The HEA Cafe

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I love the Fourth of July, and always have.  When I was a youngster we would hope that Dad made a summer business trip to Wisconsin, where he could buy legal fireworks and bring them home to Minnesota, much to Mom’s dismay.  But there’s something about loud, noisy explosions that just make the holiday come alive (provided you don’t blow your fingers off–how many times did I hear that every summer?).

Our nation’s love of pyrotechnics to celebrate Independence Day goes back to our Founding Fathers, and John Adams, who said in a letter to his wife Abigail, “The day will be the most memorable in America.  I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival…it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade…bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this day forward, forevermore.”

And speaking of John Adams, he’s who I want blurbing my next book.  I’m reading Cokie Roberts’ Ladies of Liberty (highly recommended) and ran across a line that made me grin real hard:

“But they didn’t lead a retired life…John Adams, so accustomed to having Abigail run everything, took to reading romance novels, much to his wife’s amazement, and continued to rely on her to manage their finances.”

I’d love to know what he was reading!
Fireworks and illuminations on July 4th make me think of my own writing of historical romance, and the serendipitous moments that fall into your lap. I realized that if my WIP’s current action is set around autumn 1814, I might be able to work in the burning of Washington and the battle of Fort McHenry. Sure enough, my dates coincided and suddenly I had a whole new scene referencing the rockets’ red glare from the poem “Defence of Fort McHenry”, better known to us as The Star Spangled Banner, by Francis Scott Key.

So if you’re one of the millions of Americans celebrating your nation’s independence and the beginnings of our growth as a beacon of democracy and freedom to the world, don’t forget to remember the men and women who made this all possible then, as well as the men and women who defend our shores today.  Remember, some of them, like you (and like John Adams) are romance readers!

I recently read an interesting article on introverts in a little Canadian magazine called Homemakers. I found it fascinating to get a deeper look at myself and I began to wonder, are writers interverts and how introverted are they?

I did some research:

Definition: Contrary to what most people think, an introvert is not simply a person who is shy. In fact, being shy has little to do with being an introvert! Shyness has an element of apprehension, nervousness and anxiety, and while an introvert may also be shy, introversion itself is not shyness. Basically, an introvert is a person who is energized by being alone and whose energy is drained by being around other people.

Introverts are more concerned with the inner world of the mind. They enjoy thinking, exploring their thoughts and feelings. They often avoid social situations because being around people drains their energy. This is true even if they have good social skills. After being with people for any length of time, such as at a party, they need time alone to “recharge.”

(from http://behavioural-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/am_i_an_introvert)

Why not take the quizz and see how introverted you are? Simply answer each question true or false.

The Introverts’ Test: Personality Characteristics

1. When I need to rest, I prefer to spend time alone or with one or two other people rather than with a group.
2. I feel anxious if I have a deadline or pressure to finish a project.
3. People sometimes say I’m aloof, quiet, and calm – and hard to get to know.
4. I usually think first before talking – I rarely blurt my thoughts without editing them in my head.
5. I sometimes react strongly to smells, touches, tastes, sounds, and people.

The Introverts’ Test: At Work, School or Home

1. When I work on work or home projects, I like to have large uninterrupted chunks of time.
2. I write notes to myself before having conversations with people.
3. I like to share special occasions with just one person, or a few close friends, rather than a large group of people.
4. I notice details that others don’t see, such as facial expressions or movements.
5. If I say I will do something, I almost always do it.
6. I can zone out if too much is going on.
7. It takes me time to sort through large amounts of information, such as reports at work or long stories from friends.
8. I often dread returning phone calls.
9. My mind sometimes goes blank when I’m asked a question or caught off guard.

The Introverts’ Test: Social Situations

1. I don’t enjoy being the center of attention or in the spotlight.
2. Groups of people make me uncomfortable or nervous.
3. I sometimes rehearse things before speaking.
4. In general, I prefer to listen to other people over talking.
5. I don’t like hugely stimulating experiences, such as rides at an amusement park.
6. I have few friends, but they’re very close to me.
7. I feel drained after social situations, even when I have a good time.
8. I like to watch a group or activity for awhile before I join in.
9. When people have an argument or heated discussion, I notice the tension in the air.

The Results of the Introverts’ Test

Add up the number of Trues in this test for introversion. The higher your score, the more introverted you are; scores range from “highly introverted” to “more extroverted than introverted.”

So how did you score? How introverted are writers?

For some more info and coping skills see this site.

http://www.homemakers.com/Life&Times/relationships/the-introvert-s-guide-to-understanding-extroverts-n258262p1.html

And for all us introverts… what are your coping skills in a world of extroverts?

Linda

With summer officially here, many authors are getting into the swing of vacation travels, conventions, and/or trying to find activities that will keep the young ones busy while you find your muse and continue to write.

For years, I looked forward to summer and its various and sundry, day-to-day activities like time at the community pool, play dates and visiting with friends. Anything and everything that would keep the kids safe and happy and me from pulling out my hair.

Not now, and not especially when I have a deadline looming in the horizon. So I mute my cell phone, close the internet browsers and pray that my muse will cooperate and give me those perfect words and phrases, riveting dialogue and the right touch of sensuality that will push my current WIP into the best book I’ve ever written.

A couple of questions, then. Is summertime writing different than other times? And, if so, how do you structure your days to make time for writing in the summer?

Ana

Ana Aragón

Sidelined by Love available at The Wild Rose Press

Strike Three-You’re Mine will be available this fall at The Wild Rose Press

I have a problem with endings: I hate them. This manifests itself in my life as an inability to finish what I start. I have at least five (maybe six or seven) knitting projects sitting in my basket that I can’t finish because if I did then they’d be done. I’ve thought long and hard on this, and I think it goes back to my parent’s divorce. So, it’s really their fault that my knitting basket is so full I can’t start another project.

I understand this mechanism. It’s fear of loss that’s holding me back. That’s why I have one-and-a-half socks, most of a sweater, and a book that I’ve been trying to finish for a month now.

Right. The book.

I know what needs to happen. I have it all sketched out. My characters are ready and waiting. But I can’t bring myself to actually write it in more than small increments, because when I do finish it . . . well . . . then it will be over. My characters will have achieved their satisfying ending. They won’t need me any more.

It’s a painful loss that’s hard to contemplate. Waking up without them on my mind. Riding the bus without hearing their voices in my head. No more scribbling words that are coming faster than my hand can capture them to paper. How will I manage without that?

Unless I can sell this story as the first in a series . . .

Hmm. That just might work. But I have to finish it first.

–
Gina’s first book, The Raven’s Revenge
is available in print from Amazon.com
(and it only took her 10 years to finish)

I usually write 100K. There is something about that number that pleases my muse. Most manuscripts turn out to be that length. I need that length to get my story done. And after all, that is a single title novel.

The trouble with those novels, they take quite a bit of time to write.  Oh, I see people writing a book in a month, but for me 100,000 words is about five months. And life gets in the way, so it might even be six months. And then the publshing process can expand that so the next book might be eight months to one year.

This is where a short story or two can come in. Something a) to goose your muse. For me there is nothing like the bubbling of a new idea to sharpen my editing skills, and b) you get to have something out there between books and c) many publishers expect you to do anthologies.
That was my idea any way. Bam. As that chief says.

And writing a short story, is just the same as writing a long one.

Michele
Well actually, it is harder. Remember that “rule” about no back-story. Well it goes in spades for a short story. A short story can be 5,000 words to 30,000 words. And you still need a beginning, middle and end, you need GMC and you need a black moment and you need turning points. And you have 20 to 120 pages to get it done. Your publishing house might even require 20 pages, or a page count, or a maximum word count. So no room to fudge.

Thus,  there is no room for back story. And no room for long descriptions. You have to get to the meat of your story instantly, describe in a thumbnail, and dialogue needs to sizzle. You need to make words do double duty, e.g.  descriptions can serve conflict as well as image. Each word needs to be weighed and valued for maximum punch.

It is a super way to hone your writing skill and a great way to produce more work in a shorter space of time.

And if you are not published yet, it might be a great way to get started with a smaller house.