Not Writing

Lately, I feel like when I'm not writing, I'm driving. I log four hours a day in the car, but while I'm driving, I'm also thinking. Mostly about writing. I find that I can often work out plot snags, come up with snippets of dialogue and new story ideas. I keep a notebook out for jotting notes when I'm stuck in traffic. In a way, I think it helps me to focus a little better when I do sit down to write.

I also have a ridiculous amount of hobbies and all of them revolve around creating things - knitting, sewing, cross stitching, drawing, pottery, watercolor painting, beading and jewelry making, stamping and card making...I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting, but these are the main ones.

The one thing that all of these non-writing activities have in common, besides the fact that I'm making nifty things, is that while my hands are busy and most of my brain is engaged in what I'm doing, a tiny little part is working on my stories even if I'm not aware of it. Often, when I finish a crafting binge, I have the answers to story problems I wasn't even consciously thinking about. Better yet, I'm completely recharged and ready to write. In a way, I feel like my brain is never really disengaged from writing and I'm not sure if that's healthy or not - lol!

However, I have discovered one thing that will turn off my writing brain for at least an hour at a time and I totally blame Brynn. It's the show, Supernatural, and I'm completely addicted. Brynn gives me a disc at a time and it's like crack. Beautiful, hot boy crack. (Okay...SWX, don't even go there!) Supernatural is the perfect escape - hot boys, paranormal investigations, hot boys, brilliant characters, hot boys, clever dialogue, hot boys...I'm sure you see the theme here. It's the perfect writing break!

When I am not writing...

but wait! I AM writing! No really, I finally freakin' started writing again. This is a very big deal. Because I have been slacking off ALOT lately. In fact, I hadn't touched the MS since WAY before I left for Florida.

But last night, I opened the file and I started writing. I only got about 3 or 4 new pages, but for me lately that is huge.

What was I doing while I wasn't writing though? I suppose I should try to stick to the topic. Well, I was blogging, I was twittering, I was facebooking. I was in Florida at Sea World, at Ripley's Believe it or not Museum, I was hanging out with other writers. I was contracting new books, making new publishing contacts, and hanging out with my beautiful british publisher from TEB. I was partying with one of my best friends and making new friends. I was plotting books and coming up with titles for future books.

Before that? Well I was moving into a new house, cleaning, studying cookbooks to find food my picky-ass kid would try. I was being wife, mother, friend, confidant, and annoying whiney baby. I was driving, I was working, I was sleeping. I was becoming addicted to Chopped and re-addicted to comic books. I started reading novels written by other people again.

I gained 8 lbs. (I completely blame the amazing Key Lime Pie at the resort. It was so good I had to have it every day. I had to. Really. It was 100% required that I shove pie in my face EVERY DAY!)

But now I am writing again. And I am going to eat salads and veggies and not eat pie and bacon cheeseburgers every day. And I think I'm going to start walking. No really. Shut up! I am. I have to do something to get rid of this pie weight. It's that or get pregnant so I can hide it. Though, I'm not really up for that at the moment. So moving my ass more and eating less sugar, carbs, and other things that taste good but make my body balloon up like a manatee.

XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel

Climbing through windows

Regardless of the image the title of this post might inspire, I don't actually have a secret life as a cat burglar, lol. But, while I'm not a religious person, I do like the phrase "When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window."

And what does this have to do with talking about what I do when I'm not writing? For me, quite a lot actually. I've been thinking about this topic since it first appeared on the calender. I've been thinking about it even more since Chris's comment last week about how you want to be perceived as a writer. After all that thinking, for better or worse, here's the truth.

Quite a few years ago I was diagnosed with ME. It's also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The easiest way I can explain it is this - Remember what you felt like when you had the flu - not just a cold, the real thing? You're whole body aches. Your energy disappears. Your hot and cold and uncomfortable. You can't eat. You can't sleep. Remember how it hurts in a way not even a masochist could enjoy?

That's pretty much what having ME is like - accept the symptoms can persist for years rather than days.

I get good times and bad times. Last year was a pretty good year and a lot of fun in parts. This year is not turning out to be quite so good energy wise. I'm currently managing a total of about 12 hours a week outside the house. Whatever energy I do get goes into my writing, editing, etc.

When I'm not writing isn't because I'm not well enough to do anything right then.

The best thing anyone who has ME can do when their energy levels crash is to retreat into a dark room and just lie down and do nothing. As I said up the top of the post, one of the things a lot of people with ME have trouble with is sleeping. So you end up just lying there in the dark for long periods of time.

You know what's a great thing to do to pass the time in that situation? Make up stories inside your head - it's quite possibly the only activity in the world that doesn't require any energy at all.

I always had this vague idea that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up. So, I've always made up stories inside my head. But now, I make up a lot of stories. And when I get the energy to do so, I write them down, edit them up and send them off.

There are a lot of things I can't do at the moment, but that's something I can do. So I make the most of it. I write a lot. And it's going quite well for me at the moment. My sixth title, You First, was just released by TEB.

In some ways, writing for publication is the window I'm climbed through sooner than I expected to because there are quite a few doors closed around me at the moment. But you know the strange thing? When my energy levels start picking up and those doors open again, I can't imagine I'll write any less than I do now.

I love writing. I love giving the characters who live inside my head happy endings. I think I'd go crazy if I tried to stop.

So when those doors start opening again, I'll cheerfully add a few more things into my life to replace a few of those hours where I'm not well enough to do anything at all (and look out when I do, because when my energy levels are up I'll have a lot of catching up to do! lol.)

But as far as the actual writing goes - I really love the window I climbed through. To completely mix my metaphors, lol - Sometimes the silver linings around the clouds are prettier than clear skies.

Kim Dare
Kink, love and a happy ending. Do you Dare?

When I'm not writing...

I'm avoiding housework. That's pretty much what I do everyday. Whatever it takes to avoid housework. At one point in my past career as a beauty consultant, I could afford a cleaning service twice a month. I was in bliss. Now, a cleaning lady is back on my current wish list of things to get after signing that first big contract. Ahhh, someone who will come clean my house for me. Excuse me while I fantasize about having the entire house clean at the same time. (It took two women four hours to accomplish it. What the hell were we thinking when we built this big house in the country? Who did I think was going to keep it clean? Certainly not my three boys. They, of course, are the reason I need the cleaning service.) Mmmm, I can see the sweeper marks in the carpet and the shine on the kitchen floor, and I can no longer write messages of love to my husband in the dust on our bedroom bookshelves. (He started the love notes in the dust, not me. He's so romantic!)

In order to avoid housework, I lose myself in books. Lots of books. I read nearly continuously throughout the day, if I'm not writing. I even listen to audiobooks while I exercise. I love the digital access my library provides. I'm never out of touch with a new book via ebook or audiobook, plus all the books I "win" in raffles when I go to conferences. I went a little crazy at the book auction at the Chicago-North RWA Conference last year, but I'll save that story for another time. And of course, I buy all my favorite erotic romance authors' books online when they have new releases.

One thing that I am learning to NOT do when I'm not writing is obsess about how I should be writing. [Did you follow that thought?] I've spent way too much time in the past thinking about how I SHOULD be writing and not actually doing any writing. Now I think about my writing in one hour blocks. I tell myself to sit and write for one hour, and I usually find I want to keep going. But if I don't give myself a timeframe to get started, then I find my day is swept away checking email, reading blogs, playing solitaire like I'm getting paid for it. (I love that phrase, I borrowed it from another Total-e-bound author. Check out her blog post.) So I check my watch and tell myself to get to work for the next hour. Once I get into the flow, I don't need to check my watch again because I actually do enjoy writing. Otherwise why would I do it at all?

I've also started giving myself permission to have days when I don't write. And on those days I make sure I keep the SHOULD BE WRITING message out of my head because all that does it make me feel anxious and bad about myself.

I get my work done by setting monthly goals with my writing group. If I'm writing enough to meet my goals, then I'm writing enough. It's that simple. Of course I have to be sure that I am setting an appropriate goal. Not usually a problem since I tend to set BIG goals rather than ones that are too small. But I'll save the goal setting topic for another day too.

Of course I do have a life outside my house, too. I would go insane without regular contact with my girlfriends, but basically I'm happy most days home alone. And I would be even happier if I was home alone in a clean house that someone else cleaned!

Happy Monday!
Andrea

Self-image and knowing that I'm not a musical person but since I don't conduct it's not an issue... and other SWX-type ADD thoughts

Tricky, tricky topic. I'll tell you what I'm not. I'm not an appreciator of middle school music class. Stay with me here. Last Monday Mykid informed me I had to arrive early to her school for "Parent's Day". Alas, it wasn't actually a PARENT'S day but more like a music-teacher-is-getting-a-past-parent-back-for-being-an-ass day. It was just her class that had parents... made extended just for us (yipee! *Confetti drifts down*).

I told Bronwyn about the extended music hell, to which she said (classic Bron), "For the love of all that's holy - an hour and twenty fucking minutes? She sure as hell better have been evangelizing about your kid!"

No, she wasn't evangelizing about Mykid. She talked about her learning style (not her teaching style, her PERSONAL learning style and how she's all about hearing instead of seeing or doing to remember shit) and Do Re Mi somehow mixed with a football analogy with plays and yardage and there was some forced circle sitting, like a pretzel, where we slapped and swished fingers on the carpet, then banged plastic cups on the floor. And one poor parent-guy she made SING!!! in front of like what, forty of us? Poor dude. I'd have smacked her (Bethany. My name is Miss Bethany), but I totally applauded because she freakin' bullied him into doing it and his voice cracked a little in front of his son's entire class and their parents!

So Mykid and I cut jokes about the xylophone wands looking like Muppet testicles on sticks.

*ow Ow OW OWW OW Ow ow.*

And then Mykid said the teacher learned stuff orally and I said, you mean AURALLY? because that's totally a different thing. And we giggled. And then the teacher kept ON GOING ON ON AND ON about hearing stuff and how some people can't read music to which I whispered to Mykid, "Well, did they TASTE the music or just freakin' listen to it?? Geez!" And she snorted long and loud which greatly amused me. And then two other girls behind us said they wanted to trade mothers with Mykid. Which made me smile but I secretly thought, NO THE FUCK WAY. Because they couldn't shut up or quit talking about random things like hair dying and how many times one of their dad's had been to jail. (And if I were that mom I'd have to sleep with jail-dad and that wouldn't be fun for me at all.... cause I SAW him and he seriously looked like a homeless guy complete with rocking back and forth and beard to his BELLY BUTTON. No shit! And he stared at the floor and I thought of COURSE she wants to trade parents, I mean LOOK at that guy. Get a bath, dude! And, like, hygiene or something.)

So anyway, there was this other mom who looked like Jada Pinkett Smith and I totally told her and she laughed and said no one had ever told her that. But She really did and was all delicate and pretty with big smile and stuff.

And we were all talked to... ummmmm... talked AT for that whole time while other parents checked their nails and tapped their feet. I was all about that kind of boredness. Hence the Testicular Xylophone project where she then made me take the sticks in hand and beat the shit out of Elmo's balls on the wooden xylophone thingy while I had to recite some piece of crap about rain falling on the green grass, but not my head...

I'm very confused about the whole thing. And traumatized.

Sigh.

But I did learn something, no thanks to Miss Bethany. Miss Bethany's self-image of thinking every pearl of saliva-dew that sprayed from her rapidly flapping lips, is not mine. Yeah, I'm a bit random and topic-skipping in general and I see that about me. But I also tune into when people are sick of the me talk and zone out. I think I'm sensitive to that. Or at least I hope I am. In person. Not on the internet because while you may have that little camera thingy on your monitor, I haven't yet cracked the system into spying on you the way I'd truly like to. Not yet. Soon.

I also know that my self-image is rather sturdy and I don't need to be the center of everyone's ears for an hour and twenty. Don't want to be. Let me over-run conversation while I trip on my words for a few minutes and I'll shut up because I annoy myself.

In writing, that means I give you your story and wrap it up with a bow. I don't talk about writing or writing projects with but a very few (like one and maybe a safe mention to like two more) but never in full detail with the exception of my reader. I'm flighty enough as a writer that if you get me talking about it, just like this blog is all over the place, my book would be. So I don't. And my editors are much happier because of it. I tie up loose ends and even manage to sound like I know stuff occasionally.

You want to get a good look at your self-image as a writer? Pick up your laptop and stand in front of a mirror. That's what a writer looks like. There. All done.

And for the, what does she look like portion: I have beady black eyes, a disproportionately long pointed nose (conical akshully), teeny weeny tiny feet that cannot hold me up in a strong wind. I always wear my hat and am constantly fighting with my inner voice. Oh! There's a picture of me whenever I leave a comment.

SWX

How do people see you?

I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking my turn a day early. The lovely Brynn is in Orlando at RT and is currently without internet access until this evening. She’ll be posting her thoughts on the writer’s image tomorrow, so please be sure to check back.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this topic. A fair portion of a writer’s image hinges on how he or she is perceived by the public. How do you think people see you? Are you the lovable ditz? The consummate professional? The shy recluse? The know-it-all? The self-centered egomaniac? The judgmental bitch?

I’m pretty sure no author wants to be perceived as any of the last three, but how you view yourself might be entirely different than how the public views you. Think about how you present yourself on blogs, reader’s loops, interviews and book signings.

Are you the kind of writer who tries to be supportive of other writers’ accomplishments and news, or do you try to monopolize the loop or chat with your own? Obviously, you need to promo to make sales, but are you going about it in a mercenary fashion? I guarantee you, readers will notice rudeness.

Are you the kind of writer who blogs about things of interest to you (be it your books, stories in the news, your family, etc.) or do you mock and chastise other writers, publishing houses and reviewers you disagree with or just plain old dislike. While you may be gaining hits on your blog, because it’s difficult to look away from a train wreck, you may be losing sales. Ultimately, the uber-bitch persona is only entertaining for so long, and people tend to tire of constant negativity.

Now I’m not suggesting that you should paste on a vacant smile and channel your best Pollyanna attitude. Nor am I suggesting that you not address topics that are of importance to you, but I am suggesting that you think before you speak or hit send. Let’s face it, you’re here to sell books, and too much of the hateful, judgmental harpy routine can hinder that.

Last year at RT, I happened to be in the very busy hotel pub when a brand new author was having a fit about wanting Pepsi rather than the Coke the hotel served. She actually uttered the phrase, “Do you know who I am?!” I did happen to know who she was since I’d see her name badge earlier, but I will tell you this – after that display of megalomania, I will never buy any of her books. The other people I was with voiced the same opinion.

In the larger scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter what other people think of you in your personal life. However, in your career, where your image essentially becomes part of your “brand,” and can help or hurt your sales, it does matter. So, how do you want to be perceived?

It's My Birthday!!!!!!!!

Yup. Today is my birthday. And I am pre-posting this because at the moment, yes right now I am in Sunny Florida. Today is a book signing that I am so excited to participate in.

My image shall be shattered this week. People will see me in person and find out that I am just a normal human being. I am not some hot little thing who writes faboo smut and eats bon bons but never gains an ounce. Nope, I'm a normal sized girl with split ends and a pretty cool shoe collection who loves to laugh, smoke, and eat everything that doesn't contain fish or nuts.

Okay, so no one really thinks of me as a hot little thing. In fact, most people probably don't think about me at all. I am not of the caliber that warrants that kind of attention. No one is sitting around waiting for my autobiography so they can read about me swilling Scope and Listerine to get a buzz. Oh wait, that was Stephen King.

This topic confuses me. And as I am pre-posting I can't steal ideas from Andrea and Kim this week. I have to do this on the fly. How am I doing so far?

Okay, so I'll just share with you some things about me and you can tell me if your image of me includes any of these or if any of them shock you.

1. I am TERRIFIED of spiders. No really. TERRIFIED. Not like normal, "Oh gross kill it kill it" girl scared of spiders. When I was a kid my parents had to MOVE because I couldn't sleep in the house anymore after a spider infestation. Even though the exterminator came and sprayed enough chemicals that there will probably never be a spider in the entire neighborhood ever again. Didn't matter. We had to move.

2. Zombies scare the hell out of me.

3. Any gore in movies makes me squimish...unless it is vampire related. Now this one confuses the hell out of my friends. I will wig out about gore, but if it is a vampire causing the SAME AMOUNT of gore in different movie, I am fine with it. Go figure. I can't explain it, but there it is.

4. I am a blonde. No really. I am. You wouldn't know it to look at me as my hair hasn't been allowed to go back to blonde in almost twenty years. But I truly am a blonde. Right now it is black. Well, right now as I type this. Right now as you read it my hair should have shockingly red streaks in it. I am supposed to do that on the 16th which for y'all was last Thursday but for me is the day after tomorrow. (Freaky no?)

5. My favorite colors are Black and Green. I don't know why this would change your opinion of me, but there it is.

6. I will only drink Corona with two limes, Khalua and Cream, or Wine. That's it. Well, sometimes I can be conned into a vodka and grapefruit juice. But not very often.

7. No matter how rich and famous I may one day become, I will ALWAYS wear Airwalks and Sketchers because they are the most comfortable shoes on the planet.

So there I am in a nut shell. Well not really. This is me in a nutshell:

"Help help I'm in a nut shell. How did I get in here? What kind of nut has a shell this big."

Okay, so that was blatantly stolen from Austin Powers. But sometimes he is funny, and sometimes so am I.

I posted pics from my trip to Sea World. Go check out my blog. www.dakotarebel.blogspot.com

XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel
Soakin' up some sun in Florida.
It's my birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Erotic Romance Writers should all be...

Mystery writers should be former cops or current criminals. People who write westerns should be bandy from all the hours they've spent in the saddle. Fantasy writers should have a touch of the elvish about them. Romance writers should be living happily ever after with their childhood sweetheart. GLBT writers should do all their writing on a rainbow coloured laptop. Sci-fi writers should be geeks. And horror writers should be - well, I'm not sure exactly - but you probably wouldn't want to meet them in a dark alley!

As for erotica writers... what are they supposed to be like?

If you read the author profiles of erotica that's published towards the porn edge of the spectrum, you get the feeling that they would have been prostitutes if they hadn't enjoyed it all so much they kept forgetting to charge for it. There's nothing they haven't done - every single sex scene is based on personal experience with only the names changes to protect the guilty.

If the author is more geared towards the romance end of the erotic spectrum then it's a very different story. Their about me page on their website will almost always say something along the lines of they are married with two point four children and a nice day job and they run the PTA. While I'm sure this is very true for some - I also tend to get the feeling there's a hidden message behind some of these bios. I am respectable, honest!

I suppose my point is that everyone has an image in their head of what a writer of any particular genre should look like and be like. It's usually wrong.

One of the most successful and prolific western writers in the genre was a post man from Yorkshire. Porn is often written by little old ladies with perms and cardigans. And I think everyone in erotic romance knows that most stories about gay men are written by women.

All in all, the writers image seems to be something created for marketing purposes. But while I'd love to weave a wonderful story about who I am and how you really should want to read everything I've ever written because I'm exactly what a writer in my genre should be like, I prefer to keep my fiction in my books.

So where does that leave me?

With the truth I suppose.

So, what do you want to know?

I'm 25 years old. 5 foot, 2 inches tall. 8 st, 13 lbs (125 lbs if you're American). Short spiky brown hair. Brown eyes. Strong Welsh accent - as in there are people in England who can't understand me, heaven help anyone from the other side of the Atlantic.

I write erotic romance, but I'm not married with those two point four kids. And I'm not going to tell you everything I write in my books is based on personal experience either.

I write Male/male as well as Male/female, but I've yet to turn into either a gay or a bisexual man - or to experience any particularly strong desire to do so.

I write BDSM but... well okay, this is actually the one area where I might be more like what you'd expect at first guess. If I were in a relationship it would have to reflect my way of living the lifestyle to at least some extent (with the other extent reflecting the other person's ways). I wouldn't be interested in anything completely vanilla. On the other hand since I'm single and not looking, I can't say that I live the lifestyle at the moment either.

You want the even more real truth?

None of that matters.

I'm really just someone who writes kinky stories about people who fall in love and find their happy endings.

My characters are all far more interesting than the person who writes down their stories. Which, marketing aside, is probably just as it should be - it's the characters you'll be reading about in the books after all, I'm just the someone in the background who does the typing!

Kim Dare.
Kink, love and a happy ending. Do you Dare?

Self-image as a writer

writer
romance
women's fiction
happy
sad
blessed

These are the words I used to describe myself in my self-image.


(Thanks Will for the post idea.)

Worm and Apples and there might be some vodka in here somewhere--not exactly sure. Totally mixing everything up but I'm a multiple genre, mixed up gal

Boy am I the wrong person to talk about sticking with one genre! I'm all over the place most of the time. I like everything. Yesterday's blog hit very close to home though. The part about writing and not loving it and the reader seeing through it.

I've done some of that too. It's probably the biggest reason I don't like writing to a "line" or off a proposal. Once I'm hemmed in, I get claustrophobic. It's especially true if the audience expects me to stick to one particular genre or another when I'm not satisfied there.

I'm not omniscient in this writing career we have, but I do know one thing with absolute certainty: You write best those stories you love.

Simple, right? Should be. Yet we bog ourselves down reaching for the pretty apple we think we might like to try only to see that there's a worm hole on the other side. Taking tentative nips at the pretty because we have to is all fine and dandy, but someone is going to see your lip curl and your eyes water.

If you love it, write it. If you don't, don't. If it's shiny and new and you want to try, try but know yourself well enough to recognize what is and isn't interesting to you. Take it from one who knows... that damn worm? sure it's sexy sprawled across luscious red, but the gritty slimy truth ain't worth the angst.

Oh, and "vodka", in case anyone was keeping track.

SWX

Be Good At It

“I watched Titanic when I got back home from the hospital, and cried. I knew that my IQ had been damaged.”
Stephen King

Have you ever heard ‘if you’re going to do something, do it well’? I really can’t emphasize that enough. Pick a genre you love, a genre you feel comfortable in, a genre that piques your interest…then do it well. Do not chose a genre because that’s what’s selling now.

I’ve seen it hundreds of times—and I wish that was an exaggeration. An author sees that a genre is selling well and he or she decides that’s what he or she will write next. Say the writer is a contemporary male-female author. She sees that male-male romances are selling well. Should she write a male-male book? Well, sure, if she wants to. There’s nothing wrong with writing a book for a market that sells well.

What should the author do?

She should be sure not to stereotype. She should make sure to make both characters men. Not a man with a woman who happens to have a man’s name and genitalia—you know what I mean if you’ve read that sort of male-male book where one guy is so feminine you could forget he’s a guy. She should love the two characters she's writing and be absolutely invested in the two of them ending up together in happily ever after, or at very least, happy for now. She should believe in the male-male relationship as a viable social structure not an aberrant behavior. Preconceived notions and any sort of homosexual bigotry have to go out the window, even more I doubt a person who's harbored those feelings could successfully write a male-male book if they tried.

And what if the author doesn’t love what she’s writing? What if she’s just writing because she has to do this book or because it will make money? Eventually, that feeling will come through in the writing. Readers are smart. They can perceive these things. The story and the love won’t ring true. It will fall flat—perhaps not in the first story, but eventually, it will. It’s impossible to fully sustain what you dislike.

Another part of ‘doing it well’ is choosing your audience. I’m the first person to say if you can—and want to—write several different genres, then do it. But I’m also the first to say, be smart about it. I think most people know Stephen King writes horror. It’s what he’s known for. He also writes romance and I wonder how that’s going for him. People who pick up a King novel expect to tremble with fear not desire. How disappointed would a horror fan be to accidentally get a King book from the wrong genre? I don’t know that something like that has happened, but it could. Stephen King has, intentionally or not, branded himself as a horror writer.

What many e-published authors do is to make a name for themselves at more than one publishing houses. They might write BDSM at one place and ménage at another and male-male at another. That way readers, somewhat, know what to expect from that author depending on where they’re buying the books.

I’m not saying that you can’t have multiple genres of books at one publisher. I’m saying it’s more difficult to develop a faithful following of readers if they never know what to expect from you. Some readers will read any genre, and with good writing, you can attract those. Many other readers will read within particular genres and avoid others. These genre purists prefer to know that they can count on a particular writer producing a particular kind of book. In this busy day and age, it simplifies the process of book buying and gets the reader to their pleasure sooner. By writing specific books for specific houses, you can attract both types of readers and still be free to explore the genres that attract you.

So write what you want and sell it where you want, but whatever you do, do it well. You don’t want to damage anyone’s IQ.

Can I get a little magic with that?

Like Andrea, I'm a bit of a Genre Whore. I've always read a little bit of everything - romance of all flavors - paranormal, historical and suspense being my faves. I also enjoy sci-fi, fantasy, young adult, non-fiction, metaphysical, childrens, personal essays, history texts and even some biographies. I have to draw the line at quantum physics and math though.

I don't write in quite as many genres as I read, but I have dabbled a bit. I've written several personal essays, a historical, a suspense and a couple contemporary novels. Despite the dabbling, there's one thing I love more than anything - paranormal. If I can mix some magic spells, tarot readings, faeries, fallen angels, witches, time traveling or psychics into my story, I'm a happy camper. For whatever reason, I tend to struggle less with those stories. I don't know if it's the freedom to stretch the boundaries of reality or if it's simply that I love the idea of weaving the mystical and magical into ordinary life.

Even though my next release is a straight contemporary, which I loved writing, my first love will always be paranormal.

Vampires and Gays and Spankings...Oh My

I'm with Kim...I didn't know I had a choice. I've written about vampires since I was 10 years old. I have always loved them. Ever since I was eight years old and picked up a ratty copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula from the school library. It was in the 6th grade section but Mrs. Anderson let me check it out anyway because she knew I was advanced enough to understand it. (This is how I also ended up reading "My Brother Sam is Dead" which may STILL be one of the saddest books ever. If you have not read it...get it. It was a Newberry Award winner and it's wonderful.)

Anyway, vampires. I love them. Always have, always will. There is something about them that just speaks to me. They are dark and dangerous but hot and perfect. They can't get old on me. They don't get sick, they NEVER get whiny-man-cold-voice. It's very appealing.

As for gay men, well I have ALWAYS adored them. It just recently occured to me that I can put my two loves together. And honestly, as much as I love my earlier books, I think that the last three books, the gay vampire books, have been the best I've ever written. I really believe that my love for these characters comes through in every word I wrote.

This is not to say I wouldn't write anything else. If the idea comes then bring it on. I've written M/F non-vampire stories too. I really like Hello. The idea came and writing it was so much fun. If the muse wants to give me stories that are fully formed beginning to end like that, I would never tell him no.

I will always love writing vampires, they will be my first, last, and favorite love. But I don't think it's fair to pigeon hole myself into saying that's all I will write. In fact, I have a series coming out later this year that has nothing to do with vampires. I had the idea and no matter how hard I've tried I CANNOT force any of them to be vampires. And believe me, I've thought and thought and thought about it. But I don't think vamps could survive the sunny island the stories take place on.

Darn it all to hell.

XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel

I had a choice?

I write BDSM erotic romance.

That’s my genre, but I never actually picked it.

When I started writing, I thought I would be a fantasy writer. A while later, I worked out while I like writing about fantasy worlds, what I really love writing about are relationship between characters who exist in those worlds, everything else is secondary to that. So I somehow morphed into a romance writer.

Sometimes it was a fantasy or paranormal romance, sometimes historical romance, sometimes straight forward contemporary. Whatever the details, even if I didn’t start out intending to write a romance, two of the characters would soon make their intentions clear. The books turned into romances whether I wanted them to or not.

Looking back, I was also a BDSM writer from the start - although I didn’t necessarily put that label on them. In fact, I was writing them well before I knew that label existed – well before I was old enough to know the label existed, lol!

I’ve always written relationship based on a mutual enjoyment of dominance and submission – not one character forcing their will on their relationship because they are bigger or stronger, but each character finding their own kind of happiness in their own way.

There weren’t a lot of whips and chains in these first books (they came later, when I was older) but reading those old stories back – it was always dominance and submission all the way for me. I’ve never actually written a proper vanilla romance in my life. Probably a good thing since vanilla psychology confuses the hell out of me!

I become an erotic writer after all that - around the same time I became a writer of male/male stories. Still not sure if that was a coincidence or not. Maybe it’s just a case of they both happened when I stopped trying to write what I thought I should write and wrote down the complete uncensored stories in my head.

Sometimes the characters who fall in love inside my head are both the same gender, sometimes there’s one of each and sometimes there are more than two characters to play with. That doesn’t really make any difference to me. I’ve never thought of male/male as a separate genre because gender or orientation really couldn’t present less of a blip on my radar.

So I don’t really think of myself as a male/male writer. Perhaps an erotic romance writer whose male characters often end up with other guys? If I’m going to be entirely honest, I’ve never thought of myself as an erotic writer either. What’s erotic is incredibly subjective. Explicit might be more accurate, although no one seems to label anything that way.

And that’s it really. I’d love to tell you that it was a flash of inspiration. That I got up one morning and decided I wanted to be a BDSM erotic romance writer when I grow up. But the truth is, I didn’t pick a genre or even a label. In the same way I don’t pick the stories that are going to turn up inside my head.

Ending up in the genre I currently occupy was a process – sometimes a quick one, sometimes a not so quick one. I got her more by luck than judgement and more by instinct than either. I wrote the stories that come naturally to me and BDSM erotic romance is the genre label the world puts on them.

I might not have picked my destination. But I’m very pleased to be in my current genre.

I’m happy here.

I write BDSM erotic romance.

Kim Dare.
Kink, love and a happy ending. Do you Dare?

Genre Slut

I'm promiscuous. I like to read all the genres. The book I pick up next may depend on the mood I'm in or it may just depend on what's handy. Though the genre that moves me the most is women's fiction. I love the romantic elements, but I like the richness of relationships developed outside of the romance, too.

When I set out to write my first manuscript, I was thoroughly uneducated in writing, and I thought I was writing a romance. As I got further along and started looking at what I was going to do with the manuscript when it was finished (ie. pursue publication), I was devastated to read descriptions of what a romance was and find out that I had written a horrible romance. Fortunately I kept researching and found that my story fell under the category of women's fiction.

When I "finished" my women's fiction manuscript (it's never really finished until it's in print, right?), I decided to write a contemporary romance, but it started to veer off into women's fiction as the heroine had more important issues going on in her life than getting together with the hero. That story is on the back burner as I decide which direction I want it to take.

In the meantime I've been working on an historical western romance, which has been lots of fun to write. As a young reader my shelves were filled with YA historical romances. I still own several of them from the Sunfire series written in the 1980s.

So as a new writer, I am still experimenting with different genres. I don't have a "brand" or "identity" yet as a published author, so I have the freedom to try different styles. And besides if I did want to develop a women's fiction/romance identity for Andrea Dickinson but also try something else I could always write something like ummm... erotic romance under a pen name like my very good closest bestest friend Suzanne Graham who has sold her first story to Total-e-bound. Have you been to her blog yet?

So choose a genre? Do I really have to?

It's all about you

For the humble of the group, that's a toughy. Writers have some ego, don't get me wrong, they have to in order to submit their work for consideration. If they never thought their work, their masterful baby, was good enough for publication, there would be no book on sale. So the topic of self-promotion is the moment when you can let the proverbial cat out of the bag and GO with it. Promote yourself and that genius book. Don't be shy. The timid never get sales.

Adding to what my predecessors have put in isn't easy. Actually it sucks. I'm the sixth person on the subject. Uniqueness becomes complicated. But here's my attempt.

Other than the fantastic ideas already presented, I've tried some nifty ideas too. I'm in total agreement that pens rock as promotional tools. Everyone needs a pen. Every mom, every doctor's office, every hotel clerk, every grocery store cashier. On my pens I put my pen name and my website. That's it. But I also give pens that clip onto things. As a mom, mine fall into the giant pit called my purse or my kids go in and take them for art projects... or the husband nabs them and walks off. Clipping a pen to the zipper is my solution. Also, it's an eye-catcher. Unique from the other standard appearing pens.

Another thing I did was create chapsticks with my cover art on them. I provided the copy of art to a company and they put it on as the lable. Along the edges were both my website and my blogsite. Who doesn't use chapstick? What was fun about this one is that I got to pick the flavors I used. Or mix them. I mixed cherry and mint. Yum. The cover art was catchy and I had people writing me a year later to tell me that the chapstick continually reminded them to see what new projects I had out.

Above all, I made an invaluable contact. Livi at ASBMall.com is amazing. I wrote her, asked for ideas or just told her what I was thinking and she'd find it. This company has so much more than what they show on this site. They can put anything on your selection and they ship quickly. Livi has been known to alter the shipping location at the last minute in order to get my supplies to the Romantic Times convention as I arrive. She is amazing.

Whatever it is you settle on, make it memorable. Make it about you. This is your chance to show off. Give them your site address. Make sure they know your name. It does pay off in the end.

SWX

A Word of Advice

First off, I'd like to say if you haven't read Brynn's post from yesterday, go back and read it right now! It's the perfect self promo primer!

I honestly don't have much to add to her list of wonder, but I would like to offer a suggestion. If you chose to promo on readers/authors/publishers loops, please be sure that you're at least somewhat active on those loops. I've seen a lot of authors who promo and run. They turn up when they have a new book to promote, hit the loops hot and heavy and then disappear.

Loop participants like developing a relationship with the authors they enjoy. Now I'm not suggesting that you haunt the loops every day responding to every last post. If you attempted that, you'd never get anything done. But I am suggesting that you make the time to pop in occasionally on your favored promo loops just to get to know the people who hang out there and give them a chance to get to know you. Readers tend to be loyal when they find an author they love, but they're also savvy. Blatant pimping doesn't usually go over well and may actually backfire on you.

As Dakota said, you are your best promo tool. Now, go forth and promo!

The Secret Handshake

It’s ironic that promotion is the topic for the week. I just had a long discussion with a friend this past Friday about promoting yourself as an author. It’s a must. I know people who half-heartedly do it (or don’t do it at all) and I know people who are promo machines. I’m in the middle, and I think I do well. First, off: YOU MUST SPEND MONEY TO PROPERLY PROMOTE YOURSELF. Yes, I capped that sentence on purpose. You don’t have to spend a fortune but you will have to invest some cash. In order to help you, I’ll list what I spend (on most things) and where I get my promo items. Trust me, I am a cheapskate promoter so I look for the best deals on everything.

So here goes:

1. Website. Investment: $200-400. You must have a website. There are a bazillion places available. For zero investment you can go to Freewebs. You will have more flexibility and be easier to find if you invest in a site from a pay site. I have my site hosted through GoDaddy. They also provide domain name service. If you are paying for a site, you will need both a domain and a host. For a three-year investment, I spent less than $300.

Some of you might need a webmaster/mistress to create or update your site as well. That is an additional fee.

2. Blogs, guest blogs, access sites. Investment: Time. This is FREE promo. Guest blog wherever you can. Create a blog for yourself and update it. You should blog at least four times a week. Don’t look to me as an example. This is one thing I’m terrible about, but I do know the rules. Make sure that your releases and appearances stay up-to-date on your blog. I have three reader access sites: Blogger, MySpace and Facebook. Many people are into Twitter but I’ve yet to venture there.

3. Chats. Investment: Time. This is another FREE promotional tool. Join reader loops and get out there to interact with your readers. This is one of your strongest tools.

4. Author mail loop/list serves. Investment: Time. This one is the same as chats. Interact. Be accessible.

5. Newsletter. Investment: Time and $10. Create a monthly newsletter to keep your readers up-to-date with your writing career. Let them know about works in progress, up-coming releases and contests. A little writing-related info about what’s going on with you is nice, too. It’s best to put your newsletter in pdf format. I purchased PDF Creator software for $10.

5. Business cards. Investment: usually $25 - $150. With the way Vistaprint offers free stuff, there’s no reason not to have business cards. I just ordered 250 premium, custom-designed glossy cards for all of $9 plus shipping. They would have been completely free plus shipping if I wasn’t one to insist on glossies. So what do you do with business cards? Do you only need them if you’re going to a conference? I give out cards all the time. I give them away at the bookstore, I slip them into bills, I leave one for my waitress, I give them to people when we discuss what I do for a living, I give one to the lady who prints my book covers at the store… The opportunities to promote yourself are endless. If someone seems interested, be sure to have a card.

6. Cover flats. Investment: varies. Some publishers print cover flats for their authors. Some do not. It’s incredibly easy to make your own cover material. Again, you can go to Vistaprint and take advantage of their sales. I ordered both extra-large and regular-sized postcards with my covers and information on them. How much? Free plus shipping. The regular-sized postcards fit nicely in a coupon carrier and can be signed and given out to readers. I usually carry around a few in my purse to give away.

7. Display covers. Investment: $2 print, $2 frame. Print out your covers and put them in acrylic display frames. I’ve had 5x7 copies made of most of my covers. It’s nice to be able to show them when you make a public appearance. Covers draw people and a cover can sell a book.

8. Bookmarks. Investment: $25-$500. These are a staple. When I first started writing, I thought I’d eschew this promotional tool. Everyone does bookmarks, I thought. I’ll get lost in the shuffle. But everyone loves bookmarks. Not doing them is a mistake. I design and print mine through Next Day Flyers. They have incredible quality, service and price. I was able to get 500 bookmarks for $32 plus shipping.

9. Pencils/pens. Investment: $.09 -$5 each. These can add up, but they get your name in front of readers. I have pens in my purse from authors I met two years ago. Their names are definitely well known to me. Again, outside the conference circuit how does this apply to you? Let me ask…how often do you sign credit card slips or forms? You have the opportunity to leave behind a pen every time you do this. Most service places that need people to sign papers/receipts will use whatever pen they can get their hands on.

10. Author/book specific promo. Investment: up to you. I spend the entire year scouring online sites for promotional items. I don’t want to spend a fortune, but I don’t want something really cheesy, and I don’t want something everyone else has, too. This year, I went with thumbcuffs (I am a bdsm writer, after all) and small acrylic picture key chains. The two-sided picture frame will hold a copy of my book cover and info about me. I found an awesome deal and I’d encourage you to search for your own deal, too.

Does promo help? Yes. Do you have to be careful about what you do? Yes. Your promotional materials should speak about you as a writer. Don’t make it steamy if you’re a sweet writer. Don’t make it all flowery if you’re a steamy writer. You’re materials should match you as a writer or it should match your books. Personally, I try to make my materials author specific rather than book specific. They’ll last me longer that way. I can use them to promote any book from any of my three publishers.

So looking at the “Secret Handshake” promotional package, what have I, as a writer, invested this year?

Website: $0 (once every 3 years--I'll have this next year)
Blogs: $0
Chats/mail loop: $0
Newsletter: $10
Business Cards/Postcards: $23
Bookmarks (500): $43
Covers/Frames: $28
Pens: $110
Author Specific Promo: $73
Total: $287 - An invaluable investment of less than a dollar a day. Perfect.

Dakota Rebel - Her work with pictures

This is my new book. My 10th release through Total-E-Bound.com. It is my third published attempt at M/M. It's a sexy little story about a rockstar vampire and a vampire hunter and their "forbidden love."


This is Ethan and Jamie. They are both vampires. They sort of hate each other, but then they sort of don't. It's hot. If I do say so myself.

This is my first published book. It will always be one of my favorites because you never forget your first. It too is about vampires (do you see a theme here? Dakota LOVES the vampires.)

I have my own blog. I have my own website. I have famous friends who also have their own blogs and their own websites.

What's my point? Why am I just throwing out personal promo stuff?

Ah Ha!

No one is going to toot your horn for you. Well, not unless you ask them to. My friends and I share the spotlight when we can. We are happy to post excerpts, pics, news about each other on our sites. But the majority of our pimping comes from our own mouths and fingers.

If you aren't going to promo yourself, no one else is likely too either. Get your name out there. Post to loops, join in on chats, MAKE FRIENDS. Real friends, not people that you use until you feel you don't need them anymore. This is a rough business, surrounding yourself with like minded people is a great way to survive it. And honey, for goodness sake, talk talk talk yourself up. You're the best promotion tool in the arsenal. Use it!

XoXoXo
Dakota Rebel

More questions than answers

Like Andrea yesterday - I'm new too. I don't really know what I'm doing yet. I don't know what works when it comes to self promotion. So it's a bit like trial and error.

Obviously you have to get your name out there, but what works - what really makes a reader decide to buy book X rather than book Y.

Now and again, I get an e-mail through from someone who has read one of my books and liked it. After the first flush of - that's incredibly cool and it's incredibly kind of someone to take the time to get in touch, I find myself tempted to ask questions.

I don't actually respond with a survey, but I think promotion would be so much easier if I could find a way to do that without being rude about it.

What would I ask?

Did you buy the book because you saw a promo for it on a yahoo group? Which group? And by the way - what time of day do you usually visit yahoo groups? Are you more likely to click on a promo/excerpt if it's just been posted at 10am after you've dropped the kids off at school, or do you check them after work, or just before bed? What makes you read one promo instead of another? Come to that, do readers actually exist on the yahoo groups, or is it mostly hundreds of writers talking and no one at all listening?

Did you follow the link from a blog post? Was it my own blog? One of the multi-author blogs I post on? Or was it someone else's blog entirely? What sort of blog post catches your attention and makes you want to read the books the poster writes?

Did you stumble across my website? What took you there? A link from another authors website? Did the website encourage you to buy the book or did it put you off in some way? Should there be more excerpts? Less clutter? Could you find what you wanted?

Did you read a positive review for the book and trust the reviewers judgement? Did you read a negative review and decide to give the book a go anyway?

Did you read an author interview somewhere? Which website? Which bit of the interview caught your attention?

Did you buy the book direct from the publishers website or from a secondary retailer? Did you know you were interested in the book before you went there or were you just browsing? What made you pick that book? Cover art? Blurb? Genre label? Did you buy it because it was part of a collection with other authors? Do you buy all the books put out by that publisher (apparently some people do)?

Would an author offering a free short story make you more likely to try out one of their books? How would you feel about a free novella instead, because I really suck at writing anything under 10k?

What about Myspace, facebook, twitter, librarything, or the dozens of other networking sites? Does connecting with an author on one of them make you more likely to read their books?

Or maybe finding a writer at a conference for romance readers and writers is what does it for you? Or freebees given away at a conference? Do you prefer book marks, pens, or something more unusual?

Magazine adverts? Did you see the advert in Scarlet? Did you follow the link provided? What about Attitude magazine?

Or did you hear about the book from a friend? Who was it? Can you pass the list of questions on to them, please?

As you might have guessed by now (or a dozen paragraphs ago for that matter). I don't have answers. I have questions.

I haven't tried all of the above. The ones I haven't tried, I'm considering. But the thing is - I'm not sure how to tell if any or all or which ones actually yield results.

A little while ago, I heard a piece of advice - The best way to promote your last book is to publish your next book.

I don't know if it's true, but I love that bit of advice. Mostly because it's an enjoyable piece of advice to follow.

I do the promotional work because it's part of being a writer - it's part of the job.

But I write because I love writing.

*Goes off to work on the next book*

***********************************************

But first, since the topic is self promotion, lol.

I have a new release to share with you.


Gaydar is a male/male, BDSM Lust Bite, available now from Total-e-bound.

Here's the blurb:

Find a gay man in a gay bar. Matt’s sure that should be a lot easier than it actually is.

Matt’s having a run of bad luck – one that’s lasted ever since he stepped out of the closet. An uncanny ability to home in on the only straight guy in a bar room full of gay men really isn’t doing his sex life any favours. A knack for picking complete jerks whenever he does stumble upon a genuinely gay man isn’t helping either.

But, this time everything is going to be different. This time Matt’s absolutely sure his gaydar has guided him towards a completely sane, entirely gay man – which is why he’s arranged to meet him in the gents’ room in five minutes.

What could possibly go wrong?

And here's a quick excerpt.

“Let me guess, he’s straight?”

Mathias Hilliard perched his backside on the barstool between his friends. “I’m meeting him in the gents’ toilets in five minutes,” he announced.

Even with his run of luck, Matt was pretty sure an entirely straight man wouldn’t suggest meeting another man there. He ran his hands through his hair, messing up the carefully styled blond strands, and tried not to look too anxious as he watched his friends exchange a very speaking look.

“Married,” they decided in unison.

Matt took a sip of his beer, trying to work some moisture into his throat as nervous energy built inside him. “He says he’s not married.”

“That’s what all your boyfriends start off saying,” Paul reminded him.

“No wedding ring,” Matt recounted. “And no pale line where a wedding ring should be either. I checked.”

“What’s wrong with him then?” Lewis asked from the stool on the other side of him.

Matt glared at his friend as he put his empty beer bottle back on the bar. “Maybe there’s nothing wrong with him. Maybe he’s just a nice guy who just happens to want to have sex with me. Would that really be so strange?”

Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his friends raise an eyebrow at the other. The bartender took the empty bottle from in front of him and tossed it into a barrel that was already half full of other empty bottles before he walked back down to the other end of the bar.

“So, I’m having a run of bad luck,” Matt said with a shrug.

“One that’s lasted ever since you came out of the closet,” Lewis muttered into his glass.

Matt made a point of ignoring him. He stood up and straightened his new shirt, smoothing out non-existent creases. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to himself. This time it would be different. This guy would be different. He just knew it.

A few minutes later Matt stepped into the men’s room at the back of the bar. He didn’t even have time to look around before his back hit the wall. A man’s body covered his, pressing him back against the plasterwork, holding him there when instinct made Matt push against the larger man’s chest.

Firm, demanding lips swallowed his gasp. A confident tongue swept into his mouth, coaxing a moan from him. Without any order from his brain, Matt felt his hands claw at the man’s shirt as he tried to pull him closer. There wasn’t much material to hold on to. Well-defined muscles moved under his hands. Suddenly it became absolutely essential that the shirt should go.

Dropping one hand to the other man’s waist, Matt tugged at the material, trying to free it from his jeans so he could at least feel skin under his touch, even if he couldn’t strip the other man down right there.

Large hands wrapped around both his wrists and pinned them against the wall on either side of his head. Matt groaned a protest. The guy had suggested they meet in the men’s room. He couldn’t start playing hard to get now. There had to be a rule against that sort of crime against humanity and common bloody sense.

If you want to find out more about Gaydar – you can find it here.

Kim Dare.
Kink, love and a happy ending. Do you Dare?

Promo

I'm new remember?! So here's a great blog about Marketing Tips For Authors by someone who's not new.

Marketing Tips Around The Net

Happy Monday!

The Research Made Me Do It

Whoops. I'm late posting. The research made me do it. Yeah, that's it. I'm researching all about um... all about... well, shoot. Okay I am actually researching government stuff. Not REAL government stuff but made up stuff that looks like real government stuff.

I do sketchy research when I start off a project. Mostly I don't want someone to influence my story ideas with-oh-reality. Like CSI, right? Most of the stuff in the CSI labs can't be done. They certainly can't solve a crime in an hour or get DNA results or tox results in a single day. Weeks, people, it takes weeks.

No, I like to gather the basic info of process until I have something believable I can manipulate and put in a book. According to a recent seminar with a Detective Meinor, CSI works because it has just enough realism to make people think that the incredible computer programs they have are possible in the immediate future. Because of that, viewers are able to suspend their disbelief.

My research is like that. I gather just enough info to say "Hey this is possible, stick with me" and then I build my story around my characters doing those things.

Research can be overdone in my opinion. At least this way, it doesn't interfere with the creative process and stifle my fun. Cause that's important: Maintaining the fun in writing. It's why we do it right?

SWX

Writing Make-Believe

I’ll start today by quoting Mia Watts' comment on yesterday's post: Research? Surely we can make up everything as we choose?

Um, no. Mia was joking—I think—but a lot of people think that it’s true that you can just make up stuff or write about what you “kind of” know. It doesn’t matter if you write historical or contemporary or paranormal, you need to have your facts straight.

I am a firm supporter of writing the “velour” version of history. Nobody really needs to know that, during medieval times, clothes were kept in the smelly garderobe to keep away moths. When I read about romance in the middle ages, I’d like to avoid the very basic, true to life smells. BUT…do not have people dying of the plague in England 1123 and your heroine would not wear panties or a petticoat in the middle ages. Your hero, however, might wear a petticoat. Really? Yes.

Know your facts from clothing to lifestyle to housing to society to political atmosphere.

This doesn’t just apply to history.

Let’s say you’re writing about…BDSM (yes this post is a little bit of a continuation from my peeves post two weeks ago). You can’t just pull out two characters and give them whips and handcuffs, make one call the other Master and kneel down in subjugation. There’s so much more to it. I’m not saying that an author needs to live the lifestyle or regularly wear nipple clips, but I’d suggest knowing how long they can be safely left on a person. One should also research techniques for whipping, flogging, spanking, etc. Research positions for the submissive to use with his or her Master. Know that Dom/Master is capitalized and that sub/slave is not—for that matter, one should know the difference between a submissive and a slave. Most importantly, the author must take the time to investigate the psychological mindsets behind the lifestyle, whether it’s a couple who practices BDSM 24/7 or just in the bedroom. What are the logistics? Why do people do this?

A hot spot for me? Yes, a little.

But that doesn’t apply to me, you say. I don’t write historical and I don’t write BDSM, ménage, paranormal or male/male romances. I just write regular male/female contemporary romances.

Okay, then…guess what? I’m talking to you, too. Do your characters have jobs? What kind of responsibilities do they have? What kind of time off would they have? Are they ever on call? Do they have particular tools of the trade? What city/state do they live in? Does that city really have a Starbucks? What’s it like to live in a tiny town? Does the car they’re driving have a column or a floor gear shift? Can it really go 140 mph or will a safety feature force a lower speed? What’s the weather like in the location? What’s the physiology of an orgasm? If you’re writing from the perspective of the opposite sex, you’ll want to know so you can write it properly. What would be the psychological reason for a smart professional woman to dress in a trashy manner despite the negative attention it garners?

These are all things you might need to look at for a story and portray properly, and maybe even skillfully explain, so the reader understands your characters, where they are, and why they do what they do. This is the fabric that gets your reader to connect and know and feel your writing.

So, no…you can’t just make something up. There are a million and one questions that must be answered for every story. Even if what you write is make-believe.

Research, how I love thee

I love research of all kinds. Books, websites, hands-on – it doesn’t matter, I love it all. In the name of research, I’ve talked to a criminal profiler from a local university and looked at some of his profiles, I’ve practiced sword fighting with Ren Faire guys (they’re always happy to give a lesson or two) and I’ve taken a ten week long citizens police academy course from my local police department.

One of the great things about hands-on research is that you know what it feels like when someone blocks your sword thrust. You know what the sensation of clashing metal feels like as it reverberates along your arms. You know what it feels like to be in a cop car that does a U-turn in the middle of traffic and roars away at 90+ miles per hour after a drunk driver. Sometimes, having those experiences make the details easier to translate to the reader. And sometimes, they're just plain old fun.

However, as enjoyable as those things were, books are still my favorite form of research. I love the feeling of reading a tiny little passage and having a whole scene come to life in my mind complete with dialogue and conflict. I love cataloging information for future use.

A couple years ago, my husband and I were in a bookstore and he hurried over to me all excited, clutching this book he found on the bargain table. He said, “Honey, look what I found, for you. It’s perfect.” He handed me the book and I squealed a little and hugged him. A woman shopping nearby looked at us with this really sweet smile, and then she saw what I was holding. An Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Her smile quickly faded and she hurried to the other end of the store. My husband, remembering that I was starting a book that involved a serial killer, found this wonderful (and uber creepy) research book. Knowing how much I love research, he couldn’t wait to show it to me.

It’s funny – sometimes when I do research, the things I think will be the most useful, aren’t and incidental things end up being the most important. Every new piece of information that I cram into my brain opens up worlds of possibility. Much like some of the other authors mentioned, it’s likely that not even a tenth of that information will ever be used within the confines of the story you're writing. But no research is ever wasted. It will be used somewhere at some point, even if it’s only to give you an edge at Trivial Pursuit.

Researchin' Machine

So, if you are reading this you have not been afflicted by the horrific computer virus that was set to F'k up everyone's systems. All your base...well they still belong to you.

I love research. Research is an excuse not to write. It is often also an excuse to shop. And to read. And I love all of those things.

Right now I am doing extensive research about a place. I have purchased books and DVDs. I have downloaded many pictures from google. I have pretty boys pasted to pretty paper next to pics of pretty islands all over the place. I have written one chapter.

This is my massive pit fall when it comes to research. I spend so much time info gathering and fact checking that quite often I don't get around to writing the book. Many, many times I have started to do research on something and gotten bitten by a bug only vaguely similar to go off on a tangent for a different book.

For instance, let's say I want to write about the Eiffel Tower. So I am researching. I am printing pics for inspiration. I go to the bookstore and pick up an architecture book. And the guy ringing me up at the cash register is really cute. He has blond hair and blue eyes and is wearing a University of Michigan sweatshirt. And he keeps shooting furtive glances at the guy in the corner who is pretending to read the New York Times. But he hasn't turned the page in twenty minutes.

And just like that the Eiffel Tower is fucked and with any luck so is Mr. New York Times.

That's how it works in our world. And it's a good thing. Research can be fun, it can be daunting, and it is hard work. But so is writing. It's all in a days work. Or a weeks. Sometimes a months. And some of us have been researching books our whole lives. The brain doesn't shut off and ideas and information are everywhere.

XoXoXO
Dakota Rebel
Rambling as usual