I FINALLY BROKE 40,000 WORDS THIS WEEK while working on the first draft of The Tattooed Rose, the third book in my Tattooed Witch trilogy. Let me tell you, this has been the hardest book to write, mostly because I know how I want the trilogy to end and some of the high plot points I want to reach, but everything else has been undefined. Way back, when I had the vague idea, "Well, they finally manage to escape Tomás (my sadistic Grand Inquisitor) for a while, and it all happens on the Great Ocean Sea (the Atlantic) and in the Caribbean. Miriam is on one ship and Joachín is on another, and eventually they get together on Xaymaca (Jamaica) where they run into more trouble with pirates, voudou sorcerers (bocors), and the Inquisition, again," that that would be enough.
Good grief. What was I thinking? I've had to do research on Spanish galleons (naos), carracks, and caravels, how they're built and what kinds of guns they might have carried. I've had to figure out how long it takes a sailing ship in the mid-sixteenth century to get from Spain to the Canaries and then to Hispaniola (Haiti and the DR). I've had to study piracy, and voudou, and African slave routes (yes, slaves are involved), the Taíno (one of the indigenous groups of the Caribbean who were mostly decimated due to small pox), and the myths and beliefs surrounding the Fountain of Youth, and Ponce de Leon. Book Three touches upon all of these. I'm taking a short break to write this post, because I'm not sure what to do next in the plot. I need to think about character motivations, what drives them, what the reactions should be to last actions. I've already written the following scene, but it's a culminating one and I need a stronger lead-up.
I'll figure it out. I always do.
Still, I never thought writing would be so difficult. The Tattooed Witch took me six years from considering the idea, developing it, writing it, revising it too many times to count, to interesting an agent, to finally seeing the book published through Five Rivers Publishing last summer. (Thank you, Robert, fabulous editor that you are, and Lorina, my wonderful publisher). Book Two, The Tattooed Seer took me just over a year to write and revise, and it wasn't that hard. I had less of an idea for it than The Tattooed Witch, but I knew I wanted Miriam and company to race across Esbaña (Spain) in order to reach a port to sail to the new world. There's more magic in Book Two, and more enemies including Tomás (the Grand Inquisitor), plus more romance, as well. Joachín's and Miriam's relationship deepens. But Book Three, this one... oh, yoy.
It'll be the best book of the three, I know. But in the meantime, I feel like I'm running (writing) a marathon. The end is in sight, but I still have a long ways to go.
(If you haven't read The Tattooed Witch, you can read the first two chapters from my previous post here: http://suzenyms.blogspot.ca/2013/08/the-tattooed-witch-first-two-chapters_1.html
OR, you can read the first four chapters from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Tattooed-Witch-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00DZ25XAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383251781&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tattooed+witch)
If you purchase a copy of the book, thank you very much! As a debut novelist, I both need and appreciate your support. If you like the book, please feel free to write a review - on Amazon, on your blog, or wherever.
Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paranormal Romance. Show all posts
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Monday, January 06, 2014
ROMANCING THE CRONE, PART TWO...
LAST POST, I TALKED ABOUT HYBRID BOOKS, The Tattooed Witch, my debut novel that
spans both speculative fiction and paranormal romance, and my frustration with
the Big Five NY publishing houses that insist that fantasy and romance genres remain
within strictly defined guidelines. (Thank heavens for my publisher, Five
Rivers Publishing, which diverges from the traditional publishing model and allows
its authors an authentic voice.) I went on to criticize
some of the traditional romance formulas, which include a dominant
alpha male hero and a tolerance for rape. Shortly after I posted Romancing the Crone on Suzenyms,
there was a lot of discussion on my Facebook Timeline about the romance memes,
why romance writers adhere to them, and how readers don’t necessarily think the
same way writers do. Diane Walton, friend and fellow editor at On Spec, sent me this e-mail
(slightly edited, so as to protect identities). She wrote: I asked two
acquaintances to read your post about romance writing, since they write romances
and paranormal romances. Here’s what one of them said:
“As much as I agree with her (meaning me) about romance writing, we still have a publisher's formula to follow. In fact, we tried to write a thoughtful, exciting, and historically accurate romance novel, and a lot of it was edited out…as new authors, we are at the mercy of editors' and readers' preferences. If these formula novels were not popular, they wouldn't be selling.”
This note started me on a very interesting back and
forth with the writer in question. I suggested to her that perhaps I’d been a bit
harsh in my criticisms. I asked her if I could share our correspondence, to
which she agreed, as long as we maintained her anonymity. She was worried about
offending her publisher. I find what she writes very illuminating:
She goes on to point out the romance book industry accounts for 68% of overall book sales in North America (I haven't verified this number and I've seen other stats that differ, but the percentage is substantial.) With regards to women romance readers wanting to see a shift in terms of what the industry offers them, she said this is what she continually hears on discussion panels.“I don't necessarily think the formula is a good thing, and for some women who are far more educated and sophisticated in their reading habits, they still love romance, but not the ‘old style’ romance. Many are shifting to historical lit with romance stories built in to get better stories with more depth and richness. I got into romance on the whim of my publisher—the book I co-authored was written as historical lit. She changed it and edited it to fit the romance cube.If you hate formula romance, you will also hate this one, I think. We had a damn good book until the publisher and editors took out all our careful research and wonderful plot and had my co-author, who took over the rewrites during editing for the experience, insert some hackneyed, horrible ‘sensual scenes’ that are stilted and awkward. (I already had experience working with editors and publishers so I wanted her to have the opportunity.) I’m not putting down my co-author—being a new writer she was intimidated and obeyed—but I wish I’d known. She had to insert love scenes where they didn't belong. I didn't know what was going on until it was too late. It was my mistake. I should have taken over the editing process with the editors and publisher of this book.Frankly, I'm on a mission to change the ‘formula’ and make romance into an intelligent, sophisticated, thoughtful, and exciting genre, instead of the same old crap that’s being pumped out there. If I have to write romances for this publisher, I want them to be good stories. From what I hear, most women readers are shifting towards this as well, but the romance industry is simply not listening.”
So, how do we change publishers' minds in terms of what readers might rather see in romance novels or hybrid books? We speak up. We offer differing opinions, whenever and wherever we can. We encourage our readers to do so, too.
Friday, January 03, 2014
ROMANCING THE CRONE...
RECENTLY, I CHECKED OUT NovelRank to see how my debut
novel The Tattooed Witch was doing. Sales
are slow; I wish they were better. I have to remind myself to have faith in
my publisher’s advice that over the long haul, the book will likely make as
much money as it might have in six months, if a bigger NY house had picked it up.
Sometimes, it’s hard to keep the faith.
As much as I like sharing what I’ve learned about writing
in my ‘ABC’s' posts or my more recent ‘Letters to the Slush Pile’, I also use Suzenyms as a platform to promote The Tattooed Witch and the rest of the
trilogy. Part of the trouble is that the books are hybrids. My agent told me
last year (before the book sold to Five
Rivers) that the marketing departments of the NY houses didn’t know where
to place it – the concern was that there was too much ‘strange’ magic in it,
which might unsettle romance readers, and too much romance in it to appeal to
the fantasy reading crowd.
From some of the reviews I’ve received, the fantasy
readers (many men, surprisingly) haven’t minded the romantic elements. I’m
sharing a portion from Dave Laderoute’s review of The Tattooed Witch on Goodreads, here:
“Honestly, going into this book, I was a little wary; it came across as a ‘woman's book’ and, well, I'm a guy. Two or three pages in, I realized I was wrong, wrong, wrongity-wrong. This is a fantastic book for anyone to read (okay, perhaps not for some younger readers, as in some places, the book—if not actually explicit—is pretty clearly treading into mature places involving violence and/or sex). The author has drawn some extremely compelling characters, and placed them in a well-constructed, consistent and richly-textured world that resembles our own Medieval Spain. Miriam, the main character, is both strong and vulnerable; she is far more than the dreary old female tropes that plague most speculative fiction i.e. ‘the guy with boobs’ or ‘the shrinking flower/damsel in distress’….” (Dave goes further. If you’d like to read the rest of the review, you can read it here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18174746-the-tattooed-witch.
Anyway, I very much appreciate his thoughts. But it does
occur to me, if fantasy readers are okay with some romance depending on how it’s
handled, just how far are romance readers willing to go? I’ve given this a lot
of thought. So far, I haven’t done much to promote the book to the romance
reading crowd. The Tattooed Witch
doesn’t follow classic romance formulas. Before the book was published, my
agent warned me that most romance readers want only one love interest. The
Tattooed Witch has two. I wanted
to explore the different types of love we experience – so, two very different
men representing different kinds of love. Alonso, a disembodied spirit, is my
protagonist Miriam’s ‘soul mate’. Joachín is her earthy, physical love; they
share a strong sexual chemistry but don’t see eye to eye. Neither
man is the typical love interest portrayed in most romance novels, ie. the
strong, arrogant, and potential rapist that so many romance novels present.
Years ago, long before I wrote Witch, I bought a ‘how to write romance novels’ book and quickly
set it aside. Its suggestions turned my stomach. Here are a few of
them, slightly revised:
1). Make the hero rich.
(Alonso is dead, and Joachín is poorer than poor, a vagabond and a thief.)
2). Make the hero proud and disdainful, sure of himself,
strong and virile. (Neither Alonso nor Joachín is disdainful, nor are they always
sure of themselves. Like most men, they’re vulnerable and make mistakes –
sometimes terrible ones. They also let Miriam know, fairly early on, that they
love her. I have never liked disdainful men. Why should I expect my readers to?
Miriam’s problem is she loves Alonso and Joachín both in different ways. I
explore their relationships further, creating an unusual and frustrating love triangle
in The Tattooed Seer.)
3). The hero sees the heroine as an utter innocent or a
schemer. (To me, this kind of ‘innocence’ is just another word for stupidity.
Why should my heroine have to be innocent? Why should men see women in one of these two ways, which also reflect the Madonna and whore stereotypes? Why should Miriam have to be any less than what her counterparts are?)
4). Early on, the hero scorns the heroine. This is shown through
how he smiles at her (cruelly, mockingly, etc.) (Oh, please. I hate this kind of crap. First of all, portraying the hero
in this way is stereotypical. If you’re going to make your hero a ‘bad boy’, do
it in ways that are provocative. Push the morality borders, but keep him
likeable. Any man who sneers at a woman isn’t likeable, he’s abusive. I find it
disturbing that some women find this attractive.)
5). The heroine sees the hero as a threat. There is often
the potential for rape. If he does
rape her, it must be for some reason that excuses him – he was drunk, for example. (This is where I stopped reading the book years ago and set it down. I understand that this is a sexual fantasy, but
I don’t condone the message it imparts – it’s okay to victimize
women; they find it desirable.)
I will never, ever, write this kind of schlock. Because I
don’t, this may be why the book hasn't yet appealed to the romance
reading crowd.
I can’t believe it won’t, though. Surely, we’ve
outgrown such lame excuses for a good story. If romance readers are quick
to embrace novels like ‘Twilight’ and other books that include a fantastical
hero—a vampire—then I fail to see why they wouldn’t like a ghostly priest who
falls in love and is an honorable man. Or how my protagonist is faced with
two impossible loves – one, a spirit, and the other, a man who
loves her more than life but is her complete opposite. Romance readers are tolerating supernatural elements now, more than ever. The boundaries between paranormal romance and fantasy overlap and blur.
(If you'd like to read a sample of The Tattooed Witch, Amazon includes a free peek of the first four chapters here, plus a five star rating with more great reviews. If you're wondering about the release of The Tattooed Seer, I'm hoping it will be available by summer, 2014.)
(If you'd like to read a sample of The Tattooed Witch, Amazon includes a free peek of the first four chapters here, plus a five star rating with more great reviews. If you're wondering about the release of The Tattooed Seer, I'm hoping it will be available by summer, 2014.)
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
I'M ON YOUTUBE!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3FZoJi-XXY&feature=share
IN ADDITION, and AS IT'S THE SEASON OF GIVING, I'm giving away 10 free e-books of The Tattooed Witch (through www.dropcards.com) to the first 10 people who ask me for a copy for their Kindle, tablet, or computer. (Sorry, Kobo users. I've tried to download the book onto my Kobo, and it balks. The Kindle and laptop aren't a problem.) If you send me a private message on Facebook requesting a copy, I'll send you the access code, so you can claim it through Dropcards. If we're not yet friends on Facebook, then friend me. If there are e-copies left, I'll be happy to send you one.
Happy Holidays, everybody, and Happy Reading!
(And I should add, if you'd like to purchase the book (print or e-copy), just follow the links to Amazon, Five Rivers, or Kobo on the sidebar). Thank you for your support!)
Thursday, November 21, 2013
SOME FUN RESEARCH: THE HERBALS I USED IN 'THE TATTOOED WITCH'
I HAVE LONG BEEN A STUDENT OF HERBAL REMEDIES. I’m also interested in
aromatherapy and how various scents affect mood. Don’t get me wrong – I’m all
for regular meds when I need them – but how we've come by our modern day cures is fascinating. I thought it might be interesting to share some of the background research I did on the herbs and plants I use in The Tattooed Witch. Two of the references
I relied upon were The Green Pharmacy
by James A. Duke, PhD., and The Complete
Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. In order to get a more mystical and magical view on how some plants have been used, I also referred to Scott
Cunningham’s pagan Encyclopedia of
Magical Herbs.
1). Lavender: Early in The
Tattooed Witch, Miriam presses a mash of lavender into her father's
wounds caused by a potro (a rack-like instrument of torture used by the Inquisition to force
confessions). Lavender oil is a natural antibiotic and
antiseptic. It’s also an effective treatment for minor burns and scalds. A number of varieties promote sleep, although Spanish lavender, which I feature in the photo below, doesn't. It has a more stimulating effect.
2). Garlic: Garlic was used in World War I to treat infected wounds
and dysentery. It has nine anticoagulant compounds and has been used for heart
attack and stroke prevention (if you suffer from hypertension, stick to your modern meds). In The
Tattooed Witch, Miriam finds a clove of garlic and treats Ephraim with it
when she runs out of lavender. This is fortunate, for he suffers a shock,
which she fears is a heart attack.
3). Datura: In the novel, I use a little poetic license and refer
to Datura as Dartura, but it’s basically the same deadly plant. Joachín, one of
my favorite characters and Miriam’s love interest, uses it for healing, but
it’s also a dream herb. Joachín is a Dreamer; psychically gifted, he dreams other peoples'
presents and futures. In the real world, Datura
is a dangerous hallucinogen. For centuries, it's been used in shamanic
practices and religious rites (the Aztecs considered it sacred). Its folk names include: Devil’s
Apple, Ghost Flower, Jimsonweed, and my personal favorite – Yerba del Diablo, or in Spanish, Herb of the Devil.
4). Willow: In The Tattooed
Witch, Anassa, my Diaphani matriarch, chews willow sticks and
drinks willow tea in order to relieve her pain from headaches, arthritis, and old
age. Willow bark contains salicin. Aspirin is derived from salicylate compounds, and is found in both willow and other plants (Meadowsweet and Wintergreen, for example).
5). Lemon: As well as being a tasty and refreshing citrus, lemon
oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Aromatherapists claim lemon
oil works as a water purifier. In The
Tattooed Witch, Anassa uses the juice in her tea for both flavoring and
purification. Here’s an interesting superstition: lemon pie, served to one’s
spouse, is supposed to strengthen fidelity. Lemons and oranges weren't
originally native to Spain. The Arabs introduced them around the end of
the twelfth century, and Spain, in turn, brought them to the new world.
6). Sage: Sage has long been used to treat bacterial infections,
bronchitis, and coughs, but it’s better known among Pagan and First Nations communities for its sacred and protective properties. There’s an interesting
superstition surrounding sage – it’s considered bad luck to plant it in your
own garden. Find a stranger to do it. (Personally, I’ve never had any problems.)
In Witch, Anassa uses sage to smudge
and ‘ward’ her Tribe after Miriam is attacked by a demon.
7). Oldenlandia or Tongueweed: I came across this herb when I needed
a remedy for snakebite. In Witch,
Casi Montoya is bitten by a viper; Ephraim, Miriam’s father, calls for Oldenlandia to
treat the bite externally. Today, Oldenlandia is used in traditional Chinese
medicine to treat sores and carbuncles of the skin. Also known as Snake-Needle
Grass, it’s said to lower fever, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.
8). Oleander: In Witch, this is the plant that Tomás, the
Grand Inquisitor, uses to kill Alonso de Santangel. (Not to worry: for those of you who haven't yet read The Tattooed Witch, this isn't a spoiler. We learn that Tomás is the guilty party in Chapter One). Oleander leaves are long and narrow and look similar to willow. The shrub has
fragrant pink flowers, although some varieties are white or
yellow. All parts of it are extremely poisonous. Apparently, the Babylonians
mixed oleander with licorice root to treat hangovers. (Not recommended!)
I recently finished the second book in the trilogy, The Tattooed Seer. It's with my editor, awaiting his suggestions. There are several herbal remedies in it as well, including Rosemary, one of the oldest incenses used and a traditional herb in bridal wreaths, plus Fava Beans – considered by some today to be an aphrodisiac. In The Tattooed Seer, both Rosemary and Fava (I call them Faba) play their parts.
If you'd like to purchase The Tattooed Witch, you can find the links for buying it on the right, or you can order it from your favorite bookstore. Amazon also includes a free peek of the first four chapters here, plus a five star rating and some great reviews. (Thanks so much, to those of you who've given the book your support.) Finally, if any of you are wondering about the release of The Tattooed Seer, I'm hoping it will be available by summer, 2014.
If you'd like to purchase The Tattooed Witch, you can find the links for buying it on the right, or you can order it from your favorite bookstore. Amazon also includes a free peek of the first four chapters here, plus a five star rating and some great reviews. (Thanks so much, to those of you who've given the book your support.) Finally, if any of you are wondering about the release of The Tattooed Seer, I'm hoping it will be available by summer, 2014.
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Spanish Lavender |
Friday, November 15, 2013
A NICE REVIEW of THE URBAN GREEN MAN, including MY STORY, 'EVERGREEN'
I JUST RECENTLY READ A REALLY NICE REVIEW of the Urban Green Man anthology, written by friend and writer, Derek Newman-Stille. I featured Derek recently on Suzenyms: his guest post on writing horror has been one of the most visited on this blog. This is a short note, as I'm getting ready for the Pure Speculation Festival this weekend, but I thought I'd point you all to Derek's blog Speculating Canada, to take a look at what he says about the Urban Green Man anthology (Edge Books), and my story 'Evergreen'.
Here's the link to Derek's post where he talks about the anthology in, 'A Face of Shifting Leaves':
And here's the link to his previous post about 'Evergreen' in 'A Clear-Cut Future'.
Have a great weekend, everybody. Early next week, you're in for a treat. I'm guest hosting Hugh A.D. Spencer, who talks about writing humor in speculative fiction.
Here's the link to Derek's post where he talks about the anthology in, 'A Face of Shifting Leaves':
And here's the link to his previous post about 'Evergreen' in 'A Clear-Cut Future'.
Have a great weekend, everybody. Early next week, you're in for a treat. I'm guest hosting Hugh A.D. Spencer, who talks about writing humor in speculative fiction.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
GOLEM MAGIC
BECAUSE IT'S HALLOWEEN, I THOUGHT I'D DEVOTE A POST TO MAGIC. If you’re familiar with Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah, you may have recognized one of the scenes I wrote in The Tattooed Witch as golem magic. When my protagonist Miriam Medina attempts to raise Alonso de Santangél from the dead, she is actually using a magical system designed to animate a golem or ‘a body without a soul’.
It’s funny where your research takes you. There is a belief among many different religions that tattoos create spiritual doorways – everything from warnings about demonic interference (Leviticus 19:28 ‘you shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves’ to opposing beliefs like those of the Polynesians who believe tattoos bring spiritual power). Because Miriam is half Jewish and half gypsy, it made sense for me to look closely at Jewish mysticism and magic. It didn’t take long before I bumped into the Sefer Yezirah or ‘Book of Creation’ which offers instructions on how to make a golem. One way is to fashion a man out of clay, then to write the letters Aleph, Mem, and Tav (meaning ‘truth’) on his forehead, causing him to come to life. To disable such a creature, Aleph is removed, leaving Mem and Tav to spell Met, or ‘death’. Another way to create a golem is to write the name of God on a piece of parchment and place it in the golem's mouth.
To create my resurrection spell, I used Hebrew letters. But instead of incising ‘truth’ as the original golem spell did, it served me better for Miriam to carve ‘doorway’ on Alonso’s body and use the idea I mentioned above - tattoos as spiritual doorways. After a number of revisions, I decided not to use the actual Hebrew alphabet out of respect for the language, but the Diaphani letters are similar and the meanings remain the same.
In The Tattooed Witch, Miriam carves the word Delev on Alonso. The original Hebrew word is Delet, formed from the letters Dalet (D), Lamed (L), and Tav (T), with a few ‘e’s’ thrown in. What really excited me were the synchronicities I discovered in each letter’s meaning. Although the majority of readers wouldn't recognize them, I always think it's great when a writer can provide that extra layer of meaning in his prose, like offering a treat to those who do see what is hidden from most.
Dalet (written ד) means door, creation, and/or 'this world in this time’. Early ideas about Creation saw the world as having four states or worlds – in Hebrew: Atzilut, Beriya, Yetzira, and Assiya – or more simply, the elements of fire, air, water, and earth. These elements are also foundational ideas in Pagan and Wiccan ceremonies. The symbolic meaning of Dalet is ‘to enter’ which I thought worked beautifully for the beginning of Miriam's spell.
Lamed (written ל) literally means ox goad, staff, or prodding stick. After ‘entering’ with Dalet, Miriam ‘goads’ Alonso to approach life’s brink. In Witch, I changed Lamed to Lamet and used a bit of poetic license in describing it as a whip.
Finally, I altered Tav (written ת) to Vev. I expanded the original meaning, Cross, to Crossroads, which as we all know, is a place of power, destiny, and death.
In one of the original golem stories, The Golem of Prague, Rabbi Yehuda Loew saves his community from an evil priest who has accused the Jews of the ritual murder of Christian children. This was a common racist ploy played in other parts of Europe, including Spain. Rabbi Loew creates the golem to roam the streets at night to stop those who would set false evidence against his people. If you're interested, you can read the story here: http://www.bibleandjewishstudies.net/stories/The_Golem_of_Prague.pdf
And if you haven't read it yet, the Amazon.com link below is of the first four chapters (mostly) from The Tattooed Witch. At the end of it, Miriam attempts her golem/resurrection spell. (Spoiler Alert: in the book, the spell goes disastrously wrong.): http://www.amazon.com/Tattooed-Witch-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00DZ25XAC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383162977&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tattooed+witch#reader_B00DZ25XAC
Happy Reading and Happy Halloween. Keep those golems on their leashes.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
SEVEN SPOTLIGHT QUESTIONS - MY WRITING LIFE and THE TATTOOED WITCH
THE FOLLOWING POST APPEARS SIMULTANEOUSLY on Graeme Brown's website on his Author in the Spotlight page. Graeme is a Winnipeg artist and fantasy writer. I met him in Calgary at When Words Collide when we shared a panel on Hybrid books. He interviewed me a few weeks
back about my life as a writer and my debut novel, The Tattooed Witch.
Today, I'm the featured writer on his blog. I thought I'd share my responses
to his questions here.
SEVEN SPOTLIGHT QUESTIONS:
#1: Why do you write? I
think anyone who is creative needs to express that creativity. Another way to
put this question is to ask, “What happens when I don’t write?” I can go for about a week at most, before I become
disgusted with myself for not writing. Everything else begins to look like
fill, or fluff, or a waste of time (especially if I’ve had to tend to domestic
needs). The same thing happens when I’m blocked, usually when I’m not sure how
to write a difficult scene. That fuels even more self-disgust and a frustrated
edginess because I’m not meeting the problem head-on. Writing is my fix that satisfies my need to create. I have other
creative outlets, but none fulfill me as much as writing does. When I write,
I’m the creator of my world.
#3: Describe a day in your writing life: This is an embarrassing question. I waste so much time dithering about with e-mail and perusing Facebook when I should be focusing on my writing. I blame this on summer, kids at home, grass to cut, other chores, etc. Now that fall is here, I hope to waste less time. A good day starts after I’ve read my mail (around 9:30). I write for about four or five hours, usually finishing around 2:00 to 2:30. Then it’s time to take the dog for a walk or handle family/house requirements.
#4: What authors influenced you and how? One of the first fantasy books I read as a teenager was The Compleat Enchanter by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt which included three novellas, The Roaring Trumpet, the Mathematics of Magic and The Castle of Iron. I still love this collection, even though the stories were originally published in 1940/41. I’d never read a fantasy novel before, but I picked it up because I liked the cover (which depicted a guy riding a hippogriff I think - I can’t be sure. Three kids later, I still have the book, but no cover). Reading The Compleat Enchanter started me on my journey as a fantasy reader and then writer. I ran into L. Sprague de Camp at a convention years later, and stammered my thanks for both the book and setting me on my writing career. I’m sure he thought I was deranged. Since that time, I’ve also been influenced by David Eddings (the Belgariad series), Anne McCaffery (Dragon Riders of Perne), and historical writers like Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind), Phillipa Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl), and Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series). I also adore Scott Lynch and Guy Gavriel Kay.
#5: What are some things you learned to help with your success? Never give up. Like any profession, writing requires an apprenticeship – it takes time (years) to learn the craft. Promote your work, (but be thoughtful about it). Believe in yourself and trust in your voice, especially if you’re delving into unusual or unpopular themes. Trust that you have something worthwhile to say, and say it.
#6: Describe your writing method: I start with a plot outline, knowing the major points I want to hit. It might take me up to two weeks of scribbling notes and thinking about plot, character, etc. to come up with a decent outline. I know enough not to hurry this process or be impatient with it. The fun and frustration comes when I need to work out lesser points (for example, points b, c, and d, while trying to get from A to E). With the first draft, I edit as I go, tweaking the language, choosing a better word, rewriting dialogue, fixing typos. I will often review a scene I wrote the day before in order to get my mind into the work before moving ahead. Sometimes, at the quarter point (about 25,000 words mark), I may have a brilliant idea for a new character, which means I have to go back to rewrite. This happened in my trilogy’s second book, The Tattooed Seer. Subsequent drafts seem to go in the following stages: 2nd draft is about structure, what’s working, and what needs to be cut, where major shifts in plot occur, and if they occur in the right places, etc. 3rd draft is about chapter dynamics (chapter ends to keep the reader reading, combining chapters that are too short, etc.), and polishing – looking for word repetitions (especially on the same page), similar sentence structures that need to be varied, making sure earlier ideas are reflected properly later, and so on. The 4th draft is the final go-through, where I make sure the book flows, has proper tension, presents strong visuals and has just the right amount of emotional impact. I usually get a better feel for this after some time has lapsed, at least a month. Eventually, the book ends up with my editor, who suggests further changes. Then it’s more tweaking until we’re both happy with it.
#7: Tips for aspiring writers: Write every day. Read critically, paying attention to how the professionals you admire handle plot, tension, dialogue, setting, etc. Read as many ‘how to’ books as you can, because even if you’ve been writing for some time, you can always afford to learn from the experts. Don’t release any work too soon: instead, get constructive feedback from others, especially if they write at a higher level than you do. And always, always – strive to be better.
About The Tattooed Witch: The Tattooed Witch had its infancy in a family myth. For years, my mother’s side of the family contended that their people, the Frankos, were originally connected to Spanish royalty but were kicked out of Spain by the king. The more likely story was that we were either Jews or gypsies who had been forced out of Spain for religious reasons. In 1492, after Ferdinand and Isabella defeated the Moors in Granada (the Reconquista), non-Catholics (Jews, gypsies, and Moors) were told to convert to the true faith or leave. I suspect my mother’s family opted to convert, and then later to flee to Austria (now part of the Ukraine) rather than face the Inquisition. I learned through further research that Franko (or Franco, the Spanish spelling) is a Jewish converso name. As for a possible gypsy link, one of my ancestors, Ivan Franko, novelist, poet, and Ukrainian social activist, wrote in great support of the Roma people at a time when they were much reviled in his adopted land. His outward support may actually reflect a deeper familial connection.
The Tattooed Witch delves into a number of themes: I wanted to explore the ideas of religious persecution vs. religious freedom, personal spiritual experience, and brushes with the occult. I wanted to paint a bigger reality than what we normally experience with our five limited senses. Finally, I wanted to look at the different kinds of love we experience (physical and emotional/platonic and otherwise), and how love is defined by the people involved. Mix in a little magic, tattoos, flamenco, and history that's reflective of actual people and events, and you have The Tattooed Witch.
Elevator Pitch: When Miriam Medina and her father are accused by the Inquisition of murdering a high priest, Miriam knows justice is impossible. Their accuser, the Grand Inquisitor, is in fact, the real murderer. Miriam’s only hope is to resort to her long dead mother’s magical legacy: the resurrection of the dead through a magical tattoo.
I've previously posted the first two chapters of The Tattooed Witch on Suzenyms. You can find them here: http://suzenyms.blogspot.ca/2013/08/the-tattooed-witch-first-two-chapters_1.html
If you want to read a bit more, you can read most of the first four chapters at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tattooed-Witch-Susan-McGregor/dp/1927400333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379521184&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tattooed+witch#reader_B00DZ25XAC
FINALLY, if you'd like to support me as a writer and haven't yet bought a copy of The Tattooed Witch (you'll have my undying thanks if you do - with all the hundreds of thousands of choices of books out there, it's so important for debut novelists like myself to get as much help as they can), you can buy my book from Amazon, Kobo, or Five Rivers Publishing, below:
For the Kindle at only $3.66 - a steal! Or $19.57 paperback: http://www.amazon.com/The-Tattooed-Witch-Susan-McGregor/dp/1927400333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379522874&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tattooed+witch
For the Kobo at only $4.99: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/Search?Query=The+tattooed+Witch
For either print or e-books from Five Rivers Publishing - Support your local small press! ($25.99 for print and $4.99 for e-book) Go half way down the catalogue list, and you’ll see it: http://www.fiveriverspublishing.com/p/fiction-adult.html
Thanks for your support! Next post, we're back to regular programming.
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