Writers in the Storm

Writers In The Storm welcomes back Kara Lennox, a.k.a. Karen Leabo for some more plot-fixing magic. Kara is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than sixty novels of romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin and Random House. AND she’s a 2012 DOUBLE RITA Finalist!

Problem #4: A lack of clear-cut goals for your characters

In a mystery, the protagonist's goals are usually pretty easy to figure out: Solve the mystery. Catch the bad guy. Keep from getting killed. Maybe not in that order.

In a fantasy, there is usually some quest. (Lord of the Rings--retrieve the ring and toss it into Mt. Doom)

In romance, however, figuring out the goals of your main characters is a bit trickier, because usually, at the beginning they don't want love. Falling in love is the last thing on their minds, and would in fact interfere with their plans. So they have to have some other goal. They have to want something, and they have to want it passionately. This is how you create conflict--someone wants something, but something (often their future love) is in the way.

Another reason romance is tricky is because you usually have two main characters with equal or almost equal weight in the story, so you have to give each of them a goal, and the goals should conflict with one another. I'm sure you've heard the old Nora Roberts chestnut of advice: "If the hero is an arson investigator, the heroine better be an arsonist." Or something like that.

In a romance, both goals should be sympathetic. The reader should be able to understand why each of them wants what they want, which means you must motivate those goals.

The goals should be primal -- something anyone from any culture can understand. If a heroine wants to keep her child, that's primal. If a hero wants to prove himself to his demanding father, that's primal. Even wanting a pile of money relates to survival. Make the goal personal, really important, a matter of life and death if at all possible.

Here is an example from a paranormal I'm currently working on: A lonely woman who wants a family accidentally comes into possession of a stolen dragon egg. When it hatches, she and the baby dragon form a mystical bond--she isn't going to give it up easily. Along comes the hero, whose mission is to reclaim the baby dragon and return it to his queen. If he fails, he faces death. Hero's and heroine's goals are diametrically opposed (one of them has to lose) and, I hope, well motivated.

As the characters grow and change, their goals can change, too. Think of the Anne Hathaway character in The Devil Wears Prada. At first, she just wants to be a journalist. She takes the job at the fashion magazine because she believes it will open doors for her. Her goal is to survive a year, and she thinks fashion is pretentious and all her coworkers shallow. Eventually, though, she realizes that to succeed at this job, she must fit in, and she sets out to dress and act the part and to not just survive, but excel. She succeeds at this all too well--at the expense of her romance and her co-worker's career. When she realizes what she is becoming and where she is headed, she changes back to her original goal of wanting to be a writer and she turns her back on fashion, older and wiser.

In ONE FOR THE MONEY, Stephanie Plum at first just wants a paying job so she can get her repo'd car back. Then she wants to bring in Joe Morelli--at first, strictly for the bounty, then, to prove she can best him. THEN ... after she learns a few things, she also wants to find and catch the real murderer.

However, in my current WIP, from the very beginning the heroine wants to catch a murderer so she can earn the respect of her colleagues, and in the last scene she has solved the mystery and is basking in the admiration of her co-workers.

Remember, conflict on every page. No conflict without desires. Make your characters want stuff. The villain has to want stuff. Secondary characters have to want stuff.

Look at every main character in your story. Identify what they want. Does this change as they grow? (It doesn't have to, but often the character, as he or she grows, either learns to accept that they might have to compromise, or discovers what they want isn't what they need.)

Don't miss Kara's latest book, Outside The Law (part of the Project Justice series for Harlequin Super Romance) and her soon to be re-released classic Bantam Loveswept novels, written as Karen Leabo.

Kara's website

Following NYT author, Susan Squires' post about the logic behind herchoice (if you missed it, you can read it here) I thought our in-house attorney's blog is a perfect compliment!

By Susan Spann

How does an author choose between traditional and independent publishing? How do I know which option is right for me?

The “right” decision will meet your publishing goals and business needs.

As you may remember from my previous posts here at Writers in the Storm, the choice between publishing options is an individual decision which belongs to the author alone, and no single choice is right for every author or every work.

As with everything else in life, there are right ways and wrong ways to make the choice. This month, we’re taking a look at a few of the factors authors should use when choosing between traditional, self-publishing, and hybrid career paths.

Publishing Goals will differ from author to author. Only you can decide what constitutes “success” for your career – and although you don’t have to discuss your goals in public, you must be honest with yourself about them.

I have a 94 year-old client who self-published a book two years ago. This author lectures in Northern California, and audience members often ask to purchase a book of her poems and anecdotes. Her focus on poetry and short stories would be a hard-sell for many traditional publishers, despite her platform and audience. However, my client has the ability to market and sell her own books and didn’t want to wait on a traditional publishing schedule (which can run over a year from acceptance to books on the shelf). At her age, this is hardly surprising, though even much younger authors have valid reasons for wanting a different timeline.

Independent publishing met my client’s needs – and she has been delighted with her success.

If your goal is the New York Times bestseller list, self-publishing still won’t get you there as fast as a more traditional route. Exceptions do exist (in increasing numbers,) but books are still more likely to garner major reviews and shelf space at Barnes & Noble via traditional routes.

That said, writers with solid marketing skills and platforms often have significant success building careers as independently-published authors. Self-publishing is no longer a backwater or a resort for people who “couldn’t make it traditionally” – and for authors who want a larger royalty share, more control over edits, art, scheduling and marketing choices, self-publishing is definitely a viable way to go.

The question you must ask – and answer - is “what do I want for this work and my career?”

Business Decisions are also a critical part of an author’s choice. Publishing is an author’s business, and every author should treat it as one by learning about the publishing process. Once you understand what’s required to bring a book to the marketplace, you can evaluate which parts of that process you’re willing and able to perform – and which, if any, you prefer to delegate.

How much time do you have to devote to writing? To marketing? (Authors do both, regardless of publishing path.) Will that leave you enough time and energy to handle the business side?

Writing is art but publishing is a business. Authors who self-publish run the entire show themselves. Many hire professional help, such as editors, marketers, and attorneys. But those people cost money – another business decision the author must make.

Some authors love the technical side of the business. Others prefer to partner with agents and publishing houses – like-minded professionals who can handle tasks like typesetting, distribution and sales.

The choice is yours, but it’s one you can only make once you understand the business and how it functions.

Authors should make career decisions based upon facts, not emotion. Emotions play a role in establishing goals, but even the goals-list should focus on quantifiable factors and plans.

• Learn the business.
• Make an honest list of career goals.
• Evaluate your skills – not only what you can do, but also what you choose to do.

In short: make a business plan for your writing career.

When you’ve done so, you will begin to understand which publishing path is best for you.

Thanks so much for joining me here today. Have questions or comments? Please let me know! I love to hear from you.

And please join me next month, when we’ll look at platform, special skills, and a few reasons not to make a particular choice.

I look forward to seeing you here!

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author who practices in Sacramento, California. The debut novel in her SHINOBI mystery series, in which a Japanese ninja and a Portuguese priest must save a teahouse entertainer accused of murder, will be published by Thomas Dunne in Spring 2013. Susan blogs about writing and publishing law at http://www.susanspann.com and tweets @SusanSpann.

by Charlotte Carter

Recently I was musing about my writing career. I’ve been fortunate to have published almost 60 books. While I’m not likely to make the New York Time Best Seller List with my Love Inspired romances, I’m pleased with my ‘body of work.’ (My actual ‘body’ needs considerably more work. <g>)

How have I succeeded? Determination.

When I was as yet unpublished, my first agent called to tell me my latest submission had been rejected. That rejection was not my first nor my last. She went on to say, “Older women can’t write love scenes.”

Huh? I wasn’t that old; at least my long-term memory was excellent, and I have always been blessed with a really good imagination.

I remained polite until we hung up. Then I said aloud, “Watch me!”

Subsequently, I managed to author more than 40 books for various Harlequin secular lines – most included a love scene or two.

I come by my determination naturally. Or perhaps it comes from my mother, who when told in business school that she didn’t type fast enough to get a job, she simply went out and got a job.

When I was about four-years-old, my older brother and his friend were playing with their toy soldiers. Digging trenches. Leading tank attacks. Shouting ‘bang’ you’re dead.

Naturally, I wanted to play too. I had my own collection of lead soldiers. My brother was used to having me tag along; not so his friend Skipper. To get rid of me, Skipper offered to buy me a lead soldier (the plastic ones were boring) if I would dig a hole to China.

That sounded like a good idea to me. But I hadn’t been born yesterday. I asked Skipper to be more specific about the depth of the hole I was to dig. He found a stick that was maybe two or three feet long to use as a measure. So off I went to dig the prescribed hole.

In a matter of an hour or two I was back to play with my brother and Skipper. Poor Skipper procrastinated about getting me the promised soldier until finally my mother intervened.

That’s what DETERMINATION gets you – your goal.

What are you Determined to achieve?

Char......

Books that leave you smiling...

Montana Love Letter, Love Inspired, 10/2012

Montana Home Coming, Love Inspired, Spring 2013

www.CharlotteCarter.com