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Category: Writing

Posts in which we talk about the writing craft and process

Historical Series

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So I have mentioned my day job, which is being the Community Manager at HeroesandHeartbreakers.com. One of my primary responsibilities is to assign blog topics, and to see what’s working and what’s not, and follow up in response.

One of the things I knew prior to starting the job–duh!–is that paranormal romance is the most popular genre. Not only that, once we started gathering a relatively large community, I saw that PNR posts inspire the most passion.
So why is that? It’s not like historical fans aren’t passionate, nor that they don’t visit the site and read the posts. They just don’t get all hot under the collar (and other places…) the way PNR fans do.
One of the reasons why, I think, is that although historicals are released in series, they don’t have ongoing cliffhangers. Or if they do, it’s not the Fate of the World that is in balance, but perhaps discovering who a spy is, or who stole the jewels, or who someone’s parents are, or whatever. Not earth-shattering stuff.
I also think that historicals, once the HEA is achieved, don’t have many places to go; in PNRs, there is always a world to save, or demons to kill, or vampires to stake. A couple can BE a couple in subsequent books and still be interesting. How interesting would it be to see Lord and Lady Whomever live their lives, have great sex, and be all spoony about each other?
I have to admit, as someone who gets bored once the couple is happily together–even at the end of the book–it wouldn’t be interesting at all.
There are historical mysteries featuring ongoing couples, but their working relationship is more important than their romance, at least in the ones I’ve read. They’re not as passionate anymore because they have to concentrate on solving the mystery.
So–any thoughts about how a historical series could spur on the kind of passionate response a PNR series has?
Posted in Reading, Writing | Tagged , | 5 Replies

Tuesday Deadline Deadlock

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So this week I am on a very tight deadline. Basically, I have been trying to write a book in about a month–after writing a book in about two months. Over Christmas. This I do not recommend, but it is one way of making sure things get done. 🙂 This week I’m trying to get as much done as I can toward the March 27th deadline so I can take Saturday off for St. Patrick’s Day, so there is no room left in my head for blogposts. I have NO idea what to talk about.

But my friend Kathy Wheeler has a great blog post up about managing time, and making time for things that are important to us. So I’m borrowing a topic from her and telling you what I’ve been doing lately…

1) Writing (obv), while not taking breaks to eat Peanut Butter Eggs (the joys of deadline+Easter candy time) and watch Dr. Oz in order to freak about about new germy things I never thought about before

2) Thinking about washing some of the laundry that has mysteriously spread out from the laundry room onto the kitchen floor, but it will probably have to wait until I turn in the book. By then it will have taken over the living room too, and swallowed up the cats

3) I did make time to go to yoga class. When I skip it (which I’m always tempted to do) I get all twisted up into the shape of my desk chair, and then there is also the matter of the Peanut Butter Eggs, so exercise is always a must. I don’t want to finish the book, only to find that my favorite “going out and celebrating” dress no longer fits…

4) Almost setting fire to my kitchen. Unlike Kathy, who managed to get the gas stove under control, I tried to broil a steak in the oven and heard a strange crackling noise. When I opened the door, you guessed it, flames shot out. Luckily I put it out quickly, but the house smelled for days afterward, the dogs have only quit giving me scared looks, and I realized everyone is happier (and safer) when I just get Thai takeout. Yay for shrimp pad thai and chardonnay!

And the pic–well, that will probably be me, giving in to exhaustion when I hit “send” on the WIP!

What have you been doing this week?? What are some of your time-management tips?

Posted in Writing | Tagged , | 4 Replies

Signs of Spring

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It’s been a mild winter, weather-wise, but a rough one for my psyche. I won’t go into the details, but some stressors I’ve been dealing with should ease up in the next month or so, and I’ll have more time to write and do other fun things.

Seeing my crocuses looking this gorgeous (with my Ice Follies narcissi not far behind) helps me feel hopeful! Also being able to paint my toenails and wear sandals again.

I’m also looking forward to a retreat my writing buddies and I are planning for next month. As in past years, we’ve rented a house near Taughannock Falls on Cayuga Lake, where we always do a lot of writing, interspersed with walks through the park or kayaking on the lake. In the evenings, it’s romantic historical films, wine and chocolate. I can’t wait!

Below are pictures I took last year of the falls and of a patch of wildflowers we admired on one of our walks. Later, I discovered that this plant is called bloodroot, for its red sap which was used as a dye by Native American artists. We also see trilliums, trout lilies, Dutchman’s breeches and many other wildflowers during our spring retreats.

Anyone else into flowers, wild or otherwise? What are you looking forward to this spring?

Elena
www.elenagreene.com

Posted in Writing | Tagged | 4 Replies

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a day where people with–and without–Irish heritage take time to drink green beer and shamrock shakes.

Right. Go on with your bad selves and all.
So anyway, speaking of self-identification, I’ve been revising my Regency-set historical, and my heroine is a vicar’s daughter, raised in a small village, who ends up marrying a marquess.
Imagine how off-kilter one would feel entering into the ton; not only would you not speak in the same accent, you wouldn’t know the families, nor the customs, nor even how to behave during a dance (I do presume she knows how to dance in the first place). It’d be like being a brand-new entrant to a family that had known each other forever, had their own in-jokes, vernacular, and habits. She has to ask herself if she wants to continue to belong to this world, given she feels so out of place and knows her husband has married far beneath him.
Of course you know how it ends, but meanwhile–what do you do when encountering those incredibly awkward situations? What should my snappish, smart heroine do?
Posted in Reading, Risky Book Talk, Writing | Tagged | 1 Reply

Drive’s Loving Hero

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So last night I saw Drive, starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, which did not do well at the box office and got mixed reviews.
I loved it. It’s based on the book of the same name by James Sallis, which I read, and so I was prepared for the darkness, the protagonist’s reticence, the violence. What was conveyed so wonderfully, however, was the developing relationship between Gosling’s character (who’s never named, either in the movie or the book) and Irene, played by Carey Mulligan.
They never say out loud how they feel about each other, but just a few minutes of watching the film and you know.
Eventually, Gosling’s character does something extraordinary for Irene, only he never says it. It’s that kind of selflessness that is the defining moment for the hero in my current WIP, a Regency-set historical. He’s selfish and arrogant, so when the heroine figures out he’s done something selfless, she knows he truly loves her, and that’s when she commits her heart to him.
Gosling’s character and my hero could not be farther apart from each other in terms of personality, but the choice they make for love is the same. Amazing.
Megan
Posted in Writing | Tagged , | 2 Replies
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