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Motherhood - by K.L. Almeroth

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Motherhood - September 2006

What's A Romance Writer To Do?

September 26th 2006 03:49

You were all seeing me as some kind of hero (or heroine, for all the romance readers out there).

At least, I think you were.

You know, the whole 9000 words a night thing that got everybody going.

Yeah, well, I'm no hero.

Last night saw me tear about 300 words out. And it was hard, tearing those 300 words out of my soul.

There was even alcohol involved, which normally gets the creative juices flowing (see Wordophilia's recent post and comments on his last one for more about this! Yes, blatant advertising of another writer's blog, but, come on now, peoples! Your fellow writers are the only ones out there supporting you...those publishing houses, ritzy agents and fancy editors certainly aren't!).

So what went wrong? Why couldn't I write last night?

Is it that brain tumour I might have? You know the one, blocking the creative side of my mind (don't know which one; I kind of like to think both sides of my brain are creative wonderpieces), growing bigger each day and stopping me from being able to string a sentence together (yes, I'm a hypochondriac).

Or was it the exhausting weekend I've had? No, not partying (for one, I wish, for another, I'm no longer 18) - Miss Toddler has been sick again, and I think this latest episode has sucked all the creative out of me.

Normally, in a depressed mood, I write even better - perhaps why I hang on to anything bad in my life, because it helps me to write (whole other post should be dedicated to this!). My writing, in a truly ironic twist, normally kicks ahead, kicking butt (like my heroines), when other aspects of my life truly suck. When bad times fall upon me.

Not this time. No, I just get hammered with the worry, the stress, the worry, the pain of seeing my little girl ill, the worry, but no brilliant writing out of it.

There was loads of things to inspire me, too. Like the late night jaunt to the emergency room on Friday night, and seeing all the supposedly worried fathers crowded around the TV, watching the semi-grand final.

No kids in sight - they were in the actual emergency room, apparantly.

I wondered, while we waited, what had happened to them. I imagined all kinds of horrible scenarios - children now legless, horrific incidents involving cookie jars...I could go on, but that truly horrible imagination of mine would disturb us all. And I write romances...perhaps I should try my hand at horror?

Anyway. All those kids, all those horrendous injuries (and let's not forget that child that didn't get that cookie after all that trouble)...and their daddys are out in the waiting room, cheering over the Broncos winning.

There's a whole novel there. You know the one - 'I'm so screwed up as an adult because of that time I had to have my hand surgically removed from the cookie jar, and Daddy was too busy watching a footy game.'

But, no, I can't write about that. That has nothing to do with the three million romance books I'm currently working on.

That beer I had last night didn't help, either (thank you, Carlton United. Alcohol is supposed to equal one hell of a night writing! Thanks for nothing!).

Sigh. So what's one romance writer supposed to do, when that dreaded writer's block comes a-knocking?

I can't turn to my husband. This is a romance novel, after all, not a marriage.

It has to be romantic.

Instead, I now write this post, and attack Daddys in an emergency room, alcohol-companies for not living up to a writer's expectations, and my husband and marriage.

Feeling better already. The Romance Writer (albiet with a bite) is back.

Now I might go work on that book...

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Character Development - The Heroine

September 24th 2006 10:33

Your heroine.

Those who read 'How To Write A Romance Novel' (and, judging by the votes, only about 14 people will know what I'm about to talk about) know this character has to be fantastic enough to not only carry an entire book, but kick some butt along the way.

And fall in love with the hero.

But its not the hero's turn right now - its our Heroine's turn. She's in the spotlight, as she so rightly deserves to be.

We'll use her as an example of character development. I'll start first by telling you everything I do to create a book I either do just on instinct, or because I want to, or because I've read in how-to books this is how you should set up your charcters.

For me, I love this part. The greatest part of being a writer is creating these personal characters you've thought up yourself, creating whole worlds where they live in, like a Sims City, but all in your head.

There are some out there that would have us writers certified for the way we think and create. Hey, I think you do have to be a little bit crazy to write.

Crazy equals focus, I say.

But back to the heroine. Firstly, I create her background, her stats.

How old?
Birthdate?
Loves?
Hates?
Her greatest dream?
Her greatest fear?
Her outstanding qualities?
Outstanding features?
Her physical appearance?
Her strengths?
Her faults?

Now, here are my answers for my favourite heroine, star of her very own series (yet to be published; I repeat, yet to be published...any publishing houses out there, yes, K.L. Almeroth, and her characters, are for sale), the first one titled Betrayal:

How old: 27
Birthdate: 22 February 1979
Loves: The color pink, pink champagne, Ryan Reynolds, 80's movies, reading, her family, Coca-cola, archaeology.
Hates: Coffee, rude people, violence against women, children and animals.
Her greatest dream: To find her true love and have babies.
Her greatest fear: Losing her identity if she loses archaeology.
Her outstanding qualities: Graduated high school early, entered university early, obtained her Doctorate in Archaeology.
Outstanding features: Beautiful.
Her physical appearance: 5foot4, ruby-red hair, curves, dark brown eyes.
Her strengths: She's unstoppable, she's strong, she's unbelievably driven, she never gives up. She's truly kind-hearted, and loves unconditionally.
Her faults: She's emotional, overly so. She has a fierce temper, and she reacts to everything - bound to get her into trouble.

You could go on forever - favourite books, favourite foods, favourite movies, what does she like to do in her spare time, etc., etc.. Hey, go crazy (crazy equals focus), because the more you know about your own characters, the more they will leap from the page and create the novel themselves.

Once you've had fun with your character's stats, I focus on this: what is the heroine's goal in the book? What does she have to do? Why is she there? How does the story line revolve around her?

For my book, Betrayal, this is really simple - Kit Sawyer has to find the thief and murderer, get her archaeology job back, and make it to her wedding day.

Sounds simple, but in reality (or fiction), its not. She has a serial killer closing in on her, a supernatural agency she's just bought, and the spirit world doesn't like her one bit, and the one she's getting married to isn't the man she loves.

From answering your own question, you've got yourself a story.

Hopefully enough to make one hell of a book.

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Writing Hours: How Much Do You Write In A Day?

September 22nd 2006 03:38

Another one for all you writers out there.

How many hours of writing do you get done in a day? Do you manage to squeeze in eight hours, as the incomparable Nora Roberts does each weekday? Or how about Dean Koontz's amazing 70 hours a week? He works 7 days a week, day and night, at his writing.

Me, I'm lucky if I can fit in 2 hours a day, and that's squeezing it. That's if I leave the dishes, don't take the rubbish out, don't sweep and mop, and sit Miss Toddler down in front of the TV for hours on end.

Kidding about the last bit. Yes, she watches TV, but I only write when she's asleep. Its a rule I have, that I don't write while she's awake. I don't want her growing up and resenting her mummy because she was always tapping away at the computer. I mean, after all, I could be working 40 hours a week in a normal job (writing isn't normal!) and have her in day-care, but that's not what I wanted for my children. I want my kids growing up with their mummy as a constant (constant pain, perhaps, but a constant).

So my precious, beloved writing is delegated to such a time as now, for example, while she has her after-lunch nap, or once she's asleep at night. That means, after clearing some dishes, or forcing my husband to, I settle in for the night at about 8pm, and start writing.

If I'm exhausted, which, more often than not, I am, I may only write till 10pm. Other nights, at least twice a week, I write till midnight or beyond. Once I'm in the zone, there's no stopping me. If my husband interrupts, there's swearing involved, and throwing of notepads or pens, whatever's handy.

He's pretty well trained, by now. The couple of times he bleed has taught him.

In word count, those 2 or 3 hours may add up to three thousand, six thousand, and sometimes, on great, wonderful, I-wish-every-night-was-like-this nights, I may even get up to nine or ten thousand words.

These are brilliant nights, however. Other nights I might be so drained, so uninspired, so exhausted from my beloved daughter (whom I truly love and cherish above all else) that I'm lucky to make one hundred words. Other nights I may just be revising, where there is very little writing involved at all.

I recently finished the book I've spent the past 3 years on, Betrayal, and for literally the last 3 months, night after night, all I did was revise. By the end of it, I was itching to write a complete sentence, dying to start my next novel. But, alas, reading through your completed novel, checking it is 100% perfect (or close enough to, until an actual Editor finally reads it!) is part of being a writer.

I write mostly every night, and I have for about the last two years consistently. Prior to that, I wrote sparodically. I was studying archaeology before that, so didn't put much time towards my writing. But there came a point where I decided this was it. This was what I was going to do with my life.

I was going to write. I was going to be famous.

Meanwhile, before that fame hits me (oh, I can't wait till it hits me!), I continue to plod along, and I continue to write. Tonight I swore I would take the night off, give myself a rest, and read the latest Nora Roberts book (which is fab, by the way; Angels Fall...a must read).

I always say this, however. I always promise my husband a night off, that I will just relax, enjoy myself, watch a movie with him, or read a book in solitude (mummys don't get much solitude!), and I have every intention to, at the beginning of the night...

Then I just get itchy. And I race to my computer and write.

There's no stopping me.

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How To Write A Romance Novel

September 21st 2006 02:55

For starters, a romance novel has to feature two fabulous lead characters. After all, if your hero and heroine are duds, they’re never going to take a reader through the entire book. Or, if they do, it’ll be a ‘bad read.’

And we’ve all had several of them

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Tears for a lost Hero

September 20th 2006 06:05

Well, Miss Toddler and I had every intention of hanging out all of the three loads of washing we’d already done by 9am today.

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The Art of Accepting Rejection Letters

September 18th 2006 02:51

I'd love to say I accept these delightful letters that arrive in the mail, six months after you'd sent off your work to that much-desired editor/agent, with poise, grace and a careless shrug, and a simple, 'Oh, well. Better luck next time.'

Maybe in my parallel world I would do that. Maybe if I had my time over again. But, oh no, not in this lifetime

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The Worth of Writing

September 16th 2006 10:06

Well, I did another mail-out the other day.

You writers out there will know exactly what I mean – a query, a synopsis, the first three chapters of your book, or perhaps the entire manuscript. Sent off into the world with a kiss and a wish, a dream, a prayer (whatever you’re in to) that this time, this will be it. You will be discovered.
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Toy Catalogues: A New Religion

September 14th 2006 13:34

Miss Toddler has gone to bed tonight, for the first time ever, without a battle.

This alone is suspicious

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Mummy the Romance Writer

September 13th 2006 07:45

I’ve been writing my whole life, it feels like. At least since I was about eight.
A couple of books under my belt, three stories published in magazines, and I’m still here – my actual books unpublished.

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The Wonders of Elmo

September 12th 2006 04:26

Its been a long day in that hard, brutal land, where screams for chocolate, McDonalds and going to the park bellow out at random times, and where that cup of tea you made never gets the attention it so rightly deserves: that land being Motherhood.

Today Miss Toddler is in a mood. Granted, she’s recovering from being ill, but still, Motherhood is a trying land today. We’ve had tantrums, sobs, book throwing, and refusing to go to the toilet, unless its in one’s nappy. Yes, toilet training is a whole other story

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September 2006

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