me "Why is Cynda doing this here? What is she feeling?" I could pour those emotions out on the page. For those of you who are authors you're probably thinking, "Ah, babe, you really outta have that stuff in there earlier." And I should.

So I decided that this year it was time for me to attack the issue of characterization. I need to learn how to layer in those cool character tags, emotions, etc. way before the editor has to slap me on the head with a rolled up newspaper. I conquered POV, I can do this.

So I've found an image of a young girl who looks like my 17 y/o heroine, I'm building a music playlist and I'm starting to write her diary so I can understand how she feels about the death of her mother, the fact that her life is going to hell on a slippery slope and her fears about the future. I'm doing roughly the same with some of the other major characters, trying to build up my understanding of each of them before I get too far into the book.

After the rough draft, I'm going to go back through each scene and layer in the setting and the characterization at the same time. I'll let you know how my quest for character goes over the year. I'm sure I'm not the only author fighting this particular demon and so I'm going to invite some of my fellow scribblers to my blog to have their say on characterization. Should be both entertaining and enlightening.

The Plan for 2009

A new year is much like a fresh sheet of paper in a typewriter or a blank screen on your monitor. You can make of it what you will. Well, sort of. External forces to do apply, but a fair amount is in your control. At least that's my delusion and I'm sticking with it.

Personally, things are going well. Husband is gainfully employed, house is super clean due to Annual Decompression Party yesterday (attendees are more inclined toward intelligent discussion than heavy duty partying) and I have story ideas to play with. So what is on my plate for 2009? Lots of good things, I hope.

I am continuing to play with a Young Adult Urban Fantasy story set in 2018 Atlanta about a young girl working as an apprentice to her father, a legendary demon hunter. Demons have been done to death so I'm trying a "twist" to the standard tropes that will hopefully prove an interesting read. It helps that I really like the heroine! Because this is set in a dystopian Atlanta, I've actually had to do some research about The Athens of the South. I plan to do some exploring when it stops raining every weekend. (Not really complaining -- we're still in a drought here and the lakes need water.) However trudging around historic Oakland Cemetery in a downpour, while picturesque, is not ideal.

I'm also playing with that paranormal historical set in 1902 Chicago, which is equally revving my creative juices. I have two paranormal romances already written that need some editing and there's that self-pubbed Fantasy series that demands a final book. So this year will be full.

Since 2001 I've been doing the "Jana Oliver Roadshow" at conventions so potential readers will get to know me and potentially buy my books. That's actually worked rather well so now it's time to settle back, finish maybe a book and a half in a year rather than the usual one, and not crisp myself around the edges as much as I have the last three years. Since 2001, when I started this journey, I've lost count of how many conventions I've attended. I do know that since 2005 I've attended 30. Wow.

So the plan is for this year to be much more focused on the writing and not the schmoozing. I'll still be out there (4 conventions) but not as much as before. It feels right. When I sign with a NY publishing house I'll be back on the road, but the earliest that would be is 2010. For now I get a breather from the airports, the con food and the hectic schedule. I'll miss the fen, but I am available by email so it's not like I'm totally running under the radar.

So what's your plan for 2009? Any new directions or goals? Or are you just going to crawl into your cave, order in a stock of double pepperoni pizza and ride it all out?

Why Receipts are Like a Time Machine

What, you say? What do receipts have in common with traveling through the 4th dimension? They remind you of times past. Having done some work on my downstairs office (got a new desk!) and finished the arrangement of my various computers, I'm tapping in the business receipts for this last year while keeping an eye on the stock market. I'm usually a lot better at keeping the receipts up to date, but not this go around. That being said, I'm determined that I'll have the business finances ready for the husband to input into the taxes BEFORE the end of the year. Yeah, I'm dreamin' but at least I'll not be doing them on April 12th or so.

But back to the premise: receipts are like a time machine. I pick up one from the Palamino in Calgary. No, this isn't a strip club, but an awesome restaurant that had some of the most incredible ribs I've ever eaten. Jean Marie Ward and I savored their offerings the night I arrived. Just reading the receipt brings back that moment. Ditto with my three trips to Denver's Corner Bakery for their Berry Almond Swiss Oatmeal. I remember sitting in the back of the restaurant, enjoying my breakfast (any breakfast that costs $6.79 is a blessing) and trying to hack into their website using my iPhone. Finally figured it out. All the while folks from World Fantasy came and went as I enjoyed my moments of solitude.

Receipts from The Rialto Cafe resurrect my conversations with Tony Ruggiero & his lady, Mary. Great couple to hang with. Smart, witty and fun. The receipt helps me remember those times.

Then there's the bill from The Mosser in San Francisco. After my roomie departed, I moved across the street from the Marriott ($225/noc) to The Mosser ($109). It's a boutique hotel built after the great earthquake. Very nifty and clean place. I knew there wasn't a toilet in the room, which was fine by me. I did have a sink and a bed and that's about it. Whenever I travel to Europe I always ask if there is a desk in the room so I can do my writing thing. I failed to do so with this hotel. No desk. A tiny nightstand. The room, tops, was about 10 x 12. I was in the middle of heavy duty, gotta get this stuff done sort of editing and no desk. I talked to the nice people downstairs -- no desks in any of the rooms and they didn't have a library. I was free, however, to use the lobby if I wanted. I passed on that.

I improvised (see above). Necessity is a mother so I pulled out the ironing board, set it up and did my thing.To the left is the door. The seat in front of the ironing board is a stool with a pillow on it. It is butted up against the edge of the bed. Yeah, this room was small. But it worked. On Day #2 I decamped to nearby sandwich shop that had wi-fi and great food. Spent most of the day there eating, editing and using their facilities as needed. Authors write no matter the situation. It's just what he have to do.

So you as seen, receipts help me reconstruct those moments from earlier this year and savor them once again. Who says doing the finances is boring? For me, it's a vacation.