Tell Me a Story by V. Mark Covington

Please welcome Mark back to the ARW blog... Take it away mark.

 

 

Tell Me a Story

 

 

 

Back when the first primitive humans huddled around an open fire after a long day of hunting and gathering they shared the events of the day by grunting and gesturing. Mostly this was to kill time while watching the day’s kill sizzle to charred doneness over the fire. Then, somewhere along the way, those grunts and finger points turned into actual dinner conversation. I’ve often wondered about that first conversation, the first time that early man managed to string together a subject and a verb into a coherent expression of his thoughts. I don’t think that first sentence was a rambling narrative of the teller’s opinion as to why the weather has turned colder, or a complaint that dinner was a tad overdone. I don’t even think it was about sex or even a recounting of the teller’s heroics during the day’s hunt and why the teller should now be immediately voted chief of the clan. I think the first sentence ever uttered was very simple, ‘tell me a story.’ I think people wanted, and still want, a good, old fashioned story. Of course, I believe the second sentence was probably a rambling opinion or a glorified tale of the hunter’s prowess, his qualifications as clan leader, and why he should have the prettiest woman and the lion’s share of the meat. This later became the political stump speech and even later the ‘blog’. The third sentence uttered was probably a fart joke. I don’t think early man qualified his request for a story with ‘give me a character-driven narrative’ or ‘give me an in-depth description of the main character’s thoughts and feeling as he hurled his spear toward the antelope,’ I think he just wanted to hear about people or animals or even the gods of that time, doing things. It wasn’t until the invention of puffery by the romanticists in the 18th century that character driven narratives and deep introspection evolved to plague the storyline. When Homer penned the Iliad and the Odyssey stories were about people, gods and creatures actually doing things.

 

OK, we all love a good story but I’m finding good stories harder and harder to come by. I read books that have great characters, the heroes and heroines have depth, they are multi-dimensional, full of angst or humor or perseverance in the face of calamity, but they tend not to ‘do’ much of anything throughout the story (unless you count their constant spewing of angst and introspection). I find that a lot of authors tend to get bogged down in the character’s introspection, or in the background information of the novel. I have even seen authors describe the scenery in agonizing length, taking the reader from anticipation to boredom until the story line dies. I tried to read a Barbara Kingsolver novel recently, it started off innocently enough, describing a very bucolic scene of a deer drinking at a stream in the forest with sunlight sifting through the tree branches. Thirty-two pages later that same damned deer was still drinking at the same damned stream and I now knew more than I ever wanted to know about the many ways sunlight can sift through leaves. I personally don’t hunt game, but by this point I was hoping a hunter would come crashing through the forest, shotgun poised, and blow that dear to bits. I also hoped that hunter would then reload start in on those damned leaves. So, on page thirty-three I got up, walked to the window and pitched the book into my back yard. I hope the sun gently filters through the leaves toward it for a long, long time.

 

A novel should be like a river flowing to the sea, the current pushes the plot along and the characters react to the changes in the flow and speed of the water. In their little character boat they survive the white water, curse the doldrums, or go down with the ship, but the focus should be on the journey to the sea, not those journeying. When the current slows, and the boat begins to flounder in the backwater, the reader quickly loses interest. But when that boat is sucked into class five rapids, and rushes along at a good clip, the reader’s heart begins to beat a little faster eyes are glued to the text, fingers poised to flip to the next exciting page. This is not the time so pause and tell the reader what boat company made the boat, that the boat maker’s tools were passed down from his father or that his daughter has a large nose, that’s the best way to lose the momentum of the book, and in doing so, lose the reader. Now, I’m no enemy of sub-plots. A good sub-plot can add to the depth of the book and give the reader a change of scenery, and/or let characters and take a breath after an exciting passage in the book. Notice I said after, not during. I have seen lots of writers try to ‘create suspense’ by switching scenes to a sub-plot in the middle the action. This may suspend the action enough for your reader to start eyeing his open window. Also, be careful of how much time you spend in the sub-plot(s). Never linger in the subplot so long that the reader loses the string of the major plot line. The major plot-line should always be going full speed ahead in the reader’s mind.

 

OK, so yes, I’m a story-driven writer. I feel that the story should drive the characters and the characters should, in turn, react to the twists and turns of the plot. And when my characters start messing with my plot I calmly remind them that ‘I’m the writer here, and with a quick visit to the ‘replace all’ function I could change their names from Brick and Dominique to Eugene and Bertha. Like the Gods of old I speaketh to them; ‘I made thee and I can take thee out, so don’t tryith it’. I’ve even had to threaten to ‘pull this book over and turn it around’ from time to time when my characters started to wander off toward the edges of my story outline.

 

 

Character driven novels move along at the whim of the characters and usually with a lot of ruminating, soul searching and belly-button staring contemplation. I don’t give my characters that kind of time. If you give your characters even a little slack time they will soon be eyeing the edges of the storyline and began to shuffle, ever so casually and stealthily, away from the plot. When I see them start to look introspective I quickly send in a tornado or have an alligator turn up in their bathtub. That’ll show those slackers. Of course I’ll go back a couple of chapters and plant the seeds of catastrophe very subtly so the characters won’t know what’s coming. They may ask ‘why the sudden appearance of my ten year old nephew and why are you having him flush his pet baby alligator down my toilet’’ I smile and say, ‘just keep to the storyline and you have nothing worry about.’ I alone know what these mutineers will be plotting a mere few chapters on, and now I’m ready for them.

 

Whether the plot drives the characters or the characters drive the plot, the major plot is still the overriding premise of the book. You should be able to express the premise in an ‘elevator description’. One or two sentences that describe the major plot that can be communicated in the average ride in an elevator. From that major premise you began to break out your scenes. I find it helpful to create a flow-chart depicting the major actions that will happen in each scene:

 

The flow should depict the continuity of scenes, each following logically from the one before. Once you have a general idea of the action that will happen in each scene you can begin fleshing things out. The first bit of flesh to be added is the opening scene. The first scene should draw the readers in and make them want to read on. This is not the place for background information or a narrative about the history of the characters (or to go on and on about the sun drifting through the leaves). That will mire up your story before it even gets out of the gate and the reader will glance again at that open window (you don’t want to see the sun filtering thorough the leaves onto your book). The first scene should be action or a mystery or steamy, or anything to spark the reader’s interest right away and draw them into the story. You can acquaint them with the characters later, preferably through another character’s eyes and thoughts or through dialogue. Be careful here though, dialogue can also bore the reader and slow the pace if you don’t pair it with some physical movement. I try to have my characters do something while they are talking, even if it’s just driving or eating. Try to break up long strings of dialogue with a visual image of the character doing something. I think everybody who has read Atlas Shrugged has skipped over half of John Gault’s radio speech in the middle of the book - talk about beating a dead horse. You don’t want to do anything that will make the reader put the book down. A tip I got from Tom Robbins is to ‘never mention food or sex in a scene or you will make the reader hungry or horny and he or she may just put your book down and go in search of something more satisfying than the written word’. Of course this doesn’t apply to erotica or restaurant reviews.

 

Here is an example of where I managed to put some action between the lines of dialogue.

 

‘What is it you want Deputy’’ Dorcas still didn’t turn from her keyboard. She was twisting her joystick and moving and clicking her mouse that brought images closer in whatever screen she chose. Blazer watched Dorcas’s eyes scan the screens as the camera changed from location to location, from grocery store, to convenience store to liquor store faster than Blazer could follow them. The fleeting images were different, but similar. A hopeful face in each camera before a backdrop of stocked shelves and beer packed coolers, and a clerk presenting that hopeful face with a lottery ticket.

 

‘Am I interrupting your lunch?’ Blazer Moore lurked, leaning in the doorjamb.

 

 

Ok, we have the action moving along and we have the characters doing something while they are talking, the next thing to worry about is voice. Volumes can, and have been written about the use of voice and tone in novels. In relation to the plot, just remember to be careful when changing voice so as not to disrupt the flow of the story. This was the hardest lesson for me to learn, to use only one narrative voice per scene. My characters all want to be the center of attention and they all have something so say in every scene so I keep my finger threateningly poised over the ‘replace all’ button. Like our caveman story-telling around the fire, it’s a one person job. If too many storytellers start talking the listeners won’t know who to listen to. The reader is seeing action unfold in a scene and he or she can only see it through one set of eyes. More than one voice per scene can confuse the reader and disrupt the pace.

 

Now, your book be cruising along, plot purring like a well oiled machine, your characters spinning in a well greased groove and then you realize you’ve written yourself into a corner. Your main character is poised on the edge of a cliff over an abyss and an army of bad guys is closing in. You will be tempted to use a plot device - suddenly your character looks down and finds a parachute as his or her feet, or the ultimate plot device the deus ex machine. Suddenly a huge bird flies over and your main character grasps his mighty claw and is carried to safety. Resist the temptation to use a cheesy plot device. Or, if you must, go back and first introduce that plot device earlier in the book, like that baby alligator dropped into the toilet.

 

So, you have honed your premise to that two sentence description, you have broken out your story scene by scene and have begun your first scene with something to draw your reader in and you are steering your boat of characters through the fast moving current. Now is not the time to let down your guard and watch that plot boat float gently down the stream. If your characters are anything like mine old Bertha and Eugene are already plotting their next mutiny.

 

 

 

About Mark
Mark Covington was born and raised in Ruther Glen, Virginia. He attended Caroline County public
schools and Benedictine Military School in Richmond. He holds a Bachelors degree in Organizational Behavior from Averett College in Danville, VA and a Masters degree in Industrial Psychology from Springfield College in Springfield MA. Mark has worked as a Banker, a College Professor, a Management Consultant, an Ice Cream Truck Driver, a Cemetery Plot salesman and a State Government Bureaucrat and an Information Systems Project Manager. He currently lives in Richmond Virginia Museum District. with his wife Beverly and their two Australian Shepherds, Journey and Opal, where he writes novels exploring the cosmically comical nature of the universe, the purpose of which is to create someone who lives in Richmond, Virginia and writes novels exploring the cosmically comical nature of the universe.

Heavenly Pleasure 

Strange things are happening in a small bohemian section of Richmond, Virginia, the eternal war between good and evil is facing off over the next jump in human evolution, universal bliss and the end of terrorism, road rage and fighting over the remote control. Welcome to “Perilous” Parkwood Avenue and the residents, Kali Sen, exotic dancer and potential savior of humanity, Eve Savage, whose basement laboratory is the source of earth-shaking explosions that rock the neighborhood, Eric and Ted, life-partners who’s Christian Adult Book Store and John Wye, designated chronicler of the next paradigm of mankind. 

 Link to buy from Amazon:Amazon.com: Heavenly Pleasure eBook: V. Mark Covington: Books

From The Pagan and the Pen -"In Heavenly Pleasure, Mark Covington has created a riveting cast of characters and has woven a masterful, intricately-detailed tale. I loved the author’s sense of humor, an important device when dealing with fate-of-the-world issues. I laughed out loud—real laughter, not just little chuckles—several times. Like Mikhail Bulgakov’s literary masterpiece The Master and Margarita, Heavenly Pleasure takes aim at what’s wrong with society using God and the Devil as literal interpretations of a metaphorical critique. Heavenly Pleasure speaks to the heart and soul in a way few things ever can. 

http://www.vmarkcovington.com/




You can contact mark at
vmarkcovington@comcast.net
Friend me on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/vmarkcovington    
Or follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/vmarkcovington

 

Happy Thanksgiving

From all of us at ARW...

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving.

 

 

The Art of Writing by Margo Bond Collins

We are thrilled to have a new author to Aspiring Romance Writers, please welcome Margo Bond Collins 

 Henriette - A Girl Writing; The Pet Goldfinch

I know that a lot of authors talk about “the art of writing.” And there is absolutely an element of the artistic to writing—it’s a creative endeavor that takes imagination and invention. It can be inspired and original. It can absolutely soar to the heights of “Art.”

But for the most part, I don’t often reach those heights. In fact, I don’t even aim for them. I know many writers who do, and I admire them. But I tend to be much more pragmatic in my own aims—I want to tell stories that readers want to read. I don’t care if what I produce is Art-with-a-capital-A. I care if what I produce is a story that grabs my readers, pulls them into the worlds I create, keeps them coming back for more.

Because of this, I am much more likely to concern myself with the craft of writing than with the art of writing. I know it’s a minor distinction, but it’s an important one to me. I know that in my own everyday work, there’s a good chance that I would completely freeze up if I were told I needed to produce Art.

So instead, I focus on my trade—storytelling. And more than that, storytelling in genre fiction. I do some mash-up genres: paranormal mystery, romance mystery, paranormal romance—and that means that I need to know the conventions of a number of different genres. I spend almost as much time analyzing other people’s fiction as I do writing my own. I read for character and plot, for phrasing and stylistic elements. In fact, I think that the best thing any writer can do is read in his or her chosen genre(s).

Another important thing a writer can do is learn the technical elements of writing; know how to craft a sentence without grammatical errors, a paragraph with a main idea, a chapter with a strong opening and a closing that keeps the reader reading. Learn how to proofread carefully, how to edit one’s own work (it’s hard to cut the words that seemed perfect at the time, but it’s important to learn how to do it!).

And once these things are in place, don’t stop learning! In my other life, I teach college-level writing, and one of the things that I often tell my students is that it’s not possible (or at the very least, not advisable) to try to violate the rules of writing unless and until one has a strong grasp of them. So that means continually working to improve—in one’s understanding of the structure of fiction, in storytelling, in sentence structure, in word choice, in proofreading, in editing.

Because ultimately, the only way to Art is through craft.

 

Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. Waking Up Dead is her first published novel. Her second novel, Legally Undead, is an urban fantasy, forthcoming in 2014 from World Weaver Press.

Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin  @MargoBondCollin

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins

 

Blurb:

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex. Now she's witnessed another murder, and she's not about to let this one go. She's determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up in Alabama?

 

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

 

 

 

 

 

 

Casting Call for Aspiring Romance Writers



 

Calling All Aspiring Romance Writers! 

 

Are you currently writing your first romantic novel?

Are you pouring your heart and soul into ever word?

Is the world you are creating dramatically different than the one you live in?

Do you hope your characters capture the hearts and imagination of millions of readers?

 

If yes, then we want to hear from you.

 

An award winning New York City production company is currently developing a new unscripted television series focused on the life of several aspiring romance writers. This series will show the highs and lows of penning your first novel, while showing the contrast between everyday life and the characters coming alive on the pages.

 

This is a nationwide search. If you are interested please email, a little blurb about yourself and your personal writing style to  Romancewriterwanted@gmail.com

 

Looking forward to hearing from EVERYONE  soon!

 

Permission to forward Granted

The Seduction of Self-Publishing by Jamie DeBree

I am thrilled to have Blogging today Jamie DeBree about self-publishing....

The Seduction of Self-Publishing

When I first started writing seriously, I dreamed of writing for some big publishing house, making a ton of money and seeing my name on the bestseller lists. By the time I’d written something I considered worth revising, editing, and submitting to publishers (5 or 6 drafts later), the reality of how the publishing world really works had set in. I found that the fact that I had to jump through a whole bunch of hoops just to get my manuscript read (whether I used an agent or not), and then possibly having to change entire portions of my book just to make it “fit” whatever niche the marketing department wanted it in really took all the fun out of writing for me. Not to mention the incredibly long lag time between submitting a manuscript and actually seeing it on the shelf. I’ll admit, I’m impatient…and I have goals that don’t really include waiting two years for a book to come out after I’m finished with it.

After learning everything I could about publishing, I was less than enthusiastic about the process. I just wanted people to read my work, and waiting for traditional publishing made it seem unlikely that it would ever happen. I decided to let go of my big bestseller dreams and just serialize a novel on my blog, strictly for fun. I knew that by doing so I would be “using up” first rights, which is what publishers want, so my serial novel would be “un-publishable”. But I wanted to know what people would think of my work before I went through the maze of publishing anything, so it seemed like a good test run. While I didn’t call it such, this was my first foray into self-publishing.

My first serialized novel draft was bad – but people read it. They commented on it. Overall, they even liked it! So I started another one, determined to do better. And when I finished that one, I liked it. My readers liked it. I knew I couldn’t submit it, but I could turn it into a real, bonafide book. Against all practical advice from the traditional publishing world, I revised it, and sent it off to an editor, bought cover art, and just a few short months later I released Tempest.

People bought it. They’re still buying it, slowly but surely. Some people even want my signature, which is still sort of unfathomable to me.

For me, the process of writing, preparing and ultimately offering my work for sale was empowering and seductive. Rather than being at the whim of countless other people, my book was exactly what I wanted it to be, and I worked hard to make it the best quality product I could. I felt like an artisan, rather than someone who creates at the behest of another (as I do at my day job). I decided very shortly after releasing Tempest that I’d self-publish most, if not all of my work.

Romance readers read fast – and by publishing my own work, I can get books out on my own time schedule, so my readers aren’t left to the whims of traditional publishing schedules. I don’t have to rely on a marketing department to tell me what readers want, because through serializing my work, readers can tell me directly what’s working for them and what doesn’t, before I even get to the editing stage. I can be very open with my work and share as much as I want, which I believe helps in marketing the resulting book. Most authors have to market their own work no matter how they publish, so this just takes away the limitations imposed by the traditional houses. I can price my books low, because I keep all of the royalties, which means readers can take a chance on my books for the price of a decadent snack.

I believe that romance and thriller writers are in the best position to actually make a living self-publishing books, simply because readers are hungry for as much of those genres as we can write, as fast as we can write them. It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme – much like traditional publishing, you have to be in it for the long haul. But for me, I’d rather be doing it on my own time, and my own terms than at the whims of others. Such is the seduction of self-publishing.



Jamie DeBree, Romantic Suspense Author


Tempest is available now from Amazon and other online retailers
http://jamiedebree.com  

http://aspiringromancewriters.webs.com/apps/blog/categories/show/842972-jamie-debree

LoL

Why Write about Marriage by Mia Catherine

I am thrilled to host Mia Catherine today on the blog...

What draws you to write about married couples?

 

Like most who read the genre, I love romance. I love the whirlwind involved with a budding new relationship. The glancing looks, the hint of attraction, whether playful or antagonistic, and oh, that first kiss. We all remember these times in our lives—some more fondly than others. Nothing compares to that rush of emotion. We get swept up, and it takes over our lives for a short time.

 

But, like so many aspects of life, that rush is fleeting. Most of us find a long-term relationship, get married, possibly have some children, and settle into the mundane trivialities of daily life. There are bills to pay, soccer games to attend, colicky kids to calm, yard work to finish and home repair added to the never-ending 'honey-do' list. What happens, even to the best of us? The romance drops to the bottom of that list.

 

I think that's why so many women love to read about couples in love. In the midst of the pages of a book, we can experience anything—even relive those initial feelings of love. What is unfortunately missing in many of our lives can be found in those stories. My sincere hope, however, is those books can not only help fill needs for some, but can also reignite the spark for others.

 

To me, there's nothing more romantic, more endearing, or more admirable than a happily married couple. There's a reason we applaud when we hear a couple celebrating their 50th anniversary. There's a reason we smile at the image of a wrinkly man and woman holding hands. And, if you're like me, there's a reason you love watching Morty and Lee Kaufman dance around the kitchen in the Swiffer commercials.

 

Marriage is HARD!

 

It's hard to live your life day in and day out with another person. It's hard becoming a partner, and it's hard to grow in love as your life changes through the years. It takes work, and unfortunately, far too many in today's society are not successful.

 

When looking at the romance genre, marriage is often left off the page all together. You may see a reference to an engagement or a marriage in an epilogue of a story, but for the most part, romance novels focus on the meeting and coupling, not the happily ever after.

 

When I found Decadent's 1Night Stand series, I was intrigued. The elusive Madame Eve can set up any two people at any place, or any time. The sky was the limit—but she could even find ways around that! My mind went to the what if...  What if Madame Eve could help repair the rift time and responsibilities caused? What if she could help mend the relationship of two people deeply in love, yet blind to the cause of their separation? What if she could right something that went terribly wrong?

 

I want all married couples to succeed. If only we had a real-life Madame Eve who could help heal us when things go bad. Unfortunately, she exists only in our imaginations. Guess that means we're left to keep our relationships alive on our own.

 

The good news is the reward is more than worth it.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on marriage. Comment below and I'll draw the name of one person to win a copy of my 1Night Stand, Never Too Late!

 

ABOUT MIA
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Mia Catherine is a proud Cheesehead living with her husband and their three young sons. An avid fan of television dramas, Mia looked away from the small screen when she became disillusioned with the lack of substance on current shows. Enjoying the fantasy involved in a good love story, she turned to reading, and quickly discovered a little voice in her head. That voice led to writing her first chapter, and the second, and the third…
Now, translating that voice in her head to words on the computer is Mia’s escape when times are hard. As words begin to form a story, she’s allowed to escape the trials of everyday life and live in her own little world, if for only a short time.
Knowing others find some pleasure reading what she’s written is just an added bonus.

 

Blurb

Sam's life hasn't turned out the way he planned. Two years after an unwelcome divorce from high school sweetheart, Katie, he's struggling to put the pieces of his life together and pay off a mountain of debt. At the insistence of his oldest friend, he reluctantly agrees to be set up on a 1Night Stand. Perhaps it's the push he needs to finally move on?

Divorced and preparing for an empty nest when her only son leaves for Marine Boot Camp, Katie is ready for a change. Working as a legal secretary has given her professional fulfillment, but her romantic life leaves something to be desired.  Weary of facing the future alone, she decides to dip her toe back into the dating pool and perhaps find some companionship.

Forced to confront their issues and a divorce neither wanted, can Sam and Katie forget the past and reconnect?

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/17lRT1M

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/19RtbMM

Total E-Bound: http://bit.ly/16RdWTL