Writers in the Storm

By Lyn Horner

I’m a regular follower of the Western Romance Writers Please Post Here #2 discussion on Amazon’s Meet Our Authors forum. In late 2013, fifteen authors, including myself, agreed to put together an anthology of short stories intended to give readers a sample of each one’s writing style.

Rawhide ʼn Roses.(A Western Romance Anthology) is the result. Released a few days ago, the ebook is available on several sites, with a print version soon to follow.

I thought this project would be fun and it probably wouldn’t take much time since our stories were to be very short, from two to three thousand words. Right.

The only problem was I’d previously written only a couple short stories, flash fiction pieces that are actually part of bigger plot lines. How was I going to tell a complete romance in so few words? What had I gotten myself into?

After brooding over the problem for a couple weeks, I grabbed a notebook and pen and settled into a nice hot bath. No, I’m not kidding. The wet heat seems to stimulate my brain. Or maybe it’s just that there’s nothing to distract me, a big plus since I’m easily distracted.

I had absolutely no story idea in mind, but the moment pen touched paper this guy leapt out of my head, insisting his story be told. What story, I asked? He promptly informed me he was a lawman in a small Colorado town. After some discussion, we decided his name would be Trace Balfour. Then he dictated the opening scene, a run-in with a snooty schoolmarm and a pair of wildcat saloon girls trying to tear each other apart.

Okay, but then what? Who was the lawman going to get romantic with, one of the feisty fillies rolling around in the dirt or the stiff-necked teacher who sets his teeth on edge? More importantly, how was he supposed to win the mystery woman’s heart in the allotted word length?

My logical, outline-loving brain said no way. I’d need at least a hundred pages to get them cozy enough to hop in bed, wouldn’t I? My characters never engage in full blown love scenes until they’ve known each other a while. After that, things get steamy, but not in 2,000 words, for gosh sakes!

Let me tell you, this short story business had me stumped. It required more brooding, reading up on short story techniques, and several false starts before I figured out how to bring the marshal and his sweetheart together in The Lawman’s Lady.

Here are the guidelines for writing short stories I learned along the way:

• Settings must be bare-bones; no flowery descriptions.
• Don’t dilly-dally. Jump quickly into the action. Your opening must grab the reader and make them want to read on.
• Avoid passive voice and choose strong verbs. Use adverbs sparingly, especially ones that end in "ly."
• In most cases, stay in one point of view. If you must use two POVs as I did in mine, stick to one per scene; NEVER head hop.
• Forget delving deep into your characters’ thoughts, memories and motivation. There’s no room for much introspection. If backstory is important, make it concise.
• Every word should move the story along; sentences are like paragraphs, paragraphs are like pages in a book.
• Don't show off; fancy words can be a turnoff. Write in a way readers can relate to and easily understand. If someone is reading your short story on their lunch break, they don’t want to hunt for words in a dictionary.
• Actions speak louder than words. Show emotions through body language, facial expressions and dialogue.
• Catch your characters off guard. An unexpected event, whether good or bad, gives the reader a jolt of surprise.
• Conclude paragraphs and scenes with action; don’t summarize what’s happened. Save the best for last. End your story with a dramatic punch that sticks in a reader’s mind.

Short stories are a whole different kettle of fish for an author who normally writes historical novels in the 100,000-word range. After this exercise I have newfound respect for short story writers.

How about you? Have you tried writing short shorties? What kinds of problems did you run into?

Lyn’s latest novel, Dearest Irish (Texas Devlins III), stars a colleen with a healing touch and a half-breed cowboy torn by loyalty to two worlds. This Native American/paranormal romance won a Reviewers Choice award from the Paranormal Romance Guild and a 2014 Reader’s Choice Award nomination from BigAl’s Books and Pals. This book was is also nominated for a Rone Award.

Also available in print at Barnes and Noble

Find Lyn on these sites:

Her website

Twitter

Award winning Author

By Susan Spann

Today, we’ll continue the #PubLaw guest series on Copyright in the Contract with a look at copyright registration.

As I mentioned in last month’s post (you can read it HERE), copyright protection is automatic and attaches to qualifying works (like novels) at the time of creation. Formal registration is not required to create a copyright in an author’s work.

However, copyright registration does have several important benefits and should be addressed, specifically, in every publishing contract.

BENEFITS OF COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION

Authors should ensure that novels and other published works are promptly—and properly—registered with the copyright office on, or within three months after, the date of initial publication. Publishing an excerpt on your blog does not constitute “publication” for registration purposes – the term refers to the date the entire work is officially published – though if you publish your entire novel online, serially or otherwise, it is “published” for copyright purposes.

For electronic works, the publication date is the date the work becomes available for download (or available to read online in its entirety) – for a fee or for free – on the first authorized sale or download site.

For printed works, the publication date is the date the book releases in printed format.

You do not need to register twice, if a book is available in print and ebook format – but remember: the operative date of “publication” is the date the first format becomes available for sale (or download).

Benefits of registration include:

1.  Placing the world on notice of your ownership. Registration puts everyone on notice that you own the work and claim the rights associated with ownership. Although intent is not an element of copyright infringement, registration makes it much harder for infringers to claim innocence. Registration may also help transfer or license ownership rights, because film studios and others who want to license rights know they’re dealing with the actual owner of the work.

 2.  Statutory damages and attorney fees. If a work is registered within three months after its initial publication date, the author is eligible to claim special monetary damages, and recover attorney fees, in a successful lawsuit against infringers. If the work isn’t registered, the infringer can be forced to stop, but the special monetary damages and attorney fees are not available.

 3.  The ability to sue for infringement. Copyright law states that authors and publishers can only file lawsuits over infringement after the work is registered with the copyright office.

4. An easier test for infringement. If copyright is registered within five years after the work’s initial publication date, the registration is “prima facie” evidence that the copyright is valid. This means that the author can prove ownership in court by producing evidence of registration, and the defendant has a much harder time defending against a claim of infringement. This is a powerful legal benefit for an author.

COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION IN THE PUBLISHING CONTRACT

 If you elect to self-publish your work, you will need to register copyright yourself.

If you publish through a publisher, with a contract, you must be sure the contract states who will register the copyright and when registration will take place.

Many small publishers require the author to register his or her own copyright. Many publishers (including all “Big 5” houses) register copyright on the author’s behalf. Regardless of how registration occurs, your contract must contain specific language addressing copyright registration.

Appropriate copyright registration language includes at least 3 elements:

1. Who will register the copyright with the U.S. Copyright office (the author or the publisher.)

2. When the copyright will be registered. This needs to be “within 90 days of the date of initial publication of the first edition of the Work in any form or format” in order to preserve your legal rights.

3. Who pays the registration fee and provides the copies to the Copyright Office. Normally, the one who files the registration pays the $35 fee, which is due at the time of registration.

Printed works must be sent to the copyright office in physical form, while ebook-only publications can be submitted electronically. However, someone has to submit the work to the copyright office at the time of registration—and the contract must be clear about who has that responsibility. If the contract states that the publisher will register the copyright, then the publisher will also provide the copies. Normally, if the author handles registration, the author must provide the copies—but ask the publisher to provide you with extra copies of the novel for this purpose.

Make sure your work is promptly, and properly, registered within 90 days after initial publication. If your work is already published, and not yet registered, register now to preserve as many rights as possible.

Registrations can be filed online at copyright.gov.

Have questions about this or other copyright topics? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. The sequel, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, will release in July 2014.

Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. You can also find her on Twitter, @SusanSpann, or on Facebook.

By Orly Konig Lopez

Quick … what’s your favorite season? Why?

Mine is summer. I love the laid back feeling that comes with long, hot days, the smell of fresh cut grass, the sound of sprinklers.

Each of us connects with the seasons in a different way. A particular season may trigger certain memories or feelings, alter our moods or even our behavior. It’s not a new concept - acknowledgement of seasonal mood disorders dates back to the fourth century Greek philosopher Posidonius.

You’re all probably nodding - or shaking your heads - at this point and thinking, “what does this have to do with writing?”

I’ve been noodling details of my new book and while most of the pieces were coming together nicely, something wasn’t right. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what though. Then I read a blog post about making setting more than pretty scenery. Hello big bright, proverbial spotlight.

The story was taking place during the summer. Actually, all of my women’s fiction manuscripts take place in the summer. Imagine that?! It wasn’t a conscious decision. Summer just seems to be my go-to season. The new story was working fine in summer, too. But you know that annoying little voice that insists something just isn’t quite right? Yeah, that one.

The main character in this new book has returned “home” after sixteen years to deal with her father’s estate. She not only has to come to terms with the truth behind the tense relationship she’s had with her father her entire life, but also the secret that forced her away all those years ago and find the inner strength to stand up to the ghosts of her past. Nothing that can’t happen during summer, right?

The idea of how a character might react differently to the same scenario based on environmental factors intrigued me. I started a few “what if” games. Guess what I discovered?

Summer was all wrong!

First, think about each season - positive and negative feelings, smells, mood. Make a list of everything that comes to mind. Here are a few that I came up with to help you get started:

Spring - Regeneration. Fresh green leaves. Flower blossoms. The first lawn mowers disrupting the quiet morning. Birds singing. Burst of new energy. Lighter clothes. The freedom of open windows. The smell of mulch. Optimism. Restlessness. Sleeplessness. Headaches as allergies kick in. Overwhelmed.

Summer - Humidity. Heat. Fresh cut grass. Bare feet. Downtime. Hot breeze. Ice cream. Lemonade. Salty beach breeze. Sand. Chlorine. The music of the ice cream van. Lazy. Relaxed. Self conscious in summer clothes. Exposed. Lethargic. Cranky. Uncomfortable. Allergies.

Fall - Crisp air. Vibrant colors. Rustle of leaves. Wood burning fireplace. Cozy scarves and hats. Apple cider. New start with school. Cozy. Sentimental. Excitement building up to the holidays. Depression leading up to the holidays.

Winter - Crisp. Invigorating. Cozy. Comfort food. Warm blankets. Fuzzy socks and flannel pjs. Blinding white snow. The hush of the world after a snowfall. Snow plows scraping the streets. Blast of warm as you enter a building. Bare trees. Dead grass. Dark. Tired. Restlessness. Sleeplessness. Claustrophobic.

Now, think about how those feelings and moods and smells can work for and against your characters:

Spring - Your character has been working in the garden, planting trees and flowers and installing a new fountain - the garden his wife has been dreaming about - when he gets the news that she was in a fatal car accident. How would he react on a beautiful spring day? Would he see the new growth as a sign that he needs to move forward? Would he grab the weed whacker and demolish all the new flowers because they shouldn’t live if she can’t.

Summer - Your character has been struggling with her self-image and self-worth - everything in her closet has been shrinking, her son keeps talking about his buddy’s amazing mom who mountain bikes and plays football with them, and her husband has been a wee less attentive of late - when she finds out her job has been eliminated. Will the prospect of endless hot summer days send her into a panic of being seen in shorts, or worse a swimsuit, next to awesome mom and give in to the thought that in this heat there’s just no way she can measure up or keep up?  Will the memories of relaxed summer days and long family vacations be the reminder that she needs down time to reconnect with herself and her family?

Fall - It’s been one year since your character has lost her mother and the holidays are approaching when she discovers that after years of trying, she’s finally pregnant. Does the news pull her out of the fog of loss, into the mounting excitement of new holiday traditions? Or does the news set her off, she’s angry that after all these years of trying, now when her mom is no longer around to enjoy her grandchild, she finally gets pregnant?

Winter - Your character has been waiting and waiting and waiting for her boyfriend to finally propose. It’s been a cold, miserable winter and she’s feeling a bit cranky when over a glass of wine by the fireplace, he proposes. Will she melt at the cozy, romantic setting and say yes? Or will the long, dark, frigid days that have kept them mostly bundled up inside backfire and make her feel smothered so that instead of saying yes, she’s breaking up with him?

If a setting doesn’t feel quite right play the “what if” game with the seasons. Will a change of season alter how your story unfolds?

I discovered that my character needed the crisp air of fall instead of the haze of summer. She needed to think about the upcoming holidays and the difference between spending another holiday alone in her fancy apartment or a luxury hotel in Paris. She needed the bundled warmth inside the stable during that first nippy day.

Do you have a go-to season that most of your stories are set in? Do you make a conscious decision what season to use?

Now just for fun, I found a survey that tells you what month you belong in. Mine came out Fall/autumn. Go figure!

Photo credit: The Four Seasons by George Hodan via Publicdomainpictures.net http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=26731&picture=the-four-seasons

About Orly

After years of pushing the creativity boundary in corporate communications, Orly decided it was time for a new challenge. Three women’s fiction manuscripts later (plus a handful of picture books), it’s safe to say she’s found her creative outlet.  When she’s not talking to her imaginary friends, she’s reading or at least trying to ignore everyone around her long enough to finish “just one more paragraph.” Orly is the founding president of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association.

You can find her on Twitter at @OrlyKonigLopez or on her website, www.orlykoniglopez.com.