Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Writer's Block Anyone? -- Contest Continues


I've never experienced it before, so when it happened to me, my nerves went raw. When the ideas don't flow, when I can't think up a plot, when my characters aren't aren't talking to me, their lips sealed and I can't get into their heads that's writer's block and it's what makes my heart race like crazy.


Not in a good way.




It's been days of me trying to work out a plot. And I think to myself "Tonight, I'm gonna sit my butt down and finish the synopsis. I won't go to bed, until I do."




Three attempts later, I find myself lying on the sofa, eyes shut, trying to sort out my character's conflicts. I'm close, I know I am, but it's not working. My partner in crime and masterful plotter, my husband tries to help. He's great coming up with ideas. He's great to bounce ideas off of, but nothing's working. My head clouds up. I can't think. Nothing's coming and everything's coming, all at once.




I console myself. Start on the synopsis, get something down. Didn't Nora Roberts say to put garbage on the page, then fix it?




Finally it dawns on me. I'm trying too hard. I need a break. It's been 21 books over 10 years of writing and for the past three years, back to back to back and double deadlines. Maybe I need a break. I need to free up my mind. I don't mean a vacation, because writers know that even when we're on vacation, we're writing in our heads, accessing situations for suitable storylines, noticing surroundings and people -- it's obsessive, it ridiculous and it's wonderful. For most of us, it's truly what we were meant to do.




Most writers are compulsive and if I may, slightly neurotic. There's always the devil in your head questioning you, what if I can't do it anymore? What if I am fresh out of ideas forever?




So, I backed off. I didn't think about writing. I read a book, (always good for inspiration). I went for frozen yogurt, did normal things, got away to the beach, tried not to think at all. I freed up my mind. I didn't press. I didn't demand.


And guess what? The story came to me. It uncluttered in my mind and I saw the characters for who they are. I have the story now. It's there and it's exciting and I'm over the block and the panic. I never thought it would happen to me. It's wasn't pretty. My husband was great, comforting and tried to help. The support meant so much.




So now I'm off- to finish the synopsis and start my story. I'm back in the saddle. It's where I'm supposed to be.




Remember --contest continues: Post why you think Men Are Happy People from Monday's blog and you'll be entered into a drawing on Friday!

Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 8:58 AM   0 comments

Monday, August 20, 2007

A Monday Morning Funny-- Contest Continues

Men Are Just Happier People

(For women who love and write about men- for men who want to smile this morning)

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white T-shirt to a waterpark. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.

Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Graying hair adds attraction. Wedding dress~$5000. Tux rental~$100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life.

Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier!

Random Drawing! Which one of these do you agree or disagree with most? Do you have another one to add to the list? Your post will enter you into my last weekly August Blog contest. You'll win a free autographed book from my list of available titles and Harlequin/Silhouette Coupons worth $5.00. Good luck!

Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 8:01 AM   9 comments

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

7 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER- Contest Continues

7 Things You Need To Know to Make You a Better Writer -- Getting Summer Write! Contest Continues Below...

1. Always trust your OWN instincts. Critique partners are great sources for other sets of eyes and ears, but ultimately it's your story and your career. Always listen with an open mind - then go with your gut.

2. Put your work aside for a few days -- take a breather or start on something else. Then go back to read your story. Ask yourself and be brutal -- Would I Want to Read this Story? Then ask yourself Why or Why Not?

3. If you feel your "middle" is lagging, STOP! Write down 20 Things That Will Happen in the Story. They can be silly or serious - then draw a FEW ideas from those twenty and get back to writing your story. ie: Blow something up, burn something down, someone unexpected shows up, natural disaster, the circus comes to town, there's a murder, etc. Force yourself to put 20 things down on paper. Think about your characters and how your new ideas work in the story.


4. Try to let go of your internal editor. Go for broke. Make your story edgy. Be Brave. Be Daring. Be Bold. Then read the scenes you've written and pull back the reins a bit if you need to. It's far better than writing "safe". The most memorable stories are ones that fill the reader with a sense of surprise, wonder and shock.

5. Remember that Good Storytelling is a must. Beautiful prose fill the pages and if you can do both, great. But ultimately it's the story that wins out.


6. Remember to keep your "voice" constant. Too much voice can cloud the story just as much as too little voice kills the story. Keep your style fresh, open and honest. Don't mimic. Finding your voice is freeing.


7. Remember writing is your passion! When you struggle, think of it as a challenge, not a chore. You have a gift that you share with others. You should love the process and enjoy the journey. You're the creator of your own destiny. It's the best job in the world!


Contest Continues .... so who do you suppose sat right behind me while I was watching Bourne Identity? (Hint: he was the guest/singer on American Idol and also a great songwriter) Keep guessing here and I'll post the name on Friday.

Labels: , , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 7:18 AM   4 comments

Monday, August 06, 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum - Getting Summer Write and Contest continues...

Are you one of the 70 million who saw this movie this weekend? What did you think? How would you compare it to the first and second movie? If you're a fan-- and I am, I really like Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. He's perfect for the role - well, he created it after all. And I liked the whole premise - that his identity was taken from him and he's fighting to stay one step ahead of the people trying to kill him.




So why am I writing about this movie today and not talking about writing per se? Well, I am -- really. I walked out of this movie with a small sense of satisfaction that ,"Ah, okay- now I know why he was being chased and why they want to kill him." But I was left totally unsatisfied in other ways. A good book can do that to you too. It can answer all the questions, satisfy your curiosity, but at the same time, not really leave you feeling like you got your money's worth.





Perhaps there are many who would say that the 3rd Bourne movie is the best. I'd have to disagree. Why? Because there was no heart and soul to this movie. I had 2 movie's worth of time and expectation invested here and I wanted more. There was a scant amount of dialogue. The movie-goer never got "involved" with Bourne. He hardly spoke to anyone. Every time I thought he might come close to displaying his emotions, to letting us know what he was feeling, to getting close to someone, another long-lasting action scene ensued. The director felt it necessary to jar the camera so much (to display the gripping stunts and action realistically) I had to turn away. It hurt my eyes to watch. Those incredible stunts were fast and furious and hardly recognizable. And it wasn't just my take on it -- others in the theatre felt the same way. So for the 3rd installment we get lots and lots of rapid action, fight scenes, but very little plot, very little emotion. If I hadn't seen the first 2 movies, I wouldn't have known anything about Jason Bourne. And I probably wouldn't have cared about him.

There needs to be some down time in a movie, where the movie-goer can take a breath, get to know the character, feel what he feels, to truly get involved. The same holds true for a good book. This goes hand in hand with the last two weeks where we've talked about character and emotion. Let us see "who" the character is, what he wants, what his motivation is, through dialogue and interaction with other characters and introspection. Let us "feel" what he feels. To do that, the writer has to let emotions speak for the character. That involvement was missing in this movie. At least for me. But it ended well, answered questions and because I'd seen the other two, this sequel held up. But it could have been much better.

When writing, that's the ultimate goal -- to make your story the best that it can be.


Contest - Guess who sat directly behind me in the theatre when I was watching the Bourne Ultimatum? (Hint: male singer who was a guest vocalist/instructor to the American Idols Top Ten this season)


Win a Book from my backlist of Available titles if you guess correctly.


Be Sure to check back on Friday when I post the winner.





Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 8:43 AM   5 comments

Monday, July 30, 2007

Getting Summer Write - Emotion/Blog Contest




I was thrilled to have received this wonderful inscribed marble plaque last week for winning the 2006 National Readers' Choice Award for Bunking Down with the Boss. It was unexpected and quite an honor because of all the books I've written thus far, this one ranks up there with highly-packed EMOTION.



And for fun, I'll be running a weekly CONTEST about the Writing Topic of the Week. This week it's emotion -- so all you have to do is post here Monday through Friday about what book you've read recently or in the past that really hit you hard with emotion. What emotions did the book evoke and why?


One winner will be picked randomly from your comments and I'll send out a signed Bunking Down with the Boss, or any other of my available titles you'd like. Read the blog all week and I'll post the winners on Friday.




I'll go first. I just finished Susan Mallery's SIZZLING. It was a great story about a famous jock baseball player and his grandmother's nurse, a sort of plain Jane. Susan has a way to suck you right into the story immediately with intriguing characters that you instantly care about. Why? Well the heroine has lived all her life envying her "perfect" sister and as a result, she feels inferior. It's something we can relate to on a very elemental basis. We've all known someone close to us,that seemed to have it all. But our heroine isn't a wilting flower - she's good at her job, feisty and takes no bull from the handsome hunk who's had women adoring him all of his life.




Immediately our hero sees something different in the heroine. And she makes him sees that living the good life, isn't good enough. Through her, he believes he can be a better man. There's heart tugging emotion when we learn the "perfect" sister is dying and the sacrifices our heroine makes because of her love of the sister she'd always envyed. There's a scene in the story that is so heartbreaking, that I talked myself out of crying, "I'm okay. I can handle this." But the words and the emotion evoked were too much for me and soon I found tears running down my face. And just minutes later into the story, I'm cheering and happy again. That's the benchmark for a good story - make the reader feel emotion, make it real and make it believable.




When writing a story, put your whole heart into it. Dig deep inside and flesh out all the emotions you can. An easy way to do this is to really "know" your main characters. Know who they are and what's most important to them. Feel what they feel, see what they see. Know their perceptions and what's underneath the facade that they show to the outside world. Most often when I see unpublished works the key element missing in the story is that, I don't care. I don't care about the character. I don't care about what they want in life. I don't care to continue reading the story.




Putting a level of emotion in the story from the very beginning is fundamental. The opening line or opening few paragraphs should give the reader a real clear sense of who the characters are - on an emotional level. Emotion shouldn't be resigned to just dialogue. Put it in description, narrative action and certainly in introspection. Think about some amazing opening lines of books you've read. Didn't they make you want to read the entire book in one sitting? This is Susan's opening line in Sizzling. Note how it immediately tells you something about the hero and the line makes you want to continue reading to find out more. "Until six forty-five that Thursday morning, women had always loved Reid Buchanan. "




Okay, we've all known men like Reid Buchanon, right? But what happened to him that day? Why did everything change for him? The author's next few witty paragraphs go into detail about Reid's life to date, very briefly, but immediately we feel something about this man. We've already formed an opinion about him. That's a good thing. We care.




So what book have you read lately that evoked a good deal of emotion in you? Why? Remember to post here and check back during the week.




Next up on the blog: More on emotion! Contest continues...




Labels: , , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 6:48 AM   7 comments

Monday, April 23, 2007

Contest at Romance Junkies and more

I'm happy to announce that Pam Pellini was the winner of my Valentine Contest at Romance Junkies. Pam received an autographed copy of Fortune's Vengeful Groom and a beautiful red heart beaded necklace.

Check back soon when I announce my next contest at Romance Junkies and don't forget to enter my Fortune's Vengeful Groom Contest II. You still have time. Contest ends on May 1st!

BTW-- my page at Myspace is growing in leaps and bounds. If you're on Myspace, stop on over to say hello. www.myspace.com/charlenesands .

Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 9:44 AM   0 comments

Friday, February 16, 2007

Romance Junkies Valentine's Contest


There's plenty of time to enter to win a beautiful ruby red beaded necklace and an autographed copy of Fortune's Vengeful Groom! Check it out. There are some other great prizes listed from publishers and authors. Contest ends April 4th.
Good luck!

Here's the link and be sure to click on the mirror!
Romance Junkies Charlene Sands' Contest

Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 1:06 PM   0 comments

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Happy Valentine's Day! A new contest/Capa Awards

It's been a while since I've posted here, mainly because I've been writing, writing, writing. While working on the Spring Bride's Anthology "CALEB'S KISS" for May 2008, I received the go ahead for another historical, "TAMING THE TEXAN" (tentative title)and then I'm happy to announce the sale of another Silhouette Desire, coming in January 2008!

So life is crazy for me, but in a good way!

myspace codes
Myspace Codes: MyNiceSpace.com



But I couldn't let this day go by without saying HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to lovers of romance and people who believe in happily ever after! It's the day to remember the good things about the people you love in your life. To show them you care. In a simple way, a big way or somewhere in between.

This time I went practical for my hubby, with a One-on-One Coffee brewer using a "coffee" pod insert which gives you a fresh cup of coffee in one minute, no mess, no fuss. And easy clean up. And the Styrofoam cup with lids will provide him coffee on the go, when he leaves for work.

It was all set up late last night while he slept, so this morning when he walked into the kitchen he could simply press the button and waa-laa! I have to admit I felt like Santa stealing around the house quietly putting it all together with balloons and bows too. It was great fun!

And for me - my husband went sentimental again, with an adorable stuffed animal holding a small photo journal depicting our life together for the past 30+ years- something he painsakingly put together while I wasn't looking! Very sweet. I love it!

Please be sure to check out my Valentine's Contest at Romance Junkies today where you can win a beautiful Valentine necklace and a signed book.

The Capa Awards will be given out today from THE ROMANCE STUDIO. THE WAY TO A MAN'S HEART from Cobblestone Press was nominated in the contemporary category, I'm proud to say.

HAVE A SWEETHEART OF A DAY!

Labels: , ,


posted by Charlene Sands @ 7:32 AM   0 comments

Previous Posts

Archives

 

Powered by Blogger

Copyright © 2005-07 Charlene Sands. All Rights Reserved. Website Design by Web Crafters