Magical Musings

We’re please to welcome Stephanie Arwen Lynch as our guest blogger next Saturday. President of the American Tarot Association, Stephanie has been been reading the Tarot since 1979 and began reading professionally in 1982. She teaches workshops such as Tarot for the Writers as well as How To Create Your Own Spread.

She has run Tarot By Arwen since 2005. Arwen is one half of the writing team of Marilu Mann. Marilu’s most recent release is Changing Times. Patti O’Shea calls it “an amazing first book”.

Stephanie will be GIVING AWAY A FREE HERO’S JOURNEY to a lucky commenter. I’ve read the blog and it’s fascinating, so come next Saturday and be fascinated.

SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need
by Blake Snyder
Michael Wiese Productions
ISBN: 1932907009

Fast-paced, easy to read, and entertaining, this book is filled with insights. The title describes the scene that draws us into the story, where the hero does something “that defines who he is and makes us, the audience, like him.” A successful screenwriter, Snyder shows the reader how to:

Most of what Snyder says can apply to books as well as screenplays. I had a lot of breakthrough moments reading it. I’m sure other information is simmering in my subconscious, making a “Save the Cat” book. I’ve already recommended this to people. In addition to the book, Snyder has an excellent website that includes a Tool page with free downloads.

Writing Habits
Hi. My name is Tawny and I’m a goal-a-holic with a tendency to be scarily organized and a love for color coding. Hey, what can I say? It works for me. Because it does, I’m a big believer in knowing your writing process (whatever it might be) and embracing it. If you write on a laptop in a coffee house – go you! If you need silence and privacy to write, that’s what it takes. The key, of course, is taking the time to experiment until you find YOUR process.

I love this theory so much, I teach a workshop called Courting the Muse. In one part of it, I discuss the writing habit and how it benefits our Muse to create a solid, dependable habit. You know, things like sitting down at the same time, or writing in the same place each day. The kind of thing that lets our Muse (or subconscious if you’re not a Muse type writer) know that its work time. I’m a big believer in walking the talk, too, so I do put this theory into practice. Sticking with my process, I’ve completed 8 books – which brings in an element of superstition, too (you know the stuff –if I don’t do it the way I’ve always done it I might lose my mojo and my Muse will take off for Tahiti.)

And then my computer died. An ugly, protracted death that I was reluctant to give in to until the blue screen forced my hand. I freaked out. I’m on deadline, I don’t have time to lose my computer. Worse, I don’t have time to lose my MUSE. But with no choice, I reluctantly released my chokehold on the PC and shifted to my rarely used laptop.

And ya know what? My Muse partied. Celebrated, loved it! It was like finding that magic connection again, that love of writing. This change sparked a whole new love of writing. I’ve had to throw out my habit. And it kicks butt! I’m writing more, the words are flowing and the story solidifying nicely. It’s like taking out a whole new lease on my writing life, to twist a cliché.

So this has me thinking… has anyone else got into a rut and justified staying there with the excuse that ‘it’s always worked by doing it this way.’ It could be writing, it could be an exercise routine, a way of communicating, a favorite driving route to work. But have you ever had to change that and found in the process, found a renewed joy because of it? What was it for you? Writing, something else? And once you have a chance, do you go back to the old way or do you keep the new habit?

I love the technology we have today! Recently, I bought a Neo Alpha Smart compliments of Lainey Bancroft, who blogged about hers. I’d had this little nigglin’ for over a year, eyeing them and thinking, hmmmm.

You see, I lost a summer once. Seriously, this is how it happened. I worked full-time and worked evenings and weekends on my stories. Besides having two active daughters, and a hubby that worked long hours, I was pretty much captain of my little boat. All my spare time, and I mean that in every fiber of my being, was spent on my craft. At the time, I was writing one story after another. I knew I had to jump into the process, and just move forward. I wanted to find my voice, and develop it. And that took some serious time as you all know.

So, one year we bought an above ground pool for the girls–we lived in an old farmhouse on 8 acres, and away from the local hub. We bought the pool so they wouldn’t sit in an air-conditioned house all summer. My office faced the pool, I remember because I looked outside every chance I got.

The reason I didn’t feel I could indulge is that my big home computer wasn’t portable. I think we got the first ones they actually put in homes. Yep, it was a dinosaur! Looking back, I remember spring moving into summer, and fall taking off. All from the window of my office. Oh, I traveled the work route every day for the 9-5, breathed fresh air along the way, and made family picnics. But the core of my free time was spent in that office.

Now, I’m writing my blog on a laptop in the garage, with the windows and doors open, while hubby is sawing something in the corner. I sat on the deck earlier with my stack of revisions. My new Alphie, when it arrives, will go on the boat, the beach, roadtrips, and make it on the deck for most of the summer. Lainey said the screen is readable in bright sunlight. Now, that’s what I’m talking about! The winning point for me.

So, I will never miss a summer again. Life is be gulped, and once you figure out what’s available out there it’s a veritable feast of the senses! I have all the bases covered, and I’m good to go!

Looking back, I remember writing in notebooks in the beginning. The summer I missed, I bought a tape recorder, and the times I slipped out I used it for ideas or scenes. Not sure why I was so driven that year, maybe it was my time to choose, to carve an intention so the Universe could read it loud and clear. It wasn’t a waste of time, though. I see it now as a serious year for making strides. I wrote about four or five novels that year. Ten years ago I finally captured my voice, and we’ve been tight ever since. Writing time is never wasted…ever.

And now I have the tools to keep on keepin’ on, whatever the season! I’m curious about any memories that stand out as a moment of “intention” for you. I love hearing those!

When I was a kid, I could hardly wait for the carnival to come to town. I didn’t give two hoops about the sideshows and midway games. But I did haunt the rides and the cotton candy maker. Yes, big sweet tooth here.

Invariably, it would rain hard at least one day and night to shorten the fun on the rides. My grandmother swore that bad weather followed carnivals. In fact, her theory (on this one–trust me she had oodles of bizarre theories/beliefs) was that the metal braces for the setups, the trailers, and such drew storms.

Now, what I know about weather you could stuff in a thimble with room to spare, but I don’t think there’s much truth to storms following carnivals. Fact is we live in the Midwest, and during the spring you have a 50/50 chance of having bad weather ruin any outdoor plans.

Kansas weather can change in a flash. Like this week. We were supposed to have one day of rainy weather, and now they’ve stretched it into four days of rain.

Stuff like this happens. It can’t have anything to do with the fact a carnival set up yesterday in town. So are there any odd coincidences you recall hearing that you know just can’t be true? And yet, something happens to make you pause and think well could it?

I have a huge block about filling in forms. On this third, most exhausting day of packing up my house, it has come home to me with a vengeance.

The forms I have to fill in to have my household contents shipped off to another country clearly state I must check the boxes with a tick, and what have I done? Put in a neat little x. It also says all values must be in the currency of the country I am going to, and I’ve given things in my current country’s currency. And of course, my printer is packed deep in the bowels of the removal van, so I’m going to have to go off to a print shop to print out another form.

I pay someone good money every year to fill in my tax form, even though with a little bit of concentration I could do it myself, and I consider it money well spent. So do the Revenue Services, no doubt. Before I got my accountant, my tax forms were a dog’s breakfast of crossing out.

I thought about how this relates to my writing, because I do seem to have a mental block somewhere towards the middle of my books, and it isn’t a plot problem. It is just a slowing down. A ‘will the end never be in sight?’ thing, I think. And as such, I’m determined with my next book to not let that happen. I’m planning to talk myself out of it, this time .

So, do you have any mental blocks associated with writing (or anything else)?

Congratulations to Jan Kenny and Karin Tabke for finaling in the More than Magic Contest! Jan finaled with One Real Cowboy and Karin finaled with Skin.

Yesterday I learned a new piece of magic from Donna Caubarreaux on the Writing GIAM group. At her local meeting, they talked about the F-A-S reaction pattern of Feeling, Action, Speech. When something happens, you usually feel, act, and say something. Donna used the “if someone spills cold water on you” example, but I’ll use the “stub the toe” example.

You stub your toe and it HURTS. A LOT. Next you might jump around on one foot. Then you say a few words not meant for the ears of children. This happens almost instantaneously, but in that pattern.

Isn’t that great? Simple yet elegant. Donna thinks it came from Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain.

I just glanced at my wip, and found one place where I used the arrangement. My heroine gets an IM that shocks her. She feels flushed, her heart beats too fast, and then she speaks. In other places, I’ve used one or two parts of the F-A-S pattern. If you used the pattern all the time, it would get old. Predictable. Readers would notice it, and you don’t want them to notice your tricks.

I’ve never watched those “see how the magic tricks are done” shows. I used to be hooked on mysteries, reading one after another. After awhile, I learned the writers’ tricks. When I started correctly guessing the villain in the first few chapters, I switched to romance. I like my magic to remain magic.

I copied down the F-A-S pattern, and I’ll probably use it in the future, consciously or unconsciously. And sometimes I won’t use it, consciously or unconsciously.

Is this something you already know and use in your writing? Any pieces of magic you’d like to share?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately. This belief that there are certain times in history that just shouldn’t be written about. I’ve heard that on the list of no-nos are the French Revolution, the American Revolution, the turn of the last century, even the nineteen fifties or the nineteen sixties. What makes these times taboo? Some pretty interesting stuff happened during those points in history. A good writer can take those periods and weave a hellava story. Particularly if the writer has a passion for that time.

Right now I’m reading Susan Krinards new vampire series, “Chasing Midnight” and “Dark of the Moon”. (Which are very good, by the way). Both of these books take place during the early to mid 1920s. An era of speakeasies, gangsters and prohibition. I remember my grandmother telling me about speakeasies and dancing the Charleston, Lucky Lindy and women beginning to come into their own. A fascinating time in American history.

One of my all time favorite movies is “The Patriot” with Mel Gibson, set during the American Revolution. That movie showed a portion of history that is woefully neglected in today’s romance books. I’ll admit, though, that I haven’t found a book set during that era that really stands out in my mind, although I have read a few. Any suggestions?

What I’m saying is that if the book is well written, well researched and holds the interest of the reader, why shouldn’t it be published? I know that historical preferences are subjective. I personally still don’t see the fascination that readers have for Scottish historicals. I’ve read some really good ones, but I don’t go out of my way to purchase every book that’s set in Scotland.

So what about you? Do you have a favorite time and place that you’d like to read or write about? Something off the beaten track that you don’t believe has a chance of being published?

We’re happy to welcome Harlequin Blaze author, Tawny Weber, as our guest blogger on May 10th. Tawny loves writing hot, spicy stories filled with humor and attitude. She’s a multi-finalist in Romance Writer’s of America’s coveted Golden Heart contest and a 2005 Harlequin Blaze Challenge Winner. With her first Blaze, DOUBLE DARE, debuting in May of 2007, she launched her dream career. Her 2008 Blaze releases include DOES SHE DARE? in January, and RISQUÉ BUSINESS in September.

Tawny lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters and a whole slew of pets and fills her non-writing time by scrapbooking, playing in her garden and nurturing her horrible habit of over-volunteering.

You can find out more about Tawny on her website, www.tawnyweber.com.

By: Nancy Haddock
Publisher: Berkley
ISBN: 978-0-425-21995-9

Francesca Marinelli “lived” better than 200 years ago, when Florida was a young state and vampires were viewed with distrust and fear. Through a series of vampire political agendas, she finds herself trapped underground for better than 200 years. Freed in the twenty-first century, she wants to experience everything this century has to offer. This includes learning how to surf, how to dance, play bridge … you name it. This puts her outside the norm of other vampires. Being a tourist guide to ghost sightings in St. Augustine is another interesting twist to her character.

When bodies begin turning up in her vicinity, who do you think they’re going to blame? Particularly one with vampire bites? Could be someone is trying to set her up to take the heat.

Call in the hero, Deke Saber. Preternatural crimes special investigator and all around pain in the ass. Doesn’t help that he’s yummy lookin’ and Francesca is warm for his form. Toss in a vampire vigilante goon squad called the “Covenant”, a few very interesting characters and you have the makings of a convoluted mystery.

However, there’s something else working behind the scenes, which is closing in on Francesca’s life and this adds a nice little twist to the story and will definitely have me looking for the next book in this series.

This is Nancy Haddock’s first book and it’s a winner. The story moves along at a crisp pace and although I figured out who the villain was relatively early, it was still enjoyable following the story through to a very satisfying end. The humor that Ms. Haddock infuses in her writing had me laughing out loud more than once and kept me turning the pages. I picked up this book after reading the blurb put out a couple of months ago by the PW ladies and agree with their assessment wholeheartedly.