Melani Blazer

There’s been a note regarding a wordpress upgrade that I’ve ignored for a bit, and just tackled. Wow, that wasn’t so very hard at all.
This week has been a “get it done” kind of week. I’ve a lot more to accomplish, but progress is good.

I’ve been writing, but not gonna say more less I jinx myself and figuratively duct tape the muse’s mouth closed. BAD BAD thing, that.

I see Jaci’s got a smokin’ new cover to go along with those smokin’ hot books of hers. Check it out.

Emma Wayne Porter is a great friend of mine and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention her new gig, editing for Lyrical Press. Do her a favor and check out some of her handiwork..okay, editing handiwork. She’s a pretty awesome writer as well…

Oh, and there’s been some really neat changes, including the addition of three fantabulous writers to the AFTER MIDNIGHT FANTASIES author group… stop by the website–and blog–and check out our contests via writerspace as well.

I’m off to write. BYE!

Feels weird, really. It’s been awhile since I finished the whole circuit with a book–wrote, synopsized, wrote a query (if you want to call it that… I tried!) and submitted. Yes, to a publisher I currently have books with, but still, it’s… the first “cold” submission in a long time. I mean, I did a contest, subbed for a spot in an anthology recently, but not just sent in a book that had no connection, no deadline, no theme… just did it cuz I wrote something I wanted to write, made it the word count I wanted to to be (okay, that’s a lie, but humor me) and then sent it when I was ready to send it.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, I pulled out a real short story I’d written, read it, went…. wtf, why didn’t I do anything with this? and proceeded to synopsize it. Not sure where THAT will go, but hey, it’s progress.

And now, the hard part…what to pick up next?

I’m not real eager to cram my story into one, but alas, that dreaded synopsis time is here.

Thing is, I did about… three synopsis for this story as I went, but due to characters bullheadedness growth, and changes in the plot to “Fix” things, well, none of them really apply.

If you need me, I’ll be hiding under a rock, trying to condense it. Oh, and wanted to say that despite it ONLY being a 28K story, that’s about twice what my intended word count is. Word whore. Mandy, let’s wear our hat (shit, typed hate….that’s no good) anyhoot, let’s wear our HAT with pride. But now what the hell do I do with a story too long for a quicky/anthology/etc, but too short for category/single title? *snort*

Had an interesting convo this morning with two fellow writers, both pretty good friends of mine. I think the convo started with us all talking about our current writing progress, and I shamefully admitted I was stilling writing the *whispers* sex scene I’d omitted when writing the story.

I’d thought I’d made progress, then realized I’d locked Hero and Heroine all up …. without condoms.

*gasp* *boooo* *huffs* *throws book against the wall*

How DARE I?

Maybe cuz I’m 30-something, been married to the same man half my life and do not/have never slept around, but I don’t automatically THINK about those things. I might get bitchslapped into Monday when I say this–but I hate reading about them. It ruins the mood and pulls me out of the story.

This is my thought pattern. We don’t talk about the heroine getting her period. We also don’t talk about either hero or heroine having to go to the bathroom, with few exceptions where a) it’s a comedy or b) it’s really leading to other action. (confrontation, discovery, even sneaking out the window…) We don’t, as a rule, see heroine pull down her panties and actually pee. (Heaven forbid she had to do ’something else’. I.DON’T.WANT.TO.KNOW)

And honestly, I feel the same way about condoms. If I’m still reading the book come sex time, then I like the characters. I’ll believe she wipes front to back like a good little girl. I’ll trust she brushes AND flosses and that the hero actually scrubs between his toes. Unless told otherwise, I’ll even believe he calls his mom every Sunday, cleans the cat litter box and feeds his animals appropriately. I’ll also believe their intelligent enough to use a condom. But damn, damn and more damn, if a writer had to spell all that crap out in a book just cuz someone ASSUMES if it’s not there, it doesn’t happen, well, lets just say I’d read SOOOOO much less.

I know it’s been brought up, argued, debated and everyone has a very real and honest opinion. I personally, have a DAMN hard time believing a heroine tastes oh-so-sweet when the hero kisses her after a night’s sleep. (see above comment about being married half my life–I ain’t sweet pre-brushing, and God love ya honey, neither is he.) I deal. See it all the time. Pretend they both had a chance to sneak off for mouthwash or a bedside mint.

So… my book will have ONE condom mention. Some of my books have none. I’m not apologizing. It’s life. Deal. If you need them to use them, then they did. It’s fiction. Fantasy. Come up with your own betwen the lines stuff.

Just for you, Emma, I was all set to write a lukewarm love scene sounding like Scarlett O’hara. Of course, what I was supposed to be writing was a real sex scene between my characters in my current WIP. Fearful I’d have my characters, who are in New York, sounding like southern belle and suitor, I typed *insert sex scene here* and moved on to the action occurring the next morning. Really.

Yeah, still can’t shake that word. Working on it though.

This book is on it’s, oh, maybe 4th, 5th synopsis? Rough outlines of what I want to happen. First couple were based on a full length story, then I decided to….de-complicate it and shoot for quickie or novella length. I only tell you that because I don’t change my story THAT much. *cough cough* normally.

So I wrote about….15K then decided I need to really have a solid idea of how this is going to resolve itself. I’ve got the character arcs laid out, at least internally. I know, shaking on that though, what will need to actually happen (externally and internally) to give these two a happily ever after. So I wrote it down, about 2 1/2 notebook pages, handwritten in various amounts of detail and have been happily writing from that.

Then what does my hero do? Walks out of a room to face the “villian” without having a very IMPORTANT conversation with the heroine. That conversation would lead to a minor but understandable misunderstanding (huh? Mel, what????) and cause the hero to make a decision based on what he thinks the heroine wants and is best for her, rather than what she wants. Hero’s actions have also left heroine in possession of a very core piece of….paraphernalia that has been central to the story, and that the hero actually needs.

You know the whole advice about doing the very worst thing to your characters and then seeing how they react because it really brings out the emotions? Hello, they’ve just gotten even and done it to ME!

Someone give me IV valium and some blank paper. I need to completely rethink this. WHY, what if, and “oh no you didn’t” are doomed to be among the things exiting my mouth as I venture into this discovery time.

Pray for me.

Ya know, sometimes there’s just a word that keeps really repeating itself over and over. Really.

Any idea which word it is that’s really getting on my last nerve, but keeps escaping from the end of my pen?

yeah. really.
No… really.
I mean it. Really.

The word IS… Really.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!

Just and that are making cameo appearances. As are sentences that start with But or And, and of course, the famous So that likes to pop in and visit.

At least I know, if this book really goes over word count, I can search for those words and really make a dent.
Really.

I’m going back to typing now. And trying to avoid putting that word in my actually document, despite it appearing really frequently in my handwritten story. (Is there a pill for this? A really-holic anonymous?)

Happy Sunday, everyone.

How the heck did it arrive already? Back when it was a fleck on the horizon, I’d wanted to do something special. Guess I’d gotten better at procrastination than I’d thought. Whoo hoo.

The weather is wonky. Think it has a toll on all of us. Today had sunshine, and despite the fact I’m on day four of the most heinous back-ache of my life (saw Doc, got meds and a diagnosis. I’ll live. but pain sucks) anyway, I really enjoyed the sight of the bright sunlight. Cheers the soul, brightens the spirit. All that jazz.

Doing writing when I can. Searching for a good heroine name. I’ll know it when I see/hear it. Nothing’s clicking yet. Anyone wanna toss a suggestion, I won’t complain–or make promises.

If you’re stopping by on the weekend. Pop over to Shan’s blog and check out her question, maybe offer an answer/opinion. I’m looking forward to what discussion will develop there.

Well, the meds are kicking in and my eyelids have become weighted. Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with roses and chocolate and love–even if its the cyber kind!

Cheers!

The flu bug bit me. Musta been why I felt like I’d been run over with an eighteen wheeler late yesterday.

On a good note, I’ve been able to type in more handwritten stuff, so far I’ve deleted only a teensy tiny bit that was repetitive and I’m almost 1/4 of the way done with this book.

Angie wrote a refreshing post at Romancing the Blog–deviating from all the hoopla that’s going on an any given day in the romance-blog world and talking about why she–and the rest of us–love to read a romance. (It’s not genre specific, so if you have an opinion, stop in and say so!)

Dear Author has a post about E-books that has made me think a lot in the last 24 hours or so. (maybe it was the flu coming on, I dunno), but in a nutshell, it talks about the….concept of e-book branding as a whole and how many share Jane’s way of thinking when she says:

I admit that while there are many e-publishers out there, I mainly identify epublishing with erotic romance.

Hopefully this post will make others aware of some great non-erotic reads at various e-book publishing houses.

I wish my head were clearer so I could easily voice my opinion, but these flu meds really fog the senses. I just think it’s a circle. Erotic is buzzed about, more authors and publishers jump on board, it becomes more popular. Authors talk, realize pushing the limit might help sales, even more erotic goes out. Word gets out menage is the “it” thing, wham, publishers and authors feed the mass’s demands. Supply and demand and all that jazz. Isn’t it similar to the way paranormal became so widely popular and historicals waned? What happened to chick-lit? Not to say I think erotic is gonna go anywhere. I think once you open the bedroom door, you can’t exactly close it. Right now I think the focus [of e-publishers and non-erotic authors] is/should be to educate readers about their non-erotic offerings and break the branding or stereotyping or whatever you want to call it.

Okay, enough medicated babble for one afternoon. I might try a nap.

Okay…. I did a few upgrades without breaking the blog. I’m relieved.

Seems I managed to survive the funk that was November and December (and part of January) and can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Things I put in place back in November are starting to happen and I’ve got more than a pinkie grip on “life”—and here I thought this romance writer gig was supposed to be satin negligee’s or at least a silky robe, furry slippers and chocolate bonbons. Dangit!

Handwriting still seems to be the thing. I’m way ahead of myself on handwritten vs. typed in, but I’m happy with progress no matter how I come by it. Overall, the time spent in my little writer’s funk was beneficial. I did a lot of philosophizing. Why I write, what I want to write, why I read and what makes me pick up a book. Where do I want to go with this and how much effort am I willing to put in it–I don’t have all the definitive answers, but definitely a better grip on how to get them–and how to do this for me, not to please friends or family or all those other reasons.
(more…)

I’m missing. My brain is missing, money is missing, time is missing. I’m standing, okay, sitting, here, going… it’s what date? I’m supposed to be doing what and have accomplished what?

I’m not complaining and won’t make excuses, cuz frankly, I don’t know what I’d say. I’ve just got way too much on my plate and sadly, blogging has fallen off the priority list. I’m not even getting computer time to write, so I’m filling up journal pages by hand and eyeing up that *can’t remember the name now* focus/fly thingy that’s a pen that stores what you write. Tho’ I’ll need to do more research before I officially put it on my Christmas list. Would be nice not to have to transcribe the 40 or so pages I’ve filled.

Anyhoot, off to work with me. Short, but extremely busy week. If I don’t make it back, you all have a happy Thanksgiving!