New Year, New...well, all sorts of things

Happy New Year! Okay, so the general state of "the world is on fire" hasn't quite been put out. (I'll make my statement of if you in ANY way support the terrorism and insurrection that went on at the Capitol last week, you can see yourself out now, and I won't miss you. BYE.) Not much else to do besides keep slogging along, I guess. Fingers crossed that better times are, in fact, ahead.

I did reach my goal of finishing the main writing of my latest book before the end of the year, though the editing process went into January. Since it was a lot longer than anything else I've written recently, obviously editing took longer, too. And since I had plenty of time to think about and overthink things, that's exactly what I did.

First of all, I decided I didn't love the title of Elemental Forces. It wasn't terrible, but I thought I could do better. After thinking about the characters and some recurring themes and imagery, I played with a few combinations. To my surprise and delight, a Google search of my top choice didn't show anything notable with that title. So now, the book is A Flame Among the Stars. Very fantasy-esque, right? I'll go make that new tag now. Maybe I'll go through and re-tag the older posts, since there aren't too many of them.

Next, I debated long and hard about the idea of submitting to a different publisher. I'm very happy with everything the team at Decadent Publishing and I have done together, but as they're a general romance publisher, I considered submitting someplace more specific for my next lesbian romance. I did some research on publishers who focus on lesbian fiction, narrowed it down to a few possibilities, and selected what I thought would be the best fit. Since everyone has different requirements for submissions packages, it took me longer to put everything together for this one. I waffle back and forth with how confident I feel, but at least I can say I took the chance. And if it doesn't pan out, I have some backup plans.

Onward to the rest of 2021! I don't have, like, an actual calendar or anything (though maybe I should), but I am planning out the rest of my writing year. I do always like to take a break after finishing off a project, so I've been reading some books that have been sitting on my Kindle for a while, and I'm going to start The Witcher 3 on the Switch tomorrow, which I'm going to assume will take me at least a month to get through since I can only play at night after the kids are in bed. After that, though, I think I've decided on what I want to do next, but plans can always change. Stay tuned!

Title Woes Part the Millionth

As planned, I've put the novella aside for now, and I started the anthology submission. I've frequently said here that titles either come to me right away or they don't. For this short story...I got nothing. Nothing good, anyway.

Okay, maybe I shouldn't say I have nothing, as I have been brainstorming a few ideas with friends. A lot of what I came up with just seems so generic, though, like it could apply to a hundred other stories. Also listed in my criteria was that I don't want the title to give away any major plot points. Unfortunately, with a ~5K word story, there's not a whole lot to go on except major plot points.

But then I realized something: Does a title matter as much in an anthology? I mean, obviously I do want something better than average, but if it does get accepted, it's probably not likely that the title of my story will make or break whether or not a reader buys the book. I guess it also depends on how people read anthologies—do they start from the beginning and blaze right through, or do they start with the title that grabs them the most and then jump around? (In what should come as a surprise to no one, I'm a "start at the beginning" person.)

I don't have a good answer. Right now, the frontrunner is "Another Hero". Which, yeah, I know. Snooooooore. It's not set in stone, and I still have some time to figure it out. At least I won't be kicking myself too much if I can't come up with anything better.

Outside the Comfort Zone (or, Revealing the Mystery)

So I've been hinting at my new project in the past couple posts, and it's time to come clean. I've been dodgy because this is something new for me, and I'm determined to make it work. I'm about 5K words in (and I have a great outline, for reasons I'll talk about below), and so far, so good. I think. I hope.

Throughout the years, I've been half-joking about writing an old-fashioned mystery, but with a steamy romance component, since romance is how I roll. Lest you think I'm completely off my rocker, there is some precedence for this. Most stage and screen adaptations of And Then There Were None (my favorite book) capitalize on the tension/attraction between Vera and Lombard and change the ending so the two of them can ride off into the sunset together. (I believe Agatha Christie herself even wrote some of these adaptations.) Truth be told, I do prefer the original ending, because the whole book is just plain brilliant, but hey, the romantic in me doesn't mind the changes *too* much.

Throughout the years, I've also half-joked about how I would never write a mystery because I'm not smart enough to write a good one. This is still probably correct, but I'm going for it. There's a bit of a twist at the end, a deus ex machina, if you will, but I'll admit the plot isn't anything earth-shattering. That said, it's *my* plot, and I'm going to make it the best I can.

As is often the case, after thinking about the idea here and there for a long time, most of the details came to me as I was lying in bed, trying to sleep. Usually I start writing if I just have a basic framework, but this time, due to the genre and plot, I wanted a really solid outline before I even wrote the first sentence. For those of you who often make great outlines, mine still probably looks like a mess in comparison. For me, though, it's the most comprehensive outline I've had. (Whether or not it makes the writing process go any faster remains to be seen.)

So there it is. It'll either be amazing or flop spectacularly, but I'm doing this. And to save us all a future post on title woes, I think I have one for this project. I wanted something that indicated both romance and mystery, so for right now, my folders and documents are titled Seductive Suspect. (As I always say, when in doubt, go for alliteration!) And now I can make the tag for the blog! :D

That Expected Post About Title Woes

First, a friendly PSA: There is a nasty strain of strep going around, which is resistant to some antibiotics. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. Also, I never, ever had a sore throat with it; I just thought I had a bad cold that wasn't going away, and I didn't seek medical attention until it had spread to my eyes. (Yes, that is a thing. A gross thing.) So if you're feeling a bit under the weather and it doesn't seem to be getting better, go to the doctor! Don't be like me!

So now that I'm finally feeling better after about a month of feeling like I got hit by a truck, it's time to get back to writing and blogging. In my last post, I wrote about how I was ready to start my new project, even though not all of the details were set in stone. Among those details was the title. As I said, I've started writing before without a title in place and it all worked out, so this shouldn't have been a big deal, right?

Hahaha nope. It was gnawing at me. Keeping me awake at night (when I really should have been sleeping, considering how sick I was and I still had two infants to care for). Somewhere, there was perfect title, and I was determined to think of it, even if it killed me before the untreated strep did. When I thought of something I considered pretty good, I turned to Google.

And since there's nothing new under the sun, that title had been used for other works already. Specifically, a non-fiction book that came out a few years ago, a play, and a dystopian series whose third installment comes out this month. Well, boo.

I don't know why it bugged me so much. I mean, these days, it's probably extremely difficult to find a title that hasn't been used for anything before. Goodness knows there were plenty of works of fiction called Elysium before mine came out. Same with Disintegration. And when I did have books come out that had unique titles, it's not like they suddenly propelled me into superstardom and made me a world famous author. (Unfortunately.)

Cue more sleepless nights and a lack of motivation. I created a folder so I could store some research I'd done, and gave it a silly name just to have something in place. I eventually made THE document for the actual manuscript and gave it the same placeholder file name. And I even got started and knocked out a few paragraphs.

Finally, I decided that the lack of originality isn't going to hold me back. What I came up with is the title for this book, and I'm not going to fight it anymore. I like the sound of it, it fits the storyline, and I'm just going to go with my gut feeling and accept it. To commemorate this decision, I'm even going to make a tag for it here. (Because that makes it official!)

So, welcome to my new writing project: Out of Orbit

Ducks in a Row

It's that time. My writing fingers are getting itchy and I think I'm ready to start a new project. It's an exciting moment - opening up MS Word, seeing that beautiful blank page, and going to "Save As". But am I really ready?

I don't have a formal checklist of tasks I need to complete before I decide that an idea is developed enough to become its own story. However, some things I need to have in place before I'm willing to start. Here's a random list in no particular order:

Character Names: The main characters MUST have first names picked out before I will even write the first word. Names can say a lot about a character right off the bat, and I want to make sure they're a good fit. Last names, though, I'm willing to be flexible on. They don't come up as often, and as such, I've used placeholders before if I just want to get down to it. And actually, when I finished the first draft of Elysium, I decided to change the male lead's surname for various reasons. (Thanks, search & replace!) I'll usually run a google search on the name combinations to make sure I'm not inadvertently naming a character after someone well-known.

Place Names: UGH. I HATE coming up with fictional place names for sci-fi/fantasy. Haaaaaate. Again, I've used placeholders here before just so I'm not sitting here, staring at the screen for an hour trying to find a name that doesn't sound stupid.

Title: Ha. Hahahahaha. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. The issues I've sometimes had in the past with coming up with the perfect title have already been well-documented on this blog, so I'm just gonna leave that there.

Plot: Since I primarily write romance, 99% of the time the endgame is going to be "happily ever after", so that's taken care of. Getting there is, of course, a much different story. In thinking it over, I guess I don't really have any hard and fast rules here for what needs to be in place before I start writing. Although I write in order, sometimes I get going and realize that where I've decided to start the story is not the best place, and changes have to be made. Other times I think I've reached the end, only to learn that nope, there's more story in there somewhere. I usually have a basic framework in mind, but any outlines I make don't take a firm shape until I get started.

So where am I now? My two leads have first names. When I first started composing this post, my heroine didn't have a surname, but as I was climbing into bed last night to go to sleep, the perfect name popped into my mind, so yay? (Google has confirmed it is a good choice.) I don't have a name for the fictional planet most of the story will take place on. I know how I want to start the story, I know what the climax will be, but I haven't quite figured out the denouement. Bits and pieces of the middle are fleshed out, and I have some specific scenes and character development in mind. I think I'm good to go.

The title, though? Ha. Hahahahaha. Watch this space in a couple months for the usual freakout about how NOTHING SOUNDS RIGHT. I suppose I'll have to name that new Word document something vague.

Recapitulation

The Disintegration sequel (working title so I can make the label: The Fall of the Midnight Scorpions) is underway and the words are flying onto the page. I know I was hesitant to begin this one for a while, but all of my misgivings are gone. Despite having a touch of the flu (I could barely stand on Thursday, but went to the doctor and got a prescription for Tamiflu, good stuff), I wrote like crazy this weekend and I hope to keep plugging away at a good pace.

When I first started Defying the Skies, I mentioned here that there's a certain ease and familiarity that comes with writing a sequel. The characters and universe are already established for me, though I do try to provide a basic recap for new readers. That's been one of the [fun] challenges, actually — how do I re-set the stage without making it a giant infodump or a rehash of what already happened? What key details need to be mentioned right off the bat?

Chapter One is the longest introductory chapter I've ever written (I don't want to call it a prologue, but I guess an argument could be made). In my defense, 1) a lot happens, 2) there weren't any logical places for a scene break, and 3) only about a third of it is recapping stuff from the first book. Chapter Two admittedly has some more recapping, but it kicks off the main plot for the rest of the book, so I'm going to leave it for now. I really hope I've struck the right balance in refreshing the main plot points from the prior book vs. moving things along in the current book, but hey, that's what editing is for, right?

I know there's a good chance some (a lot?) will eventually be snipped, but I'm satisfied for now and raring to write more. I'm still itching with all the IDEAS that I want to put in this book and I'm hoping that fuel takes me far. Vroooom!

[Working Title]

I've written about my title woes before. Even when I don't have a title for the book I'm working on, I still need something by which to refer it when I'm talking with friends, other than "that book I'm working on". And even when I do have a title, sometimes a snappier name comes up in conversation and sticks.

When I was writing Disintegration, I was discussing it with one of my husband's friends. I'd joked that it was going to be like "50 Shades of Grey meets RoboCop" and he said, "so...RoboCock?" From then on, it was ALWAYS RoboCock in casual conversation. (Except when discussing the prequels, for some reason.) Hell, if it hadn't been such a dark book, I might have considered it for the real title! Actually, I'd be very very surprised to learn there wasn't already porn out there with that name.

Readers of this blog are familiar with the issues I had coming up with a title for Defying the Skies. I just referred to it as "the StS sequel" or even just "the sequel". Boobulon decided to refer to it as nothing but "Searching the Threesome" until I got off my butt and came up with a real title (which, as you'll remember, didn't happen until it was time for me to submit it). Ah, friends....

For my WIP, I actually do have a title picked out. However, somewhere along the line when talking about it with my friends, this book has turned into THE LESBIANS. It must be said just like that. It's not even The Lesbians. It's THE LESBIANS. And all I can think of now is this series of recurring sketches from Saturday Night Live:

If you're looking for a point to this post, other than the crazystupid things that go on in my head and the heads of my friends, uh...well...I guess it just goes along with my life philosophy not to take things too seriously. I know there are plenty of writers out there who consider their works SRS BZNS and woe unto those who do not place the same weight on the words that flow forth from their fingers. Personally, I think those people are just setting themselves up for disappointment, but who am I to judge?

(I'll leave the judging to ROBOCOCK! Pew pew pew!)

Titled! (finally!)

In this post, I expressed my woes over not having a title for the Searching the Skies sequel. The same thing happened this weekend as with the original book - I finished the first draft, and still had no title. I decided last night that THE TIME HAD COME, and I was going to title this damn book even if it killed me. (Which I believe would make me the first case of "death by untitled manuscript". Alert the medical examiner!)

I went back to the original list of ideas. [Verb]-ing the Skies still seemed like my best bet, especially since I have at least one more book in this series up my sleeve. I made a list and consulted whatever friends were unlucky enough to be signed into gtalk at the moment and nagged them for opinions. I kind of liked Saving the Skies, but I was still wary of the alliteration leading to ridiculous titles down the line. Guarding the Skies topped the list for a while; I was heavily leaning toward it, but I'll admit that some of that was just due to the "ugh, I just want this thing named already!" feeling.

The Artist Known as Boobulon didn't like it. Wah. We discussed at length the plot and themes of the book, and he told me what he felt the key points were and how he thought the title should reflect them. I understood and appreciated what he was saying, but it was still difficult to find a verb that captured all of that. Actually, we did find a couple, but 1) I felt they had negative connotations that I didn't really want in my title, and 2) they just didn't feel right. The seven o'clock hour was drawing near, and it was time for me to put down the computer and pick up the knitting needles and watch Jeopardy. (Because I'm secretly an old boring woman.) I told Boobulon I'd be back in an hour and we'd contemplate it some more.

And then as soon as I picked up the yarn and needles, it hit me! My mind stumbled upon the Verb that reflected the focal themes of the book and still sounded badass. I renamed the relevant documents and finally felt a sense of relief.

So I'll announce it here first: unless my editor changes it, the story of Geneva, Ash, and Marcus will continue on in Defying the Skies. I won't post details here yet, but trust me, "Defy" works on multiple levels. I also like how it calls to mind both death-defying aerial stunts and the song "Defying Gravity". I hope it's a winner!

(And now I can rest easy, for I already have titles in mind for my next couple projects. Thank goodness. We really don't want to have to go through this again.)