Once more into the fray, dear friends... NaNoWriMo tips!

It's once again that time of year - when writers tear their hair out and twist their guts into knots over the challenge that is NaNoWriMo... but first, a refresher for those poor souls who don't know what this is!

National Novel Writing Month is exactly that - a writing challenge for anyone who wishes to take it up. All you need to do is write 50,000 words between November 1st and November 31st and you win... well, nothing but bragging rights but it's a wonderful way to jumpstart that novel you've been wanting to write. It's an exercise that thousands have joined in over the years and has its own website where you can meet others in your area and be inspired and encouraged to Get It Done.

I've done this challenge and won twice - this year I'll be passing because it doesn't fall into the right time for my writing. I've got one book in edits (Tales from the Edge, book 3!) and waiting to hear on another big project and can't dedicate myself to a whole new book but I do encourage those of you who can to give it a try.

Why? Because it's a great way to teach yourself to get that Butt In Chair and get writing! 50K words is approximately 1613 words a day... ah, but don't get all smug thinking that it's an easy goal to meet! Let me toss some issues out there before you settle down for what you think is going to be an easy run...

First that's SEVEN days a week. No days off for church, work, shopping... did you notice that Thanksgiving is in there? AND Black Friday? Hmm... so you're still going to slam down 1600 words a day while stuffing that turkey or waiting in line for that great sale?

Suddenly that 1600 words seems a bit more daunting, yes?

The worst thing about NaNoWriMo, in my opinion, is that there's a major holiday smack dab in the middle of it - and if you don't plan for it this speed bump can send you right off the road and into the bushes no matter how much planning you do to complete your novel.

First - OVERWRITE every day! Don't settle for just 1613 words and walk away from your keyboard feeling smug about it. Write, overwrite, keep writing until you don't have any time left. Don't forget this is a first draft and the important thing is to get the words down on the page - there's no restriction here on good grammar, spelling or anything else other than what you make it. Get ahead of the count so that when you DO have those bad days where you end up spending the entire day working on fixing the oven so you can make that pumpkin pie or waiting at the airport for a late flight or trying to grab that great deal for Black Friday and not end up floundering in your wordcount. Get ahead at the start and you'll be prepared for those stumbles that are going to happen no matter what you do.

Don't fret over the phrasing too much - as I said above, this is a First Draft and IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LOUSY WRITING. Any author who claims their first draft is ready for market is a wee bit loopy to start with. The important thing about NaNoWriMo is for you to get the words down on the page, not prepare it for submission. It's fine for you to go back over the previous day's work and give it a bit of a polish but don't get obsessed with making it perfect out of the gate - that's what December and all of 2015 is for. Get your fingers on the keyboard and get writing and don't fret too much about the spelling or the grammar. It can all be fixed later on.

The only thing you have to worry about and I've gotten trapped in this, is bad planning. Don't wait until after you start the book to have some idea of where your plot is going or what your ending is. You may not know all the bits and details about what happens but know where your characters are going to end up and what's going to happen at the end of the book. Free range writing is fine on your own but when you're committed to 50K words within a single month you don't have time to have your story wander off track.

Finally, and this is important - on November 1st pat yourself on the back no matter whether you've finished your work or not and walk away for a week or two to recover. You can go back and either finish your book or start editing it later on - give yourself that break to recharge the batteries and get a fresh look at your work.

If you intend to pursue publication you need to get that bit of space to go back to your work with a keen eye toward editing - and don't even think about sending it out to agents and publishers until 2015 and months after finishing (and hopefully winning) NaNoWriMo. Your work needs to breathe and you need to refresh your mind and body before beginning the next stage of editing and rewriting to prepare it for submission. Please give yourself that break to recharge your writing batteries and you'll find your work benefits from it.

Me? I've sold two NaNoWriMo books. Blood of the Pride and Blaze of Glory were NaNo novels that I sold after months of rewriting and editing so yes, it can be done. But even if you never sell your book NaNoWriMo is an excellent mental exercise to get your writing skills honed and test your endurance and organizational skills. If you're serious about writing I encourage you to consider this great way to join a huge writing community and have a good time doing it!

And plan for that turkey coma!

;)

So long but not necessarily goodbye...

My fourth book in the "Blood of the Pride" series, "Battle Scars", released last month, both in audio and ebook form. While I think it's a heck of a good read (obviously) it's unfortunately going to be the last in the Felis series for the present.

And I'm okay with that.

One of the things that I've experienced over the years is falling in love with a series and watching it become less and less entertaining, at least to me as a reader. Sometimes the story's been told and it's time to move on. The characters have evolved and grown from the first book but like in real life there comes a time to shake hands and walk away, relishing a good friendship and remembering the best of the best.

When I wrote "Blood of the Pride" it was a NaNoWriMo project, fifty thousand words in thirty days. I finished it and edited the heck out of it. The first incarnation with a small publisher didn't go so well with the publisher deciding to stop putting out paranormal romances about the same time it came out. Needless to say the sales weren't much and when I asked for the rights back a year later we parted on amicable terms.

I polished it again and submitted it to Carina Press and for some strange reason got that golden phone call from Angela James, offering me a contract. It was retitled, re-edited and released as both an audio book and in ebook form. Later on "Blood of the Pride" would be picked up by the Harlequin Direct-to-Consumer program and placed into print for special subscribers.

I jumped at the chance to continue the adventures of Rebecca and Brandon in further books with "Claws Bared", "Family Pride" and now this latest release, "Battle Scars". All went to audio and all have been accepted into the DTC program, meaning that for the next few months they will be available from the Harlequin website for those wanting to get their Felis fix in print form.

But it's time to move on and I'm okay with that. I've got a new series starting in May 2014 with Carina - "In The Black", book 1 of Tales of the Bonnie Belle and a second book coming in October 2014. One door closes, another opens.

Not that I've given up on Reb and Bran - not by a long shot. But for the time being I'm happy to think of them snuggling on the couch with Jazz happily purring away in a rare moment of peace and quiet.

For those of you who have enjoyed my cat shifter adventures I thank you for your time and support. I hope some of you will come on over to check out "In The Black" which is best described as "Firefly" meets "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". I'll be tweeting updates under the hashtag #InTheBlack and #TalesoftheBonnieBelle as we head towards the book release.

Again, my thanks - and hope to see you all back here soon for more great readings!

Gamers/writers/readers at Origins 2013!

The hubby and I just returned from the Origins 2013 Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio and I'm writing this while still recuperating from five days of frantic fun gaming and being on various writing panels. We go there every year for our wedding anniversary and have a grand old time – leading me to make some observations about the wonderful gaming community and how a gamer is more of a writer and reader than many might think.

If you've ever played a role-playing game you know the man who runs the game, or the GM, is following a pre-designed set of instructions created to run the characters through a scenario. Most of the time these are designed by a company but many GM's take the time to create their own campaign scenario – which is a heck of a lot of writing! They must create the conflict, guide the characters and have a resolution at the end, be it good or bad. And during all this there's a good chance that the characters will literally take charge of the story (played by other people in the group) and take the story elsewhere.

To writers: Sound familiar? *laughs*

A good GM knows how to nudge the characters back onto the chosen path and to resolve the dilemma with a minimum of problems but just enough to give the players a good game. If your players walk away with a good feeling you've done a great job as a GM.

Or an author. 

On the other side of the coin – as a player you don't want to be dragged down a path that you don't want to go, as many readers might feel when an author skips a logical step in order to get you to a certain resolution or setting without reason. A good GM will allow you to wander off the beaten path at times but will gently guide you back onto the well-trod path in order to get you to where he/she needs you to be – finishing the adventure and resolving the conflict.

That isn't to say that some characters/players won't be lost along the way. Take too many risks, go too far off the trail and you might end up sitting on the sidelines. But if you play your cards right, follow the bread crumbs and have a wee bit o'luck with the dice you can have a wonderful adventure and walk away from the table feeling much better for the time spent.

Sound familiar? *grins*

 

It was also the first week after "Family Pride" released and helped me deal with new release jitters - mostly checking my Amazon ranking every hour. As well I got to hand out postcards advertising not only the "Blood of the Pride" series but also Carina Press! Some fans who discovered my writing last year came back to visit and it was great to see them again along with making some new ones.

 All in all it was a great convention and I got to meet some other faboo authors along with some wonderful budding writers who I hoped I encouraged to keep on writing and working towards their goals. I always come away from these conventions feeling reinvigorated and encouraged when I see the wonderful imaginations at work creating new worlds and new realities along with fresh minds seeking not only to entertain but to have a darned good amount of fun along the way.

And for those of you who have never considered taking up gaming, be it board or role-playing – why not check it out?

 

 

Secret Societies and You!

I've always been a fan of secret societies, from the Freemasons to the Illuminati to the Mafia and Yakuza—though the term "secret" doesn't really apply when everyone from the History Channel to Time Magazine is doing specials on them. I mean, if you're secret then no one should know anything, right?

When I began worldbuilding for my series, "Blood of the Pride" it started out first as a NaNoWriMo novel and grew into a larger world where I had to fill in quite a few blanks about the Felis, my cat shapeshifter society, and how my main characters not only interacted with humans but with her own kind. So I borrowed quite a few bits and pieces from other groups and came up with something that worked for me.

The Felis are much like the Mafia, where family is everything—when Rebecca Desjardin is thrown out of her Pride because she can no longer shift it changes her world dramatically, to the point where she isn't allowed to have any contact with other Felis at all. They literally turn their backs on her and she finds herself alone in a human society that she's sworn to never reveal her inner nature to. Even if she can't shift she's still held to the prime directive of the Felis: No humans can ever know about them.

*****

 

From "Claws Bared":

 

"Reb, is that any way to talk to a Board member?" The snarl in her voice sent phantom pains over my back, where the scars were. I resisted the urge to sit up straight in my chair.

"Is that any way to talk to an outcast? I do you one favor and suddenly I'm on your mailing list? I'm not part of the Pride and I don't have to answer to you." I kept my voice steady despite the butterflies in my stomach. "You declared me outcast twenty years ago and threw me into foster care, banished me from the family. I haven't forgotten that."

Or forgiven. The scars throbbed, reminders of the thrashing I'd gotten at Jess's claws in a final test of my ability to Change.

I'd failed. Spectacularly.

*****

Granted, there are exceptions such as Brandon Hanover, her human boyfriend, but even that knowledge came with some serious risk and the poor man continues to have to prove his ability to not only keep the secret but also to gain respect within a group that sees humans as inferior.

The reason why the Felis don't want to be "found"? Pure and simple fear of what humans would do to a species like and unlike themselves; medical testing and tormenting (from the Felis point of view) of their children and of their society being destroyed out of fear. It's not that they want to take over our world; they need to be part of it and hold jobs in all types of occupations—but they can't ever be exposed.

A great deal of the situations Reb finds herself in is due to this almost paralyzing fear of being discovered—in "Blood of the Pride" the initial reason she's contacted by her old Pride after decades of being shunned and outcast is because a Felis is dead and they're terrified of being exposed thanks to a tabloid pictures. In "Claws Bared" the dead man is a human stripper, mutilated by Felis claws and the fear of having one of their own be responsible for the murder drives both Prides to agree to having Rebecca investigate, even if she does come with some serious baggage like Bran.

The theme of family runs through most secret societies, offering a home to those without one and an expanded one to those who need it, be it connections for political or economic power or something as simple as lodging after a long day of traveling. The best secret societies bring strangers together under one umbrella, forcing them to co-operate for the greater good (as seen by their leaders) despite their differences. For many it's a leap from one level of society to another, rubbing elbows with people they would never be allowed to in a regular situation. It's easy to see the appeal of many of these "secret" groups to those less privileged and downtrodden.

In my Felis society the Felis hold all types of jobs and help each other for the benefit of the entire group—whether or not it matches up with human justice. Reb and Bran often butt heads with the Board and the Felis leaders as they pursue justice for a victim and collide with what the Felis deem to be suitable punishment versus what human society would deem fit.

But in the end it seems to all work out, for now. And it's interesting to dip into the philosophy and thinking of other "secret" societies to create and maintain my own version where cat shifters aren't trying to take over the world but are, in fact, determined to stay as far apart as they can while still thriving. I like to think it's something a wee bit different for the readers and I hope I've interested you enough to consider what you would want in your own secret society and how would you resolve your characters in such a world. Do you try to take over? Hide? Intergrate and interbreed? Or stay invisible…

*****
And I'm having a giveaway at Goodreads! I've managed to get hold of copies of the print edition of "Blood of the Pride", a special edition that won't last long! Get in and try for a copy!


   

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blood of the Pride (Blood of the Pride, #1)

by Sheryl Nantus

Giveaway ends March 07, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Greetings and an introduction!

Greetings all!

I'm the new kid on the block here, having been honored with a spot on this blog just recently so I thought I'd take a few minutes to introduce myself:

I got my start in writing when I was very young with an eco-friendly story about recycling called "Be Kinder to Your Binder" when I was in 5th Grade.

Yeah, I know.

I ended up cutting my writing chops in fanfiction with most of my work in the X-Files fandom where I not only wrote the mandatory million words but also found a mate - my sweet Wookie who first fell in love with me as a fan and moved it to the next stage, stalking seducing me to come to the US from my homeland of Canada to marry him and start writing full-time.

And now here I am with a successful superhero romance series with Samhain Publishing (Blaze of Glory) and an ongoing paranormal romance shifter series with Carina Press!

"Blood of the Pride" came out in February 2012 and began the story of Rebecca Desjardin, a cat shifter who... can't.

When a severed rabbit's paw is delivered to her office, outcast cat shifter Rebecca Desjardin recognizes the summons home. One of their own has been murdered--and a shocking photo published in a local tabloid--and her Pride needs Rebecca, now a private investigator, to track down the killer.
Investigative reporter Brandon Hanover wants to find out who slipped the photo of the half-shifted cat-woman under his door, marking him as a suspect in her death. Determined to stay one step ahead of the sexy journalist, Rebecca reluctantly agrees to partner with him to find the real murderer. But as their mutual attraction heats up, Rebecca finds it harder and harder to keep Brandon from discovering the existence of the shifter society--and her own true nature.
When the search leads them back to the Pride, Rebecca must attempt to Change for the first time in years to face the killer, and save the man she loves...

"Claws Bared", coming out on January 21 2013 from Carina Press, continues the adventures of Reb and Bran as they continue exploring their relationship and the two worlds they must live in.

Rebecca Desjardin, a P.I. and cat shifter, doesn't normally find herself in strip clubs. But a popular male dancer has been murdered in Pennsylvania, and it looks like the work of a shifter from the local Pride. Rebecca has a duty to help protect her kind--and she needs to find justice for the dead.
Her impromptu trip leaves her boyfriend, reporter Brandon Hanover, unhappy. He's only just come to terms with the fact that she's a Felis, and their relationship is still so new... Rebecca is determined to deal with the murder first, then deal with their future.
As her investigation unfolds, she's met with grudging cooperation and half-truths. Does the Pride want her to find justice, or help them hide a killer? Frustrated and unable to shake the sexy local shifter who says he's on her side, Rebecca can't seem to scratch out the truth--at least not on her own. But when Brandon shows up, is he there to help or to mark his territory?

The third book, "Family Pride", is tentatively scheduled for release in June and a fourth one is in the works right now!

I hope you'll decide to come along for the ride with Bran and Rebecca as they make their way in a world neither one of them is totally comfortable in!