tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49648735695632915412024-02-07T05:35:19.490-06:00BestSellerologyKerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964873569563291541.post-61685431333448159212012-11-05T12:32:00.003-06:002012-11-05T12:32:34.764-06:00Use the News! Mining Current Events for Plot and Character Ideas: Lois Winston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Welcome back to our </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>totally FREE Lecture Series</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>here at Bestsellerology!</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">Our next lecture is from writer and agent, Lois Winston. My former sister writer pal for "thy scandalous publisher who shall not be named" and author of the quirky crafting mystery series is here to share her "Use the News!" model for getting great character and plot ideas. Here's
her secret...</span></div>
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<u><b>Use the News! Mining Current Events for Plot and Character Idea</b><b>s</b></u></div>
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Confession: I’m a news junkie. Why? Because that old adage Truth is stranger than fiction really is true. That belief is reaffirmed every time I pick up a newspaper or turn on the evening news. And from all that truth you can mine a wealth of ideas for plots, subplots, main characters, and secondary characters.<br />
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Newspapers are incredibly cheap research resources. I prefer newspapers over the nightly news because the newspaper has the luxury of going into greater detail about a story. Ninety second news bites can only give the broad picture of a newsworthy event. Often it’s the nuances not told on the evening news that will trigger a brainstorm. And I prefer a print version of the newspaper to an online version because the online version doesn’t always contain everything found in the print version.<br />
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But what if you don’t write suspense or thrillers? How are news articles going to help you? Although many news stories on the surface seem like they’d only be the catalyst for a suspense, thriller, or mystery, most – if not all – can actually be used as a spring board for all fiction genres, including historical fiction. A week doesn’t go by without a newspaper article about a new archeological discovery or historical find. There are plenty of magazines devoted to history and plenty more that include articles about history. Even automotive magazines that specialize in articles about antique cars can be source material.<br />
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Besides news articles, don’t overlook the human interest stories, editorials, and op-ed columns of the newspaper for generating ideas. You can find a wealth of plots and characters in every section of the newspaper and between the covers of any magazine.<br />
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When you come across these articles and stories, save them in an “Ideas” file. When you get stuck, pull out your file and read through it. Most likely, you’ll find something that will trigger your creative juices and help you get “unstuck.”<br />
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Advice columns are another wonderful source of inspiration. There are the more famous ones, such as <i>Dear Abby</i>, as well as the lesser known columnists who answer questions about finance, ethics, and medicine. These can all be great triggers for ideas.<br />
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And then there are the ads. Use Madison Avenue to your advantage. Several years ago I found myself in a doctor’s waiting room, and I’d forgotten to bring a book with me. The few magazines on the coffee table were several years old and totally not of interest to me. Out of desperation I began flipping through the pages of <i>Road & Track</i>. I am so not a <i>Road & Track</i> sort of girl, so you can imagine how desperate I must have been! Here I was flipping pages when I came across an ad touting an aftershave guaranteed to increase sexual attractiveness ten-fold. You better believe I ripped out that ad and filed it away in my “Ideas” file. I later used it in a scene in <i>Four Uncles and a Wedding</i>, one of my Emma Carlyle books.<br />
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Finally, once you’ve found some interesting articles you’d like to incorporate into a story, apply the “what if” principle to give them your own unique twist. You can do this for an overall plot, subplots, character development, or even as a way to tighten the sagging middle of your work-in-progress. <br />
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<b>Award-winning author Lois Winston writes the critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series featuring magazine crafts editor and reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. <i>Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun</i>, the first book in the series, received starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist. Kirkus Reviews dubbed it, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” <i>Death By Killer Mop Doll</i> was released this past January. <i>Revenge of the Crafty Corpse</i> will be a January 2013 release. <br /><br />Lois is also published in women’s fiction, romance, romantic suspense, and non-fiction under her own name and her Emma Carlyle pen name. In addition, she’s an award-winning crafts and needlework designer and an agent with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. Visit Lois at <a href="http://www.loiswinston.com/" target="_blank">http://www.loiswinston.com</a>, visit Emma at <a href="http://www.emmacarlyle.com/" target="_blank">http://www.emmacarlyle.com</a>, and visit Anastasia at the Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers character blog, <a href="http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com</a>.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span><b><i>Thanks to Lois for her inte<span style="font-size: small;">resting sources <span style="font-size: small;">for research. I'll never look at an issue of Road & Track <span style="font-size: small;">the same again. <span style="font-size: small;">W<span style="font-size: small;">onder whe<span style="font-size: small;">re I put my issu<span style="font-size: small;">e of </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Car & Driver? ;-) <span style="font-size: small;">While you're here<span style="font-size: small;"> folks</span>, be</span></span></span></span></span></span> sure to register for our <a href="http://www.bestsellerology.blogspot.com/2012/09/workshop-breathing-life-into-your-new.html" target="_blank">January Writing Resolutions Workshop here at Bestsellerology</a>. And come back on November 15th for our next FREE lecture from bestselling author Allison <span style="font-size: small;">Brennan</span>: </i><span style="font-style: italic;">"The Villain's Journey: Part One".</span></b></span></span>Kerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964873569563291541.post-17638904512459647972012-09-15T10:20:00.003-05:002012-09-15T10:22:59.943-05:00Building a Plot, One Step at a Time: Suzanne Johnson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Welcome back to our </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>totally FREE Lecture Series</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>here at Bestsellerology!</b></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black;">Our next lecture is from the multi-talented and forever busy Suzanne Johnson. My southern sister in paranormal romance and urban fantasy is here to share her plotting tips. Here's her secret...</span></div>
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<u style="color: black;"><b>Building a Plot, One Step at a Time</b></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">A confession up front: I’m a plotter. I wrote one novel using the “pantser” method a couple of years ago, and ended up spending three months writing the book and nine months revising it. So pantsing, for me, takes too much time in the long run. I’d rather plan up front and spend less time cleaning up on the back end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But don’t tune out the channel yet, you pantsers. I’m not one of those people who plans every sneeze, every conversation, or even every means of getting from A to B. That strangles the creative process. My middle ground is a system of what I call <b>Relationship Arcs</b>. Before I ever start writing, I make sure I have six things: the Big Idea, the Genre/Format, the Stars, the Supporting Cast; the POV Plan; and the Relationship Arcs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">If you can pin down those six elements, you’ll have a rough working outline that will keep your book on course. It has allowed me to write three full-length novels this year, plus two novelettes, while running a daily book blog and—oh yeah—holding down a full-time day job. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Let’s break down each of these five elements, which apply regardless of the genre in which you’re writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Big Idea</b>: This is the kernel of idea—the “what if”—around which your book’s characters and events will revolve. If you nail this down first, the rest will be much, much easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">For example, in my urban fantasy series that begins with <i>Royal Street</i>, the big idea is this: What if, in addition to tearing down the physical levees around New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina also destroyed the metaphysical levees, unleashing a flood of preternaturals from the world beyond?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In my Penton Legacy paranormal romance series that begins with <i>Redemption</i> (written under the name Susannah Sandlin), the Big Idea is this: What if a vaccine developed to treat a pandemic makes the blood of any vaccinated human deadly to vampires? What might a vampire apocalypse look like?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">To use a popular paranormal romance series, take JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Her Big Idea might look something like this: What if you had a dying race of vampires whose continued existence relied on a band of damaged vampire warriors, at war with a soul-dead army of beings determined to wipe them out?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Once you have the Big Idea, it’s easier to see where your conflicts occur, how they need to escalate, and who might be involved in those conflicts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Genre/Format</b>: This seems simple, but stating this intention early tells you, before you start writing, what you want your book to be, how long it should be, and roughly how many chapters or scenes you need.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">A novel for adults is generally 80,000 words or more, but there are also novellas, novelettes and, of course short stories. Are you writing adult urban fantasy (about 90,000), epic fantasy (up to 110,000), or a contemporary YA (about 70,000)? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In terms of scenes, how many words do your scenes normally run? I’ve learned that my scenes are going to average about 2,000 words. If each scene is a chapter, then I’m going to need about 48 chapters to make up my book. Having that magic number of 48 helps me figure out where my turning points need to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Stars</b>: These are the characters to whom you plan to devote the most page time. Make a list of them and start a dossier of their backstory, traits, etc. They might or might not be your POV (point of view--who tells the story to the reader) characters. In a romance, there are usually two Stars—the hero and heroine, and often they are POV characters. In romantic suspense, there are sometimes three Stars—the hero, the heroine, and the villain. Sometimes the villain gets a POV role, but not always. An urban fantasy or mystery might have only one Star.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Supporting Cast</b>: These are the secondary characters who get a decent amount of page time and help move the plot. Make another list and a short dossier. They are family members, good friends, bosses. These characters have names (as opposed to what I call Furniture, which might be the guy who delivers the pizza to the heroine’s house and has a few lines of dialogue). A pet can be a member of the supporting cast if it gets enough page time or has a key role.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The POV Plan</b>: At this point, you need to commit to who your point-of-view character(s) will be. My urban fantasy series has one POV character and is written in first person. My paranormal romance series has from five to seven POV characters per book, with a different hero and heroine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many romances will have two POVs, the hero’s and the heroine’s. A romantic suspense might or might not have a POV role for the villain. It’s obvious that plotting a one-POV book will be a different process than plotting a book with five or six POVs. You have to know this ahead of time to avoid time-consuming backtracking or, in a multiple-POV book, having the same character POV two or three chapters in a row. They need to rotate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Relationship Arcs:</b> This is the heart of my plotting system. I take each Star, and define his or her relationship to every other Star and Supporting Cast member by listing their relationship at the beginning of the book (A) and at the end of the book (E). Then I can come up with two or three plot points between beginning and end to move their relationship from A to E. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">This ensures their growth. To use the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s first book, <i>Dark Lover</i>, as an example: When the book begins (A), Wrath knows of Beth only because her father has asked Wrath’s help in his daughter’s transition. At the end (E), Wrath and Beth are married. In between, Wrath releases his unloved current wife, he confronts Beth and tells her the truth, he helps her through her transition, and she nurses him back to health after an attack, winning over the other brothers. Four steps between A and E.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Once I do those relationship arcs for all of my Stars, I can extend it to look at the relationships between my Supporting Cast members. Those will often form the subplots or, in a romance series where the Stars change from book to book, will lay the groundwork for the next book in the series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Does this plotting system mean a lot of list-making? Sure. But I guarantee if you’ll spend a few hours at the beginning of a new project going through this process, your story will take fewer wrong turns and will flow like the wind! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Urban fantasy author Suzanne Johnson grew up in rural Northwest Alabama, halfway between the Bear Bryant Museum and Elvis' birthplace. That, plus living in New Orleans for fifteen years, has give her a highly refined sense of the absurd and an ingrained love of SEC football and fried gator on a stick. Her Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series kicked off in April with the release of Royal Street by Tor Books (UK release is Sept. 27). Book two, River Road, will be released on November 13. Under the pen name of Susannah Sandlin, she also writes the Penton Legacy dark paranormal romance series for Montlake Romance. The first book in the series, Redemption, was released in June; book two, Absolution, will be released on October 9. Suzanne lives in Auburn, Alabama, with two dogs named after professional wrestlers. Don’t ask. Check out Suzanne here: <a href="http://www.suzanne-johnson.com/" target="_blank">http://www.suzanne-johnson.com</a> and here <a href="http://www.susannahsandlin.com/" target="_blank">http://www.susannahsandlin.com</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Thanks to Suzanne for her great advice and my fave word of the day: "dossier". I'm feeling a little "spyworthy" right now! Be sure to register for our <a href="http://www.bestsellerology.blogspot.com/2012/09/workshop-breathing-life-into-your-new.html" target="_blank">January Writing Resolutions Workshop here at Bestsellerology</a> while you're here. And come back on October 15th for our next FREE lecture from bestselling author Barbara Monajem: </i><span style="font-style: italic;">"Writing Short Stories & Novellas".</span><br />
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Kerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964873569563291541.post-43984736945569037132012-09-14T19:05:00.004-05:002012-09-14T19:05:42.918-05:00Workshop: Breathing Life into Your New Year’s Resolutions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Class Begins January 3, 2013</b></span></div>
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<i><b>Register Now!</b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Click PayPal link at right to register) </span></b></i></div>
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<u><b>Breathing Life into Your New Year’s Resolutions</b></u></div>
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<u><b>A Workshop by Editor MM Pollard</b></u></div>
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<u><b>January 3rd through 16th</b></u> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(via private Yahoo Group: invitation sent prior to class start date) </span></div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Course
Description:</span></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></b></i><br />Writers don’t need a workshop on setting goals. Writers’ goals are simple – They want to…<br />
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write a novel,<br />
finish their manuscript,<br />
find an agent,<br />
contract with a reputable publisher,<br />
publish their story,<br />
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…before<br />
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the end of 2013,<br />
the baby is born,<br />
the family has to move again,<br />
their current job drives them bonkers,<br />
they die.<br />
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This workshop isn’t about setting goals.<br />
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<i>Breathing Life into Your New Year’s Resolutions</i> is a two-week workshop designed to help you face what is slowing you down, getting in your way, and making it impossible to reach your goals. You’ll learn some tried and true motivational techniques to keep you on track to making your goals a reality.<br />
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Here are some of the topics we will discuss in this workshop.<br />
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<br />• Appreciate where you are<br />• Let go of shouldas, wouldas, couldas<br />• Beware of procrastination <br />• Brainstorm your future <br />• Write down your goals<br />• Break down goals into action statements with deadlines<br />• Get to work<br /><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Instructor
Bio:</span></span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></b></i><br /><i>As a copy editor for Black Velvet Seductions for three years and now acquisitions editor, MM Pollard reads many entertaining and thought-provoking stories. She also finds common mistakes in the fundamental skills of writing. </i><br />
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<i>With fifteen years of experience teaching English serving as a resource of knowledge and a life-time love of teaching and of language, MM began presenting workshops in February, 2011. Her goal is to teach writers what they need to know about the writing craft so that they won’t need an editing service to correct their mistakes in these areas. </i><br />
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<i>MM has helped many writers improve their language and writing skills through her fun workshops. She has presented workshops for many RWA chapters, Savvy Authors, Writers Online Classes, and in her own virtual classroom. MM is sure she can help you, too, master the fundamentals of English.</i><br />
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<i>Learn more about MM here: </i><br />
<br /><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://queenofenglish.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><b>http://queenofenglish.wordpress.com</b></a> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/MM_Editor" target="_blank"><b>http://www.blackvelvetseductions.com/MM_Editor</b></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><br /></span>Kerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964873569563291541.post-410009923008752732012-08-16T09:12:00.001-05:002012-08-16T09:12:22.703-05:00How Emotions Made Me a Bestseller: Stacey Espino<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowZiKgkL3PP3ZUTCPf9QLItAJR0wB6Xnwxq4vraAerP4o3YUxQtEzJMqX92cTLu3dnIEbSIFfXqkCyhJ1_5gP6Rr6g-g7S5RkOln-Kw8CmG9TbZJJzBA9L4yLDLyG6goaW1e5FYfRWTEn/s1600/Fotolia_43460253_XS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiowZiKgkL3PP3ZUTCPf9QLItAJR0wB6Xnwxq4vraAerP4o3YUxQtEzJMqX92cTLu3dnIEbSIFfXqkCyhJ1_5gP6Rr6g-g7S5RkOln-Kw8CmG9TbZJJzBA9L4yLDLyG6goaW1e5FYfRWTEn/s320/Fotolia_43460253_XS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome to our Bestselling Authors' </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Lecture Series here at Bestsellerology!</span></b><br />
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Kicking off our series is a post by author Stacey Espino who cranks out books left and right and consistently tops her publisher's bestseller lists. Here's her secret...<br />
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<u style="color: black;"><b>Emotions</b></u></div>
<br /><br />I write romance for Siren and Evernight Publishing. Whether I write a traditional man and woman love story or a hardcore ménage-a-plenty, I always try to focus on character emotion. When I write from a particular POV (point of view), I am that person. I see the world through their eyes, whether it be sorrow or lust. Some of my books are more light-hearted than others. However, even in those reads, I try to pull at least one weakness out of my characters to make them more human, more relatable. Some say I really enjoy torturing my cowboys, well, maybe a little. I feel it makes the HEA (happily ever after) more rewarding in the end.<br />
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Readers may not have experienced the extremes that some of my characters have gone through, but they understand the basic emotions of love, hate, jealousy, insecurity, fear and loneliness. We all know what it feels like to want something that we can’t have, to yearn for it so badly our heart aches. And who hasn’t felt insecure about their figures at some point? If you can get your reader to feel connected to your character in one way or another, they’ll have a better enjoyment of the story…and come back for more.<br />
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On the same note, a romance is an escape from the ordinary, a chance to experience something you may never have a chance to in real life—like ménage sex or BDSM. It’s why readers flock to taboo books. They’re a fantasy within paper pages or the screen of an e-reader. Even when appealing to a reader’s sexuality, emotion is so important.<br />
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Any book can be filled with graphic sex scene after sex scene, but that doesn’t make it a good read or something to remember. If we care about the characters, have some build-up of emotion, and experience their deepest thoughts during intimacy, it’s all the more titillating. Sexual tension mixed with apprehension, a character craving but not revealing it to their lover…a writer can bring a reader on an exciting ride if they take the time to bring the characters fully to life. Do they smoke? Are they scared of growing old alone? Do they have a scar they try to hide?<br />
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For example, in <i>Cowboy Outcasts</i>, Callum is an Irish cowboy with Tourette Syndrome. He’s an outcast, a loner, and not the perfect wine-and-dine type of hero. But my readers loved him because he was real, and they were able to watch his journey from sadness to a happily ever after. It was special to write as my husband and son have this disorder.<br />
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My Uniform Fetish series isn’t as deep as some of my westerns, but I still try to make my characters relatable, facing real issues from their pasts or present. Even a book with "sextreme" content or light-hearted fun should still have some real emotion in it to give it a solid foundation. It could be a weight or age issue, an abusive childhood, or a jerk of an ex-boyfriend—but time should be spent making a character three dimensional.<br />
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Use some of your own experiences, bits and pieces of your life. It will help your write with passion if you can put yourself in your character’s shoes. Every one of my books has a part of me within it, however small. It can be my love of Tim Horton’s, having grown up without a father, or my love of horses. You can turn past tragedies or illnesses into fuel for your next powerful novel. Don’t forget to challenge yourself as well. Stretch your imagination by delving into the unknown from time to time. It will help you grow as a writer.<br />
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That is my take on emotion in writing. It has worked well for me and I couldn’t write any other way. I wish you all the best of luck!<br />
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<b>Stacey Espino resides in beautiful Ontario, Canada where she is busy
raising her five children. She loves being a Canadian but could do
without the brutal winters. She enjoys writing erotic romance that will have you squirming in your
seat. From hardcore cowboys to alpha shifters, she has you covered! Stacey also writes alternative m/m romance as Winona Wilder. Check out Stacey here: <a href="http://www.staceyespino.com/" target="_blank">http://www.staceyespino.com</a></b><br />
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<i>Thanks Stacey for her great advice and new word of the day for me: "sextreme"! Love it! Be sure to register for our<a href="http://www.bestsellerology.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-book-factory-method-for-busy-writers.html" target="_blank"><b style="color: black;"> September Book Factory class</b></a> here at Bestsellerology while you're here. And come back on September 15th for our next lecture from author Suzanne Johnson: </i><span style="font-style: italic;">"Plotting via the Relationship Method".</span><br />
<br />Kerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964873569563291541.post-91628086035819275012012-07-21T10:33:00.005-05:002012-07-21T10:33:54.232-05:00The Book Factory Method for Busy Writers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Class Begins September 1, 2012</b></span></div>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">The Book Factory:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Producing Multiple Novels in One Year</span></b></u></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Workshop by Author Kerri Nelson</span></b></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Course
Description:</span></span></b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is
life getting in the way of you completing that novel?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever think there’s not enough hours in the
day to find time to write?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have a full time
job distracting you from your real passion of being a novelist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are family responsibilities weighing you down
and interfering with your writing goals?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
here to tell you that you can do it all and do it successfully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2009, I successfully managed one husband,
two jobs, three children, a difficult pregnancy, AND still managed to write
twelve books, sell ten of those books (including all the editing and
promotion), and coped with other various life challenges thrown in just for
fun! Since that time, Kerri has sold a total of twenty two novels and novellas with half a dozen more in the works. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">How
did I do all of that and still find time to eat and sleep?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
developed a method of writing known as “The Book Factory Method”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does require commitment and desire to “get
it done”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re willing to put in
the effort, you can produce multiple books in one year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What’s
the benefit of completing multiple books in one year?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
more books you have ready to submit, the more chance you’ll receive contract
offers on one or more of those books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why
shouldn’t you just focus on one book and continue polishing that book all year
long?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
cold, hard truth is that you might not ever sell that one specific book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should always have more than one project
“in the works”.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Are
you one of those writers who starts multiple projects but never finishes any of
them?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Then
this class is for you as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll
talk about how to finally see those projects through to completion. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Have
trouble with time management or procrastination?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’ll
address methods for getting organized and staying focused.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus much, much more!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you want to learn how to get started, stay on track, and get those books ready
to submit…this workshop puts a method to the madness of novel writing.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">©<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kerri Nelson 2010</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;">Instructor
Bio:</span></span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Kerri
Nelson has always been passionate about reading books but when she wrote her
first poem in the second grade, she discovered her love of writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the age of sixteen, she became a columnist
for her local newspaper as the high school correspondent for the weekly
"Panther Tales" column. She won the Outstanding Young
Journalist of the Year Award for her efforts.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">After an
education and career in the legal field, Kerri began to pen romantic suspense
novels with a legal or law enforcement theme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is a true southern belle and comes complete with her dashing
southern gentleman husband and three adorable children. When she’s not
reading or writing, you’ll find her baking homemade goodies for her family or volunteering for her many writing chapters.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Kerri is an active member of
Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime as well as numerous Chapters including her Presidency of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Futuristic Fantasy & Paranormal and Co-Membership Chair of Kiss of Death (Chapter for Romantic Suspense Authors).</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Kerri is a
multi-published author of romance in almost every genre under the sun (and moon) from romantic suspense and
paranormal to young adult and inspirational novels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2009, Kerri wrote and sold twelve books to
multiple publishers using her Book Factory method. Since that time, she's gone on to publish a total of twenty two novels and novellas with half a dozen more in the works!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Read more
about Kerri’s books at her website: <a href="http://www.kerrinelson.com/" target="_blank"><b style="color: black;">www.kerrinelson.com</b></a></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Want to
play, learn and compete with other authors in the biz?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Visit Kerri’s industry blog here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><a href="http://www.thebookboost.blogspot.com/" style="color: black;" target="_blank">www.thebookboost.blogspot.com</a></b></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Need your novel edited, proofread, or your very own beta reader? Check out Kerri's Deep Cover Edits program:</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.deepcoveredits.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><b style="color: black;">www.deepcoveredits.blogspot.com</b></a> </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><b> </b></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For the
latest news and updates from Kerri, follow her on Twitter here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <b style="color: black;"> </b></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span><a href="http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter" target="_blank"><b style="color: black;">http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter</b></a> <b style="color: black;"> </b></span><b style="color: black;"><a href="http://twitter.com/kerribookwriter" target="_blank"></a></b> </span></i></div>
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<br /></div>Kerri Nelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17329391216864107914noreply@blogger.com6