Silk & Shadows

We’ve had a couple winners on Silk And Shadows lately with a little help from Random.org. Congrats to tmaranville who, as a subscriber to the Silk And Shadows, won a prize pack of books from Erin Kellison, Laurie London and Elisabeth Naughton. And congrats also to the winner of last week’s giveaway of Erin Kellison’s SHADOW BOUND, Denise Quiroz. Thanks for commenting!

Currently working on: Plotting a new story
Mood: Wildly distracted by shiny things

“TV is gooder than books.”
–One of my favorite bumper stickers of all time

Last week we talked about our summer reading, so I thought — since autumn is the return of new shows on TV — I’d see what’s on the tube. I don’t watch a lot of television because all of my favorite shows* get canceled. You can still make me cry just by whispering “Firefly” in my general direction. But every fall, I peruse the new and returning shows to see if there’s anything of interest. You know, for something to watch while I’m reading. Oh, admit it, you do that too.

(*Since I don’t have cable, I’m limited to network TV or shows that I can pick up later on my computer. )

Terra Nova

Anything that promises even hints of paranormal, fantasy or science fiction catches my attention. So when I heard about this show — time travel, mysterious etchings, dinosaurs! — I knew I’d check it out. My first impression: Where’s the love story?!

I know, I know, not every story needs a romance in it. But I think you’ll agree that every story is BETTER with a romance in it Actually, the cast in general is sadly lacking in hot males. I know, I know, not every story needs a hot guy in it. But I think you’ll agree that every story is BETTER with a hot guy in it I thought Hollywood understood this. Very strange.

Reviewers have sort of grumbled about the Land of the Lost/Jurassic Park/Lost overtones, but I think the show has some promise. They set up some interesting questions anyway.

Which means they will probably get canceled. Fox has a history of dabbling in sci-fi flavored stories, only to ax them in the first season, so maybe I won’t get invested until I know they are going to stick around.

House

Of course this is a long-running show that doesn’t need my help, but to be honest I had grown a little tired of its disease-of-the-week focus and stopped watching. Until last year when I heard that the sexual tension with the bad doctor was going to be resolved (with at least a HFN — or happy for now — since a HEA — happily ever after — seemed out of character; or maybe it was a HFH — happy for House).

Most series — television or book form — know that resolving the sexual tension can be the death of the chemistry between the leads. But House is such a tortured hero, I knew that consummating the relationship would be even harder for him than dancing around it. And sadly for his heart, torturing the hero makes such a great story.

Even though the love story came to a crashing end in last year’s season finale (if you watched it, you know I’m being funny when I say crashing) I’m eager to see what — if anything — the writers do to pick up that thread, especially when the love interest character is not coming back to the show. Will the bad doctor find a new love? How crazy will she have to be?

Revenge

I don’t even know why I watched the pilot of this new show. I think somebody mentioned it on Twitter and said the characters seemed interesting. So I found a rerun on Hulu. And I think this heroine could be House’s new girlfriend!

She’s one of the heroines I like: almost as tortured as a hero and not shy about torturing everyone around her too. See why she’d be so good with House?

But I guess I really want my paranormal story line AND my tortured hero AND my kick-ass heroine all in ONE story.

And for that, I read a paranormal romance

So are you watching anything that I’m missing?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

First things first, random.com has chosen a winner for the early galley of VOWED IN SHADOWS – Congratulations to Kayleigh! Email jessa@jessaslade.com with your address and I’ll make a PO run. Thanks (and virtual butter cookies!) to everyone who commented.

Second item of business: We’re going to be shifting things around here at Silk And Shadows. This has been a place of us to meet people and play with ideas. Now we’re going to settle down to some of the finer points of writing and we’ll be ranging further afield on weekdays, instead of concentrating on one topic a week. Why the change? Because the writing world is always changing and we’re eager to explore.

And now onto my regularly scheduled post…

False starts

My writing group met this last weekend and I was on a Q&A panel of new published authors. (OMG am I still considered new? I feel ancient.) We A’d all sorts of Q’s from our fellow writers, and one that particularly caught my attention was this:

What do you do about false starts?

I thought this was interesting because there are so many ways to interpret the question. False starts in what? A story? A career? (Or a blog?  ) What constitutes a false start? Is a false start different from a test run? Who decides it’s false?

I think it’s inevitable that everyone has experienced this: You’re going along, thinking everything’s cool… Right up until it isn’t. The smooth-rolling wheel catches, and suddenly you’re airborne.

(And then, at least according to this illustration, your head pops off.)

False starts don’t always happen near the start, which makes it worse. But when that sinking feeling comes (and it comes shortly after the airborne feeling ends) I try to deal with a minimum of moaning.

1. Is this a false start?

Sometimes what feels like going off track is really something else. Exhaustion, boredom, burnout, lack of needed information or skill or confidence, all these can manifest as the feeling I’ve gone astray. I have to stop and assess: Am I lost or do I just wish I was lost so I could make my way back to a path I already know?

If it’s the latter, if I’m secretly just trying to weasel out of a difficult moment and lying to myself about it, then I scold myself soundly and get back to work. (Not really. I have other, crueler techniques too but that’s not this post.) If I have legitimately gotten lost…

2. Ditch it and do something else.

There’s a school of thought that says finish what you start. And pathological non-finishers should recognize that weakness in themselves and correct it. But most often, I don’t believe in throwing good energy after wasted energy. I have projects that will never be finished and some of those give me a twinge of regret. But I had good reasons for letting those go, and I know I’ve put that time and effort to better use elsewhere.

3. Make truth out of false starts.

Usually I find a note of truth in every false start. When I’m writing the hot draft, I often start my story about three chapters too early. I have a lot of back story, info dumps, and unnecessary characterization. It’s painful to realize that the start is all wrong, but in those soon-to-be-cut words, there are pieces I can use: a hint of the character’s issue, a telling detail of physical description, whatever. Because I know to watch myself now, I try to NOT write those false starts and JUST keep the diamonds buried in the dust.

Sometimes I waffle back and forth between giving up too easily and clinging too long. I think it takes a lot of practice to find the balance, and each step of practice requires a start. So get started.

Which are you, a quitter or a clinger? Do you find that you tend toward the same trait in writing and in real life?

And Happy New Year!
Or whatever holiday you cherish!
May your days be sparkly and beribboned!

Silk and Shadows is taking a mid-winter break.
We’ll be back with more posts on Monday, January 3.
We’ll be rested and refreshed.
(And, at least in my case, rocking a new workout routine. Sigh.)

Also, congrats to Estella, who won our holiday week contest.
Estella, the caramel sauce is coming your way!

Happy happy holidays, to all our readers.
Thanks for being with us another year!

Currently working on: Book 4 of the Marked Souls
Mood: Knucking down

First our winner from last weeks drawing of Jessica Andersen‘s signed DEMONKEEPERS and an ARC of BLOOD SPELLS.  Thanks to everybody who commented, and keep an eye out.  We have lots of signed copies from the RWA conference.  Meanwhile, Random.org has selected….

 Paula R.

Congrats, Paula!  Email me at jessa at jessaslade dot com with your snail mail addy and we’ll get those books to the PO.

So the reason we have all these signed books is the annual Romance Writers of America national conference which was held at the end of July.  The huge annual meeting brings together more than 2000 of RWA’s 10,000+ members.  It’s like the best business sleepover party you’ve ever attended.  What?  You’ve never attended a business sleepover?  I’m sorry.  Romance writing rocks!

One of the reasons I love romance is that it’s primarily a women’s genre — written by women, for women.  Sure, there are men who read and write romance, but they are –the self-confident souls – few and far between.  But even the rare men at RWA (who sigh with long-suffering annoyance when the hotels turn most of the restrooms into WOMENs rooms) would, I think, agree that one of the best parts of RWA is the way the best traditional aspects of womanhood are on display to brilliant effect.

1. Nurturing
RWA’s mission statement talks about networking and advocacy and it’s so true.  Without RWA, I wouldn’t be published.  I learned the ropes, the rules and the Sekrit Handshake from these ladies, and they shared with generosity and enthusiasm.

2. Talking
Sure, it’s a sterotype that women love to talk. But boy, women like to talk. The chatting at a RWA conference rivals sea-going mammals for pitch and frequency.  I think that’s why we were at the Dolphin Hotel in Orlando. And in all that talking, you can find the answer to any question you ever had about writing. 

3. Shoes
I saw the cutest shoes — from flipflops to f-me heels — all during the conference.  Next year’s conference in New York will probably bring out the really big guns with the really high heels.  I had cute footwear too, but I can’t find any pictures to prove it.

Since this week here at Silk And Shadows, we’re talking about what we’ve learned from RWA and similar conferences, I also wanted to issue a warning as well.  I started writing in a more innocent time and now I think belonging to reputable organizations like RWA — or groups involved in whatever your passion is – is more important than ever.  With the expansion of the World Wide Web, there is more misinformation and more scammers who have ready access to eager writers, and it is terrifyingly easy for newcomers to be taken.

I have an acquaintance who came to me for writing advice, failed to follow up with any of the websites I gave her, and invested time and money in a vanity “publisher” who made her sign a contract that doesn’t guarantee any tangible results — like, oh say, a freakin’ BOOK.  Luckily, she finally did check the Preditors & Editors link I gave her and found that her “publisher” was listed as Highly Not Recommended (in orange, no less).  She feels embarrassed and discouraged, and they are already sending her vaguely threatening emails demanding more money.

Good professional organizations teach you and help you explore options to reach your goals. Great organizations give you the strength to hold out until you can make your dreams come true.  For me, RWA has been great.

If you belong to a great group — quilters, bakers, candlestick makers – give ‘em a shout-out here. Maybe someone else will see the link and find a supportive outlet for their passion. 

I’ll kick it off by suggsting the Yahoo Group for fans of the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan for anyone with a dog with “issues.”  For the first six months of her life, my dog thought her name was “Don’t Bite.”  She was a terrible puppy.  I found this group and within another six months, she graduated to “Monster Girl” but said fondly.  Hey, that’s improvement.

Currently working on: Revising back cover copy for Book 3
Mood: Tweaky

First off, thanks to everybody who commented last week for a chance to win the signed copy of Nalini Singh’s ANGEL’S BLOOD, that I picked up at RomCon.  With the help of Random.org, we have a winner:

JenM, who hiked to Machu Picchu, congrats!

And I finally unpacked from RomCon and found an extra copy (unsigned, I’m sorry) of Jeaniene Frost’s DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE, which goes to:

cories, who — very sensibly, I think — would rather attend romance cons than work ones

Email me at jessa at jessaslade dot com with your snail mail addy and I’ll make a PO run.

Onto our topic of the week, which is “The TV show I miss the most.”  I didn’t even have to contemplate for a microsecond.  Even my XY knew what I was going to write about.

Joss Whedon’s cowboy space opera Firefly played for one gorram season in 2002 before being brutally and summarily cancelled by the evil Fox network, may their bean counters burn in a special level of hell reserved for People Who Don’t Get It.  The world lived on through graphic novels to a 2005 wrap-up movie, Serenity, and occasionally, wistful rumors surface of another movie.  (A photo tweeted earlier this month of some of the main actors with the sly caption “Together. Again.” was enough to get geekdom panty-wadded for several long minutes.)

The storyworld (or ‘verse, short for universe) inspired a fanatic group of followers, the Browncoats (a reference to the rebellious frontiersmen who fought for their freedom against smothering Fox executives… I mean, against a smothering central government).  The Browncoats continue to stage charity viewings of Firefly, Serenity and other ’verse ephemera, including a fan-filmed movie, Browncoats: Redemption, that has been screened for select audiences but is not yet in wide release.

Why I loved Firefly

I love science fiction.  I love anti-heroes.  I love Joss Whedon.  It’s like Firefly was always aimed straight at me. 

Anything with spaceships gets my attention — even the old black and white movies where two pie tins squashed together served as the spaceship.  And the little Firefly-class ship, Serenity, was as adorable as two pie tins, with her lit-up butt and hard-loved interior.

But it wasn’t the hardware that made this show.  It was the crew.  From the first episode (aired out of order by idiots), the crew revealed themselves in all their dysfunctional and yet highly effective glory.  From the wounded soul of their fearless leader, Captain Malcolm Reynolds to the shattered mind of their mysterious and dangerous passenger, River Tam, their interactions were endlessly (and by endlessly, I mean ended after one season, thank you, Fox) fascinating, entertaining, emotional and true.

And damned funny.  Of course Whedon usually inspires clever, but never better than Firefly.  As a writer, I drooled over those lines.  Oh, I’m sure they were written and revised for best effect, but they were always delivered with such beautiful immediacy that I couldn’t help but despair of ever writing as well.  And while I despaired, I laughed, I cried, I bought DVDs. 

I could requote all the wonderful lines here, but fans have read them all before and non-watchers (it’s YOUR fault Firefly died and I will never forgive you!) would just scratch their heads, but I have to give just one back’n'forth between the captain and his second, Zoe, as they come — once again — to save the day (after having nearly lost the day, of course): 

Mal: “Well, look at this! Appears we got here just in the nick of time. Whaddya suppose that makes us?”

Zoe: “Big damn heroes, sir.”

Mal: “Ain’t we just!”

You were, Mal.  To me, you were.

Are you a Firefly fan?  Can you recommend another other good cowboy space operas (or anything remotely similar) in TV, movies or books?

Currently working on: Post-release week enervation
Mood: Wiggly

First, a couple past winners:

A pair of Possession in Pearl earrings to blackroze from the post on what we do when we aren’t writing. (Feeling guilty about not writing!)

And thanks, everybody, for the FORGED OF SHADOWS release week good wishes.  The copy of Book 1 or Book 2 goes to elaing8.  

Lastly (and sorry, this offer is open only to US residents) I have ugly, outdated postage to burn.  If you’d like a shiny new bookmark with Liam’s denim-clad buttocks gracing the front along with a glossary of @1 terms on the back, email me your snail-mail addy and I’ll drop kick one your way.

Email me at jessa at jessaslade dot com.

Now, onto the topic at hand…  We’re supposed to talk about our cleverest writing moment.  And I can’t come up with a damned thing.  Oh, don’t get me wrong.  I think I’m exceedingly clever.  And the conceit is perhaps one of my deepest personal failings.  Nothing amuses me more than me.

I particularly like word play.  Puns, double entendres, extended metaphors.  The deeper and more convoluted, the better I like it.  Unfortunately, this is a terrible trait in a writer.  Worse than shoegazer rock and paintings all in one color.  Self-indulgent art ranks somewhere near donning a wet bathing suit on my list of annoyances to avoid ESPECIALLY when I’m the one indulging.

Luckily, my critique partners call me out on the worst offenses.  Shout out to Joey, who once told me, “I was having so much fun reading what you wrote I had no idea what you said.”  Ouch!  After my CPs finish eviscerating my arrogance, my editor politely line edits the remnants that somehow slipped by.  Even while I’m sighing mournfully, I’m deleting. 

I never want to be Clever Hans, the Amazing Counting Horse, believing his own press.

I think my cleverest writing moment — and I learn this over and over, with every page I write — is when I stop being clever and let the story be itself.

So, what’s the most ridiculous thing you ever wrote?  Feel free to go back to your high school diary.  Always good stuff there.  In honor of the end of the school year, here’s a sample of my early (very early) writing that I thought was particularly clever at the time:

Where Teachers Go

school’s over
summer’s here
building closed
until next year

janitors scrubbing
down the halls
cleaning blackboards
painting walls

unplug the teachers
let out the air
into the closet
until next year

Congratulations to Heather Dearly.  Thanks to Jeri Smith-Ready for stopping by and offering up a book.

And thank you to everyone for commenting and leaving a list of great titles that will expand my TBR shelf by, oh, a gazillion.