How Current Should A Contemporary Romance Be?
There are two schools of thought with writing contemporary romances.
Make Your Story Timeless
One school advises us to make contemporary romances as timeless as possible. Try to avoid references to clothing, to technology, to popular culture (TV shows, movies, music, etc). Avoid slang. Only use brand names that might exist fifty years from now.
The reasoning behind this advice is ten years from now, we want our stories to remain ‘contemporary.’ We want readers to continue reading our stories. We want our stories to remain relevant.
This can be a great policy to follow if you wish to write for print first publishers. Print first publishers often have long lead times. There could be years between writing a story and seeing the story on shelves. Slang or styles or culture will likely evolve in this time, making your contemporary romance dated.
Make Your Story A Snapshot In Time
The other school recommends writing a contemporary romance completely anchored in this moment of time. We use brand names, slang, cultural references when we speak and who isn’t attached to their phones or tablets? All of this is part of living in the modern world.
The thinking of this school is that any story, no matter how hard we try, will be dated. Will a phone be called a phone two years from now? I don’t know. Will we be eating the same food, cooking it the same way? Will jobs change with technology?
This is a great policy to follow if you’re targeting digital first publishers. Digital first publishers normally have short lead times. Trends will likely still be relevant in two or three months. EBooks can also be updated more easily than print books. Five years from now, we can change the dated references and make the story contemporary once more.
My Thoughts
In Sinful Rewards, Bee receives sexy challenges via text so you can likely guess which school I belong to. (grins) I’ll make a not-so-wild prediction and state that texting won’t exist ten years from now. The entire premise of the story will fall apart.
And I’m okay with that. I don’t mind that my stories will be seen as semi-historical in a decade. They’ll be a sizzling hot time capsule of 2014. My characters age with us. Twenty years from now, I hope to tell their kids’ stories.
Which school do you belong to (as a reader or a writer)?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards1-1560586-237.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on How Current Should A Contemporary Romance Be?
Mini Writing Conference Hosted By Avon Writers
The RWA (Romance Writers Of America) Convention is Wednesday – Saturday in San Antonio. Many Avon writers are trapped in the writing cave and we’re hoping that writers and readers attending will post photos and share highlights on
Share your favorite fangirl (or fanboy) moments.
We will also be talking about writing all week, sharing our best writing advice, how to craft characters, how to start stories, etc. If you have a buddy who is constantly talking about writing a book, invite her/him to this group. If you hear someone express how sad they are to miss the convention, invite her/him also!
Today’s topics include…
Our best writing advice
and
Why we chose a traditional publisher instead of self-publishing.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards1-1560586-237.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Mini Writing Conference Hosted By Avon Writers
Interview With Tina Donahue
I sat down (virtually) with Tina Donahue for a short interview. Tina Donahue’s latest release is This Time When We Touch, an Erotic paranormal.
Cynthia Sax: What excites you about This Time When We Touch?
Tina Donahue: I’ve always loved the idea of reincarnation, especially when it brings lovers back together. In This Time When We Touch, fate has repeatedly and cruelly separated Jade and Patrick for centuries. Since this is their last reincarnation, the stakes are impossibly high for Jade to break the deadly pattern and to have Patrick’s love for a lifetime. Heady, romantic stuff.
Cynthia Sax: What is your favorite line from This Time When We Touch?
Tina Donahue: It has to be when Patrick sees Jade at the beach for the first time. In this reincarnation they haven’t met. Technically, they’re strangers…yet they’re not. As their eyes meet, a rush of tenderness and love floods him. Patrick doesn’t understand it. Since his presence in Jade’s life has always led to her death in the past, he unconsciously fights his memory of her and their enduring love in order to protect her. Not that he can fully resist. Driven to be near her, he finally asks, “Who are you?”
There’s wonder, hope and sadness in that one question, which makes it my favorite line.
Cynthia Sax: Where did you get the idea for This Time When We Touch?
Tina Donahue: I was watching a remake of H. G. Wells The Time Machine on cable. I was taken with the hero’s desire to return in time so he could save the woman he loves from death. No matter how he tried to change fate, she still died. That really stuck with me and the idea for This Time When We Touch was born.
Cynthia Sax: What one piece of advice would you give new writers?
Tina Donahue: Outside of don’t ever give up, I’d have to say – don’t think it’s easy. I’ve known so many newbies who honestly believe all they have to do is slap a story together, put it on Amazon and they’ll hit all the lists. That happens once in a blue moon. Writing is hard. Writing romance is even harder. I’ve heard so many critics say that it’s only romance. Sure. Why don’t they try to get emotions down on paper and make readers feel what the characters are experiencing. It’s the hardest thing in the world to accomplish. Sometimes there don’t seem to be enough words to convey what I want to say. I have no trouble writing humor. I can do it in my sleep. No trouble plotting, piece of cake. Creating action scenes, building suspense, writing dialogue is second nature to me. But digging deep into a character’s soul, having emotional build, getting readers to laugh, cry, shout in frustration or anger and sigh in relief with your characters is freaking hard.
Cynthia Sax: SO true, Tina! Relaying emotional is dang difficult!
Thank you, Tina Donahue, for joining us today!
Tina Donahue’s Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
*****************************************************************************
Fate has cruelly torn them apart through the centuries…
Endless desire and unparalleled love will bring them together a final time.
Through numerous reincarnations, Jade Jacome has adored one man. His love for her has repeatedly led to her murder, always on the same day and time. Jade’s scientific research proves this is their final rebirth, her last chance to outwit destiny and fulfill their passion. Against a backdrop of Brazil’s lushly decadent Carnaval, Jade has forty-eight hours to meet and tempt her lover, now known as Patrick Kane, then break fate’s deadly pattern.
Irresistibly drawn to Rio, Patrick senses Jade’s yearning that matches his. Seeing her again, time stops. Though they’ve never met in this life, he feels their connection, and that she’s in danger because of him. Baffled and unsettled, Patrick resists his attraction to Jade to keep her safe.
In a contest of wills and shameless seduction, Jade must gamble all, even her life, before the anniversary of their first separation or risk losing Patrick forever.
A Siren Erotic Romance
Buy Now:
http://www.bookstrand.com/this-time-when-we-touch
Topics: Author Interviews | 4 Comments »
How To Write A Powerful Love Triangle
I’m visiting the ARe blog today, talking about how to write a powerful love triangle.
http://www.arecafe.com/cafe-news/cynthia-sax-sinful-rewards-writing-power-love-triangles/
Here’s a snippet…
To make a love triangle work, the two heroes have to represent different futures yet be equally powerful.
In Twilight, Bella could live forever with her vampire OR have pups and a semi-human existence with her wolf. Both heroes could protect her. In a fight, either hero could win. She’d have a remarkable life with either hero.
In Sinful Rewards, Bee could have riches, a stable home, loving marriage and a family with her billionaire OR she could have a wild, throw-caution-to-the-wind affair with her biker. Both heroes are panty-dropping sexy. They want Bee and are willing to fight for her. They’re also nice men. I cried when she chose her hero because I loved both men so much.
The reasons these heroes appeal to different readers are the reasons they appeal to different facets of the heroine.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards1-1560586-237.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on How To Write A Powerful Love Triangle
Writer’s Block Or The Causes Of Word Constipation
Some writers claim that there’s no such thing as writer’s block. They’ve written a gazillion stories and they’ve never suffered from it. That’s awesome. Good for them.
But, unfortunately, it is all too real. Just because these writers haven’t experienced it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It is like love at first sight. Many people insist that isn’t real either. I thought the same way until I met my dear wonderful hubby. Heck, I mocked friends who experienced this phenomenon. Then the hubby and I fell in love at first sight. Bam. I was a goner, one of those besotted fools I once mocked. Twenty plus years later, we remain very much in love.
Writer’s block is less fun than falling in love at first sight. The words don’t flow. There may be a trickle or a complete stoppage.
Here are some of the sources of writer’s block and how I solve the issue (If you have your own solutions, please share them in the comments).
We’ve Run Out Of Story Ideas
We need a story for a call for submission (a publisher asking for types of stories) or a boxed set or a contest or (name your need here) and we have NO ideas, absolutely nothing. We look in our brain and it’s a barren wasteland, our imaginations parched and lifeless. We panic, worrying about our deadlines and thinking we’ll never have another great idea again. This makes matters even worse, diverting our creative juices to deal with our insanity.
THIS is what writing buddies are for. I keep a list of my top 100 story ideas. Perfectly good ideas drop off this list every damn day. I write light and the idea might be darker. I might not write in that genre. The idea is a little too mainstream for me. Whatever the reason, ideas drop off. I would be THRILLED to give you some of these ideas. I’d hand them to you happily. You likely won’t write them either but they might prompt another idea, a better idea (for you).
If your writing buddies are currently as insane as you are (hey, it happens), consider reading headlines, JUST the headlines. Guess the rest of the story. Or go to the mall and listen to conversations. Phone calls are the best for this as we only hear one side of the conversation. Take a book you love and play what if with some of the elements. What if Pride and Prejudice was set in a steampunk world? What if Mr. Darcy had a delicious secret he was trying to hide (maybe he’s scarred from a war or…)?
We’re Staring At A Blank Page
We have a story idea and now we don’t know where to start. We’re staring at the blank screen until blood drips from our ears and THERE ARE NO WORDS. Oh my God. What happens if there are NEVER any words?
When this happens to me (with every single story start – big sigh), I write down what I know. I already have my story idea. I’ll write that down. Voila! The screen is no longer blank. I have words and I’m writing. Hey, this isn’t so intimidating. I might have a glimpse of a scene or a tidbit of a conversation. I write that down also. I don’t expect to keep any of this. The idea is to start writing because usually when I start writing, I continue writing.
Usually.
Our Words Simply Stop
We’re zipping along, writing like madwomen, super excited about our stories, and the words simply stop. Can’t…Get…Past…This…Scene. We force ourselves to write because that is what many more experienced writers advise. This isn’t bad advice as long as we realize that all we’re doing is buying time to figure out what is wrong. These forced words will likely have to be scrapped.
Because we’ve made a wrong decision.
This is the number one reason why MY words stop (your reasons might be different). I’ve made a wrong decision for my characters. They know this. My brain knows this. But I’m stubborn as hell and determined to be right. I refuse to revisit it and my characters go on strike. The characters ALWAYS win and they should. If they know they’re doing something they wouldn’t, readers will know this also.
I go back to where the words were flowing in the manuscript and examine the following scenes. If I still can’t see the wrong decision, I’ll hand the manuscript to a writing buddy or I’ll talk it over with my dear wonderful hubby. Sometimes simply talking about it clears the issues up in my mind.
It could be something minor like the heroine’s motivation for an action isn’t right. In Sinful Rewards, I first thought that Bee was clothing obsessed because she cared what other people thought. Yes, she cares but the REAL reason she’s clothing obsessed is because she associates clothing with happiness. When Bee was young, her mom always looked tired and unhappy when she wore her cheap waitress uniform. As soon as I figured that out, the words flowed.
It could be something major like a lack of magic between a hero and a heroine. Writing romance is much like matchmaking. A couple might look good in theory but when we put them in the same room together, there’s no spark, no magic. I originally paired Camille from Breaking All The Rules with Michael. That was the grand plan. But when I got them together, there was NO interest, nothing, nada, zip. Then I introduced her to Nate and there was magic, that zing of sexual attraction. The trickle of words became a deluge.
We Don’t Want This Story To End
We only have one last scene to write. All of the plot threads have been wrapped up. We have that last lovey dovey scene to write and we’re done.
But we don’t want to write it because this means saying good-bye to the characters OR in the case of pantsers, we know what this last scene is. There will be very few surprises.
THIS is the scene I usually force myself to write. I tell myself that I’m writing a series (whether or not I am) and I will see this couple (or more) again. I like circular storytelling so I’ll focus on creative ways to reference the beginning of the story. I remind myself why this scene is important to my characters (it is their reward for surviving the story – grins) and readers (it is their sweet dessert at the end of the romance meal).
What are some of your techniques for dealing with writer’s block?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfulrewards1-1560586-237.html
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Writing Tips | 1 Comment »
Should Writers End Installments Of A Serial In A Cliffhanger?
I was chatting with a fellow serial erotic romance writer and we were discussing cliffhangers. According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffhanger ), a “cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction.”
My buddy is pro cliffhanger. She ends every installment of her serial with a cliffhanger. She feels this, yes, prompts readers to buy the next installment, but this also heightens the drama of these key split scenes. The anticipation spotlights the scene’s importance. These are the scenes she most wants readers to talk about, examine, notice.
I don’t end the installments in my serials with cliffhangers. I believe that every installment in an erotic romance serial should have that awww… happy for now ending expected with romance (the last installment, clearly, will have a happy ever after ending). This is difficult to do. I won’t lie. But no one said writing was easy. (grins)
I also use the pause between installments to strengthen the story. It is the pause between action scenes, the quiet, reflective moment needed in good storytelling. When readers tell me they wait until my serial is completed and then read them all at once, I groan because the breaks are necessary for the full experience.
Talking to readers, the preference seems to be split between cliffhanger lovers and cliffhanger haters. I tell readers what to expect from my serials so they know the type of story they’re investing their valuable time in.
Should you end your installments in a cliffhanger? That’s your call. Yes. (grins) I realize that’s not the answer you’re looking for. There are no rules in writing. Do what you believe best serves your story.
Readers, do you love or hate cliffhangers? Writers, what is your preference?
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Writing Tips | 1 Comment »
Blogging For Erotic Romance Writers
I was blogging long before I wrote erotic romances. I’ve posted on one of my business blogs (under a different pen name) every day for over a decade. Blogging is near and dear to my heart and I truly believe that every writer, especially every erotic romance writer should have a blog.
Why?
Because if, for some reason, your website isn’t working (maybe hackers accessed it or the morality police had it shut down due to its adult content or your web designer messed up), you can redirect that traffic to your blog. Your blog is a backup for your website.
(grins) You thought I’d say a blog is a great promotional vehicle, didn’t you? And it can be but I think, for an erotic romance writer, having a backup for your website is even more important.
And that’s what I’ll talk about today—some of the unique issues erotic romance writers face. There are great articles about general blogging (see http://www.problogger.net/ ) and on using blogs for book promo in general. There’s not a lot of talk about our special needs.
We write adult content. As much as we can try to keep our blogs PG rated, the naughty words, situations, or covers will slip through. And quite frankly, our readers want them to slip through. One of the reasons they’re reading our writing is because it’s steamy. Why not celebrate this steaminess on our blogs?
But this means taking complete control of our blogs. Every writer should own her own blog domain. The person who owns the domain name controls the readers.
If your domain name is .blogspot.com or .wordpress.com, Blogger or WordPress owns your domain name. These huge companies can legally send all of your traffic to their own sites. They can also shut you down if they don’t agree with your content (a couple of complaints will do this).
Spending $8 U.S. or less a year ($16 in total as you’ll need a domain name for your website also) on a domain name will allow you to point your readers wherever you want. Blogger even makes it easy to use your own domain name ( https://support.google.com/blogger/troubleshooter/1233381?hl=en ). Using your own domain name makes your links prettier and appear more professional also.
Eventually you’ll want to host your own blog. I use WordPress.org (NOT WordPress.com – there is a difference between the two) and the free templates for my blogs. This makes it even more difficult for the morality police to shut my sites down.
Especially since I put a “By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.” warning at the top of my blog.
Yes, being honest about hosting adult content reduces some traffic. Some readers can’t access my blog or website from their places of employment. But I’d rather that happen than inadvertently offend someone or face a lawsuit (though legally we might or might not need a disclaimer – http://www.blogherald.com/2011/09/09/adult-content-your-site-and-the-law/ ).
What issues have you faced as an erotic romance blogger? What other considerations should we mention?
BTW… the very friendly performers pictured are two of the many reasons why I love Vegas. (grins) You can click on the photos to make them larger.
Subscribe To My Release Day Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Cynthia_Sax_Sinful_Rewards_1?id=g08ZAwAAQBAJ
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sinful-rewards-1/id814148703?mt=11
Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on Blogging For Erotic Romance Writers
The Pantster’s Guide To Writing A Series
I’m a pantser, a writer who writes by the seat of her pants. Before starting a story, I usually know my characters, (maybe) have a glimpse at a first scene, know it will be an erotic romance, and that’s it. Yes, I can feel my plotter buddies twitching. It is chaos, I tell you, chaos! But I can’t write any other way.
I also write series, three or more stories set in the same world with characters who know each other. Sometimes there’s an overreaching story arc (defeating the big baddie or finding a man for Camille – grins). Sometimes it is a sexy brother type of series (there are three friends and I want them all to find love).
How do I write series when I don’t even know what the next scene in a story is?
It is similar to how I write a single story. With a single story, I know the ending. The two (or more) characters will find lasting love and be together. I don’t know how they’ll get there but I know that’s where the story is heading.
With a series, I have additional goals or destinations for my first (or second or third story). Yes, the two (or more) characters will be together but, in the case of the sexy brother series, at least one of the other characters will also be introduced.
In He Watches Me/He Touches Me/He Claims Me, Anna and Blaine end up together and are gloriously happy (well, as happy as our rather serious billionaire can be) but Camille, the heroine of Breaking All The Rules, is also introduced.
A story in a series with an overreaching story arc will have a third goal. At the end of the story, the two (or more) characters will be together, the main character in the next story will be introduced, AND there will be progression in the bigger mission.
How much progression?
It depends on how many stories I wish to have in the series. In the Warlord four story series, I knew I wanted all three brothers to find love. This meant at least a three part series. I also eventually wanted one of the Warlord brothers to face Tolui (the brother was supposed to kill him in the third story but Tolui refused to die). I chopped up this big end goal into smaller goals, progressively escalating the conflict and the stakes.
And this escalation is important. We’ve all read a toe curling first book in a series and wondered “How will the writer top THIS?” That’s what readers expect. If you blow up the Death Star in the first installment, you should do something even bigger or more shocking (like, say, announce that the big baddie the hero is trying to kill is dear ol’ dad) in the second installment. The conflict in the third story will be even BIGGER.
I’m a fan of circular story telling so often when crafting the final story in a series, I give a nod to the first story. Maybe I’ll mirror a scene or refer back to the first story. I also like to bring back or mention the previous couples (or more), giving readers some updates on them. This usually isn’t planned though. It is part of the pantsing magic.
Do you have some tips on writing series? What do you like about reading stories in a series?
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Nathan Lawford, Blaine Technologies’ chief financial officer, is known as the Iceman. He conducts his personal and business affairs without emotion, never allowing himself to become involved with anyone. When Nate sees something or someone he wants, he negotiates, paying a simple, set monetary price.
Now he wants Camille, the company’s green-haired intern.
Camille Joplin Trent never expected to be paid to pleasure the man of her dreams. She can’t quite figure out why this is a bad thing. Nate is intelligent, handsome, sophisticated, everything she’s ever wanted in a lover and never thought she could have. Their contract is for a month, thirty lust-filled days of making every sexual fantasy they’ve ever had come true. At the end of this month, the rules state their relationship will end.
Of course, Camille has never been good at following rules.
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Topics: Writing Tips | Comments Off on The Pantster’s Guide To Writing A Series
Writing Ménages Versus Writing Love Triangles
Sinful Rewards, my 12 novella serial from Avon Impulse (the first story releasing in July), is a love triangle, NOT a ménage. The two possible heroes do NOT have sex with each other. They do not sleep in the same bed with the heroine. They are extremely possessive men and they do not share anything or anyone.
I’ve written both ménages and love triangles. They are very different kinds of stories.
How are they different?
A ménage is about having both men (or women or androids or whatever ménage structure I’m writing – grins). These stories normally revolve around acceptance and tolerance, needing all three (or more) beings to complete a relationship unit. Each being in the relationship is different yet they typically have the same values, the same view of their future. They have the same vision of a happy ending and when combined, they’re stronger, better, happier, more able to achieve this destiny.
A love triangle, in contrast, is about choice, about making a life-changing decision (or collection of decisions). This decision leads the heroine (in this case, Bee) down one of two paths. These paths don’t intersect. They go in different directions, never meeting.
There’s no shared view of the future in a love triangle. If Nicolas is happy in this future, Hawke will be unhappy. If Hawke is happy, Nicolas will be unhappy. When the men are together, they’re less than, not more. They’re diminished by each other’s company. One of them is always compromising, always unhappy.
This is why it’s not possible to include even one ménage scene in Sinful Rewards. Bee can’t have Nicolas AND Hawke. In SciFi terms, they don’t exist in the same universe.
This doesn’t mean we can’t fantasize about a Nicolas-Bee-Hawke sandwich. (grins) Goodness knows I have!
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Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
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Topics: Coming Soon | Comments Off on Writing Ménages Versus Writing Love Triangles
Why I Love To Write Both SciFi And Contemporary Erotic Romance
Recently, I’ve been concentrating on two genres within erotic romance—contemporary and SciFi (I previously also wrote paranormal). This might seem like a strange combination as they are very different stories to tell and require different skills to tell them.
It might also seem easier to simply write in one genre, concentrating on these reading buddies and these stories. Switching genres can be challenging and it takes time.
But it is also needed, at least, for me.
Contemporary erotic romance is probably my most natural genre (especially as I write in first person for contemporary). It uses the same skills at observation I honed while writing for newspapers. I look, I interpret (because no two people ever see the same thing), and I write.
Contemporary erotic romances flow quickly (why I can meet my aggressive self-imposed deadlines for Sinful Rewards, the 12 novella serial from Avon). They are usually my most layered stories. Because the world building is lighter, I can weave in a lot of symbolism and motifs. I LOVE this.
However, if I stay too long in contemporary erotic romance, I start to go a bit crazy. I get a hankering to write the weird, the strange, the unusual, stories and heroes unlike any I’ve ever written. I want to design complex worlds, to use my love of science, of systems, to get out of my own reality and into a fantasy world.
Writing SciFi erotic romance is almost like a vacation for my writing brain. My SciFi characters see and do things I can’t. I also have total control. Everything that appears in my SciFi worlds is there because I put it there. I’m truly the master of my universes! (grins)
After having this SciFi erotic romance holiday, I usually can’t wait to write another contemporary erotic romance. I’m wound up, refreshed, hyper to get started (no Nutella needed).
This is why I wrote Alien Tryst and Tryst Denied between Breaking All The Rules and Sinful Rewards. This is why I’ll write my gargoyles in space story (huge rock men) after I finish Sinful Rewards. Writing a SciFi erotic romance allows me to write a fresher, more exciting contemporary erotic romance and vice versa.
Sinful Rewards 1
Cynthia Sax
Belinda “Bee” Carter is a good girl; at least, that’s what she tells herself. And a good girl deserves a nice guy—just like the gorgeous and moody billionaire Nicolas Rainer. He is everything she wants in a man.
Or so she thinks, until she takes a look through her telescope and sees a naked, tattooed man on the balcony across the courtyard. Hawke is mysterious, the bad boy she knows will bring only heartbreak. He has been watching her, and that makes him all the more enticing.
But when a mysterious and anonymous text message dares her to do something bad, she must decide if she is really the good girl she has always claimed to be, or if she’s willing to risk everything for her secret fantasy of being watched.
Is her mystery man the reclusive billionaire with a wild side or the darkly dangerous bad boy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sinful-Rewards-1-Cynthia-Sax-ebook/dp/B00I7V89H0
Barnes And Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sinful-rewards-1-cynthia-sax/1119055390
Topics: Guest Post | Comments Off on Why I Love To Write Both SciFi And Contemporary Erotic Romance
