Getting Down and Dirty with Blogfesting!

OK, so there's a lot of people out there convinced blogfests are a bad thing for aspiring writers!

At one point I sort of sympathised with that assumption until I read an article on a lit agent's web site, in which it was stated that if an excerpt of writing or first chapter is placed on the Internet (blogoland/wherever) many newbie writers fear it might be stolen or the idea/plot stolen.

The lit agent pointed out that the author of original content retains full copyright (date/time stamp of posted content proof positive or submission of content to any central deposit agency) and, should that then appear verbatim in a published novel written by another author a charge of plagiarism will stand up in court of law!

Personally, if some saddo writer out there can't think or plot for themselves then I'll take it as a compliment that they were desperate enough to steal a piece of my action, because that would mean I'm better at writing than they are!

So, let's analyse a few reasons why people won't or are merely reluctant to publish snippets of their work on the Internet, and thereby unable to participate in blogfests!

As the lit agent said "fear" is a huge motivator for excuses to everything and anything that might imply one to be less than perfect in chosen field of writing. Perfected manuscripts are a rare commodity, hence one sees and hears tales all the time on bestselling author blogs about rewrites, how editors wanted more of something, sometimes less of something else, and many authors and lit agents alike despairing editors' sanity in some of the requests/demands made of writers.

So, according to professional opinion, your baby may be your baby and you may think it's perfect, but just wait until an editor starts hacking it to pieces - think you're a perfected writer now, think again!

OUCH! Tough words, but thought-provoking all the same.  I've been there done that, and again out in the wilderness like all newbie writers and wannabe' , not because I chose to be out in the cold but because circumstances beyond my control (riding accident) took me out of the writing circuit. So I know where most of you are coming from, and how hard it can be to motivate oneself at times. When I eventually came to (bouts of unconsciousness) I was given books to read and suddenly realised I couldn't read, that I'd lost that faculty, which took literally months to recover and I felt ashamed because I couldn't read and couldn't write. Luckily it was a temporary thing, and I'm back on form. I think - judge for yourselves by reading my material!  

Now to issue of why blogfesting is a good marketing ploy - according to lit agent!

Lit agent was quick to note blogfests as "marketing tool" = extend friend base extend fan base extend sales of book when your name finally hits the shelves whether in cyber bookstore as e-book or conventional bookstores. People you've met via blogging will go buy your book if nothing more than to critique it, bash it to shreds, envy it and swear they could have written better, or they'll genuinely love it and praise you for job well done!

Lit agent's advice was look at your blog closely, not just your bestest group buddies who post on yours and you post on theirs; so on and so forth (same old same old - limited market potential) look out for new faces (even the silent ones) and go blogging = go marketing.

Lit agent advice: stick with your own kind until you've hit the publishing wheel, hanging out on published author blogs comes across as desperate to belong and shades of willing them to help you gain entry to their inner realm. Hanging out on lit agent blogs worse still, though he did put a big smiley at this point. :)

Oh whoops, hee hee, shall have to cut back on posting to queens of romance then.

This is an add on to above: How much should one bare on blogs, snippets of WIPs that is.

I noticed on a blog (somewhere) in comments:  re posting snippets from novels is not a good idea, as some publishers may consider it be already published!!!

Well, according to quite a few publishers including Carina Press (e-book publisher Harlequin) and Avon Romance & Harper Collins (authonomy.com) actively look to see if authors are already promoting themselves and their work! Good news, or what?

So, what's your opinion on blogfesting?

"Share Your Darlings" Blogfest . . .

There's a follow-up at end of this snippet in reference to publisher rejection for this specific novel. It may help you to avoid the same pitfall I dropped into without realising I had.


The lovely Michelle Gregory hosted this blogfest so please check out her url below to read other author offerings to the "Share Your Darlings" blogfest.

http://michellegregory.blogspot.com/

Brief:  
Ricky Lindon, engaged to Tara Portland, never for one moment thought Tara would be passing a particular New York restaurant and would see him (apparently) kissing another woman. She did, though, and ran and kept running, then eighteen-months later he sees her and cannot get to her: you'll see why! This snip taken from opening chapter to category romance novel: just completed

Island of Ste Marguerite, Cannes, France: late April.



Tethered to the mainmast of a sailing ship and fifty lashes of the whip supposedly raining down on his back, Ricky Lindon sensed something or someone on the quayside. It was just a flash in his peripheral vision.

He inclined his head to see what had caught his eye.

Yee gods.

An exquisite apparition had come to brighten his day. Well, not as such, but certainly a vision of beauty.

What with a damn cloud as black as night overhead and looking like it intended business, the director suddenly yelled, ‘Cut,’ threw down his copy of the day’s script in gesture of utter frustration, and furthered with snide comment: ‘The effing script Lindon, read it, you might get an idea of what I want from you today.’

‘And if I’d sneezed?’ quizzed Rick, thinking the ruddy director a pompous twit at times.

The director turned and stormed off, shouted, ‘Take a break everyone, and when Don Juan is ready to continue, perhaps he’ll be good enough to let me know.’

Ricky glanced over his shoulder to fellow actors. ‘What in hell is his problem?’

His co-star shrugged his shoulders, the flogging master did the sign of the cross with his fingers, and the camera crew busy scrambling to cover their kit with rain covers sniggering like idiots.

The creamy vision all the while remained on the quayside taking in the scene of irate director and entourage scurrying along behind him.

So what if Ricky Lindon was meant to look as though suffering the pain and humiliation of fifty lashes. Hell, he’d only turned his head slightly. And sure, his concentration of looking pained had lapsed into a broad grin. So what.

Damn it all, he couldn’t believe a woman like that was there alone without a man of some sort hanging out with her. She was gorgeous despite face half shadowed by wide-brimmed hat, her reflective shades purposefully fixated on his half naked body implying overt interest in what he had to offer.

If it hadn’t been for her stance of come and get me if you dare, he wouldn’t have grinned and caused the director to throw a tantrum. Seeing as he was already in the proverbial what the hell, he swung his head back round to get a better look at long slender legs and slim shapely hips.

Well if this wasn’t his lucky day.

A sudden offshore breeze whipped at her dress dragging it up her thigh, and the casual way in which she caught the brim of her hat to prevent it blowing away caused his heart to blip: several times.

He panned his eyes back to her face, the sensual sexuality of a smile bestowed upon him utterly breathtaking, not to say stimulating in a maddeningly frustrating way.

Overhead the gunmetal grey cloud stretching far distant suddenly shimmied past the sun like the gods were smiling down on him. And, lit from behind her figure turned to silhouette. A stunning figure it was too.

Something about her was damn familiar, but it couldn’t . . . couldn’t be Tara.

There it was again,  that come get me smile. It had to be her. No two women were that alike except identical twins, and Tara didn’t have a sister let alone a twin.

The fabulous vision suddenly turned about and strolled away.

He watched the gentle sway of her hips, relished the spectacle of long legs and trim ankles. She was barefoot and brazen, yet her poise sensual serene, and the way she pulled her hat from her head and shook long blonde locks loose set his pulse racing.

Was it Tara? Dare he shout out her name?

He’d look a right tosser if wrong in his thinking.

He had to know, one way or the other.

He turned to one of the sound technicians, asked, ‘Hey Ron, do you know who that young lady is?’

Ron glanced over the rim of his specs in her direction, replied, ‘Yeah, she’s with the guy who bankrolled the movie. Don’t know her name, though.’

‘What, the old guy?’

Hell, he sounded like he was well choked.

Damn it, he was choked. His heart dived. He was still lashed to the mast and not one of the bastards standing around taking a blind bit of notice of that fact, otherwise he could have legged it after her.

He noticed a man with a clipboard step toward her in a rather officious manner. Her instant gesture of throwing her arms in the air suggested she didn’t have a pass and had no right on set. And she looked like she didn’t give a monkey as though she owned the place, and that was just how Tara would have responded to a jumped up jerk.

Great, how in hell was he supposed to get near her if she was shacked up with Darrell Easterly the shipping billionaire?

The man had bodyguards galore, probably ex special-forces soldiers with sniper credentials to die for: literally.

Ricky Lindon, heartthrob movie star once upon a time engaged to Tara Portland, had suddenly found himself thrown out of her apartment block merely because he’d been spied kissing some girl in a restaurant. It was a kiss that had meant nothing to him, and bestowed in mere gratitude by his agent’s assistant. Trying to explain that to Tara had gotten him a slap to face, door slammed in his kisser and added indignity of an armed security guard hauling him into a lift before bundling him out and onto the street. Tara had then vanished within days, and now she’d popped up with billionaire shipping magnate in tow.

There was unfinished business between Ricky Lindon and Tara Portland, and the apparition on the quayside had given him the big come get me if you dare.

No way could Ricky Lindon walk away from that kind of a challenge.

------------------

Add on:

I don't mind posting rejections to subs and why they occurred - such can help others to avoid the same mistakes!!

This followed standard rejection line of not for us: quote:

"However, I don't feel this manuscript hits the right note for *******. The narrative needs to be sophisticated and serious, and that requirement more or less precludes romantic comedy, which this ms has leanings towards. The writing is florid (i.e. ' class oozed out of her like top whack champagne sizzling and brimming a cut-glass flute') and this kind of knockabout prose, while great fun and perfect for a particular type of rom com, is not what we're looking for at *******.

In general, we are looking for a greater attempt at realism in the narrative and in dialogue, as well as characters with which typical romance readers can identify, something I don't feel you've achieved here. It's also hard to create a sensual or sexual atmosphere between characters whose interior monologues are as jokey as yours, and we are looking specifically for sexy mss"

---
Fair enough, I expect the ed was just being nice about something she thought of as utter crap!
OK, so you've read the snippet, now read the sentence in context as referred to by the editor (top wack champagne):


When he’d first met Tara she hadn’t fallen at his feet like other young women, and he’d loved the way class oozed out of her like top wack champagne sizzling and brimming a cut-glass flute. And, element of mystery about her, too.

Smitten and intrigued he’d tried digging into her past, and she’d evaded his every question by changing the subject. He couldn’t imagine she’d had anything to hide, but there was something and it was a big deal by the way she’d gone off at him for pressing on the subject of parents. Afterwards he’d avoided prying into her life beyond that of every day acquaintance.

So, where does romance end and suddenly become chick-lit or rom com?

These two bloggers have some great chat going on too:

Karen G

Talli Roland

Male Blond Fest.

Reading a lot of HM&B novels one can see that blond heroes get a rough deal in the HM&B hero stakes. So, I thought I'd have a blond fest of oldies and newbies to the blond movie star stakes, and perhaps some of you out there might look kindly on having a blond hero in your Modern Heat etc.

Take a moment to study these newer faces that have hit the big screen and TV channels on a regular basis. What if anything do you like about a specific face and the individual's attractive qualities. Could you see them as inspiration for a hero in one of your novels?
















































Let's face it some of these older faces have drawn sighs, ahhhs and "oh god he's simply delicious" like statements.



So, what's wrong in having a blond hero?















I've omitted Sean Bean from the oldie listing (can be seen below in previous historical related post)because I'll probably be accused of obsessing over him!!!


Post your thoughts and let's find out if blond males are out of fashion!

New Project whilst waiting on Submission Replies.

Due to a comment I've since added fun-time movie female heroine (Nicole Kidman)alongside the hero (Jude Law) and George Clooney whom I think could pass himself off as the shipping magnate.

I mentioned previously about researching jewels for another historical novel, but meantime characters from a comtemporary theme appeared in a dream and just had to take precedence. Hence I've embarked on their story first, which involves a stunningly good-looking hero movie star,










a billionaire shipping magnate, and a glamorous heroine who incites male lust without even trying.




The plot incorporates love, betrayal, emotional and physical scarring, and love regained despite odds stacked against such happening.













I blame this image of steps leading down to secluded cove for inspiring the present WIP. It embodies the essence of what happens and why the hero turns to this place in his time of need. Needless to say there is a very sad underlying element to the story, but the end makes up for all the heartache suffered by hero and heroine alike.










This is a side view of the property owned by the stunningly good-looking hero, who, for reasons I cannot reveal feels need to hideaway from the world mid-novel and in doing so becomes a mystery stalker!!! The steps in the first image (above)are to the left of this image.











Imagine lush tropical island, and living in this gorgeous villa. Well you can't, it belongs to a billionaire shipping magnate, who sought a special person to take control of his life, found her, and whisked her away to his island retreat, though I can't say why he needs her! It would reveal too much of the plot.









Stunnng view isn't it? Lucky Billionaire and heroine look out on it every day for months, and then an old love of hers unexpectedly walks centre stage! Hee hee, love never runs smooth.









I really love this yacht because it's a perfect replica of the yacht, which is featured often within the novel. It of course belongs to the billionaire shipping magnate who has designs on the heroine, not least in a sexual manner. Speaks for itself, it's a bird-pulling magnate: the yacht!








Just for historical interest, this is the fort where the real "Man in the Iron Mask" was kept captive, his identity never revealed. It does feature in the novel but is not a main prop.

Romance Writing & Research!

Seeing as a few people have posted comments in reference to research etc., not on the research post but on the historical snippet post, I thought it might be a good idea to clarify a few things and obtain the point of view of other writers!

Taking the title "Romance Writing & Research" one is forced to ask is it necessary?

Well, according to Bernard Cornwell, the bestselling author of the "Sharpe" character, yes, research is vital!
http://www.bernardcornwell.net/



I can vouch for Cornwell's honesty in this, for my husband's father was at one time West of England Champion Archer and at present owns the largest private collection of historical Long Bows in the UK.




Bernard Cornwell used Hugh's expertise in his research for a historical novel entailing archery, and wrote a forward for Hugh's History of the Long Bow!




















http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Cp_27%3AHugh+D.+H.+Soar&field-author=Hugh+D.+H.+Soar&page=1
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This writer talking on research: http://www.caroclarke.com/historicalfiction.html
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This too, interesting.

Whether your novel is set in the 1890s or 1990s, it is important to know everything you can about the time period and the location. If you use a real place for your setting, or base a fictional town on a real one, you need to know the layout of the area, and detailed information about the people and places found there. If time and money permits, it is best to visit the location. If not, travel guides, street maps and tourist bureaus can be invaluable resources. The Weather Channel can give you information on the climate. Daily newspapers are excellent for getting a feel for the people and their interests, as well as speech patterns, popular names and local events

Read more at Suite101: Researching Your Novel
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/novel_writing/12104