Writing the bones, then putting meat on them
Brita Addams
The one fallacy many writers have when they first start
writing, is in the thinking that they have to write the entire the story in one
go. Oh, how difficult that is, even in the second or third go.
Building a story is difficult work. Each scene builds toward
the next, and sometimes the story veers off into directions unforeseen. For me,
it is very difficult to plot a story in its entirety. The fundamentals, yes,
the general direction, even an idea as to how it ends, but the meat of the
story is something that takes shape as I go along.
Characters tend to have ideas of their own and to
steadfastly ignore their pleadings is to sacrifice the story they want for the
one I can't quite see yet.
I've discovered that I can write very quickly if I don't
stop to flesh out the thoughts or actions on the first go-round. It is good for
me to get the thoughts down, sometimes with notes about further researching a
particular point. The story flows nicely if I don't fill in every detail, every
description.
Much like a woman dressing for a ball, stories are written
in layers.
Underclothes first, or in the story sense, the setting down of the
conceptual ideas. The slip and corset comes next, and with it, the eventual shape
of the woman (or story) takes form. Then the lovely dress is slipped over her
head, the buttons fastened (edited) and the entire picture (story) comes into
view.
There are as many different habits in writing as there are
writers. Plotter or pantser (writing by the seat of your pants) is a very
common question. I always answer that I'm a bit of both. I write down the
beginning, usually starting with a scene that has haunted me. I create the main
characters, set down their features, their manner, their social positions—all this
is done before I start to write.
I get the basic goal of the story set, that's pretty easy
usually, pretty elementary – the getting together of the two main characters. I
don't write anything but happy endings. J The
story lies in how that goal is accomplished, what will keep them apart, what
angst the characters have, enemies that step into the breach they've cause, oh,
my there are thousands of ways to get to the goal.
Sometimes, well, okay, most of the time, my characters take
me for a ride and that's the story that is the most fun to write. I love being
taken on an unexpected journey, having the story unfold in ways I didn't
expect, things happen that I never saw coming.
One quick story—when I starting writing Lord Decadent's Obsession,
my hero, Prentice Hyde, was in possession of a nagging mother. She'd made it
her life's work to remind Prentice that he, as a Marquis, was obligated to
marry and soon. There was one particular scene where Mama Hyde and her daughter
had destroyed a perfectly nice evening. On the way home that evening, the dear
older woman met her demise. I'd had something entirely different planned for
her, having her as the bane of Prentice's existence throughout the book, but I
was led to something completely different.
That's a minor example, but it illustrates the point.
The length of the book is also something that I never can
determine until it's written. I never force the story to be any particular
length. Overwriting is always a bad idea. It often leads to meandering plots,
filler characters or side stories that don't have anything to do with the main
story.
Too many stories within a book gets confusing, gives the
reader too much to sort out and keep straight. It's also the cause of the
dreaded "sagging middle," the place where the writer has to write
something, but the story doesn't have enough fuel to see its way through to a
longer book.
I learned early on, that if a paragraph or even a scene can
be cut and it doesn't harm the story, they aren't needed. That only means that
it didn't advance the story in any way. It was great advice.
Writing is great fun, a wonderful creative outlet. To be a published
author is a great honor, and to have readers who wait for your next book to be
release, now that's priceless.
Here's the blurb from my new release, Demands of the Heart:
In
1807, idealistic Richard Fanshaw and Victoria Bramhill are consumed with each
other, their young love blooming amidst a series of carefree soirees and stolen
moments.
But
jealousy and greed turn what they have into something ugly and twisted. They're
wrenched apart amid vile lies and deceit when Victoria's freedom is bought to pay her
father's debts.
Six
years later, Victoria is widowed and a cynical
Richard has just returned to England
after years in India. Having been given the impression that Victoria's marriage was a happy one, a chance meeting
renews Richard's anger over Victoria's
betrayal and sets in motion a plan for revenge.
One
must answer the demands of the heart.
I'd love to hear from you. You can
find me at any of these places:
Email
address: britaaddams@gmail.com
Twitter:
@britaaddams
20% off To celebrate the release of Demand's of the Heart, Noble Romance
Publishing is offering my entire backlist at 20% off. This is for sales on the
Noble Romance Publishing site only and only my titles.
The price you'll see is the reduced price.
The sale will run from midnight, Pacific time, February 20
to 11:59 pm Pacific time, March 2.
This is a backlist sale, so it doesn't include Demands of the Heart.
I have
several contests running during the book tour, ending at midnight, March 2.
Contest #1:
I'll choose a daily winner from
the commenters. I'll will be giving away an ebook from my backlist at each
stop. The only exclusion is Demands of the Heart. One book per commenter,
please.
Contest #2:
Demands of the Heart T-Shirt Contest:
If you answer the three questions correctly, you
could be one of four winners. The prize will be a T-Shirt with the cover of the
book on it. The shirt also says that the cover is model, Jimmy Thomas's 1500th
cover. There will be four winners, each winning a T-Shirt and other swag.
Please do NOT put the answers in
the comments section of this blog or on Brita's site. Email them to Brita, with
T-Shirt Answers in the subject line.
1. What book did I write under
another name?
2. Who is the character, Lucien
Damrill, patterned after?
3. Describe the signature brandy
snifter at the Sapphire Club.
Contest #3: GRAND PRIZE
This contest is about Demands
of the Heart. Of course, you're under no obligation to buy or read the
book, but if you choose to, this contest is for you.
I've put three questions up on my website, all relating to my book,
Demands of the Heart. Answer the questions and EMAIL me, with the
answers, at britaaddams@gmail.com Be sure to put GRAND PRIZE in the subject
line.
You must have all three questions
answered correctly to be entered into the drawing.
The Grand Prize is the
entire Sapphire Club series in print, signed by the author. I'll also include some other signed swag.
Good luck and I hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you Annette, for having me. I truly appreciate it.
You can read my five hunk review here
