We're a bit late with Make-believe Mondays because my scheduled author never showed up. But luckily, Linda Ford, one of my RWAonline friends, jumped in literally at the last minute, saving you from having to read a ranting blog from me on the importance of keeping deadlines.
Linda writes inspirational romance for Steeple Hill. (Is it any wonder she's such a sweetheart?)
Linda, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Linda: Right now I am working on an historical placed somewhere in South Dakota, set during the dirty 30s. I'm loving this story. My characters are strong people facing incredibly difficult circumstances. This will be the second depression era story written for the new Steeple Hill historical line—Love Inspired Historicals. I'm planning a trip to the Dakotas next week to research background and setting, which is going to be a lot of fun.
Debra: There are very few writers who write about the depression era. It's wonderful when authors are allowed to branch out to give us fresh new stories. And your trip sounds wonderful!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Linda: I need to constantly refill my well as Julia Cameron says in her book "The Artists Way." The reseach trip I mentioned is one way but it doesn't have to be something to refresh my soul. Other things that work for me and are much more accessible are reading a good book, Bible scenery, a visit to a quilt shop or art store just to flood my senses with color and texture, coffee with a friend, sitting outside to work, knitting, scrapbooking - I could go on and on. And if that sounds airy fairy . . . well, it probably is but nevertheless, it works for me.
Debra: Flooding all the senses, like total immersion. I'll have to try that.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Linda: Oh yes. Always. Usually by the time I get the first three chapters done; sometimes earlier. One character usually comes readily, eagerly as if he/she can't wait for me to write down his or her story. The other is usually a little more reluctant. Oh, wait. These characters are imaginary, aren't they? Sometimes I have to remind myself of that.
Debra: Yes, and that's such a good thing. Though if they start to argue, you might wish they would go away.
Linda, I know we're pressed for time, but it there anything else you would like to add?
Linda: My website and blog can be found at www.lindaford.org.
I try and blog something new at least once a week - things about my life, my family or my writing. Come and visit. Drop me a line and tell me what you think about some of the subjects I mention.
Debra: Be sure to stop by and visit Linda this week, before she heads off to South Dakota. She's a sweetheart for jumping in so last minute.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Cathryn Fox
Today on Make-believe Mondays I'd like to introduce Cathryn Fox. Cathryn writes erotic romance for Avon and Ellora's Cave.
Cathryn, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Cathryn: I just finished writing my Pleasure Game trilogy for Avon Red. These stores are light, humorous, sexy contemporaries. So after working on these for the last year I thought it was time to jump into something a bit darker. I am now working on a new trilogy called, The Soul Game. I absolutely love writing dark so I’m having so much fun with this. My first story, Soul Man, is about video game designer who suddenly finds herself trapped inside her own game. She, along with her computer generated character Sever, must battle ‘other world beings’ in order to save her soul or run the risk of losing it in the alternate universe forever. Here’s the website page I have set up for it. http://www.cathrynfox.com/soul_man/index.html
Debra: Fascinating. I'll be watching for this one!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Cathryn: Sometimes in order for me to fill the refill the creative well I have to change focus from light contemporary, to dark paranormal. This helps me immensely. I also like to do other creative things like gardening, painting, baking with my daughter, playing soccer with my son, or having a movie marathon weekend with my hubby!
Debra: Changing from one genre to another allows us a chance to step away while still keeping that writing muscle in tune. It's amazing how quick answers come when you try that.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Cathryn: Yes, and it’s so good to know this happens to other people. For awhile there I thought psychiatric help was in order. )
Debra: You're in good company. Many writers I know have this experience.
Cathryn: When I’m deep into a story my characters are always with me, always in me. They are always speaking to me, telling me what THEY want to do next instead of me telling them what I want next. When I’m finished a book I really miss my characters. I love to go back and reread, to revisit my old friends. (You’re not calling the psyc ward are you?)
Debra: Oh, no. Never. I understand this feeling. They become friends and its hard to let them go.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Cathryn: In my dark paranormal stories I’ve created places and alternate universes and have made up names of towns and characters. Sometimes a name will just come to me, other times I struggle to get the right word to fit the character or the universe I’ve created.
Debra: Names can be tricky sometimes and they are so important.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Cathryn: I have the most vivid dreams. My husband and children will no longer listen to me. When I get up in the morning and tell them that I had the coolest dream last night, all I hear are groans. I do dream about my characters and what is really amazing is when I’m having trouble with a scene, really wracking my brain to figure out what is wrong, I can sometimes solve the issue when dreaming. It’s fascinating when the subconscious takes over.
Debra: There's a whole world waiting for us when we sleep, isn't there? The subconscious keeps on creating, even while we are resting. Though learning to listen to that subconscious sometimes takes practice.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Cathryn: I read Stephen King long before I ever should have. At a young age I would sneak the books from my parents pile and read them in a quiet place. I used to scare the bejesus out of myself, but I LOVED the worlds and characters he created.
Debra: So those vivid dreams were probably present at an early age! King is such a vivid author.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Cathryn: I have never really written horror before, even though I read it voraciously as a child. So for this book, Soul Man, I wanted to try my hand at horror. I dug deep to create a story with many elements such as: Paranormal, Erotic, Romance, horror, suspense. I definitely think it’s outside the box!
Debra: It sounds like it! Outside the box is a good place for an author to be. So many good stories have come about when the author dared to take a chance.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Cathryn: Nothing is too out there, nothing is too wild. Go with it, trust yourself and you’ll be amazed at the where your imagination can take you.
Debra: Yes! Imagination is limitless if we let go and allow it.
Cathryn, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Cathryn: Thank you so much for having me here today.
Debra: You're quite welcome.
To learn more about Cathryn, visit http://www.cathrynfox.com
Cathryn, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Cathryn: I just finished writing my Pleasure Game trilogy for Avon Red. These stores are light, humorous, sexy contemporaries. So after working on these for the last year I thought it was time to jump into something a bit darker. I am now working on a new trilogy called, The Soul Game. I absolutely love writing dark so I’m having so much fun with this. My first story, Soul Man, is about video game designer who suddenly finds herself trapped inside her own game. She, along with her computer generated character Sever, must battle ‘other world beings’ in order to save her soul or run the risk of losing it in the alternate universe forever. Here’s the website page I have set up for it. http://www.cathrynfox.com/soul_man/index.html
Debra: Fascinating. I'll be watching for this one!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Cathryn: Sometimes in order for me to fill the refill the creative well I have to change focus from light contemporary, to dark paranormal. This helps me immensely. I also like to do other creative things like gardening, painting, baking with my daughter, playing soccer with my son, or having a movie marathon weekend with my hubby!
Debra: Changing from one genre to another allows us a chance to step away while still keeping that writing muscle in tune. It's amazing how quick answers come when you try that.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Cathryn: Yes, and it’s so good to know this happens to other people. For awhile there I thought psychiatric help was in order. )
Debra: You're in good company. Many writers I know have this experience.
Cathryn: When I’m deep into a story my characters are always with me, always in me. They are always speaking to me, telling me what THEY want to do next instead of me telling them what I want next. When I’m finished a book I really miss my characters. I love to go back and reread, to revisit my old friends. (You’re not calling the psyc ward are you?)
Debra: Oh, no. Never. I understand this feeling. They become friends and its hard to let them go.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Cathryn: In my dark paranormal stories I’ve created places and alternate universes and have made up names of towns and characters. Sometimes a name will just come to me, other times I struggle to get the right word to fit the character or the universe I’ve created.
Debra: Names can be tricky sometimes and they are so important.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Cathryn: I have the most vivid dreams. My husband and children will no longer listen to me. When I get up in the morning and tell them that I had the coolest dream last night, all I hear are groans. I do dream about my characters and what is really amazing is when I’m having trouble with a scene, really wracking my brain to figure out what is wrong, I can sometimes solve the issue when dreaming. It’s fascinating when the subconscious takes over.
Debra: There's a whole world waiting for us when we sleep, isn't there? The subconscious keeps on creating, even while we are resting. Though learning to listen to that subconscious sometimes takes practice.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Cathryn: I read Stephen King long before I ever should have. At a young age I would sneak the books from my parents pile and read them in a quiet place. I used to scare the bejesus out of myself, but I LOVED the worlds and characters he created.
Debra: So those vivid dreams were probably present at an early age! King is such a vivid author.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Cathryn: I have never really written horror before, even though I read it voraciously as a child. So for this book, Soul Man, I wanted to try my hand at horror. I dug deep to create a story with many elements such as: Paranormal, Erotic, Romance, horror, suspense. I definitely think it’s outside the box!
Debra: It sounds like it! Outside the box is a good place for an author to be. So many good stories have come about when the author dared to take a chance.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Cathryn: Nothing is too out there, nothing is too wild. Go with it, trust yourself and you’ll be amazed at the where your imagination can take you.
Debra: Yes! Imagination is limitless if we let go and allow it.
Cathryn, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Cathryn: Thank you so much for having me here today.
Debra: You're quite welcome.
To learn more about Cathryn, visit http://www.cathrynfox.com
Monday, August 14, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Terri Garey
Today on Make-believe Mondays, I am pleased to introduce my friend from RWAonline, Terri Garey. Terri writes paranormal romance for Avon.
Terri, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Terri: The book I’m working on now is a quirky contemporary paranormal entitled IF YOU GOT IT, HAUNT IT. It’s the third in a series for Avon Books (DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY will be released in July 2007, and WHERE THE GHOULS ARE in April 2008) about a hip young woman named Nicki Styx who dies and returns to life with the ability to see and hear spirits. If becoming a reluctant ‘ghoulfriend’ to the dead isn’t enough to turn the pink streaks in Nicki’s hair to white, she has a vintage clothing store to run and secrets to keep from the emergency room hottie who’s doing some ‘digging’ of his own. It’s dark humor with a Southern slant - the angst of a young woman on the edge, a healthy dash of sex and voodoo, a sprinkling of spookiness.
Debra: Ooh, that sounds spooky and intriguing. I can't wait to read it!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Terri: I used to be a very ‘left-brained’ person - I worked in the computer field, which is one of logic. I considered myself one of the least ‘creative’ people out there, until my husband pointed out the beauty of my garden, the cheerful needlepoints I’d framed and given to loved ones, the dried flower arrangements and seasonal wreaths I’d made for our home, even the colors I’d painted the walls and the way I arranged the furniture. My current favorite hobby is making beaded jewelry; necklaces, earrings, bracelets. Creativity is all around us - we need to recognize it within ourselves and nurture it, whatever the medium. Some people are fabulous cooks (I’m terrible at it, though I haven’t given anyone food poisoning yet , others paint, play an instrument, sculpt, or knit. Find something you like to do and keep doing it.
Debra: I'm always impressed by the many ways authors find to use their creativity. When nurtured, it explodes into everything they touch.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Terri: Oh, absolutely. It’s usually somewhere in the first chapter - how can I make my characters come alive for the reader if they’re not alive for me? Nicki Styx is a bit of a smart-aleck, and often surprises me with what she says and does… I wish I could be as ‘cool’ and witty in real life as she is! My agent said to me recently, “She’s really alive in your head, isn’t she?” As weird as that may seem, she was right.
Debra: Don't you you love it when they talk back to you? That's when surprising things happen. What a wild ride writing can be.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Terri: Being female, I guess I should say Judy Blume or Georgette Heyer, but it was actually Charles Dickens in DAVID COPPERFIELD. I remember reading that book over and over, and I still love a good, old-fashioned historical. As a paranormal author, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t influenced by Edgar Allen Poe - THE TELLTALE HEART and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM still amaze me with their ability to give the reader the shivers. And let’s not forget that it was a woman, Mary Shelley, who wrote the classic, FRANKENSTEIN.
Debra: Dickens is also one of my favorites, even today. So much so that I spent a summer reading biographies of him. He used to speak to his characters and also performed his stories, taking the part of each character. No wonder his characters seem so alive. And Poe, there's no one else quite like him. Hurray for Mary Shelley for showing the boys how it is done.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Terri: Dreams are important,but I think it’s the ‘waking’ ones that really count. That dream of becoming a writer? Don’t give it up. That dream of making the New York Times bestseller list? Don’t give it up. Imagine yourself receiving a Lifetime Achievement award. Imagine yourself churning out bestsellers while still in your pajamas. Imagine yourself at the Hollywood premiere of the movie they just made from one of your books.
Imagine. Dream. Then do what you can to make those dreams a reality.
Debra: I couldn't have said it better.
Terri, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers
You can visit Terri at www.tgarey.com or www.tgarey.blogspot.com
Terri, first, tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Terri: The book I’m working on now is a quirky contemporary paranormal entitled IF YOU GOT IT, HAUNT IT. It’s the third in a series for Avon Books (DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY will be released in July 2007, and WHERE THE GHOULS ARE in April 2008) about a hip young woman named Nicki Styx who dies and returns to life with the ability to see and hear spirits. If becoming a reluctant ‘ghoulfriend’ to the dead isn’t enough to turn the pink streaks in Nicki’s hair to white, she has a vintage clothing store to run and secrets to keep from the emergency room hottie who’s doing some ‘digging’ of his own. It’s dark humor with a Southern slant - the angst of a young woman on the edge, a healthy dash of sex and voodoo, a sprinkling of spookiness.
Debra: Ooh, that sounds spooky and intriguing. I can't wait to read it!
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Terri: I used to be a very ‘left-brained’ person - I worked in the computer field, which is one of logic. I considered myself one of the least ‘creative’ people out there, until my husband pointed out the beauty of my garden, the cheerful needlepoints I’d framed and given to loved ones, the dried flower arrangements and seasonal wreaths I’d made for our home, even the colors I’d painted the walls and the way I arranged the furniture. My current favorite hobby is making beaded jewelry; necklaces, earrings, bracelets. Creativity is all around us - we need to recognize it within ourselves and nurture it, whatever the medium. Some people are fabulous cooks (I’m terrible at it, though I haven’t given anyone food poisoning yet , others paint, play an instrument, sculpt, or knit. Find something you like to do and keep doing it.
Debra: I'm always impressed by the many ways authors find to use their creativity. When nurtured, it explodes into everything they touch.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Terri: Oh, absolutely. It’s usually somewhere in the first chapter - how can I make my characters come alive for the reader if they’re not alive for me? Nicki Styx is a bit of a smart-aleck, and often surprises me with what she says and does… I wish I could be as ‘cool’ and witty in real life as she is! My agent said to me recently, “She’s really alive in your head, isn’t she?” As weird as that may seem, she was right.
Debra: Don't you you love it when they talk back to you? That's when surprising things happen. What a wild ride writing can be.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Terri: Being female, I guess I should say Judy Blume or Georgette Heyer, but it was actually Charles Dickens in DAVID COPPERFIELD. I remember reading that book over and over, and I still love a good, old-fashioned historical. As a paranormal author, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t influenced by Edgar Allen Poe - THE TELLTALE HEART and THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM still amaze me with their ability to give the reader the shivers. And let’s not forget that it was a woman, Mary Shelley, who wrote the classic, FRANKENSTEIN.
Debra: Dickens is also one of my favorites, even today. So much so that I spent a summer reading biographies of him. He used to speak to his characters and also performed his stories, taking the part of each character. No wonder his characters seem so alive. And Poe, there's no one else quite like him. Hurray for Mary Shelley for showing the boys how it is done.
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Terri: Dreams are important,but I think it’s the ‘waking’ ones that really count. That dream of becoming a writer? Don’t give it up. That dream of making the New York Times bestseller list? Don’t give it up. Imagine yourself receiving a Lifetime Achievement award. Imagine yourself churning out bestsellers while still in your pajamas. Imagine yourself at the Hollywood premiere of the movie they just made from one of your books.
Imagine. Dream. Then do what you can to make those dreams a reality.
Debra: I couldn't have said it better.
Terri, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers
You can visit Terri at www.tgarey.com or www.tgarey.blogspot.com
Monday, August 07, 2006
Make-Believe Mondays With Rowena Cherry
The author I had originally scheduled to visit had a computer accident so I've had to juggle the schedule a bit.
Now, let me introduce my friend Rowena Cherry who writes romantic science fiction. I met Rowena on Daytona Beach while attending the RT convention where we spoke of sand crabs (fascinating creatures), holidays and writing.
Rowena, thank you for jumping in at the last minute. Tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Rowena: I’m working on INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL, which will be released by Dorchester’s LoveSpell imprint in February 2007. It is a sequel to FORCED MATE (another chess-titled romance), and continues the antagonist’s story moments after the brutal duel at the end of FORCED MATE.
The hero and heroine are forcibly marooned on a desert island, and left to sink or swim.
I was fortunate enough to be able to consult the Science Channel’s SURVIVORMAN, Les Stroud on my survival research and scenes.
He made some helpful suggestions which I am now adding to the manuscript… such as that moss plus absorbent fabric cut from an ejector seat would make a better sanitary pad than either one alone.
Also that, if one is on a naturally occurring island, the best idea is to try and find a spring of fresh water in the most overgrown area of any forest, rather than digging a beach well. As it happens, the island that my hero and heroine are shot down on in INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL is not naturally occurring.
Once I’m happy with my edits (and my editor is, too), I shall start writing chapters for the next full length novel.
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Rowena: Sometimes I don’t! There’s also a popular song with lyrics “If it don’t fit, don’t force it, just relax and let it go …” I’m not sure what the context of that song was supposed to be.
Sometimes, if I’ve nothing inspired to write, I simply don’t write. It’s a bit like my Grandmother’s advice about gossip!
All too often, when I think I am inspired, I amuse myself a little too much, and write scenes that have to be deleted later. I call such scenes Gorilla Testicles, because there is too little content to be worth showing them to anyone else. I have been known to post out-takes on the Out damned Story blog.
Debra: What fun! Sort of like the out takes or deleted scenes from the movies. I shall have to pay the blog a visit.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Rowena: This is acutely embarrassing to admit, but I prefer to be able to dream about my characters —especially my heroes-- before I start to tell their stories, yes.
Debra: One of the things I've learned through these interviews is how active a role dreams take during the creative process. How romantic that your heroes show up first in your dreams.
Rowena: There’s one character -–the god-Emperor Djohn-Kronos of MATING NET—- who was most unwilling to let me end his story. He “wants” another crack at love…. Or maybe I simply want to tell more of his story. I think he is the most powerful and fascinating of all my characters.
When I wrote Tarrant-Arragon, I never thought I’d say that of anyone but Tarrant-Arragon.
I am not the sort of person who would ever use the F-word in my own conversation, so I was profoundly shocked when the hero of INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL insisted on using it both as an expletive and as a verb. That is his voice coming through.
Debra: A strong and insistent voice I would guess.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Rowena: Yes. It seems logical, if the hero is an alien, that he would not speak perfect English. The supremely arrogant hero of FORCED MATE, Tarrant-Arragon grasped that we use various prefixes to make a negative (in- ; un- ; im- ; dis- ; non- … etc) He follows the rule, approximately, but pleases himself which prefix he uses. So “nonsense” becomes “unsense” when he deigns to speak English.
I had a bit of trouble with a copy editor over that!
You wouldn’t expect an alien to use the same words for his genitals that we do. Various authors have introduced alien terms, especially if their equipment works on different physical principles or looks very different.
I suppose you know that our so-proper and clinical word “penis” comes from the Latin word for a tail?
How silly! You’ll never look at one in the same way, will you?
Debra: No, I don't suppose I will.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Rowena: All the time. I like to dream-load a scene I want to write, and dream it repeatedly until the scene achieves a certain inevitability (or thusness).
Debra: Oh, I like this idea.
Rowena: A psychic, it wasn’t John Edwards, but it was someone who knows a lot about “Channeling” and talking to people from the other side, once told me that I channel my characters, and that their stories really took place in a parallel world.
Debra: Fascinating.
Rowena: I am skeptical about that, actually. I like to think I have a bit more creative control over the process, and that I am rather more than a cosmic Dictaphone.
Debra: Yes, I agree. We do have free will.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Rowena: I remember “Waggon Train”, which you might think of as an Earthbound “Battlestar Galactica”. As a child growing up in England, the American frontier seemed so far off that it might as well have been an alien world.
When I was thirteen, my mother introduced me to Georgette Heyer’s Georgian and Regency romances, and to this day I love her articulate and well-bred heroes.
Debra: She set the standard and paved the way, I believe.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Rowena: Isn’t that what’s called The Book of One’s Heart? I guess I did that when I started to write about my alien djinn gods from outer space, about 12 years ago, when no one was touching that sort of fiction.
I’m sorry, that came across as a smartass comment. On the other hand, if I had a story such as you describe in my head, I think I’d want to write it, sell it, and copyright it before I gave away the premise.
Debra: No worries. I understand completely. (And there are many authors who refuse to discuss story ideas before they are written down as it tends to reduce the impetus to write them.)
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Rowena: What makes any story unique is the angle -—or slant-- and voice and technique of the author. There are only so many plots… some say there are 5, others say there are almost 30.
You might say that telling a story is a bit like making pastry. How many sorts of pastry are there? Rough puff, water-crust, flakey, pie crust, short-crust … I forget, but I once knew them all. Normally I’d look up the variants, but I put all my cookery books away because I needed more kitchen cabinet space, and I can’t remember where I put the books.
All cooks use flour, water, fat according to the recipe, yet some cooks make better pastry than others. It might be the coldness of their hands, or the lightness of their touch, or their technique with the cutting-in knife, or whether they warmed or chilled the bowl, or how well their oven keeps temperature. Not to mention their sense of timing. And then, there is the magical “I don’t know what”…. Luck, I should say. Or vision.
I’ve strayed a bit from imagination and dreams, though. Imagine trying to make pastry romantic! On the other hand, that’s the sort of intellectual challenge I love. If someone were to dare me to make a canderu romantic, I’d do it!
Debra: It is a bit like pastry making isn't it? I like the analogy. (Though I have to admit you are making me hungry for the blueberries I froze a few weeks ago. Mmm, blueberry pie for dessert tonight. My husband will thank you.)
Rowena: If I may, I’d also like to advertise where readers can find more of my burblings.
Debra: Certainly.
Rowena: I’m lucky enough to blog:
At Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3VL7IG9CB3QQ5/ref=cm_ad_25/102-3237572-0297757
At Alien romances (a group blog I share with Susan Kearney, Linnea Sinclair, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Cindy Holby and Margaret L Carter) http://www.aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com
At my yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rowenacherrynewsletter/
At Rowena Cherry Remarks
http://www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com
At Out, damned story
http://outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
I also publish a newsletter from my website www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
If you like fooling around with bare-chested hunks, there are some interactive jigsaws at www.rowenacherry.com/puzzle
Also at survival-romance http://www.survival-romance.blogspot.com
Rowena, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Rowena: Thank you, Debra!
Debra: You're quite welcome.
Now, let me introduce my friend Rowena Cherry who writes romantic science fiction. I met Rowena on Daytona Beach while attending the RT convention where we spoke of sand crabs (fascinating creatures), holidays and writing.
Rowena, thank you for jumping in at the last minute. Tell us a little bit about the manuscript you’re working on now.
Rowena: I’m working on INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL, which will be released by Dorchester’s LoveSpell imprint in February 2007. It is a sequel to FORCED MATE (another chess-titled romance), and continues the antagonist’s story moments after the brutal duel at the end of FORCED MATE.
The hero and heroine are forcibly marooned on a desert island, and left to sink or swim.
I was fortunate enough to be able to consult the Science Channel’s SURVIVORMAN, Les Stroud on my survival research and scenes.
He made some helpful suggestions which I am now adding to the manuscript… such as that moss plus absorbent fabric cut from an ejector seat would make a better sanitary pad than either one alone.
Also that, if one is on a naturally occurring island, the best idea is to try and find a spring of fresh water in the most overgrown area of any forest, rather than digging a beach well. As it happens, the island that my hero and heroine are shot down on in INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL is not naturally occurring.
Once I’m happy with my edits (and my editor is, too), I shall start writing chapters for the next full length novel.
Mark Twain said, “You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.” How do you fill your creative well to keep your imagination in focus?
Rowena: Sometimes I don’t! There’s also a popular song with lyrics “If it don’t fit, don’t force it, just relax and let it go …” I’m not sure what the context of that song was supposed to be.
Sometimes, if I’ve nothing inspired to write, I simply don’t write. It’s a bit like my Grandmother’s advice about gossip!
All too often, when I think I am inspired, I amuse myself a little too much, and write scenes that have to be deleted later. I call such scenes Gorilla Testicles, because there is too little content to be worth showing them to anyone else. I have been known to post out-takes on the Out damned Story blog.
Debra: What fun! Sort of like the out takes or deleted scenes from the movies. I shall have to pay the blog a visit.
Is there a point when your characters begin to come alive and you can see and hear them?
Rowena: This is acutely embarrassing to admit, but I prefer to be able to dream about my characters —especially my heroes-- before I start to tell their stories, yes.
Debra: One of the things I've learned through these interviews is how active a role dreams take during the creative process. How romantic that your heroes show up first in your dreams.
Rowena: There’s one character -–the god-Emperor Djohn-Kronos of MATING NET—- who was most unwilling to let me end his story. He “wants” another crack at love…. Or maybe I simply want to tell more of his story. I think he is the most powerful and fascinating of all my characters.
When I wrote Tarrant-Arragon, I never thought I’d say that of anyone but Tarrant-Arragon.
I am not the sort of person who would ever use the F-word in my own conversation, so I was profoundly shocked when the hero of INSUFFICIENT MATING MATERIAL insisted on using it both as an expletive and as a verb. That is his voice coming through.
Debra: A strong and insistent voice I would guess.
Some very famous authors have played with language, creating words for people or places that no one has ever heard of. Have you ever played with words in that way and if so how?
Rowena: Yes. It seems logical, if the hero is an alien, that he would not speak perfect English. The supremely arrogant hero of FORCED MATE, Tarrant-Arragon grasped that we use various prefixes to make a negative (in- ; un- ; im- ; dis- ; non- … etc) He follows the rule, approximately, but pleases himself which prefix he uses. So “nonsense” becomes “unsense” when he deigns to speak English.
I had a bit of trouble with a copy editor over that!
You wouldn’t expect an alien to use the same words for his genitals that we do. Various authors have introduced alien terms, especially if their equipment works on different physical principles or looks very different.
I suppose you know that our so-proper and clinical word “penis” comes from the Latin word for a tail?
How silly! You’ll never look at one in the same way, will you?
Debra: No, I don't suppose I will.
For some writers, dreams play a role in creating fiction. Has this been true for you? Have you ever dreamed a scene or an image that later wound up in one of your books?
Rowena: All the time. I like to dream-load a scene I want to write, and dream it repeatedly until the scene achieves a certain inevitability (or thusness).
Debra: Oh, I like this idea.
Rowena: A psychic, it wasn’t John Edwards, but it was someone who knows a lot about “Channeling” and talking to people from the other side, once told me that I channel my characters, and that their stories really took place in a parallel world.
Debra: Fascinating.
Rowena: I am skeptical about that, actually. I like to think I have a bit more creative control over the process, and that I am rather more than a cosmic Dictaphone.
Debra: Yes, I agree. We do have free will.
As a child did any particular book or author pull you into their imaginary world?
Rowena: I remember “Waggon Train”, which you might think of as an Earthbound “Battlestar Galactica”. As a child growing up in England, the American frontier seemed so far off that it might as well have been an alien world.
When I was thirteen, my mother introduced me to Georgette Heyer’s Georgian and Regency romances, and to this day I love her articulate and well-bred heroes.
Debra: She set the standard and paved the way, I believe.
If there were no categories for books, no reader expectations to meet, and you could create the wildest work of imagination that you could think of what kind of story would that be?
Rowena: Isn’t that what’s called The Book of One’s Heart? I guess I did that when I started to write about my alien djinn gods from outer space, about 12 years ago, when no one was touching that sort of fiction.
I’m sorry, that came across as a smartass comment. On the other hand, if I had a story such as you describe in my head, I think I’d want to write it, sell it, and copyright it before I gave away the premise.
Debra: No worries. I understand completely. (And there are many authors who refuse to discuss story ideas before they are written down as it tends to reduce the impetus to write them.)
Is there anything else you would like to add about the role of imagination, and dreams in creating fiction? Any other message for our readers?
Rowena: What makes any story unique is the angle -—or slant-- and voice and technique of the author. There are only so many plots… some say there are 5, others say there are almost 30.
You might say that telling a story is a bit like making pastry. How many sorts of pastry are there? Rough puff, water-crust, flakey, pie crust, short-crust … I forget, but I once knew them all. Normally I’d look up the variants, but I put all my cookery books away because I needed more kitchen cabinet space, and I can’t remember where I put the books.
All cooks use flour, water, fat according to the recipe, yet some cooks make better pastry than others. It might be the coldness of their hands, or the lightness of their touch, or their technique with the cutting-in knife, or whether they warmed or chilled the bowl, or how well their oven keeps temperature. Not to mention their sense of timing. And then, there is the magical “I don’t know what”…. Luck, I should say. Or vision.
I’ve strayed a bit from imagination and dreams, though. Imagine trying to make pastry romantic! On the other hand, that’s the sort of intellectual challenge I love. If someone were to dare me to make a canderu romantic, I’d do it!
Debra: It is a bit like pastry making isn't it? I like the analogy. (Though I have to admit you are making me hungry for the blueberries I froze a few weeks ago. Mmm, blueberry pie for dessert tonight. My husband will thank you.)
Rowena: If I may, I’d also like to advertise where readers can find more of my burblings.
Debra: Certainly.
Rowena: I’m lucky enough to blog:
At Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3VL7IG9CB3QQ5/ref=cm_ad_25/102-3237572-0297757
At Alien romances (a group blog I share with Susan Kearney, Linnea Sinclair, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Cindy Holby and Margaret L Carter) http://www.aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com
At my yahoo group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rowenacherrynewsletter/
At Rowena Cherry Remarks
http://www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com
At Out, damned story
http://outdamnedstory.blogspot.com
I also publish a newsletter from my website www.rowenacherry.com/newsletter
If you like fooling around with bare-chested hunks, there are some interactive jigsaws at www.rowenacherry.com/puzzle
Also at survival-romance http://www.survival-romance.blogspot.com
Rowena, thank you for joining us here on this Make-believe Monday to share a little bit of the magic of writing with our readers.
Rowena: Thank you, Debra!
Debra: You're quite welcome.
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