Anne Patrick's Blog
August 23, 2017
New Release - Cold Blooded
Detective Gwen Jamison has the highest closure rate in her division, but when a string of armed robberies turn deadly she must race against the clock to find the sole witness that can end the carnage. Standing in Gwen's way is a cold-blooded killer who she fears has murdered before. Lieutenant Ian McKean knew he would have his hands full when he took over leadership of the detectives unit. He wasn't prepared for the headstrong Detective Jamison, though, who quickly becomes a thorn in his side.
If they can stop butting heads long enough they might realize they are more alike than either imagined.
New Release - Cold Blooded
Detective Gwen Jamison has the highest closure rate in her division, but when a string of armed robberies turn deadly she must race against the clock to find the sole witness that can end the carnage. Standing in Gwen's way is a cold-blooded killer who she fears has murdered before. Lieutenant Ian McKean knew he would have his hands full when he took over leadership of the detectives unit. He wasn't prepared for the headstrong Detective Jamison, though, who quickly becomes a thorn in his side.
If they can stop butting heads long enough they might realize they are more alike than either imagined.
July 20, 2015
Murder at Black Lake: Pre-Order Now!
Film actress Jamie Riedel was barely a teenager when, while on a camping trip, she witnessed the brutal murder of her father. Fourteen years later, Jamie returns to Jackson Ridge to settle up the estate of her estranged mother. Soon after her arrival, a note appears on her door: 'I saw you in the woods today.' Now Jamie is questioning if the right man was sent to prison for her father's murder.Helping her to answer that question is childhood friend, Deputy Chief Gage Hansen. He's more than willing to find the truth that will finally bring Jamie peace in her life, but at what cost? A nasty divorce from his cheating wife has made Gage gun-shy when it comes to relationships, especially with beautiful women who use their feminine wiles to get what they want in life. His defenses start to crumble once he learns that most of the stories he's read about Jamie in the tabloids are lies and she's basically the same fearless burst of pure energy he had a secret crush on when they were best friends. But could he ever fit into her celebrity lifestyle?
When it becomes apparent that someone in Jackson Ridge will go to any lengths to get rid of Jamie, the pair risks everything to solve the fourteen-year mystery that's haunted the town.
Pre-order now!Murder at Black Lake Excerpt
Later that night, Gage joined Jamie on his mom's deck. In the distance, streaks of lightening lit up the dark sky, followed by the low rumble of thunder. "God is putting on quite a show for us tonight.""Yes he is." Jamie folded her arms. "You doing all right?"Jamie nodded her reply. She had been quiet throughout most of dinner. Obviously, still shaken by the break-in. "Jamie, you don't have to stay. I'm sure Mr. Addison would be happy to handle the listing of your house. The paperwork can be handled by mail. And as far as the work on the house, Mallory and I…""I'm not going anywhere, Gage. Not until I have some answers."A part of him was glad she wasn't running away. But he knew those answers she sought could come at a great price. "That could take awhile . . . and you may not like what you find.""I'm willing to take that chance." She lowered her arms. Placing her hands on the railing, she looked at him. "My father's killer is still out there. My being here scares him. There's only one reason I can think of as to why that is.""He thinks you can identify him," Gage surmised."Maybe I can. I think if I go back there, it may jog my memory.""Is that what you were doing when I followed you into the woods that day?""Yeah, only I lost my nerve." She shook her head and stared off into the distance. Gage knew from the chief's statement in her case file that she had defensive wounds on her arms and hands. She had fought with the man. The cop in him wanted to go along with her suggestion of going back to the campsite, to see if there is something else she can remember that will help lead him to the killer. But at the same time, he didn't want to subject her to any more pain."Will you come with me? We could go tomorrow, after my interview." "You bet," he answered. No way was he letting her go into those woods alone.
June 4, 2015
Marketing: Every Novelist Needs an E-mail List
I will be brief. Every novelist needs an e-mail list.
Every novelist. The reason is simple.
E-mail works. That is, it works when you do it right. I’ll grant that it fails miserably when you do it wrong, just like everything else.
Over the past ten years, we authors have been bombarded with a huge laundry list of things we “should” be doing to market our books. We’re supposed to blog. And be active on Facebook. And get into Google Plus. And build a Twitter following. And get on Goodreads (carefully). And run Pinterest boards. And be on Instagram. And get involved in every fancy new wingding gizmo that comes along.
Ouch, that’s a heavy load. Those may all be fine things, but I strongly believe that e-mail is best for actually making the sale when you launch a book. Please note that qualification—when you launch a book.
A book launch is a critical part of your marketing strategy, if you’re traditionally published, because your book only has a short window of time in bookstores before the returns start.
A book launch is merely very important for indie authors, because you only have 30 days of eligibility for the Hot New Releases lists, and the HNR lists really drive sales.
Let’s not waste time arguing theory. I’ll show you some data from a widely respected marketer—Darren Rowse, the brains behind the ProBlogger.net Website.
Darren’s one of the best bloggers around. He’s also on various forms of social media. And he’s got an e-mail list.
A couple of years ago, Darren launched an e-book and tracked the results of his marketing efforts. Please read the results here: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2013/06/26/social-media-whats-it-good-for/
I’ll summarize: His affiliates accounted for 3% of his sales. Social media accounted for 3% of his sales. His blog posts accounted for 7% of his sales. E-mail accounted for the remaining 87% of his sales.Note that his social media efforts included Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google Plus. But e-mail by itself was 29 times more effective than all his social media efforts combined.
Note that his e-mail was more than 12 times as effective as his blog posts—and this is Darren Rowse, the ProBlogger guy. Darren blogs for a living.
This is not a hard call to make. E-mail rocks—for making the sale when you launch a book.
I’ll repeat one thing. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do any sort of promotion. If you do e-mail wrong, you’re not going to get good results. So do e-mail right.
You YA writers may be grumbling that teens don’t read e-mail. That may be true, but plenty of adults are in your target audience, including me. And adults read e-mail. Your best way to sell to them is via e-mail. You might need to find another way to reach those teens.
When I teach marketing at writing conferences, I try to spend a full hour on e-mail marketing. Because it’s critically important.
But it’s been a few years since I discussed e-mail marketing in this e-zine. Many of you haven’t been subscribing that long, so this may be new to you. Expect me to talk more about e-mail over the next few issues.
When you have a good strong e-mail list, it’s like having your own personalized version of BookBub that you can use whenever you want.
How cool is that?
We’ll continue this discussion over the next several issues of this e-zine.
Bottom line for now: Every novelist needs an e-mail list.
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.
Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 12,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visitwww.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
Every novelist. The reason is simple.
E-mail works. That is, it works when you do it right. I’ll grant that it fails miserably when you do it wrong, just like everything else.
Over the past ten years, we authors have been bombarded with a huge laundry list of things we “should” be doing to market our books. We’re supposed to blog. And be active on Facebook. And get into Google Plus. And build a Twitter following. And get on Goodreads (carefully). And run Pinterest boards. And be on Instagram. And get involved in every fancy new wingding gizmo that comes along.
Ouch, that’s a heavy load. Those may all be fine things, but I strongly believe that e-mail is best for actually making the sale when you launch a book. Please note that qualification—when you launch a book.
A book launch is a critical part of your marketing strategy, if you’re traditionally published, because your book only has a short window of time in bookstores before the returns start.
A book launch is merely very important for indie authors, because you only have 30 days of eligibility for the Hot New Releases lists, and the HNR lists really drive sales.
Let’s not waste time arguing theory. I’ll show you some data from a widely respected marketer—Darren Rowse, the brains behind the ProBlogger.net Website.
Darren’s one of the best bloggers around. He’s also on various forms of social media. And he’s got an e-mail list.
A couple of years ago, Darren launched an e-book and tracked the results of his marketing efforts. Please read the results here: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2013/06/26/social-media-whats-it-good-for/
I’ll summarize: His affiliates accounted for 3% of his sales. Social media accounted for 3% of his sales. His blog posts accounted for 7% of his sales. E-mail accounted for the remaining 87% of his sales.Note that his social media efforts included Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Google Plus. But e-mail by itself was 29 times more effective than all his social media efforts combined.
Note that his e-mail was more than 12 times as effective as his blog posts—and this is Darren Rowse, the ProBlogger guy. Darren blogs for a living.
This is not a hard call to make. E-mail rocks—for making the sale when you launch a book.
I’ll repeat one thing. There’s a right way and a wrong way to do any sort of promotion. If you do e-mail wrong, you’re not going to get good results. So do e-mail right.
You YA writers may be grumbling that teens don’t read e-mail. That may be true, but plenty of adults are in your target audience, including me. And adults read e-mail. Your best way to sell to them is via e-mail. You might need to find another way to reach those teens.
When I teach marketing at writing conferences, I try to spend a full hour on e-mail marketing. Because it’s critically important.
But it’s been a few years since I discussed e-mail marketing in this e-zine. Many of you haven’t been subscribing that long, so this may be new to you. Expect me to talk more about e-mail over the next few issues.
When you have a good strong e-mail list, it’s like having your own personalized version of BookBub that you can use whenever you want.
How cool is that?
We’ll continue this discussion over the next several issues of this e-zine.
Bottom line for now: Every novelist needs an e-mail list.
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.
Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 12,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visitwww.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
May 22, 2015
New Release in the Wounded Heroes Series
The story of Hope and Nick from the series prequel, Christmas with Hope, continues.You can download Christmas with Hope for free at Desert Breeze Publishing.
Hope and Nick are on leave from the Army when Nick receives word his sister has gone missing. Beth, a want-a-be investigative reporter, has been digging into the disappearance of her childhood friend who's been missing for five years. They soon discover she isn't the only one unaccounted for in the area and the closer they get to the answers that will lead to Beth, the more dangerous it becomes.
Thrown into the volatile situation are the personal struggles of Nick and Hope. Nick, suffering from PTSD, is a powder keg ready to explode. Hope, facing her own demons, is his lifeline to sanity. She has to convince him he needs help or their whole world might come crashing down. Nick is a proud Ranger though. Admitting his weakness could destroy the respect and trust of the men who depend on him. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
EXCERPT
Hope heard a woman holler and jerked her head to the left.
A man wearing a black hoodie stood next to her rental car with Hope's backpack.
"Hey, put that back!" Hope started across the street, but the man took off running through the park.
Hope dropped her package and chased after him. Like running an obstacle course, she dashed in and out of small groups of tourists, picnic tables, and trash barrels, quickly gaining distance on the thief. Hope exited the park, ran into the street -- nearly colliding with a SUV -- and pursued him down the sidewalk. He darted down an alley and Hope followed. The adrenaline rushing through her veins wiped out any fear of repercussions as to what might happen once she caught him. All she cared about was getting back that laptop.
Halfway down the alley, he stumbled and fell against a clutter of trashcans. He shoved them over into her path and kept running. Hope jumped over the cans, thankful for the years of physical training the Army had insisted on. She was right on his heels now. A few more feet and she would have him. For a brief second she considered the possibility that he had a gun and this could be a very bad idea.
Shoving commonsense aside, she tackled him around the waist.
Her right elbow and knee hit the cement at the same time. Pain shot through her joints. The thief drew back his arm. Hope jerked her head back but not quick enough. Solid bone struck the corner of her left eye and her grip loosened on him. He squirmed from her arms. She reached for the backpack, dangling on his arm, and managed to grab one of the straps. He attempted to rip it free but she kept a death grip on it, allowing the momentum to pull her up. As she came up, she pivoted and swept his leg out from under him, causing him to lose his balance -- and his grip on the bag. He fell back then scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley.
Hope grabbed the backpack with both hands and knelt over to catch her breath. Whew. Thanks for having my back, Lord.
On the walk back, Hope thought of the thumb drive and phone in her pockets and checked to make sure they weren't damaged in the scuffle. She checked the flash drive first and it appeared fine. She wouldn't know for sure until she accessed it on a computer. Hope pulled the phone from her right pocket. The protective case was cracked but the phone itself seemed to be working. She saw Nick had called. She didn't even hear it ring so he must have called during her pursuit. Hope called him back but it went straight to voicemail. She was about to leave a message when she noticed everyone in the park looking at her. Guess they've never seen a mad woman chase after a thief before. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and kept walking.
"You had me worried sick, girl." Kory stood with a deputy at Hope's rental car. "Are you completely insane?"
"I got it back." So it wasn't the smartest thing to do. And the guy did get away. At least she wouldn't have to explain to Beth what happened to her laptop.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" the deputy asked.
"I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow but other than that, I'm okay." She looked down at the broken glass underneath the backdoor. "Good thing I got the insurance."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YN6TTSQ
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vengeance-anne-patrick/1122048409
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/vengeance/id1001396731?mt=11
Hope and Nick are on leave from the Army when Nick receives word his sister has gone missing. Beth, a want-a-be investigative reporter, has been digging into the disappearance of her childhood friend who's been missing for five years. They soon discover she isn't the only one unaccounted for in the area and the closer they get to the answers that will lead to Beth, the more dangerous it becomes.Thrown into the volatile situation are the personal struggles of Nick and Hope. Nick, suffering from PTSD, is a powder keg ready to explode. Hope, facing her own demons, is his lifeline to sanity. She has to convince him he needs help or their whole world might come crashing down. Nick is a proud Ranger though. Admitting his weakness could destroy the respect and trust of the men who depend on him. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
EXCERPT
Hope heard a woman holler and jerked her head to the left.
A man wearing a black hoodie stood next to her rental car with Hope's backpack.
"Hey, put that back!" Hope started across the street, but the man took off running through the park.
Hope dropped her package and chased after him. Like running an obstacle course, she dashed in and out of small groups of tourists, picnic tables, and trash barrels, quickly gaining distance on the thief. Hope exited the park, ran into the street -- nearly colliding with a SUV -- and pursued him down the sidewalk. He darted down an alley and Hope followed. The adrenaline rushing through her veins wiped out any fear of repercussions as to what might happen once she caught him. All she cared about was getting back that laptop.
Halfway down the alley, he stumbled and fell against a clutter of trashcans. He shoved them over into her path and kept running. Hope jumped over the cans, thankful for the years of physical training the Army had insisted on. She was right on his heels now. A few more feet and she would have him. For a brief second she considered the possibility that he had a gun and this could be a very bad idea.
Shoving commonsense aside, she tackled him around the waist.
Her right elbow and knee hit the cement at the same time. Pain shot through her joints. The thief drew back his arm. Hope jerked her head back but not quick enough. Solid bone struck the corner of her left eye and her grip loosened on him. He squirmed from her arms. She reached for the backpack, dangling on his arm, and managed to grab one of the straps. He attempted to rip it free but she kept a death grip on it, allowing the momentum to pull her up. As she came up, she pivoted and swept his leg out from under him, causing him to lose his balance -- and his grip on the bag. He fell back then scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley.
Hope grabbed the backpack with both hands and knelt over to catch her breath. Whew. Thanks for having my back, Lord.
On the walk back, Hope thought of the thumb drive and phone in her pockets and checked to make sure they weren't damaged in the scuffle. She checked the flash drive first and it appeared fine. She wouldn't know for sure until she accessed it on a computer. Hope pulled the phone from her right pocket. The protective case was cracked but the phone itself seemed to be working. She saw Nick had called. She didn't even hear it ring so he must have called during her pursuit. Hope called him back but it went straight to voicemail. She was about to leave a message when she noticed everyone in the park looking at her. Guess they've never seen a mad woman chase after a thief before. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and kept walking.
"You had me worried sick, girl." Kory stood with a deputy at Hope's rental car. "Are you completely insane?"
"I got it back." So it wasn't the smartest thing to do. And the guy did get away. At least she wouldn't have to explain to Beth what happened to her laptop.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" the deputy asked.
"I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow but other than that, I'm okay." She looked down at the broken glass underneath the backdoor. "Good thing I got the insurance."
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YN6TTSQ
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vengeance-anne-patrick/1122048409
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/vengeance/id1001396731?mt=11
New Release Coming in June - Vengeance
The story of Hope and Nick from the series prequel, Christmas with Hope, continues.You can download Christmas with Hope for free at Desert Breeze Publishing.
Hope and Nick are on leave from the Army when Nick receives word his sister has gone missing. Beth, a want-a-be investigative reporter, has been digging into the disappearance of her childhood friend who's been missing for five years. They soon discover she isn't the only one unaccounted for in the area and the closer they get to the answers that will lead to Beth, the more dangerous it becomes.
Thrown into the volatile situation are the personal struggles of Nick and Hope. Nick, suffering from PTSD, is a powder keg ready to explode. Hope, facing her own demons, is his lifeline to sanity. She has to convince him he needs help or their whole world might come crashing down. Nick is a proud Ranger though. Admitting his weakness could destroy the respect and trust of the men who depend on him. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
EXCERPT
Hope heard a woman holler and jerked her head to the left.
A man wearing a black hoodie stood next to her rental car with Hope's backpack.
"Hey, put that back!" Hope started across the street, but the man took off running through the park.
Hope dropped her package and chased after him. Like running an obstacle course, she dashed in and out of small groups of tourists, picnic tables, and trash barrels, quickly gaining distance on the thief. Hope exited the park, ran into the street -- nearly colliding with a SUV -- and pursued him down the sidewalk. He darted down an alley and Hope followed. The adrenaline rushing through her veins wiped out any fear of repercussions as to what might happen once she caught him. All she cared about was getting back that laptop.
Halfway down the alley, he stumbled and fell against a clutter of trashcans. He shoved them over into her path and kept running. Hope jumped over the cans, thankful for the years of physical training the Army had insisted on. She was right on his heels now. A few more feet and she would have him. For a brief second she considered the possibility that he had a gun and this could be a very bad idea.
Shoving commonsense aside, she tackled him around the waist.
Her right elbow and knee hit the cement at the same time. Pain shot through her joints. The thief drew back his arm. Hope jerked her head back but not quick enough. Solid bone struck the corner of her left eye and her grip loosened on him. He squirmed from her arms. She reached for the backpack, dangling on his arm, and managed to grab one of the straps. He attempted to rip it free but she kept a death grip on it, allowing the momentum to pull her up. As she came up, she pivoted and swept his leg out from under him, causing him to lose his balance -- and his grip on the bag. He fell back then scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley.
Hope grabbed the backpack with both hands and knelt over to catch her breath. Whew. Thanks for having my back, Lord.
On the walk back, Hope thought of the thumb drive and phone in her pockets and checked to make sure they weren't damaged in the scuffle. She checked the flash drive first and it appeared fine. She wouldn't know for sure until she accessed it on a computer. Hope pulled the phone from her right pocket. The protective case was cracked but the phone itself seemed to be working. She saw Nick had called. She didn't even hear it ring so he must have called during her pursuit. Hope called him back but it went straight to voicemail. She was about to leave a message when she noticed everyone in the park looking at her. Guess they've never seen a mad woman chase after a thief before. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and kept walking.
"You had me worried sick, girl." Kory stood with a deputy at Hope's rental car. "Are you completely insane?"
"I got it back." So it wasn't the smartest thing to do. And the guy did get away. At least she wouldn't have to explain to Beth what happened to her laptop.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" the deputy asked.
"I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow but other than that, I'm okay." She looked down at the broken glass underneath the backdoor. "Good thing I got the insurance."
Hope and Nick are on leave from the Army when Nick receives word his sister has gone missing. Beth, a want-a-be investigative reporter, has been digging into the disappearance of her childhood friend who's been missing for five years. They soon discover she isn't the only one unaccounted for in the area and the closer they get to the answers that will lead to Beth, the more dangerous it becomes.Thrown into the volatile situation are the personal struggles of Nick and Hope. Nick, suffering from PTSD, is a powder keg ready to explode. Hope, facing her own demons, is his lifeline to sanity. She has to convince him he needs help or their whole world might come crashing down. Nick is a proud Ranger though. Admitting his weakness could destroy the respect and trust of the men who depend on him. It's not a risk he's willing to take.
EXCERPT
Hope heard a woman holler and jerked her head to the left.
A man wearing a black hoodie stood next to her rental car with Hope's backpack.
"Hey, put that back!" Hope started across the street, but the man took off running through the park.
Hope dropped her package and chased after him. Like running an obstacle course, she dashed in and out of small groups of tourists, picnic tables, and trash barrels, quickly gaining distance on the thief. Hope exited the park, ran into the street -- nearly colliding with a SUV -- and pursued him down the sidewalk. He darted down an alley and Hope followed. The adrenaline rushing through her veins wiped out any fear of repercussions as to what might happen once she caught him. All she cared about was getting back that laptop.
Halfway down the alley, he stumbled and fell against a clutter of trashcans. He shoved them over into her path and kept running. Hope jumped over the cans, thankful for the years of physical training the Army had insisted on. She was right on his heels now. A few more feet and she would have him. For a brief second she considered the possibility that he had a gun and this could be a very bad idea.
Shoving commonsense aside, she tackled him around the waist.
Her right elbow and knee hit the cement at the same time. Pain shot through her joints. The thief drew back his arm. Hope jerked her head back but not quick enough. Solid bone struck the corner of her left eye and her grip loosened on him. He squirmed from her arms. She reached for the backpack, dangling on his arm, and managed to grab one of the straps. He attempted to rip it free but she kept a death grip on it, allowing the momentum to pull her up. As she came up, she pivoted and swept his leg out from under him, causing him to lose his balance -- and his grip on the bag. He fell back then scrambled to his feet and ran down the alley.
Hope grabbed the backpack with both hands and knelt over to catch her breath. Whew. Thanks for having my back, Lord.
On the walk back, Hope thought of the thumb drive and phone in her pockets and checked to make sure they weren't damaged in the scuffle. She checked the flash drive first and it appeared fine. She wouldn't know for sure until she accessed it on a computer. Hope pulled the phone from her right pocket. The protective case was cracked but the phone itself seemed to be working. She saw Nick had called. She didn't even hear it ring so he must have called during her pursuit. Hope called him back but it went straight to voicemail. She was about to leave a message when she noticed everyone in the park looking at her. Guess they've never seen a mad woman chase after a thief before. She shoved her phone back in her pocket and kept walking.
"You had me worried sick, girl." Kory stood with a deputy at Hope's rental car. "Are you completely insane?"
"I got it back." So it wasn't the smartest thing to do. And the guy did get away. At least she wouldn't have to explain to Beth what happened to her laptop.
"Are you alright, ma'am?" the deputy asked.
"I'm probably going to have a shiner tomorrow but other than that, I'm okay." She looked down at the broken glass underneath the backdoor. "Good thing I got the insurance."
February 21, 2015
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November 10, 2014
Craft: Writing Deeper Characters by Randy Ingermanson
Deep characters are not deep merely because there’s something magical about them that sets them apart from other characters.
Deep characters are deep because the author chose to go deep with them. The author could have chosen to go shallow, and the result would have been shallow characters.
Any character can be a deep character. Any character can be a shallow character.
It’s not about who your characters are, it’s about what you choose to do with them.
I’m convinced that a very powerful way to go deep with your characters is to interview them.
Set up the interview in Q and A format. Ask your character a question. Then get inside the character’s skin and answer the question—in that character’s voice.
This works for several reasons:
It Alternates Between Analysis and Creation
Asking questions gives you a chance to put on your analyst’s hat. You get to ask the hard questions about motivation and values. You can probe as much as you want into your character’s mind.
Answering those hard questions gives you a chance to put on your creative hat. You get to become the character, exactly as you would if you were writing a scene from that character’s point of view.
But in an interview, you don’t have to worry about action and description. You can focus on speech patterns, mental patterns, emotional patterns.
And you don’t have to worry about being “interesting” to the reader, because nobody will ever read your character interview. The interview is just for you to get to know your character.
It Gives You Practice Being Each Character
This is essential, because as you write each scene, you need to become the point-of-view character for the duration of that scene. You need to slip inside that character’s skin. You need to convince your reader that she is that character.
This is not easy. It’s a little easier in first-person than in third-person. And when you’re interviewing your character, you’re always answering the questions in first person. You’re speaking as that character. So this is your chance to practice. But this is not mere practice time. This is practice time that also teaches you new things about your character.
One of the hardest things to do in fiction is to develop unique voices for each character. It’s way too easy to have all your characters sound alike. The interview is an opportunity to develop all the little verbal tics for each character. You’ll learn which words they overuse. What grammatical liberties they take. How they think and how they express themselves.
It’s Not Your Fault
When you interview your character, you can let him go off on tangents and take all the wrong turns that are bound to happen as you learn who your characters are. After all, your characters are human, so they’re bound to make mistakes.
But it’s them making the mistakes, not you. So if they go off into left field, you can rein them in, delete all the dumb things they said, and start over. And it’s all their fault, not yours.
Yes, this is a psychological game you’re playing with yourself. No, there’s nothing wrong with this. Any time you can make it safe to take chances in your story development, that’s a good thing.
It’s Fun
Interviewing your character is incredibly fun. And incredibly powerful. If you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out on something amazing.
You can do this at any point in your story development. It’s especially helpful if you’re still planning the story, or if you’ve painted your story into a corner, or if you’re worried that your character’s motivations don’t make sense.
Try it now. Pick any one of your characters. Open a document and start asking questions. Ask one, then answer it right away. Then ask another, and answer it right away. Keep doing that until you’re done. You’ll know when you’re done. Your instincts are smart about being done.
If you don’t enjoy the process, then don’t do it again.
But I bet you will. I bet if you try this once, you’ll be hooked for life.
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 10,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visitwww.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
Deep characters are deep because the author chose to go deep with them. The author could have chosen to go shallow, and the result would have been shallow characters.
Any character can be a deep character. Any character can be a shallow character.
It’s not about who your characters are, it’s about what you choose to do with them.
I’m convinced that a very powerful way to go deep with your characters is to interview them.
Set up the interview in Q and A format. Ask your character a question. Then get inside the character’s skin and answer the question—in that character’s voice.
This works for several reasons:
It Alternates Between Analysis and Creation
Asking questions gives you a chance to put on your analyst’s hat. You get to ask the hard questions about motivation and values. You can probe as much as you want into your character’s mind.
Answering those hard questions gives you a chance to put on your creative hat. You get to become the character, exactly as you would if you were writing a scene from that character’s point of view.
But in an interview, you don’t have to worry about action and description. You can focus on speech patterns, mental patterns, emotional patterns.
And you don’t have to worry about being “interesting” to the reader, because nobody will ever read your character interview. The interview is just for you to get to know your character.
It Gives You Practice Being Each Character
This is essential, because as you write each scene, you need to become the point-of-view character for the duration of that scene. You need to slip inside that character’s skin. You need to convince your reader that she is that character.
This is not easy. It’s a little easier in first-person than in third-person. And when you’re interviewing your character, you’re always answering the questions in first person. You’re speaking as that character. So this is your chance to practice. But this is not mere practice time. This is practice time that also teaches you new things about your character.
One of the hardest things to do in fiction is to develop unique voices for each character. It’s way too easy to have all your characters sound alike. The interview is an opportunity to develop all the little verbal tics for each character. You’ll learn which words they overuse. What grammatical liberties they take. How they think and how they express themselves.
It’s Not Your Fault
When you interview your character, you can let him go off on tangents and take all the wrong turns that are bound to happen as you learn who your characters are. After all, your characters are human, so they’re bound to make mistakes.
But it’s them making the mistakes, not you. So if they go off into left field, you can rein them in, delete all the dumb things they said, and start over. And it’s all their fault, not yours.
Yes, this is a psychological game you’re playing with yourself. No, there’s nothing wrong with this. Any time you can make it safe to take chances in your story development, that’s a good thing.
It’s Fun
Interviewing your character is incredibly fun. And incredibly powerful. If you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out on something amazing.
You can do this at any point in your story development. It’s especially helpful if you’re still planning the story, or if you’ve painted your story into a corner, or if you’re worried that your character’s motivations don’t make sense.
Try it now. Pick any one of your characters. Open a document and start asking questions. Ask one, then answer it right away. Then ask another, and answer it right away. Keep doing that until you’re done. You’ll know when you’re done. Your instincts are smart about being done.
If you don’t enjoy the process, then don’t do it again.
But I bet you will. I bet if you try this once, you’ll be hooked for life.
This article is reprinted by permission of the author.Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the Snowflake Guy," publishes the free monthly Advanced Fiction Writing E-zine, with more than 10,000 readers. If you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction, AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND have FUN doing it, visitwww.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
November 6, 2014
Karen Wiesner Webinar
Thursday, November 13, 2014, from 1-2 p.m. (Central time), Karen Wiesner will be interviewed for a webinar at SilverBox Seminars, LLC http://www.silverboxseminars.com/featured-event-hot.htmlAward-winning author of over 150 books, Karen Wiesner http://www.karenwiesner.com talks about what it takes to be an active, successful writer. Wiesner has authored multiple novels and how-to books and created tutorials for Writer's Digest Books. This is a valuable event for writers of all skill levels. To join the event, you must be registered at https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/410063222922743297 Payment ($49.99) can be made at this link. Following the interview, all attendees will receive a PowerPoint “handbook” prepared by Karen Wiesner as well as 10% off discount code toward the purchase of her reissued writing reference, COHESIVE STORY BUILDING. For more information, contact info@silverboxseminars.com.
September 9, 2014
Cheated by Danielle Thorne
New Release!Cheatedby Danielle Thorne
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/cheated-epub/ Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Thorne/e/B004E5V0LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 And other online bookstores.
Why Paranormals?
Many people are curious as to why I've crossed over from sweet romances to paranormals. It's simply because I feel a spiritual connection to those I've lost in my life. I feel strongly that what we call paranormal is actually an aspect of spirituality.
Whether we call our spirits angels, ghosts, or even just souls, Christianity is based on an understanding that our mortal bodies are merely shells. I enjoy writing about spirits finished with this life and spirits, who I believe, have not or will not experience ever mortality. An experience such as feeling a loved one's presence is a paranormal event. These incidents do not have to necessarily be negative or evil experiences. We can be inspired by those around us not dwelling in this sphere.
My new release, Cheated, is based on the idea that some people are more tuned into the veil that separates heaven from earth. My heroine, Athena Gray, can sense and sometimes see spirits. She has a gift that enables her to talk to those who've passed over to help them feel peace and move on. This story was inspired by a visit I made to prehistoric Indian burial mounds in West Tennessee. It was a sacred, peaceful place that inspired me to think about people who can see and sense things most of the living cannot. Cheated is set in a fictional town based on that actual location.
Here's a taste of thrills and chills you'll find in Cheated.
When I turned around, the surprise of seeing a small, pale girl standing at the clearing's edge almost made me fall back onto the rock again."You," I said, like we were in some kind of detective novel.She said nothing but continued staring with large, gray eyes. I watched the atmosphere around her blur in and out like a wormhole and realized this was the ghost from my cell phone picture. She was the same girl I'd noticed watching me from the woods at the season's first ball game. Except she wasn't really a ghost. Or was she?"Who are you?" I asked. I really needed to know, and for the first time despite my Poppy's former warnings to not issue invitations to supernatural visitors, I wanted to know."Athena," she answered in a quiet whisper. I didn't know if she was answering me or addressing me. "Who?"Her mouth twitched slightly at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes remained dead and cold, sparking off and on with a flickering light."What do you want?" Her expression flickered for a quick second before she caught herself. This ghost was playing it cool."I don't know who you are, and I don't care," I lied. "Go away and leave me alone."She laughed, and it was in a creepy, low tone. To make things feel worse, she still hadn't smiled or stopped glaring at me with those dead eyes."You cheated," she said, after I decided not to say another word.A wary tremor ran down my backbone. I'd heard this before. She shimmered like a desert mirage. The power of her glittering appearance waned.I caught myself biting my lip again, hard. I fought to not feel afraid, fought not to speak."Cheated," she repeated in an angry whisper, and her blue life light flickered once more and then went out, like someone had blown across a candle's burning flame.
Thank you for letting me visit, Anne. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences with the paranormal. It's an interesting conversation, and I love hearing special stories from other people who have had touching or even spooky experiences.
What was the last book you read that gave you the shivers?
~Danielle Thornewww.daniellethorne.comwww.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com
Other Books by Danielle Thorne
The Privateer
By Heart and Compass
Josette
Turtle Soup
Southern Girl, Yankee Roots
Death Cheater
Cheated
Proper Attire
Available at Desert Breeze Publishing http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/cheated-epub/ Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Thorne/e/B004E5V0LA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 And other online bookstores.
Why Paranormals?
Many people are curious as to why I've crossed over from sweet romances to paranormals. It's simply because I feel a spiritual connection to those I've lost in my life. I feel strongly that what we call paranormal is actually an aspect of spirituality.
Whether we call our spirits angels, ghosts, or even just souls, Christianity is based on an understanding that our mortal bodies are merely shells. I enjoy writing about spirits finished with this life and spirits, who I believe, have not or will not experience ever mortality. An experience such as feeling a loved one's presence is a paranormal event. These incidents do not have to necessarily be negative or evil experiences. We can be inspired by those around us not dwelling in this sphere.
My new release, Cheated, is based on the idea that some people are more tuned into the veil that separates heaven from earth. My heroine, Athena Gray, can sense and sometimes see spirits. She has a gift that enables her to talk to those who've passed over to help them feel peace and move on. This story was inspired by a visit I made to prehistoric Indian burial mounds in West Tennessee. It was a sacred, peaceful place that inspired me to think about people who can see and sense things most of the living cannot. Cheated is set in a fictional town based on that actual location.
Here's a taste of thrills and chills you'll find in Cheated.
When I turned around, the surprise of seeing a small, pale girl standing at the clearing's edge almost made me fall back onto the rock again."You," I said, like we were in some kind of detective novel.She said nothing but continued staring with large, gray eyes. I watched the atmosphere around her blur in and out like a wormhole and realized this was the ghost from my cell phone picture. She was the same girl I'd noticed watching me from the woods at the season's first ball game. Except she wasn't really a ghost. Or was she?"Who are you?" I asked. I really needed to know, and for the first time despite my Poppy's former warnings to not issue invitations to supernatural visitors, I wanted to know."Athena," she answered in a quiet whisper. I didn't know if she was answering me or addressing me. "Who?"Her mouth twitched slightly at the corners of her mouth, but her eyes remained dead and cold, sparking off and on with a flickering light."What do you want?" Her expression flickered for a quick second before she caught herself. This ghost was playing it cool."I don't know who you are, and I don't care," I lied. "Go away and leave me alone."She laughed, and it was in a creepy, low tone. To make things feel worse, she still hadn't smiled or stopped glaring at me with those dead eyes."You cheated," she said, after I decided not to say another word.A wary tremor ran down my backbone. I'd heard this before. She shimmered like a desert mirage. The power of her glittering appearance waned.I caught myself biting my lip again, hard. I fought to not feel afraid, fought not to speak."Cheated," she repeated in an angry whisper, and her blue life light flickered once more and then went out, like someone had blown across a candle's burning flame.
Thank you for letting me visit, Anne. I enjoy sharing my thoughts and experiences with the paranormal. It's an interesting conversation, and I love hearing special stories from other people who have had touching or even spooky experiences.
What was the last book you read that gave you the shivers?
~Danielle Thornewww.daniellethorne.comwww.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com
Other Books by Danielle Thorne
The Privateer
By Heart and Compass
Josette
Turtle Soup
Southern Girl, Yankee Roots
Death Cheater
Cheated
Proper Attire
