Me being lazy but still wanting to say something . . .
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
Helen Keller
Category: Odd Observation
Yakety Yak!
Does being a ‘talker’ make an author a better writer? My personal opinion is no.
Being a talker (as in a person who talks to talk) for most of my life, I wasted a lot of words to get to a point. Sure an author needs to be able to expand and describe scenes, people, clothes, etc., all in effort to give a book more color. But I’ve found people who can say so much in so few words to be freaking geniuses.
Maybe that’s why I’ve become quieter. 😉
New Year’s Plans
If you’re like me, you rarely make New Year’s resolutions at the beginning of the year. Usually, I find myself deciding in the middle of a year what to do the next year. I’m a firm planner-ahead person. Funny, considering I’m a pantser (write by the seat of my pants) writer.
This year I decided not to go to any conferences in 2014. This will be only the second time in ten years I haven’t been to a conference (National and/or regional). The last time was the year I received The Call (2011). That year all of my funds went to an entire Family Vacation. We try to do that every other year. This coming year though is a milestone for hubby and I. Our fortieth wedding anniversary and we plan to go on a train ride through parts of Alaska. Can’t wait!
Another plan is to self-publish three novellas that will continue The Circle series. Of course, I have other plans, but if you’re like me, there are a few we keep to ourselves. You know, to keep from having egg on our face if the plans fall through. I don’t know about you, but I rather eat eggs than wear them.
Oh, I will be at Heart of Dixie’s Romance Readers Luncheon and possibly at Southern Magic’s. But those are local and don’t cost me as much, though I will say I spend a lot of money on the basket I give away. For details about the luncheons, go to their websites: heartofdixie.org and southernmagic.org
Baffled?
Love that word along with bamboozled, hoodwinked, charlatan, flummox and so many more. All words you don’t hear people say anymore. You’re more apt to read it in a historical novel. I wonder what words we say now that will be quaint fifty to hundred years from now?
Anyway, that’s not what this post is about. I’m baffled by the popularity of a certain series of books — and no, it’s not Fifty Shades of Grey — and I won’t give the titles as I never say negative things about other authors’ books. Well, not on line and rarely verbally. I chalk up the success of the books due to the world having a wide range of readers. As there are people who love my books and others who do not, and I’m happy to say the loves way out number all of the others. Thank goodness!
Whatever.
When it comes to my reading taste, as I mentioned here before, I vary from inspirational to paranormal to erotica (BDSM) to historical to contemporary romance. Preferable that all have the word romance in the genre.
I guess only half the time do I follow the crowd in reading the popular book or series. When Harry Potter came out, I had no interest in reading the books and only watched the first movie. Not my thing. No matter how beautifully they’re written. Same with Charlene Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series. They just didn’t interest me. Nothing against the books or authors . . . *shrug*
Though I did/do read Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series. And I read Karen Marie Moning’s Highlander and Fever series. All of Kresley Cole’s series including the new one she started (and I can’t wait for #2), The Dacians. Anne Stuart’s Ice series (wish there were more of those).
I can’t go in details about why I’m baffled without giving away the series, but I will say the decisions the female lead made irritated the crap out of me. I kept saying, “Dumb, dumb, dumb.” Each to their own.
Misconceptions
I love writing stories about misconceptions. You know where the hero appears to be a bad guy (and may be one) and he has a problem trusting that there are good people in the world. So cynical. And the woman is good, but people say ugly things about her and how her family is trash, so she has to be trouble too, right? Love it! Even reversed.
We all know in the real life nothing is as it appears. That’s why people fight and argue and are ugly to each other. We can only judge others by our own experiences. If our past involves having people betray or berate us, we expect it from everyone. Our insecurities can be a booger.
As most writers know, editors care little for conflict that could be solved by a simple conversation. I’m sure there are some stories written where the hero and heroine trust and love each other enough for that to happen pretty quickly. You know, talk and believe each other.
Oh, no, not my characters. I love seeing my couple suffer as they learn to trust. And trust isn’t a stable emotion. In the beginning it doesn’t take much to blow all their hard work to hell and back. If you don’t trust yourself (Should you really believe in this man or woman? You’ve been hurt or seen others hurt over and over again.), how can you believe they won’t betray you? Again?
The gradual move from distrust to believing what they say keeps me reading the book. And of course, the sexual tension keeps me turning the pages too.
Yes, love can conquer all ― that’s why I write romances ― but true love takes time and the length of one book usually does it.
Carla Swafford, Author 