I’m a fan of reading medical romances, but for a long time, as a writer of romance novels, I was too scared to attempt to write one. Too intimidated, more like.
There are medical professionals with more than enough street cred out there writing successful medical romances. So why should I attempt writing them when I’m not a doctor, nurse, paramedic or even an employee at a hospital? I mean, isn’t it a bit “fraudulent” to write these kinds of novels when you’re not “one of them”?
Well, my answer is an emphatic no to that last question, since I’ve now written four medical romance novels (including two that were finalists for the Lambda Literary awards…the most prestigious award for LGBTQ books in the world). Read more
A few days ago I attended an interview with Indigenous writer and CBC host of Up North, Waubgeshig Rice. I had recently read his latest novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, and was looking forward to hear the writer discuss his dystopian saga set in the Rez, after the sudden crash of electricity, internet, and all communications. By coincidence, my nonfiction Book Club’s selection for this month is Waub Kinew’s biographical work, The Reason You Walk.
Both books deal with what the writers term the native apocalypse. Kinew relates the effects the institution had on his own father and his ensuing inability to be a father to Waub and his siblings as a result. Rice, meanwhile, has created an allegorical apocalypse, which, the way the climate crisis is progressing, has the chilling tinge of real possibility all through its narrative.
For a fiction writer, I’ve been spending an awful lot of time lately reading biographies.
First it was Sally Field’s autobiography In Pieces. Now I’m almost finished reading Julie Andrews’ second book in her autobiographical trilogy, called Home Work. Next in my reading pile is a brand new biography of Janis Joplin, called simply, Janis.
I’m not sure why I’m on this little non-fic reading kick. I like to read a biography or two a year, but three in a row? Not typically. Nevertheless, as a writer who enjoys focusing on character development, reading biographies and memoirs provides a tremendous resource for learning about other people’s lives straight from the horse’s mouth. They’re also invaluable for researching a character you might write in the future.
Autumn
in our part of the world is upon us again.. That lead me to thinking
about making soup and that lead me to thinking about what goes into
soup, and that made me think of good ingredients and then that lead
to my thinking about what ingredients go into making a good story.
Soup
starts off reasonably simple: you make a stock, you add your chosen
ingredients based on the kind of soup you want, and then you add some
seasonings. And from that basic start, one can veer off to anything
from a spicy Thai broth to a comforting potato and leek chowder. One
is limited only by one’s imagination and personal taste.
And
this brings me around to writing.
I
am fascinated by the choices of genre that appeal to my fellow
Ascribe writers. Some are writing thrillers, some romance, some
fantasy. Some have elements of all of those plus other seasonings, as
it were, such as placing their stories in settings of times long
past, or times far into the future. But whatever genre you’re
writing, if you think about it, there are also basic ingredients to
a successful novel, regardless of genre. These are the elements that
we writers want to have in the mix of the stories our imaginations
cook up:
recipe for a successful novel
Likeable characters, – or at least interesting if they’re not likable. Easy-to-follow structure. Engaging plot. Interesting subplot(s). Effective but not overused dialogue. Visual description.
get some interesting subplots
Each
author brings their own measurements of these ingredients to their
work, as do I. I seem to find myself writing more character-driven
plots, and then I have to figure out a way to get some interesting
subplots going to keep the story from becoming an alternative for a
warm glass of milk at night.
brain storm
One
of the best things about us getting together is not only to have the
wonderful support and encouragement in one’s writing from the group,
but also to have the opportunity if we want it to brain storm.
And
still using the soup analogy, in the same way you can learn tricks
for making a good soup from watching a really good cook, I have
picked up some methods to help me make the plot issue become more
manageable. I watched someone presenting a storyline on a series of
big writing sheets and realised one of the ways I could get a better
idea of how to make my sub – plots move along was if I could
literally visualise them. And I have been using a large whiteboard at
home to do just that. Now we’re cooking with gas!
The
great thing about our writing, – and mine, and yours – is we really
are the top chefs and with our own words can dish up the book we want
to read; be it spicy, thrilling, heartbreaking, romantic, haunting,
or all of those elements listed above in different measures. Bon
appetit!
I bought an antique mantle clock recently. I’ve always appreciated old clocks and have been toying with the idea of one for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on a little 1938 beauty made of walnut.
My clock was made in England by manufacturer Smiths-Enfield, and would have come on the tail end of a fairly productive period for clock making in England. When war broke out in 1939, most if not all of these companies turned their attention to the war effort. Clock making continued in the war years, but at a trickle. Read more
If you’ve been perusing these blogs over the years, you have pretty much figured out that we Ascribe writers are always keen to flex our writing muscles. That there are all sorts of opportunities for writing exercises – if you keep your eyes and mind open.
The opportunities I’ve had for practicing what I call guerilla writing forays have come from the most mundane moments: riding the bus to work; crossing a street in an unfamiliar city; hearing an exchange while standing in line in the bank; walking up rickety steep stairs in an old lighthouse. I’m sure you have had similar “aha!” moments where you think, ‘ I want to describe this experience, or that little scene would add to a story….’
I’m a fan of reading medical romances, but for a long time, as a writer of romance novels, I was too scared to attempt to write one. Too intimidated, more like.
I bought an antique mantle clock recently. I’ve always appreciated old clocks and have been toying with the idea of one for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on a little 1938 beauty made of walnut.
