June 13th, 2009
This went up a couple of days ago, actually, but we have a lovely guest post and contest up at Literary Escapism — it’s about telling lies as a writer:
One of the big writer maxims is: Write what you know.
It’s advice that usually works. Do you want real action, real emotions, real consequences? Remember what you’ve done in your own life, and write it out. “Write what you know” is a classic for a reason: pour all that lust for your midnight lover into your sex scenes, add the tiny details about what it’s like to live in Boise, Idaho, and use the uncomfortable memory of what you saw a friend go through in high school for a surprise plot twist to make the reader weep. Nothing sounds more real than what is actually real.
On the other hand we do sometimes run into problems. After all, how many of us have really faced down a demon? (more…)
June 4th, 2009
And another! With giveaway (natch). This time U.S.A. Today bestselling author — or rather, coauthor — C. T. Adams asked us, among many other things, how we worked out our own crazy coauthoring process:
A: [...] Another great thing we have going for our partnership is the fact that many of our skills and talents are complementary. For example, I am terrible at plotting, while Kat is absolutely amazing at it. I am great at writing sex scenes and emotional confrontations.
K: –Yes! Whereas I tend to shut my eyes and flail a bit. Though I do go back in and edit, and I think I tend to leave notes for Anna like, “Then they do something emotional here.” (more…)
May 12th, 2009
There’s a guest post up at My Book, the Movie — it talks about writing action scenes:
One of my favorite things to come across while I’m reading is a really fantastic action scene. When the author’s somehow managed to tell me where everybody is, what they’re doing, how they’re feeling, what the action means, and what the consequences are — that’s a real talent, and a gem to come across in print. (more…)
May 6th, 2009
There’s a guest post up at Darque Reviews — and a contest for a signed copy of the book. The post itself deals with worldbuilding paranormal romances:
One of the most fun parts of writing a paranormal romance is figuring out just where the “paranormal” is going to come in. Traditional vampire mythology? Trip to Faerie? Zombie hordes? I want to work out what the world is like, find all the bad bits, and then make my characters deal with ‘em. (more…)
May 6th, 2009
Of a sort, anyway. Athena’s Bookshelf has put up an interview-style post called “UpClose & Personal” — it’s short, sweet, and contains movie references. For instance:
Favorite guilty pleasure:
It’s terrible. Watching romantic comedies and mid-90s films for teenagers. (Yes, I almost quoted Empire Records instead of answering this question.) (more…)
