Romance or...

 

To write about romances is to lose some readers with the very word as the stories have been ridiculed so much, with a fair number poorly written with a formula. Yet, romance is at the heart of many emotions. What makes two people decide to tie their lives together-- including legally? But then again, how many real life romances end, sometimes even in tragedy?  So, when writing such books, to avoid being ridiculed, what should a romance be about?

First of all, separate romance from love story. Love stories don't have to have happy endings. Some examples from the past include Gone with the Wind, Wuthering Heights, and most of Shakespeare's plays. Love can be a violent emotion when is not accompanied by other behaviors. There are many books where love or even romantic feelings are in the story but they aren't love stories or romances. An example of that would be Where the Crawdads Sing. Different examples of passion for someone but not a love story or a romance.

Romances, on the other hand, always end happily-- or are supposed to. The teasers might suggest they won't, but they will-- or they're not romances.

The issue though for a writer is what makes two people drawn together and then have the probability the relationship will last? A writer can't just set them up and assume they'll fall in love and it will (after some crises) work out. It has to be believable to the reader. Well, unless someone is writing formula and then they just follow the pattern; but what if the author wants it to feel real and bring the reader along for the ride?

All of Jane Austin's books are romances. Her own life never got that happy romantic ending but her lead characters always did-- despite the problems to getting there. 

Romances can be about more than romance but it does have to be at the heart of the book. A writer can't just say they fell in love. Readers have to believe it would have happened. I often read reviews for other authors of romances and readers get quite irked when they don't believe those two people would have chosen each other.

One of the things that makes a couple feel real is when they have things in common to draw them together. But, there should also be those opposite elements that lead to conflicts between them. Otherwise, there's just -- and they lived happily ever after. I'll write more about that in the next blog as this one is already getting too long.

What If?

 

Sometimes, it's obvious from where the idea for a book has come. I have been thinking about this topic and then looked at books I've written and tried to figure out from where the idea for them had come. Characters? Themes? Plots? One that I hadn't thought of right away was setting. With some books, it becomes easier to figure out. You have to remember that I've been writing far longer than I've been publishing. With most, I had no idea if they were even publishing possible. They just had to be written-- following a popular pattern or not. 

The one that stumped me required delving into my own past. I kept thinking-- what made me ever write Sky Daughter? I wrote it in the mid-1990s. It had a lot of complexities. From where did all that come? Then I knew-- the beginning for it was place, the setting and a lot of What Ifs followed that. 

Years back, we had been driving through northern Idaho, with its tall peaks and trees, the beauty of the scenery, often its isolation. On one of the trips, we had the van radio on and found a show where the talk was about militia and the need to protect themselves from the outside world. I hadn't heard talk like that before. What would it be like if that's all a person heard? That part of Idaho has a very mystical feel, in a good way, but I wasn't trying to recreate what was based on reality but that question that inspires many books-- what if.

I began with a heroine (if that word can be used today). I saw her with Celtic heritage, a folk singer, who had come back to the mountain home of her grandfather. She'd had little experience there and mostly wanted to recenter herself after many losses. I was listening to a lot of Celtic music at the time. So, if that's the music she had been singing, writing, how had that influenced her soul? She was red-haired and looked much like from where her roots had been.

Then-- what kind of hero would be right for her? One of the mountain boys? Not hardly. He had to have come from outside, no more understanding its culture than she did-- although thanks to the time she'd had with grandparents, she did understand nature. What if he was from New York City, a Jewish Puertorican who was looking for healing from wilderness-- though he knew even less about it than the community into which he was heading.

From there, the story took off with more characters, some still there and some influencing who she was, the parts she hadn't recognized-- like a grandmother who had been a witch, hence the title-- Sky Daughter, what she had called her granddaughter with the time she got with her. Her mother had no use for mysticism and had sheltered her daughter from contact with it. 

At the time, I had read a book on modern witchcraft, which flowed into what the book became. Some think witches are supernatural beings but what if they are those who chose to develop natural spiritual abilities using age old rituals? What if those rituals do have power? What my heroine in this book discovers is her grandmother's Book of Shadows, which she left for her granddaughter when she died. Such books were supposed to stay in the hands of witches. The whole thing is a shock to her but does she need to learn something as that mountain has more there than she had could see-- though she felt it.

So, the What If, thinking begins with something. It might be people but it might be a place. I've had that lead to books more than once. The places are real but the rest of what is there is fiction-- or is it? What If?

To be or not to be

 

 To start, I want to define a word, esoteric-- intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. Where it comes to the subject of writing, I think some of that applies. If we just enjoy reading, then specific understanding of what we read is not of interest. On the other hand, if we want to write, it does apply.

There is a difference between a theme for a book versus its plot. Theme is the heart, the message throughout the book. Plot is what takes the reader there-- or does it have to? I have read popular books (many are like this) where I'd say the theme is all that mattered. Plot? What plot? It's not about that but rather the feeling, the heart of the story. Yes, things happen, but not in the sense of a plot. I must add that often life itself seems without a plot.

I like writing plots. All of my books have them. In the case of Moon Dust, there is a plot along with the theme. Are both needed? Maybe not for many readers. But, we are talking now about my interest as a writer.

From where do my plots come? Some from the characters and my own desire for an interesting book. I learned some of what I use from reading but also from Joseph Campbell's books regarding the journey of the hero. What made some mythologies survive until today and others be forgotten?

Campbell encouraged a book to begin where the hero starts (which could be heroine). Where is the life they led and what would it take to remove them from it? That's the gatekeeper experience. We start with a stable experience and then along comes-- why would that person leave it for something else, maybe scarier? It has to be strong and seem worthwhile to the reader. The fact that it has lasted in mythologies means it has lasted.

One of the things I learned, a long time ago with writing, is the W. There is a moment of huge energy and then a moment of relaxation and peace, of considering what had happened,  before another high energy event. Life  does not have to, but can do that. Fiction isn't always about life itself. It's about writing on emotional events. Plots provide this. We would like many peaceful moments, but they aren't always what makes us grow the most.

So, plots give us the W, the ups and the downs, that in the end take the story where the theme intended it to go. I believe that happened with Moon Dust. Two people without a lot of professional energy to create dynamism (a principal and decorator) but it's what happens to them in the plot that forces them to grow beyond their expectations for themselves. This excitement is what takes the reader along for the ride.

when it begins with a theme

 

As I said before, I can't tell you how to create books here. What I can do is relate how it has worked for me with some of my own. The following will be an example of when I used a theme, the book, Moon Dust.

First, I need to better define what I mean by theme. Frankly, I went to the dictionary for some synonyms that might explain how I am using the word. There were a lot of good ones including: subject, concept, essence, marrow, pith, gist. I don't know if that gets to the heart of what I am trying to describe, which is that, where the topics range from abuse to brainwashing, heartbreak, education, etc. the real theme is healing, and it fits with all that comes up in the book.

My interest in writing the story began with knowing that not only girls are sexually abused but also boys. It's not been taken as seriously when it's a male because they are supposed to be enjoying it. The thing is-- abuse is about power taken away. It's not enjoyable for any victim.

Before I began writing, I researched by reading several books on what the abuse can be when it's a boy as well as what the impact was when they grew up. Men have been too often denied counseling for it. That means its impact can be hidden under other emotional issues.

Moon Dust had another subject that isn't so popular for romances. It begins with a divorce. The male protagonist was a high school principal, who has much responsibility for the teachers and children under his wings. To flesh out the character, I remembered the high school principals I had known. Having a hero involved in concern for kids, led to what education should be and the downside of it-- what about youths who are being brainwashed by those who seek power over them. Principals run into all sorts of problems.

What? That doesn't sound like a romance. Well, romances often aren't what readers expect. They can be; but for me, I need something more and this theme was about people needing to recognize what happened to them and when to get treatment.

Writing this book, even with a difficult subject, was one I enjoyed because I cared about the topics. I helped myself by the heroine being a home decorator, which enabled me to explore what it takes to help someone else find the right decor for their home. It was a lighter touch to add to the heavier theme of divorce and adult emotional disorders due to childhood trauma.

Of course, there was a love story, if not the usual one. Some violence, growth of the characters through what they are learning, and, naturally a happy ending- if not what's expected.  

Moon Dust has not caught on with romance readers maybe because it's more woman's fiction. How do you label books? Don't ask me! I write what works for me and hope it finds readers looking for a little something more in their reading. That key word-- finding-- is always the problem.

I have started other books with a theme in mind, but this is probably one of the strongest. I  like this book. I hoped to write about it here to encourage other writers to also look for what interests them. That will lead to the characters and the plot. Yes, plot and theme are not the same thing.

My photos from a visit to Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland Oregon

amazing place to spend much time.

Purpose in writing

 

In a book's first pages is the ground on which all the rest is built. Who was this person? Why should I care about them and read their story? From where have they come? Why would a reader believe they might have something interesting ahead? As a writer, I ask myself the same questions. I will be putting a lot more time into these characters than it takes for a reader to read the book. I need to care and believe in them.

If the writer jumps right into the action, will the reader believe in the character’s abilities or reasons? There are, of course, books, with no real plot-- just a constant stream of thinking or talking with no seeming direction. Some people love such books. For me though, I want meaningful action in mind for what I read or write.

I also like hidden motives, characters who realize what they really want through time, based on what they experience; for me, this goes along with some fast action, and yes discovered love. My books are romances, but that alone wouldn't interest me. I want a reason for what is about to happen-- a reason I believe is possible. It's not always easy, but that kind of writing is the most rewarding-- the hidden purposes.

When writing about writing, it has to be from my perspective including some from how-to books that I have read. I often have ideas germinating for a long time before I begin writing. Writing leads to more ideas. I try to give that time to happen.

Although I never say the story takes over, I do discover things along the way, things I hadn't seen until the story begins unwinding. I never outline but do have a clear idea of where the story will end up. What I see to begin is not always what is real. All of my stories are fiction, sometimes with a real character or so inserted, but fiction has to feel like it could happen to make it powerful-- at least for me.

Look at the bougainvillea flower below. Most would assume it's the bright red, but it's not. It's that tiny white flower in the middle. The red is leaves. Discovering the unexpected is the joy of creating.

Step by step

 

When I thought about how to write about writing, my mind went blank. We are getting ready to head north to the farm, we dealt with the loss of a cat, and there's all the cultural stuff going on. Plus, I am trying to get all eight of the Arizona historicals improved, edited, and making them all I want them to be. Mentally, I am not even sure what's going on in my head.

I dream a lot and sometimes, I have to wonder from where did that come!. An example is a recent dream in what I call a movie type dream-- where I am not in them; but I am watching the story unfold. In that one, there is a young woman, who has a crush on a man probably 20 years older than her. She follows him and his woman friend through a door with no idea that it will bring her into a parallel world. Supposedly, the parallel world is alongside her world except you can't go back without finding that or another portal. 

In that dream, she begins to find that the parallel world looks to be great, except it's not. That world is dystopian with the way everything is controlled; with death sometimes the price people pay if they get in the way of the supposed perfect new world order.

From where do such events in a dream like that come as it got more and more violent. I have never watched any of those movies. When I woke up, I knew it was no book I'd ever want to write. How do I get such dreams??? It wasn't really a nightmare, because I wasn't caught up in the bad stuff, but still had to wonder as I know such ideas are out there.

So, back to writing and how a person puts together a book. I have had a few come from dreams but mostly just small scenes. I don't use dreams for overall plots. I can't really say from where my stories have come. Yes, they are all romances, but there is always a lot more I need to find to make a story worth spending time writing.

The first book I ever wrote was set on the Oregon Trail. The second was a contemporary rodeo story. The third was set in Arizona, again historical, but very different than the Oregon series. 

This is a  marketing mistake not to write in consistent genres that will draw readers to follow the stories. Genres are a big part of successful selling of books. I had one series where I called them paranormals. I got the idea for them while driving through one of Tucson's old neighborhoods and thought-- what if these interesting looking ordinary people had extraordinary powers-- what if they saw what the rest of us do not. Seemed like a fun idea for me but what genre is that? It went nowhere with readers as paranormals...maybe a sub-genre of fantasy.

So, I guess the essence of what I believe is find a genre you as the writer like. Select characters in which to believe. Then, come up with a meaningful and interesting plot-- ideally related to those characters. For me, books take a good setting that the writer knows well enough to describe and give the feel to the reader. Finally, some strong secondary characters-- a few might get a book of their own and some might be animals. 

For what I know of these issues, it'll come next in between driving north and trying to not feel all stressed by travel. I can only use my own stories to illustrate what I think, as right now not reading a lot of fiction.

When it's Time

 

I was undecided about writing about this because why make others sad about our loss. Whenever we lose a pet, the beloved ones, it's tough and we get reminders of that loss whenever others speak about their losses. Still, there was something about this one that seemed to me should be shared and so here goes.

 We knew Tigger had a serious disease with cat FIV, which is like human aids. But the information was that they can live a normal lifetime if symptoms are treated. We were doing that. When my brother visited, Tigger was on his lap every time he sat down. He seemed okay.

Right after Dan left, things changed. I won't go into details as they're not what this is about. We saw the end was coming. We called our veterinarian to ask if they gave euthanasia house calls. They did not. They recommended a mobile veterinary unit, which we had already found online. The unit no longer took calls for general health care for new pets, but they still did euthanasia calls.

Desert Paws

One thing we had learned in 2013, that if we had to have a pet put to sleep, we wanted it to be in our home. We waited though to see if he could cross over by himself. When we heard him crying in pain, we made the call. It was with great relief that they said they could be there within an hour and a half. Nobody wants a beloved pet to suffer when nothing can be done for them. 

The doctor arrived, we put Tigger on the sofa where he relaxed. She gave him first a shot to relax him and take away pain. Then after she saw it took effect, she gave him the one to stop his heart. It might have taken half an hour or less, but he was gone. We felt sad but also grateful that he didn't have to continue to suffer.

No photos of him here as I don't want others to feel bad. In a way, this was a victory. I don't know how old he was as we got him as a stray that had been around the farms for years, but not sure how many. We had had him since 2017 and he leaves a big hole in our life, as well as the little female that had followed him to our farm, who I believe was one of his offspring, but who can prove it. We left his body in the living room a day for her to understand he's dead, if they understand such things.

The stones at the top of the page are where he and our other male cat are buried here on our piece of desert. 

The photo below is from a card Desert Paws, here in Tucson, sent us sympathizing with our loss. We appreciated the care the doctor had given him and also her handwritten note about our loss. She added what he had gained for our love of him. That was sweet as is the image. We won't replace him right away as we have to travel north soon, and it would be hard on an adopted cat to deal with that kind of change. We will though when we return to the desert. Two cats is not enough *s*

I am writing this because I believe that sometimes we do have to let our beloved pets go and when we do, if we can afford it, it's very nice to have it done in the house where they live. We still cry, of course, but it helps to know we didn't have them die in fear as happens when they go to the veterinarian's office. We have done it twice now and would let go of them no other way. 

If there is a rainbow bridge for our beloved animals, I hope he traveled over it, maybe with the other one buried here, Blackie, who died without needing euthanasia but also was much missed. They all are.

 

Backlists

This time I have a question for readers. I know that most of you don't comment here (sad as I used to get a lot of comments but thus goes the times), but I'd very much appreciate it if you'd think about the question below for yourself and then share your answer for the benefit of other readers here, including me.

Here's the question: If you like an author, I don't care what genre, will you look for older books by that author or is it all about the newest books, perhaps even by that, author?  Along with it-- if you like an author and they change genres, say had been sci fi but now want to write mystery, will you give the new direction a chance if your favorite has always been where they had always written?

There is not a right or wrong answer, but I am curious how many readers do follow all the work by a favorite author-- even from years gone by. Should a writer consider pulling those older books or let them set with the hope someday they will be discovered? 

An adjunct to that question is for writers-- how do you deal with your own backlist? Most of us have one. One possibility is pull them and rewrite them with our current skills. I've seen writers do that, before working on new ideas.

 

one aspect of editing

 

For more than four months, I've been working on re-editing my Arizona historical romances. Because we needed to pull some, in order to have title changes, we decided to pull all eight in that series, re-edit and add onto them, as well as give them all new titles. Amazon said we must then bring them back as new books... 

To avoid reader confusion, I was not comfortable with that, but it's currently the only way when you know your titles are not working for the books. Amazon is following ISBN requirements. It makes sense but just a surprise-- if you don't read your emails.

So far, I have done four and am just finishing the fifth. I have actually enjoyed it since I hadn't read them in a long time-- and I feel I am a better writer today. In writing, you always improve-- if you keep writing. I also came up with some ways to add to their stories without losing the basic plots but instead elements to make them feel more complete and that there is something new.

We are in no hurry to put them back, as we attempt learn more about what launching a book should have meant when we originally brought them out beginning in 2013. There is so much I still do not know about the marketing end of books, but turns out there are a few things on writing that I also have had to look at.

For instance, using the word just too many times is a no no. I use it a lot in my ordinary life-- i.e. just in time, etc. etc. But writing is not so much about fitting what is 'ordinary' but instead what is readable to others. Yikes. I could see where I'd used it, and it wasn't needed. Other places it was better than writing a whole lot more words when one would do. I think I have cut out half.

I am going to ignore a few other rules that are claimed to be important-- like not using adverbs. I am not sure why a word that modifies a verb is bad but a word that modifies a noun is okay. I am going to keep my adverbs, as often to get rid of them would lose meaning or require too many other words. I also believe too many adjectives for a noun can seem overdone, but I was never fond of heavy usage of either. It can become humorous.

Another word the editing gods don't like is very. Often a different word will do but sometimes it doesn't fit the action. Other times, it's a word less people would know when romances are not supposed to be written with a lot of big words, words that often are perfect, but less known. Romance readers don't want to read their books with a dictionary in hand. 

Maybe I should say most as I've read their writing should be aimed at an eighth grade level for readability. At one time, eighth grade was pretty advanced in knowledge (I've seen what once an eight grade education meant-- good luck with passing such tests today). Now, who knows what even a college degree means for vocabulary. If it's dialogue, of course, then it depends on the background of the character.

For a while, I am going to be writing, in this blog, about the whole process of putting together books. The next one will involve a question that is of interest to me. I will though get more into the issues of editing-- as I know it.

snakes

Photos below all are related to snakes. If such bother you, skip this blog.

 It began the afternoon of April 7th. I went to the door to tell Ranch Boss, who was working in the vacation trailer, preparing it for the visit from my brother, that he'd had a call. When he walked back toward the house, he had news for me. On the front porch was a diamondback. 

We have been lucky here with king and gopher snakes but have only seen a rattler at the back of the property. I have worried about them despite having a fenced yard for the cats. They consider snakes playthings with no idea, from our part of Oregon, that they can be dangerous.

So, what to do? After spraying it with water, the snake curled up under a big rock. Ranch Boss said let it be and figured it'd go away. I worried with my brother coming and he'd use the trailer out front. So while Ranch Boss wasn't concerned, I called a snake removal company. They would come within half an hour but were a bit costly. 

 

Again, Ranch Boss said it'd be okay. It seemed pretty subdued after the water spray. I said, I want to do it even at $150. They remove them and put them in better places. So the guy is on the way and Ranch Boss sat out front keeping an eye on the rattler to make sure it stays where it is. The guy would have found it if it had left but better it stayed put.

Such a relaxing day until... I only hoped the guy would get here before snake left. It seemed satisfied to have the warmth and big rock for shelter. When the guy arrived, he came well equipped with snake tongs and a long stick that I guess is called as snake hook, tall boots, and a bucket with a locking top. He went right for it and captured it using the tongs and the hook to put it in the bucket within moments. 

 

 

He said it was what we had thought, more officially a western diamondback rattlesnake. He said males are out right now looking for females. The females will be out later looking for food. Because Ranch Boss had kept an eye on it, it was an easy capture, he reduced the cost to a regular customer. I hope we won't be one but was relieved this snake has been safely taken elsewhere (where it is legal for them to be moved as there are restrictions). I'd have been stressed if we hadn't done this; so definitely worth it to me for it to be taken away alive for hopefully a new life. He mentioned they have a one mile range... That might mean we will see it again *s*

 

The day after, we saw the other snake that looks like a diamondback, only is not. He's a gopher snake. You can tell by the head shape and no rattles. They are good snakes to have around although they do not kill rattlers. They do though compete for food, which might help to reduce the number of rattlers. We used to call them bull snakes but turns out they don't live in our part of Arizona. They look pretty much the same; so not sure how they are differentiated other than geographically.

 

Since then, we've seen no snakes but they are for sure here.

 

Horse stories

 

image from Stencil

This will probably seem way different from my recent blogs, but it's not for my life experiences and isn't that what blogs are about.

I came across this YouTube through one of those things we get if we are on YouTube-- recommendations. Not sure why but it's interesting to me and might be to some of you.

Five Friends who died with horse accidents.

Although I have had my own interests in horse, I have only a few experiences to share. In my historical novels, I have horses as part of the stories-- more rarely in the contemporary but also in the urban fantasy novels. I base some of that on my times on horseback--though i am not remotely a good horse person. 

Growing up, my favorite books were the Black Stallion series and had almost all of them from various Christmas or birthday gifts. Because my father was allergic to horses, we couldn't have them-- with one exception. He decided to give it a try and we got a gelding, which worked for a while before it began to make my father sick. I had enough experience with him (don't remember if I knew his name). One of them was life experience kind. I saddled him and rode up the dirt road on our property that led to the back of our 80 acres. All had seemed well, until I turned him to head back to the farm. He began to run. I had little control and pulled on the reins to stop him. He stopped all right and I went right over his head. I was not hurt but definitely got scared by it. Not long after that he was gone from the farm but not because I told anybody. I did not. it wasn't the horse's fault.

I had a couple of trail ride experiences in later years. One went smoothly, along the Metolius River. Lovely time. The second was heading into the pine forest in that area. The horse I was riding apparently was what can be called barn sour as when we all turned, he broke into a run to head for the barns. I remembered my earlier experience, thought I can never stay on and ahead was a paved road. So, I kicked my feet out of the stirrups and rolled to the right side of the trail, all loose dirt. If i hadn't been wearing a sleeveless shirt, all would have been well, but I was, scraped my shoulder and had to head to a nearby town for a tetanus shut.

Horses continued to fascinate me. I debated taking lessons when I was in my 50s but just never did it. Our Oregon farm wasn't good for horses, too wet, although we boarded a friend's horse for a few years before she died of old age. For our limited land, we had enough cattle and sheep, sometimes too many, and horses didn't make sense.

My other horse experiences were pretty much without incident. At my age, there won't be more as starting over with horses would make no sense now. I still love them but do see the need to know what you are doing with them-- and even then, things can go wrong as you will see in the link, if you read it. . 

spring and an important holiday

 

Although I had two possible blogs lined up, when I thought about this being Easter week, I delayed them for a week and then two because this is a holy week for more than just Christianity and the resurrection of the Christ. Passover is also this week. This historic celebration began April 5th and ends the 13th. It's not all that is right now. Ramadan began March 22nd and ends 30 days later. It is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. As for religions without Abrahamic origins, check it out online as most have interesting stories and some coincide with each other.

 

I thought this article-- 7 Pagan Festivals we still celebrate was interesting for some of the origins of our own traditions. I know, we tend to think it's all about us, but studying history of spiritual traditions says it's not. It is a season of rebirth like you see in the photo below with the dove feeding her babies.

 

For my life, I've known many ways to celebrate Easter from Easter egg hunts for the family on farm where I grew up, decorating eggs, attending Mass, celebration at the cemetery above the country church at dawn, and as it is for me today-- very simple quiet, often with ham and deviled eggs.

Today, flowers and the time of warmer weather and longer days is a big part of it for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere of Earth. It's a good time to be considering growth and new beginnings.  

 

However you celebrate tomorrow or whether you have other traditions important to your life, I hope you enjoy this time.