New Ideas

Internal Conflict

In debating whether to start a new idea or not, I got caught up in trying to create an internal struggle strong enough to sustain a full-length novel.  I stumbled across this blog by Kate Kyle about internal conflict.  Her line about the characters' goals (external motivation) being AWAY from love makes a lot of sense.  What the character wants at the beginning of the book should not be love.  It should be something else:  revenge, a successful business, custody of a child. . . .whatever.

The character gets dragged into love kicking and screaming, but ultimately better off.

The internal conflict demonstrates growth or change, and that is what will eventually make the character able to give and receive love.  The chase for that elusive external goal will force an internal change, and that in turn will allow the character to become the person who can love and be loved.  That's a lot to happen in one book!  And for a romance, it's going to have to happen for both of them.

So to start thinking about this new book, I have to decide what the primary character (my heroine, Anna) most wants out of life. 

What are other ways you start off on the path to a new book or idea?

Blogging Meaningful Content

Stumbled across this blog post by Jonathan C. Gillespie regarding blog content.  My writing chapter has been discussing promotional efforts and which ones work and which ones don't, so this caught my attention right away. 

All writers know that content is subjective.  There are some books I don't read because the subject matter doesn't interest me.  A fiction book where the main character is restoring a car, for example, would probably have to have someone I trust recommend it to me, and even then I'd probably read a few pages to see if I'd buy it.  Some people ONLY read specific content--Regency romances, for example.  I'm a pretty broad reader, but WWII battle descriptions or someone's trek to the North Pole isn't probably going to be high on my reading list.  Don't know why, but it's not. 

I'm pretty sure the same thing applies to blogs.  A blog readership will hopefully be interested in what the blogger has to say, but I'd venture a guess that few bloggers just ramble on about any old thing.  That's what Facebook is for.  A blog has an audience just like a book has an audience, and if the blogger wants to maintain that audience, he or she will address subjects that the audience wants to read.

Gillespie's post is a good start, but he never defines "meaningful content".  I agree with him that status updates don't count--no one cares about all your submissions, because anyone can submit a manuscript and have it rejected. But that one submission that results in a sale--now THAT is one that others will care about. 

Which brings me back to that unique perspective.  I think it's that new twist on something, or a new way to look at something, or a new interpretation that catches readers' interest. 

What types of content do you like in a blog?  In a book?  What draws you in?  What keeps you there?

Sprinting

I'd like to take credit for this ingenious idea, but someone else in the Olympia RWA Chapter came up with it.  We tried this at our Manresa Castle retreat last month (January), and it worked like a charm.  I have to admit, I had my doubts.  But wow, the results are truly amazing!

Here's the gig:  You set a specific period during which you will write.  Or revise, if you're in revision mode.  We started with 20 minutes, but for some reason that didn't work all that well.  On our second attempt (we were doing this as a group during the retreat) we set the timer for 30 minutes.  As soon as the timer went off, you put your head down and write.  You don't worry about whether or not the stuff you're writing is 'good enough', whether the dialog is stilted, or whether you've just introduced a spaceship into your Colonial romance.  You just write.  No self-editing or talk.  No Solitaire.  No answering questions.  No interruptions.

It was amazing!  After 30 minutes we were all in the thick of writing (or editing, as the case may be) and over the course of several Sprints much headway was made.  We generally paused for 10 minutes between Sprints to compare notes, talk, get something to drink, check plotting notes, or whatever.  Then, set the timer again and off we went. 

That's my very first writing tip ever for this blog, but this worked so well for me that I had to share. 

Yes, it's more difficult to do this at home, when you don't have the supportive bubble created by a writer's retreat.  But take your laptop somewhere away from the hubub of the house--go sit in the back seat of your car if you have to--and just WRITE for 30 minutes.  Go buy some crime scene tape if you think that'll help give you the uninterrupted time and space.

Think of a sprint as a small investment that will pay off big time--with the added benefit that you won't be out of breath at the end--unless, of course, you're writing a love scene! 

It's off!

After way more time than originally planned editing the ms, it's finally headed back to the editor.  It started at 103,000 words and ended up at 76,000 words, so much red ink was spilled. 

I miss the characters already.  Am I mad?  I guess when you've watched them do everything--and I mean EVERYTHING--it can be hard to let go. 

I worry about the book:  will it sell; will readers like the setting of southern Spain, which I consider very romantic but is considered an 'unusual' setting; will I be able to re-focus on the current book without too much difficulty. . . .

But for now, I'm going to celebrate the fact that my 'baby' is as good as I can make it right now and hope and pray that the editor will like the revisions.  

What do you do to distract yourself while waiting for an editor's reply?

Karen Harbaugh on American-set historicals

Karen Harbaugh is a Regency author who follows market trends and has been incredibly accurate in predicting where the next "turn" in the market will be, and why things are operating (or not) as they are.  With a lovely re-issue of "The Marriage Scheme" available at Regency Reads, I thought it would be a good time to ask her about the State of the Market, and how that relates to my last blog post regarding the difficulty of selling American-set historical romances.

So here, without further ado, is Karen Harbaugh:

Well, IMHO, what's curtailing the move into American-set romances is the fear of traditional publishers to take risks. That's always been the case, and it's even more so now. Even though they're moving into the "risky" ebook market (at last), this does not mean they're going to take risks with subject matter. They're going to take baby steps, because they have assets to protect and right now, their assets are under a tremendous amount of threat.

Indie authors, on the other hand, have very little to lose. You have a few hundred bucks for a really nice cover and copyright registration, you do your own scanning and coding, and you're good. If you're really short on money, you can try creating the cover yourself and you're out maybe $50-$75.

When I look at what should sell if there weren't these constraints, I'd say American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII eras. Why is this?

1. We are at the same point in the approximately 80-year cycle that gave rise to the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII. There is and has been rising interest in these eras.

2. We have already seen interest in these eras in the bestseller lists (McCullough's books comes to mind:  1776 and John Adams, the latter of which not only was on the best seller lists, but won the Pulitzer Prize AND was made into a mini-series. The media doesn't plunk that kind of recognition and money down on something like that without knowing it's worth the risk. Interest in the Civil War is suppressed at this time because of continuing racial tensions concerning slavery--it's very difficult to walk the line between historical accuracy and offending someone.

World War II gets special mention. In the 1980's the U.S. released 17 WWII-themed movies. In the 1990's, the same number. From 2000 to 2009, it released twice that many--34. That is a significant jump in not only audience interest, but business investment. In other words, it's considered a relative "sure thing."

3. Controversy sells. In addition, we live in one of the most divisive of times, and when we do, we ALWAYS hearken back to periods of history that might possibly give us the answers we need to get us through. Controversy + desire for answers = big sales.

Mainstream publishing hasn't jumped on these romance trends. I think this is typical--they tend to lag about 5 to 10 years. Case in point: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which developed a cult following from 1997 to 2003. The ratings were modest, but the significance here is in "cult following." That represents extremely loyal viewers who "evangelize" the show and get others to watch it, far beyond the lifetime of the series. This is the epitome of word-of-mouth. You get that kind of loyal readership for books, and you can guarantee bestsellerdom. But, as many of us know, in the mid to late 1990's, the publishers were saying that paranormal romances and vampires were dead (if you will excuse the expression) :-D

The consumer demand for paranormal romances was very heavy even back in 1995. I went to a Romantic Times convention around about that time, and it was significant to me that when the readers (and this was a reader--rather than writer--convention) that when readers were asked what kind of romances they wanted, there was a loud cry for paranormal romances, and a great deal of frustration that they couldn't find them. Keep in mind that these readers--like the Buffy fans--were readers so dedicated that they would not only go to a convention for romance novels, but they were the romance novel evangelists. The kind you want to spread word of mouth.

Yet, publishers at that time kept insisting that such romances were not popular. However, we all know how that subgenre has been doing since that time.

If I were to go on historical circumstances and similarity to our own era, I'd say that the order of relevance would be American Revolution, WWII, and then the Civil War.

However, our memories are short, and what we are currently told about the American Revolution is highly politicized. So the most accurate accounts we have of an era that is similar to ours is for WWII, because we still have some eyewitnesses.

If we were to write stories in older eras, we REALLY have to do our research. We can't go on the stereotypes of those eras. We have to look at those eras with fresh eyes and present a fresh, and very accurate perspective. So far, I don't think that's been done. The research may be good, but the fresh perspective may not be there.

If you want some historical parallells or have other questions, feel free to ask.

And since she's asked for questions. . . . ask away!!

American-set historicals

What is the state of the romance genre when it comes to American-set historicals?  Regencies and Scotland, of course, sell well.  And vampires.  I'm being told that American-set historicals are a hard sell, especially in the romance genre.  Why would that be?

Digital publishers ARE publishing these, yet traditional publishers seem to shy away from them. Why the gap?  And are they selling well?  I don't know how to get numbers on digital publishing--will have to ask my friend Karen Harbaugh, who's an absolute genius at divining trends from the market. If they're selling well digitally, then why wouldn't print publishers be interested? 

Is it because Americans think they already know their history?  Is it because American history is somehow seen as 'unromantic', and therefore not worthy?  We obviously didn't have kings and queens strutting around doing odd things, throwing lavish parties or building pleasure palaces.  And Americans are a practical lot.  Even in colonial times, education and reading material was almost exclusively based on useful information; growing crops, staying warm. . . .staying alive.  Things that were "fun" were frowned upon because they took time away from the important business of living. 

Or is it a lack of authors willing to take a risk and write in this area?  Geralyn Dawson, Sharon Ihle and Alexis Harrington all have e-books or even a traditional book (in the case of Alexis Harrington) out right now that are American-set historicals.  Westerns have had their rise and fall in popularity, but haven't hit the sustained sales figures of Regencies and Scottish-set historicals.  If it's because people like to read about other places and times, then American-set historicals should be selling well in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Thoughts?  Am I missing something here?

What to cut?

Since I've been in editing mode for a while now, I'm finding in some parts it's darned difficult to tell what needs to be cut versus kept versus re-written.  Kept some scenes, but did a POV switch.  I **think** it's better, but crap, when you're in the middle of it all, it's really hard to be objective.

Of course, since it's my book and by definition I love it, I can justify keeping just about anything.  That's what happened the first time I came at this.  I cut it from about 103,000 words to about 102,500.  Not exactly an effective job.  It's kind of like getting a run at Queen Anne Hill in the snow, getting halfway up and then sliding back down to the bottom (Snow reference since we're in the middle of Snowmageddon here). 

This time I'm trying to focus with a laser beam on the primary internal conflict between the h/h and also what their own internal conflicts are.  As much as possible, anything that deviates from that gets extra scrutiny.  Or at least I hope it does.

Do you have a technique for the first pass, second pass, subsequent passes?  Or do you look for specific things each time?  My "technique" is pretty darned hit-and-miss right now, but I'd probably be a lot more effective if I could refine this a bit. 

So what are your tips for editing?

Author Meg Mims!

I'd like to welcome author Meg Mims to the blog.  Meg has published a historical romance titled "Double Cross" that is a twist on one of my favorite western movies of all time, "True Grit".  She uses a technique that I really like, character interviews.  So without further ado, let me introduce Lily and Ace!

What do you get when you pair up a wealthy, well-bred heiress – sheltered and educated with an impulsive streak – and a gambling, mercenary Texan cowboy?

Double Crossing is a twist on “True Grit” that takes place on the 1869 Iron Horse – months after the Union and Central Pacific railroad lines joined at Promontory Point. Nineteen-year-old Lily Granville is stunned with her father is murdered and vows to track the killer – her father’s lawyer, who also stole a valuable deed to a gold mine – across the country to California.  After convincing a good friend to escort her, Lily arrives in Omaha and discovers that someone is now tracking her. Could it be the killer? And why? Lily decides to enlist “Ace” Diamond, who agrees to protect her – for a price.

Q for Lily – how did you first meet Ace?

A – He literally crashed his way into my life. I was stunned. He’d been brawling in the street and I felt my Christian duty was to help him when he landed at my feet. But then I caught sight of his Confederate belt buckle with the Texas Lone Star. Guilt overwhelmed me. My father would never have approved of such a man, and I was suspicious of the story he told me about my aunt’s husband. However, I soon realized I had no choice but to hire someone like Ace Diamond, who had far more experience with his fists and weapons than the friend who’d escorted me to Omaha. Ace seemed the most unlikely “angel of mercy” as an answer to prayer! But I suppose beggars can’t be choosers.

Q for Ace – what was your first impression of Lily?

 A – The moment I set eyes on that pretty filly, all golden-haired and sweet, with the most kissable mouth, I was bushwhacked. Couldn’t remember my own name.

Q for Lily – were you surprised that Ace bargained with you over his fee?

A – The nerve of that man! He claimed he wanted to go to California, and then he wouldn’t accept the fair wage I offered. He even demanded an expensive Pullman ticket! And then I found out he’d been bragging about the bonus I promised once we arrived safe in California. Really, Mr. Diamond was presumptuous and forward, given his tendency to—well, I will only say that he’s no gentleman. I shouldn’t have been surprised at all. He was a mercenary, plain and simple, and I was too naïve to see it.

Q for Ace – why did you accept Lily’s offer?

 A – Riding shotgun on a train, and gettin’ paid? Easier than winning a hand of poker.  But don’t you believe that I didn’t earn my fee. And then some.

Q for Lily – before the railroad trip, what was your dream for a happy future?

A – I wanted… well, I hadn’t decided. Charles wanted to marry me and serve as missionaries in China. We both heard the same lecture in Chicago. My father wanted me to marry a decent man, a good provider and give him grandchildren. He did not approve of the idea of me living half a world away. And while I did want adventure and independence, I wanted to be somewhere safe and to enjoy long talks with Father, sketch my pet lizard in the lovely garden or watch the leaves change in fall and the snow fall in winter. Father’s death changed everything. I blamed Emil Todaro for his greed and betrayal. He ruined my life and I wanted to see him hang.

Q for Ace – what about you, same question?

A – A good woman in a nice, cozy bed. Now I’m aiming for that woman to be Lily.

If you haven’t read Double Crossing yet, here’s where you can find it!

AstraeaPress

Amazon

Barnes& Noble

Thankful accomplishments

I want to wish everyone a hearty Happy Thanksgiving!  My kids are home and I'll be heading to California with the youngest to get her car down to L.A. 

In the meantime, I'll have a guest blogger here on Monday.  Meg Mims, author of "Double Crossing", has penned a twist on the classic "True Grit" movie, one of my favorites (the original, with John Wayne).

So tell me, what are you thankful you've accomplished during the past year?  Have you finished a book?  Entered a contest?  It doesn't have to be a big thing, but I think sometimes we forget to pause and pat ourselves on the back for what we've done.  I know it's human nature to focus on the stuff we DIDN'T get done, but put that aside for a few days and give yourself credit.

Me?  I've finally resurrected the bullfighting book and it's getting closer to being sent in again.  And I've been studying writing books and learning the craft ever better. 

Contests--what's in them for you?

I used to be a contest junkie, but haven't entered any writing contest in years.  Now I'm considering the Golden Heart because, well, because I have a completed manuscript that I'm working on.  I think it would give me another reason to keep forging ahead with these edits.  But I'm wondering if it's worth the effort and cost.  It's a non-traditional book, and I'm not sure how much contests have changed over the past several years.  It used to be that non-traditional books not entered in the Fantasy category rarely did well.  However, the rise of e-publishing and a wider variety of stories could bode well--or not. 

Should I throw my $50 into the fray? What do you look to get out of a contest entry?  Fame?  Glory?  An editor's eye?

Viewpoint

Viewpoint--how important is it to you?  As a reader, does it bother you if the author "head hops"?  Or do you notice it?  If you're an author, how often do you switch viewpoints?  Not that there's any fast rule, but do you tend to move between vps often?  Stay in one vp for an entire scene?  Entire chapter?  Some authors tend to switch fairly quickly, others less so.

Story may dictate this to some extent, but my argument is this is more of a stylistic choice by the author.  However, I want to see a REASON for it.  While I love Nora Roberts' storytelling, I can't read her books because of the vp switches that happen so often I feel like I have mental whiplash.  Yet her storytelling is strong enough that most people don't seem bothered by it. 

Stylistically, books written 75-100 years ago are slower, more deliberate, and tend to be 1st person, which doesn't lend itself to vp switches.  Today's books are much faster paced.  Has the vp switching happened as a result of the demand for "faster" plotlines? 

If you're a vp purist, how much does it bother you when an author head hops?  If you don't particularly care, do you even notice when the vp switches to another character?  Do you think that adds or detracts from the story?

Storyboarding--the good, bad, and ugly

My next Grand Experiment is to storyboard VALENTINA and see (hopefully) where I can trim this baby.


I'm hoping a storyboard will allow me to see the whole book as more of a 'picture', rather than a linear bunch of typing. I plan to do pink Post-its for the heroine's POV and blue for the hero's.


But I'm a newbie at this, so I'm wondering if anyone out there has any suggestions or hints for using this technique. When I get the whole thing done I'll post a picture of it. If it helps someone, that's great. I'm hoping it'll help me.


Carol

Guest Blogger Brinda Berry!

Please join me in welcoming the delightful as well as informative author Brinda Berry to the blog.  The first five people to leave a comment here will win a romance trading card! There's also a chance to win a copy of the e-book or a chance at an Amazon gift certificate. Take it away, Brinda!

Using Podcasts for Research

In writing my debut novel, The Waiting Booth, I used what some may consider an unorthodox method of research. Instead of using the many online resources or visiting an actual library, I relied on information that I could obtain at my convenience while commuting to my full-time job two hours daily. I listened to podcasts.

If you aren't familiar with the world of podcasts, you are really missing out on a very enjoyable form of information that suits our social natures. The podcast is a digital audio or video file that a user can access by using a web feed or checking it manually for updates to download. I used the iTunes software to manage my podcasts and subscribe to some of my favorites. Episodes are available for me on my laptop, iPad, and iPhone. I have an auxiliary cable that I plug into my car radio to connect the device (iPhone), and I can listen on the go. There are a variety of mobile devices which support the storing of podcasts.
I listened to The Scientific American Podcast, Stuff You Should Know, The Coolest Stuff on the Planet, NPR: Science Friday Podcast and others for inspiration and research while writing The Waiting Booth. I don't have a degree in science and won't pretend to be versed in some of the more scientific topics. The great thing about podcasts is the social format of the information. There are interviews with questions that I might ask. These are experts in the field as well as ordinary people with limited expertise. Conversations occur that break down the issues to the most basic elements. Also, these brief talk shows that usually lasts between thirty minutes to one hour are highly entertaining and frequently humorous.

Even if you aren't researching a topic, you have other great resources in the world of podcasting. There are enlightening author interviews on BTR: Authors on Air, Blog Talk Radio. Other podcasts focus on topics like technology, language instruction, news, humor, and sports. I'm afraid to look at the selection because I keep finding more podcasts to add to my listening queue.

Have I sold you on listening to a podcast yet? It may not be for everyone. I have a long commute daily, so this format fits nicely in my schedule. Instead of a commute, you may exercise with a daily walk while listening to your iPod. Or you could play it from your computer while you are cooking a meal. The possibilities are endless. Writers all lament about the lack of time for writing related tasks. Podcasts are terrific resources for the time-challenged author. I hope you'll try a podcast if you haven't, but I must warn you. They are addictive!

Brinda has her own blog at http://www.brindaberry.com/blog.html . 

Her new book is THE WAITING BOOTH:

A missing boy, government agents, an interdimensional portal...

Mia has one goal for her senior year at Whispering Woods High—find her missing older brother. But when her science project reveals a portal into another dimension, she learns that travelers are moving in and out of her woods in the most alarming way and government agents Regulus and Arizona are policing their immigration. Mia’s drawn to the mysterious, aloof Regulus, but it’s no time for a crush. She needs to find out what they know about her brother, while the agents fight to save the world from viral contamination. But when Regulus reveals that he knows Mia’s secrets, she begins to wonder if there’s more going on than she thought...and if she was wrong to trust him...

CONTEST RULES: http://www.brindaberry.com/summer-2011-blog-tour.html

The Great Scrivener Experiment

I'm a 'big picture' gal.  I like to be able to see the whole story, the arc, the conflicts and disaster, and see if I've got 27 scenes in the hero's POV and only 3 in the heroine's.  And it's damned difficult to do that in Word.


I'm also a sucker for office products, software, anything that even sniffs politely of technology.  I see advertisements for things like that and I start drooling, which isn't always for the best if it's an online ad.


So now my friend Shannon McKelden makes a post on Facebook about how she just loooooves Scrivener, and it does everything except bake the bread for you. (Okay, I'm interested)  THEN she sweetens the pot by talking about the 'corkboard' view in Scrivener (I'm getting hot flashes) and how you can color-code scenes or POV or whatever (I'm practically fainting at this point)  and then move things around AT WILL to see how they fit together in a new way--or not.  (I'm fumbling for my credit card at this point).


This morning I downloaded the program and copied in my manuscript VALENTINA, the one that was requested from Wild Rose Publishing.  Maybe it was Scrivener, or just looking at the book in a different format, but I suddenly realized that the book opens with a frikking SEQUEL, not a SCENE--in other words, no action.  Of course, that's fiction-writer's death, and I need to fix that.


Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out how to break the monster manuscript (103,000 words) into the various chapters and scenes and color-code them, and I hope it'll stop raining sometime today so I can get out in the garden.

And--oh, yeah--GO U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER!!!!

Why Children Are Like Books

My daughter's been home for a week now from L.A., and is heading back tomorrow.  And I got to thinking this week that kids are a bit like the books we write. 

We do all kinds of prep work before they get here, and finishing that d@*& book has gotta be right up there with the birthing process.  It takes a lot of work, a lot of time, and there are a whole bunch of people involved. 

Revision is like raising the kid.  Wondering if you're doing the right thing, if you should say this or that, and when someone gives you advice, wondering if you should take it or stick to your guns and do what **you** think is right, consequences be damned.  In the end you know you missed a few things, but you hope you got it right most of the time.

Then you send your little work of art, be it a child or a book, out into the cold, cruel world.  All you can do at that point is pray that yes, you did get at least some of it right, and that someone, somewhere out there will stop and look and say 'Hey, you didn't completely screw that up.  This is actually pretty good.'

Because with books and kids, you generally don't get a second chance to fix things. 

My daughter, bless her heart, has actually told me (now that she's past the age-18-I-know-everything-in-the-world stage) that some of the stuff I told her has turned out to be TRUE!!  Yes, the landlord wants the rent at the first of the month.  No, you cannot show up late to work on a continuing basis and expect to keep your job.  And your older brother may have seemed like a turd-breath (her term, not mine) when you were younger, but he's actually a pretty cool guy as an adult. 

And that, my friends, is like getting a five-star review.

Discovery of Witches and Maass

My first Kindle book, A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, is one recommended in a class I took on descriptions of setting in novels, Setting as Character.  Very interesting class, and the instructor, Devon Ellington, recommended this book as one with great descriptions of the setting.  She's right.  The descriptions are brief--they don't slow down the story--and very evocative.  It's also quite obvious that either a lot of research or experience went into this book.  I've never been to Oxford (though I'd give my eye teeth to go) but I think I'd feel at home there via Harkness's descriptions. 

I'm not done with the book yet, so I'm not giving out any spoilers because I can't, though thanks to my handy new Kindle I can probably polish it off today.  Harkness also uses quite a few of Maass's techniques, with several unexpected twists in the novel.  The heroine ( a witch) just went to a yoga class with the vampire/hero.  Never in a hundred years would I have imagined a vampire in a yoga class, but she made it seem, if a bit unusual, highly logical.  Loved that scene, even though I know less than nothing about yoga. 

Anyone else read this book? What are your thoughts?  What techniques of Maass did you see in there? 

The Kindle Plunge

Okay, I did it.  This morning I ordered a new Kindle DX from Amazon.com.  While I still lust after an iPad, the fact that it doesn't handle text as well as a Kindle and that they haven't come out with the e-ink/LCD version that can handle both types of content--and the fact that the rec room remodel will soon be done--forced me to take action.

When the rec room is finally finished, it will not have nearly the bookcase capacity that it did pre-remodel.  All those books have to fit into much less space than they did before.  Hence, the Kindle. 

Of course, for the next few gift-giving occasions, I'll be putting Amazon gift cards on my wish list.  What are your suggestions for content for my new device?  Free books?  Research books?  Anne Stuart has a new book out.  So does Maggie Shayne. 

Make me a list of your favorites and I'll start the hunt!

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Thanks to a Facebook conversation with my friend and critque partner DeeAnna Galbraith, I'm going to ask today's question:  Can you have too much of a good thing? 

We've tossed ideas about conflict around here--external, internal, and various permutations of All Of The Above.  But DeeAnna is reading a book where pretty much everything that can happen does--yet from her description, not a lot of it relates to a conflict between the hero and heroine.  Which, I would argue, should be the crux of any good romance novel.  Oh, sure, people have physical disabilities.  And they lose their job.  Then someone in the family gets sick or dies.  And their car dies. . . You get the idea.  It's a whole huge bunch of bad luck, but to me, that doesn't necessarily equate to conflict.  It's something that could be fixed with an oil change and a good counseling session. 

To me, conflict that's big enough to sustain an entire book doesn't have to be anything with guns blazing or cars dying or even people dying.  It does, however, have to be a conflict that speaks to a fundamental difference between two characters who maybe WANT to like/love each other, but because of that fundamental difference, can't.  At least, not at the beginning of the book.  He thinks people should make their own end-of-life decisions; she thinks that's morally reprehensible.  There's your conflict, and not a bit of shouting or exploding cars is involved.

OR, there has to be something each of them wants that's mutually exclusive.  In VALENTINA, it was the hero desperately needing to make a business deal with the Bad Guy, whom Valentina wanted to kill.   In the end, neither of them got their original goal, but they got something bigger and better. 

So have you read books like this, where the author threw everything but the kitchen sink at the characters?  Did it work?  Pick it apart for us.

Wax on, Wax off

Or, how do you polish?

I have 5 days to go through one of my old manuscripts and get it ready for submission.  Very excited that I got a request for the full manuscript, but now panic is setting in.  I polished up the first three chapters when I sumitted the partial, but I wrote this historical novel. . . at least 7 years ago, because that's when I went back to school.  My writing has improved since then.  But I only have a week.

Do you work on the little things, or do you look at the overall story arc?  I'm tempted to do the latter, but what if I find a big hole?  5 days isn't much time to fix it, especially when the bulk of that day is taken up with the day job, and this isn't a week I can take off much in the way of extra time. 

I know there are many people out there smarter than me, so I'm appealing to that collective wisdom.  What's my best choice, given just a few days' time?