How my characters came to be -- Part 2

I'm at home this morning and this afternoon -- heck, I'm home all day. ; ) I have six vacation days left for this year, and I'm scattering them out on Fridays to give myself 3-day weekends to write. I finished Chapter 7 of Bewitched & Betrayed yesterday, and am getting started on Chapter 8 today. I've been averaging 4 days per chapter. It'd be nice if I could keep up that pace.

In addition to writing, I'll be straightening up my office a little, because it's still a mess from when I went through my book notes storage boxes to find out where my characters came from: what they started out as, and how they evolved into who they are today. Fortunately I put the dates on a lot of my notes, so some of my characters have actual "birthdays."

First, some more character birthdays, and then I'll tell you some things I found about how Magic Lost, Trouble Found (MLTF), Raine, and Tam originated.

Carnades was born on August 27, 2001.

Eamaliel (Raine's dad) was born on May 8, 2001.

Phaelan started out as a commander in elven special ops. Huh??? How he got from there to pirate, I dunno.

Mychael started out as being second in command of the Guardians. Again, I dunno how the main guy lost the job.

Sarad Nukpana was born on November 6, 2001. BTW -- In the original manuscripts, Sarad was known as "GSSv," a placeholder that meant "Goblin Secret Society villain" because at that time, I hadn't come up with the names "Sarad Nukpana" or "Khrynsani." Any names that don't come to me in a first draft, I'll either leave a blank for, or come up with a placeholder name. Once a manuscript gets more finalized, then I'll have a couple of hours where I sit down with my character naming books and a notepad and put together a name that fits.

Piaras started out as an adult. From my notes: "An elven healer/sorcerer who owns an apothecary. Very popular place with mages. Sells quality products for fair prices. Some of what he stocks is very rare, exotic and difficult to get, so he has a widespread network of contacts that he deals with on a regular basis. Can be a good source of information to those whom he trusts."

Ocnus started out as a human: "Ocnus is a former Conclave sorcerer who (is defrocked?) and ends up in Mermeia. There he is essentially an information toady for Carnades."

Raine started out as "Miranda." Again, don't ask me why, I have no clue. ; ) She got the name "Raine" her job as a seeker on June 26, 2001. Tam Nathrach was born on November 6, 2001. Oooo, Tam has a birthday coming up in a few days. Yikes, Tam and Sarad Nukpana have the same birthday.

About the development of the MLTF -- on June 26, 2001, I wrote: "When you're writing, have a frame of mind that you're writing a modern thriller/adventure rather than a period fantasy piece. It will make it more real for you and the reader." Yep, it worked.

On the same day, I wrote that I had to give Raine a history worth having. She started out as kind of a female 007. She'd blown up a goblin weapons depot, saved several high-ranking elves from assassination, and rescued an elven general after goblin capture. I brought her down a notch or two from that to make a character readers could more easily identify with, and gave her some flaws.

Okay, all of you Team Tam members out there, I've found Tam's pedigree. There's more to it than what I have here, but chances are if it happened in my head while I was writing, the birth of the idea never made it to paper.

Orginally I had an elven nightclub owner named Vareck. Then I had a character named Tamnais Nathrach. How they merged, I have no idea. I think that was one of those things that happened inside my head rather than on paper.

Here's my original description of Tam: "Tamnais Nathrach. Goblin and Rheskilian. He's serious natured. Perhaps his family were nobles and landowners, but the king ordered them all executed. Tamnais was smuggled to the Guardians by a "faithful family servant." The family held a dukedom and were a threat to the throne. The goblin king wants him dead because he's in direct line for the goblin throne. Allude to the fact that this is the guy who will end up ruling Rheskilia if the king is overthrown. Have him be on the Isle of Mid with Mychael."

In the second draft of what would become MLTF, Vareck was out and Tam was in as proprietor of Sirens. Raine thinks the following in Chapter 7: "His first position after graduating from his Conclave education was as (junior) shaman to the House of Mal'Salin. It was a prestigious appointment for a goblin so young. The late queen took a liking to the young shaman and Tam quickly rose through the ranks. Five years ago, he abruptly asked to be dismissed from duty. He had never told me why, and I never asked. The queen's affection for him was probably the only thing that kept him alive afterwards." I had some handwritten notes next to this paragraph to make sure and include that "Tam was very fond of and protective of Raine." Of course, fondness later turned to lust, but there's no paper record of that. All that fun & play happened in my head.

So Tam has come a long way from his "birth" to the sizzling hot goblin we all know and love today. BTW -- There's a serious sizzle scene in The Trouble with Demons between Raine and Tam. In the copyedited manuscript, at the end of this scene, my editor wrote in the margin "I LOVE TAM!" But members of Team Mychael, don't despair. In TTWD, let's just say that Mychael more than keeps up his end of the sizzle factor. ; )

Pop back by tomorrow for the Saturday Fun Pic. I'll show you some of the stuff I found in my storage boxes.

Happy Friday!
Lisa

How my characters came to be

Today and tomorrow, I'm going to give you a little insight into where my characters came from, what they started out as, and how they evolved into who they are today. Fortunately I put the dates on a lot of my notes, so some of my characters have actual birthdays.

I went through my storage boxes of old notes (really old notes). I don't remember how I came up with some of this stuff -- and in one case, I'm not sure if I really want to know. What are now my goblins originally started out as a seafaring race with webbed feet and fingers. No, I am not kidding. And no, I have no idea what I was eating or drinking when I came up with that one.

I started the book that would become Magic Lost, Trouble Found early in 2001. On April 24, 2001, the Saghred (who I think is essentially a character) went from four shards, to two shards, to a single stone with an amulet. Having characters running around collecting shards just seemed like too much trouble (and work). Not to mention confusing.

In a note to myself on that same day, April 24 (I do a lot of stream-of-consciousness writing/talking to myself to work through plot snags) I wrote: "You've got the first two chapters worked out and a nebulous idea as to what happens next -- well, let's crank this puppy and see if it runs."

Apparently it didn't run. Because on May 15, 2001 I wrote: "Okay, let's crank this puppy again since it stalled out the first time. Take two. . ." Quentin and Nigel soon came into the picture and the plot became clearer.

Mychael was "born" as commander of the Guardians on May 10, 2001.

Sathrik Mal'Salin was born as the goblin king on Sept. 1, 2001 as were the Khrynsani. Which at that time I called "GSS" as a placeholder in my manuscript (meaning "Goblin Secret Society") because I hadn't come up with the name "Khrynsani" yet.

Tarsilia had a sex change operation on Sept. 1. Before this the character's name was "Tarsilian" and he was a man. Still a mage, but definitely a man.

Chigaru emerged in his present form as the exhiled goblin prince on Oct. 8, 2001. And the conflict between he and Sathrik came into being on Oct. 11.

I'll continue with the other characters tomorrow. (Sorry to leave you hanging, but my lunch break is over and I've got to get back to my day job.)

Lisa

How many drafts do I write?

In doing my research for how I came up with my characters (Raine, Tam, Mychael, etc.), I discovered that I went through a lot of drafts before I had a finished version of what is now Magic Lost, Trouble Found.

I have one of those big, plastic tub storage boxes for each book. This serves the dual purpose of keeping each book's notes in one place while cleverly avoiding the need to actually file the things. Tidy, yet lazy -- I like it.

At my best count, I wrote seven complete drafts of the book that became MLTF. Yep, seven. That included five drafts that I wrote on my own, a revision for Kristin (my agent) before it was sent out on submission to publishers, and then a final revision for Anne (my editor) before the book was published.

I'd had years and years to work on and polish MLTF. Something to know about signing that first book contract -- your publisher will want your next book in one year, probably less. As a result, I wrote Armed & Magical and The Trouble with Demons in one draft and a polish. That's it. That's all I had time for. When your name's on a contract, you have to learn to work fast. It's not much of a problem for me because I do my best work with a proverbial gun to my head.

After your editor gets hold of your "finished" manuscript, she (or he) will offer suggestions for further revisions. Anne's suggestions for MLTF were rather extensive, which is to be expected seeing that it was my first book. However, I got a bit of stunning news (and a pleasant surprise) when Anne accepted Armed & Magical as is, no changes. I think it took me a full day for that news to sink in. The Trouble with Demons had some minor revisions.

The thing is, each book is different. Some you write quickly in an inspired frenzy, and others can be compared to giving birth to a bowling ball -- not a pleasant experience for anyone involved.

Coming up tomorrow (and maybe Friday, too): I'll tell you how my characters came to be -- where Tam, Raine, goblins, Piaras, etc. came from. Yep, I went through my storage boxes of old notes (really old notes). For a teaser: What are now my goblins originally started out as a seafaring race with webbed feet and fingers. No, I am not kidding. And no, I have no idea what I was eating or drinking when I came up with that one.

Make it a good one,
Lisa

Play is important.

Tam said it best in MLTF: "Play is important." And he's right. Getting away from your computer is good for you and your book.

Invariably when I get up from my desk, the coolest dialog or ideas come to me, and it's usually for a problem I've been sitting at my desk struggling with. But sometimes those ideas come to me in the most inconvenient places. Note to self: put a notepad and pen on the back of the toilet. ; )

Other popular (and inconvenient) places of inspiration: in the car, in the grocery store, in the shower. For some reason, the shower is a popular inspiration spot for a lot of writers, must have something to do with running water. I get inspired in the shower, but not in the tub as much. Muses must prefer running water or something.

What's relaxing and feeds my muse? Reading, watching my favorite TV shoes. I love Bones and Burn Notice. But since I'm writing when they're on, I love that I can watch them online. How cool is that?

But I've started doing most of my brainstorming -- when I get stuck or when I just need to better flesh out a scene -- in a cushy, comfy chair I recently bought for my office. I believe it's called a "gaming chair." I don't play video or computer games (I tried to get into them, but it just didn't take). I'll sit in my chair with just a notepad and pen. It takes away the pressure of sitting in front of my computer in an office chair. Even if my computer screen isn't blank, it can still be intimidating when I'm trying to work out a problem.

And it worked like a charm last night. ; )

Coming up tomorrow: How many drafts do I write? Coming up this week: A blog or two on how my characters came to be -- where Tam, Raine, goblins, Piaras, etc. came from. Yep, I went through my storage boxes of old notes (really old notes).

Lisa

Musings in the REALLY early morning

**For those of you who didn't drop by on Saturday, I posted another snippet from The Trouble with Demons. Scroll down and enjoy, if you'd like.**

The following is what I scribbled on a notepad early Saturday morning, and I do mean early. ; )

3:58 AM -- I just finished writing four pages for the end of Chapter 7 of B&B. Yep, my muse woke me up at 3:30 again. It's either my muse or my own twisted sleep cycle. But this time I was wide awake, brain firing on all cylinders. Mychael and Raine were plotting their next move in the alley behind watcher headquarters. Dialogue was coming fast and furious. So I reach for the pen and paper (and flashlight) and start taking dictation. I love it when this happens, even at 3:30 in the morning. I don't mind a muse wake-up call if it's productive. It was a "wake up, they're talking!" kind of thing.

As always, my characters say something one time and one time only. Unfortunately they don't repeat themselves -- just like a real conversation that you're eavesdropping on. So it's up to me to catch it when it happens. If I don't, it's gone.

Yes, a bare bones plot is turning out to be a VERY good thing. A free and unfettered mind is a creative mind. But mainly I think it's because I've decided on a one chapter a week schedule. That way, I'm not rushed; I have time to read, rest, and recreate. A rested Lisa is a happy and productive Lisa. This book is going very well; you're gonna love it. ; )

Lisa

BTW -- I tried to go back to sleep after writing this blog entry and the four pages, didn't happen. Dang it. Though like I said, if it's productive time, I don't mind missing out on the sleep.

Coming up this week: Brain play is important, How many drafts do I write?, and a blog or two on how my characters came to be -- where Tam, Raine, goblins, Piaras, etc. came from. Yep, I went through my storage boxes of old notes (really old notes).

Saturday Snippet from TTWD Chapter 2

As promised, here is a snippet from Chapter 2 of The Trouble with Demons -- with Tam. Enjoy!

A voice brushed against my mind, its familiar intimacy like a caress of dark silk against bare skin. I didn't need to see him; I knew who he was.

Tamnais Nathrach. Goblin dark mage, former chief shaman for the royal House of Mal'Salin, ex-magical enforcer to the goblin queen -- but right now, Tam was a really pissed off father whose son was in mortal danger.

"Get behind the demon where he can't see you!" Tam commanded. "Quickly! He can't turn while the boys still have him."

Tam and I had spoken mind-to-mind many times, but never like this. Never this close. Tam wasn't just speaking to me; Tam was inside of me.

"How . . . what the hell are you -- " I blurted out loud.

"Just do it, Raine!"

Vegard glanced sharply at me.

"It's Tam," I told him.

We had a demon on a rampage; Tam was a dark mage; it was a match made in hell. I didn't know what he could do to help; but whatever it was, I was all for it.

"Tell Talon to stop," Tam ordered. "Then you can take the demon from Piaras."

"I can what?"

"I've fought demons before." His words came in a rush. "I can work through you; tell you what you need to do." Silence. "Raine, my power is your power."

I froze, thoughts running in panicked circles in my head. I knew what Tam was saying; worse yet, I knew what he meant.

Last week, when I'd used the Saghred to keep innocent people from being slaughtered, Tam and his potent black magic had been right there with me. We'd worked together, combining our power, doing what had to be done. That had earned us both a lot of unwanted attention and accusations. That six lives had been saved didn't mean a rat's ass to our high-ranking accusers.

"Raine!"

"I'm here," I snarled. My breathing was shallow and rapid. What I was about to do through Tam -- with Tam -- scared me more than the demon did. I didn't like being scared; it pissed me off. Tam was asking me to unleash some demon whoop-ass, and I had no idea how.

Piaras was weakening, the intensity of his notes wavered. The demon howled in gleeful anticipation.

"Tell me. Now!"

Tam did, and I understood. I didn't have the skill or experience to do it, but Tam did. He told me what to do, and if I used his power, I could.

In theory. I hated theories.

"Find a mirror, thick glass, something you can force him inside of," Tam ordered.

Mirrors were too dangerous to keep out in the open, but several of the shops had glass in their windows, diamond panes. I didn't need Tam to tell me that wouldn't work. Then I saw them. Some of the kids had gotten an early start on their drinking. They'd run, but they'd left two bottles of wine behind. Two empty bottles -- with corks. Let's hear it for partying college students.

"Would a bottle work?" I quickly asked Tam.

Silence and some fast thinking. "Yes. Is there a stopper of some kind?"

"Cork."

"Get it."

I snatched a bottle and cork off the table. The demon saw and laughed, a deep rumbling that vibrated through my chest all the way down to my toes.

"You are no demon master." He smiled, slow and horrible, and held out a clawed hand. "Come to me, elfling, and I will let the young ones live."

"Shove him in!" Tam growled.

"And just how the hell am I --"

"Visualize him flowing into the neck of that bottle and it will happen."

I froze. "Do I have to hold the bottle?"

"Yes!"

Dammit.

"Tell the boys to release him." Then Tam's voice turned imploring; Tam didn't implore anyone. "Raine, I will help you. You can do this. We can do this."

I felt like I was about to step off a cliff. I swallowed. "Talon, stop." I tried to keep my voice calm and rational. "Ease your song away from Piaras and run."

The kid looked at me like I had lost my mind.

I wasn't entirely sure I hadn't.

Is there any genre I wouldn't write or read?

Wow! Today is my 400th post -- it doesn't seem like I've been blogging that long, but according to Blogger, I have been. Dang.

Today I'm answering another question from Robert: Is there any genre you wouldn't write or read? And is there a genre or subject that you'd like to attempt at some point?

I don't read much horror. Of course I read books with vampires, demons, werewolves, and were-whatever -- but those are urban fantasy, not horror. At least in my opinion. As those of you who are regular blog readers know, I have a file of notes for an urban fantasy. Of course with my tendency toward genre-blending, it's more of an urban fantasy/military thriller. Kind of a "Tom Clancy takes on urban fantasy." BUT . . . I came to the conclusion this week that my next project will probably be a book (or short series of books) with Tam as the main character. That will be a challenge for me to write in first-person from a man's point of view. Tam's going to have to really let me inside his head for me to pull this off. ; ) I'm really excited about it.

That being said, instead of the Saturday fun pic, tomorrow I'm going to post a Saturday Snippet -- A section of Chapter 2 of The Trouble with Demons. All of you Tam fans out there, this one's for you. ; )

TGIF!
Lisa

How much promotion do I do?

Today I'm answering a question from Robert here in the U.S. He wants to know how much promotion do I do? Do I wish you could do more? How far will I go, in terms of travel time? Have I ever turned down something?

I always wish I could do more promotion. But promotion/travel costs come out of my pocket -- and with the economy like it is, I have to be choosy. Back when I was a brand-new, under contract, and about to be published author. . .I had visions of bookstores with promotional posters of my book covers, plenty of local press coverage, splashy ads in glossy industry magazines, etc. If you're working on your own books, I'm sure you entertain yourself with the same visions.

Okay, prepare for a wee bit of cold, hard reality. Unless you're a celebrity author or have been anointed as the next JK Rowling, the vast majority of your advertising and promotion is up to you. Your publisher will send out Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of your book to reviewers, industry pubs, bookbuyers, etc. to drum up reviews and orders. (BTW -- ARCs are the typeset and bound copies of your book before the final corrections are made. They're generally larger than the actual paperback version of your book, because the pages aren't trimmed down to size yet. The covers are generally white and have the text your cover will have, but without the art.)

Local press coverage. After working for about 20 years to attain my dream of publication, I thought I'd have local press all over me. Wrong. For the past two years, my publicist at Ace Books has done a splendid job of getting the word out to all of my local newspapers and magazines. We've had a few nibbles, but no takers. My area is literally swarming with authors, quite a few of them famous. The news that there's another author in town has apparently been met with yawns. We'll keep trying , but quite frankly, local press might get you a few more book sales, but mainly its an ego/affirmation thing. To see yourself and your book in your local media gives you that little thrill that you've "arrived." If you can get local press coverage in your area, bravo! : )

Advertising. Ads in industry publications are expensive, and guess what? Again, the cost comes out of your pocket. My publisher's art department will design my ads for me for free, and I took them up on it once. But since I work in an advertising agency, I just asked our senior designer (also a fantasy/sci-fi fan) to do mine. After doing a little research, I determined that advertising in Realms of Fantasy magazine would give me my biggest bang for the buck. If you're going to run ads, do your research, identify your target market, and determine which publication will reach the most of that market. For Armed & Magical, I placed an ad in the issue before it came out and the issue after. But with the economy the way it is, I'm rethinking that for The Trouble with Demons. I'm weighing cost of the ad versus value (aka sales) gained. So the jury is still out on that one.

The Internet. It's just about the best way to get the word out about your books, and it's free. (except for your Internet provider bill every month, which by the way is tax deductible).
I love the Internet! I can't imagine trying to reach out to my fans without it. The Internet lets you talk to anyone, virtually anywhere. What did authors do before websites, blogs, forums, review sites, chats, etc.? I get to talk to fans from all over the world, which is just too cool! Word of mouth from fans online is hands down the best way to spread the word. So if you loved MLTF and A&M, tell your friends, your family, your everybody! More sales equals more money for me and that turns into more promotional travel that I can afford to do.

Conferences and conventions. They can be pricey to attend (registration, travel, hotel, etc. -- all tax deductible), but the networking with industry people (fellow authors, editors, agents, reviewers, etc.) is priceless. So far I've only gone to the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. I went last year and will be there again this year, speaking on Linnea Sinclair's Starships and Sorcery panel. RT is in Orlando April 22-29. So if any of you are planning to be there, please look me up; I'd love to meet you!

Local book signings: I did five events last year, and two this year so far. I tend to stay local for this. One, I have a day job. Two, travel is expensive. And unless you're a big-name author, booksignings don't sell that many books. Which if you're a newbie author hoping to become a big-name author, sales is everything. And yes, I have had to turn down a signing recently. I'm swamped with writing the first draft of Bewitched & Betrayed, and it was a little too far to drive because of my tight schedule.

Tomorrow for my 400th post, I'll answer another question from Robert: Is there any genre you wouldn't write or read? And is there a genre or subject that you'd like to attempt at some point?

Lisa

Maybe writing without a plot ain't so bad.

I know I said I was going to answer another reader question today, but I just had to tell you that started to happen last night while I was writing.

I started Chapter 6 of Bewitched & Betrayed yesterday, and I've written half of the chapter already. Admittedly, chapters where Raine gets in Carnades's face (or Sarad Nukpana's) are a quick write for me. There's something that's just plain fun about letting Raine get in someone's face, cut loose, and let the snark fly.

Though that's not why I'm now beginning to believe that writing without a plot ain't so bad after all. Yes, there's the scariness of the unknown, and staring down the barrel of a tight deadline, but working without a plot doesn't restrict you to a set sequence of events. Things are happening that I never imagined. And if I'd had sat down and forced myself to write a complete plot, all this character coolness might not have happened. Or it might have. I don't know. And you know, it doesn't matter. ; )

I figure if Raine doesn't know what's going to happen next, why should I? That being said, it's good to know the ending, or at least have an idea of where I'm going. And it's nice to have a couple of my big scenes planned (which I do). But what I do between those scenes is completely up to me and my characters. I've turned them loose and they're surprising me -- and it's awesome.

Though I know that the same thing I thought was so cool last night will be cause of stress on another night. But I think I'm learning to enjoy it more. Who knows? One of these days, I might actually enjoy writing a first draft. Hey, it could happen. ; )

Tomorrow I'll answer a reader's question; I promise.

Lisa

Okay, I have a complete case of office envy. Check out Mark Van Name's post from Sunday with pics of his office. I don't care how messy he says it is -- I want those bookshelves! And the inflatable 6-foot Godzilla by the door is uber-cool, too. (I only have Godzilla in the 1-foot tall and 6-inch short versions. So yeah, I've got Godzilla envy, too). ; )

L.

My favorite books/series

Today, I'm answering another reader question. Fiona in Australia asked whether I read for fun; and if so, which authors do I enjoy?

I most definitely read for fun -- and to replenish my creative well. In order to write, you have got to read. I make it a point to take time to read. I don't really have the time, so I just take it.

I have many books and series that I love, but the following list is either off the top of my head or from a quick glance at my bookshelves:

Jim Butcher -- The Dresden Files. I just finished his graphic novel Welcome to the Jungle (loved it), and am eagerly awaiting his novella Backup.
David Eddings -- The Mallorean and The Elenium series
Terry Brooks -- The Shannara series and The Knight of the Word series
Raymond Feist -- All of his Midkemia books
Stephen Donaldson -- A Man Rides Through and The Mirror of Her Dreams
Glen Cook -- The Garrett Files
Tad Williams -- To Green Angel Tower, Stone of Farewell, The Dragonbone Chair
Scott Lynch -- The Lies of Locke Lamora and Red Seas Under Red Skies
Tom Clancy -- Rainbow Six and some of his Op-Center books
Rex Stout -- His Nero Wolfe Series
Tess Gerritsen -- The Mephisto Club and The Keepsake
Janet Evanovich -- Her Stephanie Plum series
Dan Brown -- The DaVinci Code, Angels & Demons
Margaret Maron -- Her Deborah Knott series
Ilona Andrews -- Magic Bites and Magic Burns

Rob Thurman -- Nightlife, Moonshine, and Madhouse
Jayne Anne Krentz -- Sizzle & Burn and White Lies
Stacey Klemstein -- Eye of the Beholder and The Silver Spoon

Linnea Sinclair -- Down Home Zombie Blues, Games of Command, Gabriel's Ghost, Shades of Dark
Connie Willis -- Doomsday Book
Umberto Eco -- The Name of the Rose and Focault's Pendulum
Raymond Chandler -- The Big Sleep
Dashell Hammett -- The Maltese Falcon

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- The Sherlock Holmes series
C.S. Lewis -- Mere Christianity
Patricia Cornwell -- Kay Scarpetta series
Donald Westlake -- Put a Lid on It, The Hot Rock, Money for Nothing

Laurell Hamilton -- Guilty Pleasures, The Lunatic Cafe, Bloody Bones, The Killing Dance, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned, Obsidian Butterfly
Katherine Kurtz -- The Adept series

I also read medieval and Renaissance history, weapons, and historical biographies.

Tomorrow, I'll answer another reader question.

Lisa

News and why a lot of authors don't like first drafts

First the news -- I can now update my NEWS and EVENTS pages all by myself! (Thank you, Webmaster Todd!) This means you can always go to my NEWS page for up-to-the-minute book news and happenings. When I know it, I'll post it!

In fact, there's some book news over there that a lot of you have been waiting for -- The Trouble with Demons is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It should be up on Barnes & Noble soon.

Now to today's blog topic. Many authors (myself included), don't enjoy first drafts. That doesn't mean we go grumbling to the computer every day, it means that most of us are perfectionists. And unless you're blessed, lucky, or unbelievably skilled, your first draft is going to be what we southerners call "butt ugly." Or as I've read it on many authors' blogs: "First drafts suck. Live with it."

First there's the struggle to get what's in my head onto the screen. But mainly my problem is that I'm still working out the guts of the story while I'm writing it. I know the beginning, some scenes scattered throughout the book, and I know the ending. The trick is to come up with the story to link all of those together. The key there is come up with the story. Get it right the first time, and I've got relatively smooth sailing. But if I take a wrong turn, I lose valuable writing time trying to get myself back on the right track. And when I'm on a tight deadline (as always), this can cause stress, which causes my muse to clam up. This is a bad thing.

For me, I want the entire story neatly plotted out in advance. Well, most of the time this doesn't happen for me. In fact, it's only happened once (with TTWD). As I've said before, my writing brain is a chaotic place; the rest of me treasures structure and order. It's a wonder my head doesn't explode from the conflict.

That doesn't mean that first drafts are all bad. There are always those moments of revelation where I get a grin on my face and say: "I didn't see that coming" or "I didn't know that about Mychael. Cool!"

I just always breathe a big sigh of relief when I've got the first draft done. That means the fun of filling in the details can begin. BTW -- I finished Chapter 5 of TTWD this weekend, and start Chapter 6 today.

Coming up this week: I'll answer more reader questions. And coming soon: I told you how Raine came into being, and someone asked where did Tam come from. I honestly can't remember. But since I don't throw any scrap of paper away, I'm going to do some digging and find the origins of Tam for all of you "Team Tam" ladies out there.

Yep, it's Monday, but try to make the best of it. ; )
Lisa

Galley proofs

I finished the copy edits for The Trouble with Demons last week, and the next step will be what you see in the photo above -- galley proofs. These are from Armed & Magical. As you can see, the pages are typeset, they just haven't been trimmed for binding. This stage is the last chance the author or copyeditor has to make any corrections or changes. Better still if that change or correction doesn't cause the copy to reflow. If it reflows on one page, it's not that bad; but it gets messy, time-consuming, and most of all expensive, if it causes reflow to multiple pages of the book. I've worked for a printing company, so I'm sensitive to things like that, and only fix mistakes at this stage. That's why I read my copyedits (the previous stage) very carefully.

I'm feeling under the weather, but I'm determined to finish Chapter 5 of Bewitched & Betrayed today. Hopefully, I'm not coming down with anything -- goodness knows I don't have time for that.

Coming up on Monday: Why I (and many authors) hate first drafts. And next week, I'll answer more reader questions. And coming soon: I told you how Raine came into being, and someone asked where did Tam come from. I honestly can't remember. But since I don't throw any scrap of paper away, I'm going to do some digging and find the origins of Tam for all of you "Team Tam" ladies out there.

Have a great weekend,

Lisa

How Raine and her world came to me

Today I'm answering another reader question. This one is from Candace. She wants to know how Raine and her world came to me.

What eventually became Magic Lost, Trouble Found started in my college days as a result of wanting something to read, but not being able to find anything in the bookstore that I thought I'd like. It was frustrating and I complained. Apparently I complained a lot because my roommate (and thankfully my best friend) got tired of my complaining and said, "Why don't you just write something yourself?"

So I did.

And it sucked.

But I kept going. I finished that one and wrote another book, a sequel to the first one. It sucked a little less, which meant (at least in my own mind) that I was getting better. Hmmm, maybe being delusional is a big part of finally getting published. Those two books formed the base for what eventually became MLTF.

Raine, Mychael, Chigaru and Phaelan were in those first two books (though vastly different than they are now). In those early books that I'd written, the character that eventually became Raine was an elf princess. (LOL! Snort!) Raine let me know directly and in colorful terms that not only was she not royalty, she had to work for a living. And for added spice, she was also from a family of notorious criminals.

Writing in third-person just wasn't getting it for me. I felt distanced from my characters. My first two books were in third-person; and you know you are NOT on the right track when your books even bore you. So one day just for something different, I wrote a bit in first-person, and as Emeril would say "BAM!" I immediately found Raine's voice, and knew I was on to something when my other characters started popping onto the screen. Turns out Raine knew them better than I did, so who better than her to tell their stories?

Once the characters started coming out of the woodwork, Raine's world started taking shape. And it is BIG. There will be a map of Raine's world in the front of The Trouble with Demons. I should have the high-res JPG back from my publisher soon. When I get it, I'll post it. You'll be able to see that I've only used like 3% of the world in the books so far. I've got a whole rest of the world to play in. ; )

Happy Friday!
Lisa

Pop back by tomorrow for the Saturday Fun Pic.

Coming up on next week: Why I (and a lot of authors) hate first drafts; and I'll continue to answer reader questions such as: How much promotion do I do? Is there any genre I wouldn't write or read, and is there a genre or subject I'd like to attempt at some point? Do I read for fun, and if so what do I enjoy?

As always, I welcome your questions or blog topic suggestions.

Stop & go writing

For me, writing a first draft is a stop & go thing. There's a flurry of inspiration and writing -- then I slam into a wall. I pick myself up, think my way through the next chapter or two, have another flurry of writing, then slam into a wall. By the time I get to the end of the first draft, I'm gonna have a freaking concussion. ; )

That being said, I got a lot done on Chapter 5 last night, and I hope to have it finished Friday night. Chapter 6 is pretty much plotted out. Then I'll hit another wall. Either that or while writing Chapter 6, Chapters 7 & 8 will come to me. It's usually a combination of the two.

This is how I work, how I claw my way through a first draft. It's the same with every book, and slowly but surely, I'm coming to accept that's the way my writing brain works, and that's the way it's gonna be. I'm not at peace with it yet, but I'm getting there. Though the "control freak" part of my writing brain is still holding out hope that I'll come around to an ultra-organized way of writing. Though between you and me, I think Satan will be serving Sno-Cones in hell before that happens. ; )

I'll bet some of you are wondering about the photo contest from last month. I got some great entries, but since I didn't get that many of them everyone who entered is a winner and gets a prize. I think my idea for a prize is pretty cool. I have final page proofs (or galleys, if you will) from MLTF and A&M. I think I'll let those who sent in photos pick their favorite page from whichever book, and I'll send them that galley page, signed and personalized. Those of you who sent photos, email me and let me know what you think.

Coming up tomorrow: I'll answer another reader question.

Lisa

Interview on "Writing It Out"

YA fantasy writer, Beth Revis recently contacted me to ask if I'd be interested in doing an interview for her blog Writing It Out. Of course, I was delighted to. Beth asked some different questions than those you see in most interviews, so you'll get to know some new stuff about me. ; ) She posted my answers to her questions this morning. Read and enjoy!

Lisa

Characters in The Trouble with Demons

I finished the copyedits on The Trouble with Demons on Sunday afternoon, but didn't have time to email them back to my editor in New York until last night. But now that it's off my desk, I can get back to writing Bewitched & Betrayed. Uh . . . I think I'm on Chapter 5. But I'm going to give it a read-thru from the beginning tonight to get myself back up to speed.

Today's reader question comes from Simone; she wants to know what kind of new characters will be in TTWD.

Of course there are the main characters: Raine, Mychael, Tam, Phaelan, and Piaras. And the supporting cast of Talon Tandu, Justinius Valerian, Carnades Silvanus, Sarad Nukpana, Eamaliel Anguis (Raine's dad), Vegard Rolfgar, Ronan Cayle, Rudra Muralin, Sedge Rinker, and Katelyn Valerian. There are other minor characters, and references to characters who are still a big part of the action, but don't actually appear in this particular book. Don't worry, they will be back. ; )

New characters include Raine's uncle & Phaelan's dad -- Commodore Ryn Benares. I love him and I think you will too.

But the most prominent new character is Sora Niabi, professor of demonology at the Conclave college. Here's her description as told by Raine: The woman was human, about my height, with nut-brown skin, and black hair pulled back into a serviceable braid. Her robes were a riot of bright colors. I noticed that they were also slashed up the side, exposing practical trousers underneath, and good sturdy boots. She noticed me noticing. "When you study demons for a living, Miss Benares, it's healthy to be able to haul ass when you have to."

Sora is awesome. ; )

Lisa

How much research do I do for a book?

Last week, I received a series of great questions from a reader (Hi Robert!). One of them centered around how much research I do for my books.

While all fiction is made up, there's a certain amount of research you need to do, or knowledge you need to have to make it believable. I've always been a medieval and Renaissance history buff, and I spent over five years in the fencing gym. My Olympic fencing weapons of choice are the foil and epee, but I absolutely adore rapier & dagger dueling. Though the most fun is fighting while using a pair of rapiers (which is sometimes referred to as "Florentine style"). I also enjoy using a rapier in my main weapon hand (I'm right handed), with a bullwhip in my "off-weapon" hand (which for me is my left). I've used a smattering of my fencing knowledge in my books, but I'm putting two knock-down, drag out fight scenes in Bewitched & Betrayed. And to make sure I get it right, my fencing coach Wes Caudill is going to help me choreograph it. I really want to knock everyone's socks off with this one. ; )

So for those scenes in Bewitched & Betrayed, I'll probably have to gear up and go at it to make sure that what I write is as realistic as possible.

Lisa

Snippet from The Trouble with Demons

That was what tipped me off. Silence. Way too much of it for my comfort or anyone else's. Mychael and Vegard stopped.

I already had.

In that silence I sensed Piaras -- and something else.

I glanced at Mychael. I didn't know if he sensed Piaras, the men with him, or the something else that none of us needed tonight.

A roar answered all our questions.

I took off running. Behind me, Mychael spat a curse and was hot on my heels. Phaelan and Vegard had weapons out and were keeping up. Mychael stopped just before he reached the corner, and I thought it'd be a good idea to do likewise. I looked around the corner with Mychael and saw something out of a nightmare.

And Piaras had brought them to life.

The kid was spellsinging. Quick, sharp, and guttural. Piaras had conjured help, and he gotten a lot more than he'd bargained for.

He'd created monsters.

Piaras knew he couldn't take on five trained military professionals by himself, so he called for backup. I'd seen Piaras's spellsong conjurings before. They were good. But they were normal spellsong creature conjurings: all illusion, no substance. What I saw in that street definitely had substance. I thought I heard Sarad Nukpana's laughter, but with an embassy guard flying through the air and shrieking like a little girl, I couldn't be sure.

Piaras had conjured not one, not two, but three bukas -- the nine-foot-tall, hairy, long-fanged, longer-armed mountain monsters of goblin legend. Not only were there three of them, they were solid (they shouldn't be), they could roar (conjurings shouldn't be able to), and they appeared to be enjoying themselves (I didn't know bukas could). One of them had armed himself with a guard's sword that the elf wasn't going to be using anytime soon -- judging from his crumpled form lying against the curb -- and was wielding it with what I could only call cheerful glee.

"Damn," Vegard said in awe and admiration.

Phaelan was grinning from ear to ear. "I love it. I hate magic, but I love this."

Got questions?

I always have plenty to talk about. Get me started talking about books and writing and I could talk forever. Just ask my husband. ; )

What I want to know is: what do you want me to talk about? Do you have questions about MLTF, A&M, or TTWD? (The TTWD questions would have to be something I could answer without any spoilers.) Do you have any questions about me? Want to hear about specific writing topics? If you answered yes to any of the above, either leave a comment on the blog, or email me at lisa@lisashearin.com

This blog is for you. I want it to be fun, informative and helpful.

Lisa

Coming up tomorrow: I'll post a snippet from TTWD.

BTW -- I've been swamped with work at my day job and doing the copyedits for TTWD, so I haven't had a chance to fix my YouTube video of me reading from MLTF. I promise to get to that and post it as soon as I can.

Polishing/tightening with copyediting

Today, I thought I'd go into specifics about the changes/edits/corrections we're making in the copyediting phase for The Trouble with Demons, and how what I'm finding in my manuscript could possibly help you tighten your own work when an agent or editor asks you for a partial. When you send something out, you want it to be as clean and crisp as you can make it.

These are pretty basic fixes, but when you need to put your best work in front of an agent or editor (or in my case putting my best work on the bookshelves), it's important to get the basics right.

1. Think tight. Be aware of repeating yourself. If one sentence gets your point across, don't use two. Say what you mean the first time. The same applies to complete paragraphs. As writers, sometimes we tend to get a bit wordy. If you've already said something, repeating it using different words isn't going to get your point across any better; it'll just slow down your story, and you do not want that.

2. Strong words. Be sure to use the word that best conveys what you're trying to say. If it takes some sitting and pondering, or reaching for your thesaurus, then do it. I've found myself using several words when one stronger word would do a better job. (Great catch, Anne!)

3. Missing or extra words. Be aware of missing or extra words. It's usually the little guys (like "a", "and", "the" or "an") that get left out. When you've lived with a work long enough, you know what it's supposed to say, and after you've read it ten gazillion times, your eyes tend to skip over things. The same goes for extra words. When I revise a sentence, sometimes a word that should have been deleted with the rest of the discarded copy gets left behind, leaving me with one heck of a funky-sounding sentence.

4. Be clear. As writers, we assume a lot. When we get involved with our characters and stories, we can fall into the trap of assuming that we've already explained something. But in reality, that explanation is only in our head -- it never made it onto the screen. When you're reading your work for the last time before sending it out, either read it out loud, read each word, or better still, have someone with sharp eyes go over it for you. Something that may have made perfect sense to you, may actually need some clarification.

5. Spelling and punctuation. I know this is obvious, but it is so important in making a good first impression (and possibly an only impression) on an agent or editor. Spelling and punctuation -- get it right. If you're not sure, look it up. A typo or two can be overlooked; any more than that just looks sloppy. And better still is if you know a grammar geek or an English teacher who's willing to help you out.

Hope this helps! And I hope I didn't make any mistakes in this post. ; )
Lisa

Copyediting for The Trouble with Demons

Since I'm doing the copyediting on The Trouble with Demons this week, I thought I'd tell you about the process from my point of view.

In copyediting, my editor (Anne Sowards) goes through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb. She makes suggestions on perhaps a stronger word to use here, or some clarification needed on a point there. Ace Books also has a copyeditor who carefully reads the manuscript looking for typos, missing words (more common than you'd think), inconsistencies in plot facts, punctuation, etc. My copyeditor, Emma Stockton, absolutely rocks. This lady has sharp eyes. It's making my job much easier, since she's caught like 99% of any boo-boos. I hope to be finished with the copyedits by this weekend, so I can get back to writing Bewitched & Betrayed.

What I'm doing is answering any questions from Anne or Emma, tweaking a paragraph to more clearly explain a subplot point, and carefully reading the manuscript and fixing anything that isn't exactly how I want it. Copyediting is the last chance an author gets to make big changes in the copy, because the next step for the book is typesetting. Once a book is typeset, it is very expensive to the publisher to make changes that could cause copy to reflow. Needless to say, your editor will encourage you to do anything you want to do before the book is typeset.

We're using "Track Changes" in Word this time around instead of actually writing on a hardcopy printout. As an editor/proofreader in my day job, this is absolute heaven for me. Not to mention, the typeset version will be cleaner because there's not another person manually entering all the corrections/changes. My editor will look over the changes, click on "accept all changes" and it's ready to be typeset.

And yes, when I have ARCs (advance reader copies) of The Trouble with Demons, I'll be having some contests to give you all a chance to win one. ; )

Once the corrections/changes are made, the book is typeset. The final step in the editing process is the page proofs. Proofing a typeset book makes it so much easier to find the last of the typos, since it's in a different font than the one you wrote it in. I'll also be looking for bad word breaks, etc. Ideally at this stage, by doing the edits electronically using Track Changes, the typeset version should be almost perfect.

Tomorrow, I'll go into specifics about the changes/edits/corrections we're making, and how that could help you tighten up your own work when an agent or editor asks you for a partial.

Lisa

On sale date for The Trouble with Demons

It's official -- the The Trouble with Demons will be in bookstores on April 28.

Last night I got the copyedits for TTWD which are due back to my editor on October 22 (approx. two weeks). So I've stopped work on Bewitched & Betrayed to get those done. Last night I pushed through another big chunk of B&B Chapter 5, and did some plotting ahead. This will give my subconscious writing brain something to work on while I do the copy edits for TTWD over the next two weeks. I know that's why I've been waking up the past few mornings at 3:30 and not been able to go back to sleep, which makes for a cranky Lisa during the daylight hours. I needed to do some "big picture" plotting ahead. Just enough to satisfy the control freak part of my brain.

It worked perfectly; the book didn't wake me up last night -- Gracie did. One whimper from my girl greyhound and I'm instantly awake. She had to tinkle at 2:30 this morning. And being the social boy that he is, Andy wanted to go along. I took the greyhounds outside so they could happily soak the back yard. And apparently Gracie was having sleep issues of her own last night. She spent most of the night sleeping with me and Derek, but everytime she'd get off the bed, then come back later, she needed to be petted. I'm thinking she might not be feeling too good right now, so I gave her all the petting and reassurance she needed. And when she finally did fall asleep, Derek got Gracie's warm & furry back snuggled up to him -- I got those long legs, feet, and claws. I'm a little bleary eyed this morning, but I'll make it.

As I go through the TTWD copyedits this week, I'll see if there are some tidbits of writing knowledge in there from my editor that you all might be interested in hearing about.

Lisa

Webcam woes

First, the good news -- I've finished Chapter 4 of Bewitched & Betrayed (I altered the ending so that it fit better with the storyline), got a great start on Chapter 5, AND had a rush of ideas and scenes for the next book. While not particularly helpful now, it will be in the spring. After I turn in Bewitched & Betrayed on May 1, I'll immediately start writing a synopsis each for Books 5 and 6. If my editor likes them, and my publisher wants to buy them, I'll have myself another two-book contract. Woot! And you can help ensure that my publisher will want to buy Books 5 and 6, by spreading the word about my books. And if you haven't bought them yet, go to the Sample Chapters page here on my site. Give 'em a read, and if you like the first couple of chapters, go out or go online and get yourself some copies. The more books sold, the more books my publisher will want me to write.

Okay, I'm stepping off of my sales soapbox. I need your help -- at least those of you who are savvy about webcams. Derek got the audio working on my webcam this weekend, and yesterday I recorded a really fun reading from MLTF and some chatting. I was so proud of it. I was going to post it this morning, but I ran into a snag on the upload. Both Blogger and YouTube will only take files of 1GB or less, and no longer than 10 minutes. Well . . . I can fix the time issue; I'll just shut up sooner. But the big problem -- and I mean 5.68GB worth of big -- is the size of the .avi file I ended up with. Dang, that's huge. And I had a slight problem with the video synching up with the audio (I kinda felt like I was in a Godzilla movie). I have a PC, a Dell Inspiron to be exact, and I need to know how to reset my recording parameters so my videos aren't so freaking huge; and it'd be nice if the words came out at the same time my mouth moved. Any advice? Either email me or respond to the blog. Techie advice will be mucho appreciated.

Lisa

My muse's evil twin

If (no, make that when) you wake up at 3:30 in the morning, heart beating a little faster than normal, and your first thought is "My book sucks!" don't believe it. Well, at the very least don't believe it until you've had a chance to analyze the situation in the calm, rational light of day. For me, 3:30 in the morning is neither calm nor rational. I think that must be the time when I'm waking up from a nightmare, or at least a really trippy dream. Apparently, my muse's evil twin has determined that to be the perfect time for a visit.

Okay, on further reflection, the way I ended Chapter 4 last night wasn't what was needed. It was too much too soon. This particular event (though incredibly cool) doesn't need to happen until the next book, and then it should take place more toward the middle. So instead of starting Chapter 5 today, I need to do some brainstorming to determine how Chapter 4 should end, which directly affects how Chapter 5 begins.

In previous books, I'd be freaking out right about now. But I'm amazingly calm. I think this is due in part to this being my fourth book. I'm learning (and reluctantly accepting) how my writing brain works. It's very disorganized, whereas the rest of me is danged near OCD. ; ) And since I understand from quite a few of my author buddies that they're exactly the same way, it's become one less thing to wake me up worrying at 3:30 in the morning. I also know from my past experience that everything will be fine and so will the book. If I tense up, the ideas won't come, so I make an effort to stay calm, accept the slight disruption to my writing schedule, because it's happened for a reason.

Today, I'll even be taking a some time away from not only the computer, but the house. The Triangle Greyhound Society, of which Derek & I (and the hounds) are members, has a monthly "meet & greet" at a local mall. The mall management is kind enough to let us bring our dogs, and we meet at the center court. It serves the dual purpose of raising awareness for the adoption of retired racing greyhounds, and gives our highly social hounds a chance to socialize (aka nuzzle faces & sniff butts). During their careers, they were in racing kennels full of other greyhounds. Our Andy especially loves going to meet and greets. Last time he almost pulled me down the hardwood floor hall of the mall to get to his buddies. (He's a very strong boy).

When I get back home, I'll do some brainstorming, read a little, and just let my writing brain off leash (so to speak) to play. And I'm sure I'll be back on writing track by this evening.

Have a great weekend!
Lisa

Entirely too busy

I'm danged near too busy to breathe today at my day job. I don't have time for my usual blog, but I will be posting tomorrow, and back to normal on Monday. BTW -- I should be finishing Chapter 4 of Bewitched & Betrayed tonight, and starting Chapter 5 tomorrow. It's going good. ; )

Happy Friday!
Lisa

Know when to say when

Some days you just can't do it, exhaustion plain and simple. Yesterday was one of those days.

We had some thunderstorms come through Tuesday night and Lucy and Gracie (our Jack Russell and greyhound) apparently needed reassurance. Derek & I were woken up about every hour by the girls getting into and out of our bed. My alarm went off at 5:45 (my normal time), I worked pretty much non-stop at my day job, brainstormed some plot for Bewitched & Betrayed during my lunch break, and then went non-stop at work for the rest of the afternoon. I drove home, cooked dinner, fed me and Derek, and it was time to go upstairs to my office and write until about 10:00.

Uh . . . nope. Not gonna happen. I could barely put one foot in front of the other, let alone put words together in a coherent sentence. I decided that the best thing I could do for me, those who have to live with me, and the best thing I could do for the book was to stop, do some reading for enjoyment, and go to bed early. I figured since I have Chapter 4 halfway done, I deserved a break.

A good rule to write by: Always be willing to cut yourself some slack. You and your book will be better because of it.

A well-rested writer,
Lisa

How many Raine books will I write?

Recently, a blog reader (hi Kate!) asked the following question: How many books will there be in the Raine series? Is there an ending in sight? And if/when there is, have you considered writing another series or stand alone books?

As to how many books -- I don't know. As you'll be able to see when you get The Trouble With Demons and look at the map of Raine's world inside, I've got a LOT of world to work with. Mermeia is just five tiny islands, the Isle of Mid isn't much bigger. That leaves a huge world for me to play in. And after that brainstorming phone call with my editor last week, I got a lot of new ideas. And then there are the supporting characters: Mychael, Tam, Phaelan, and Piaras -- all of them interesting enough to support if not their own book, at least their own novella or short stories. I'd love to have a story in a fantasy anthology one of these days. At the moment, I don't have the time to write a short story or novella; but I figure when the time is right, I'll have the time.

Have I considered writing another series or stand-alone books? I do have a modern-day urban fantasy series that I will definitely be writing one of these days. I actually have some of the plot, backstory, and characterization already written for this one. I'm not ready to talk about the plot yet, but every time I read over my notes, I get a little thrill of getting this one started. ; )

Update on the YouTube video of me reading from my books: I got the video to work perfectly last night, but no sound. Dang it. I'll see if I can get everything functional in the next day or so and hopefully post a video on Saturday of me reading a section from MLTF.

As always, I love getting questions from you all. If there's any book- or writing-related questions, let me hear 'em. ; )
Lisa