Announcement: Self Edits Coming

August 17, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Starting tomorrow, 08/18/08, I will begin the lengthy section on Self-Editing.

There are so many simple things an author can do to avoid annoying an editor, whether it be the submissions editor of a publisher or one's own personal editor.

The most common is, of course, Spell Check/Grammar Check. I cannot believe how many times I've seen a first draft sent to me as a published author for my assessment, and it wasn't even spell-checked! Gimme a break!

Another error easily corrected but not often caught by Spell Check is homynyms. Words that sound alike, but have different meanings such as: They're, Their, and There. Learn them.

Finally, my personal pet peeve is when someone types "a lot" as "alot." Excuse me? Are you out of high school? Get it right! It's two words, and lazy phrasing at best. How many? A lot. How about counting? You can do that, right?

More on this as we proceed.
Lena

Writing Lessons– Take My Ass Anal Play

August 15, 2008 on 8:23 pm | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Take My Ass! Sexologist Donna Powell gives you a guide to anal sex and the greatest orgasms your woman will ever experience! – From Voluptuous XL, Special #70

Some couples would rather drink goat sweat than try anal sex. Others enjoy an occasional rectal soiree. Anal sex is often associated with homosexuality, hence an inherent stigma. However, according to various statistics, 40 percent of all heterosexual couples have tried anal sex, with up to half of these continuing to do it on an occasional basis.
Does it hurt?
Does it feel good?
Can a woman have an orgasm taking the big boy anally?
The answers?
Yes, yes and oh yes!
Yes, it will be painful if a lubricant isn’t used properly.
Yes, it feels good.
And, yes, a woman can have an orgasm, and the strongest, longest-lasting, most ecstatic orgasm she’s ever had! In fact, according to most who have, once she’s had an orgasm via the unabridged butt-fuck, she’s going to be hooked on it for life! There quite simply is no other human connection that can bring a woman such unadulterated bliss as being fucked up the backside in the right way.
So, what is the right way?
That’s what you’re going to learn about as you continue reading.
The human asshole is virtually filled with lots of sensitive nerve receptors. The wall between her pussy and rectum swells when a woman is sexually aroused which, in turn, tugs on the same nerve that transmits G-spot orgasms to the brain. As a result, women will receive ecstatic sensations between the rectum and cunt during anal sex that they never get otherwise. The stimulation she gets during anal sex tugs on that nerve also. The result is a really-mind-blowing and cunt-throbbing orgasm, one that seems to bring her asshole and clit together in a climax to end all climaxes, both in sheer power of its spasms and in lasting strength.
Why all the enthusiasm? (Do I sound like a used car salesman?) Well, it’s because I was a non-believer in the power of anal sex to even bring me an orgasm, let along the strongest, longest-lasting climax I’ve ever had in my life! I really thought anal sex was just a pain in the ass that men liked and that women were forced now and then to endure.
Was I ever wrong!
But, it can be that. It can be merely a pain in the ass if it isn’t done in the right way. And, that “right way” is the secret between backside pain and backside bliss. If a guy merely sticks his erect cock up your bum and expects you to love it, no way! He has to pave the way first. He has to prepare your butt well before the onslaught of his hard prick can bring you the pleasure I’ve promised.
How does he do that? Rectal expert Erik Mainard – known as the Avatar of the Ass – has the formula down pat. He tells you to gently massage her asshole with a well-lubricated finger and to angle it upwards toward the tail bone (which is the way the rectum curves). If you’re going to try anal sex, and please do, Erik Mainard tells you to train the rectal sphincters (muscles) to relax by shoving a lubed finger up a female’s rear very gently and slowly every night for a week. (We told you it takes preparation, but it’ll be well worth the effort.) He also suggests that she use her own finger, for instance, when in the shower, so she can get a better sense of how the sphincter works (AKA digital-rectal bonding).
This preparation is very necessary. It’s the difference between sheer ecstasy and a bad pain in the ass. And, it doesn’t take a week for some women. But, as a general rule, that’s the case. It only takes a minute or so a day. A lubed finger gently slipped into her asshole for several days prior to shoving your prick in is all it takes.
Let’s you that you’ve “prepared” her the right way and you’re ready now to take the plunge. Her asshole is conditioned and ready for your prick.
Okay. Unless you’ve spent the last 15 years on the dark side of the moon, you’ll wear a condom, and you’ll lube it with a non-petroleum-based lubricant like Astroglide or K-Y jelly. You’re ready. She’s aroused and ready. Slowly, ever so slowly, you slip it in to the hilt and leave it there for about a full minute or so. (This conditions her emotionally and gets her used to something larger than a finger inside her.)
Now, slowly, ever so slowly, pull it out until only the head is buried. Then, in again, less slowly, stay there for about half a minute, and then slowly pull out about half way. Now, you’re ready to butt-fuck! Don’t begin with fast or hard lunges (especially on your “out” moves). But, within about two minutes, you can establish a fairly fast and hard thrusting rhythm.
You can tell when she’s ready for you to drive it into her really hard and fast. She’ll suddenly begin breathing hard and rear up as if she wants more. That’s your cue. Drive it in fast, hard and furious (it won’t hurt her at all if you’ve properly conditioned her with a finger). And, after a few minutes, she’ll lapse into a really thrilling orgasm, the most pleasurable and longest-lasting she’s ever experienced. You’ll feel its spasms clearly and her sphincter muscles will clamp really hard on your plunging cock.
I suppose there will be exceptions. A few women may only enjoy the feeling of building pressure and fail to climax. But, in my personal experience, every female I’ve ever told about this “preparation” method has had the most mind-blowing orgasms ever – even those who have a hard time achieving an ordinary clitoral orgasm. If she’s one of those who fails to cum, try having her stimulate her clitoris with a vibrator or a finger at the same time you’re banging her bum.
Now that I’ve got your interest, I’m going to turn you into a consummate asshole lover. I’m going to suggest some ways you can make passionate love to her entire backside and its adjacent area. And, she’ll certainly love you for it!
Have her lay on her stomach and prop some pillows beneath her pelvis. Then, begin licking her entire backside slowly and lovingly for at least five minutes. Next, insert your finger into her pussy and begin, at the same time, licking her asshole. Don’t worry, the human asshole, after a soapy shower, is more free of bacteria than the mouth – you’ll get less germs than if you kissed her. Lick it really lovingly and form a U-shaped tool with your tongue and try to insert it a little. She’ll squirm with pleasure. This is an ideal form of foreplay for you to use before you shove it in. It’s soothing and relaxing and it further prepares her sphincters for your prick.
Curiously, many females who are not particularly turned on by breast-play or nipple manipulation during foreplay will find their tits extremely sensitive and receptive to such attentions during anal sex.
One of the most exciting and successful forms of anal sex consists of deep, slow thrusting with simultaneous nipple manipulation while the female employs either a vibrator or a finger against her clitoris.
As for hygiene, the only care that should be taken during anal sex (outside of slow, genital penetration) is the simple, sanitary expedient of washing the penis before using it again for vaginal insertion – otherwise, vaginitus (inflammation of the vagina) may result.
Just as most females can achieve orgasm through the pleasure-transmitting frictions of anal penetration, similarly, due to the profusion of nerve-ends all through the buttocks, spanking can sometimes transmit orgasmic pleasure in many females (and in some males).
Nerve-ends are stimulated by the smacks of a hand or a belt and reflexive shock-waves are ecstatically received by the clitoris. Pleasure achieved through this sort of pain is as non-perverted and normal as pleasure achieved during ordinary coitus. The fun of fucking (for a female) resides in the pleasure felt in the vagina and clitoris: spanking sometimes provides that same pleasure for many females. Pain becomes the pleasure-transmitter instead of a penis. Thus, ironically, a “pain in the ass” may engender pleasure in the cunt. It’s actually that simple.
Every female has her own best position for anal sex. It may require a bit of patient experimenting to determine which posture she should assume for the easiest and most pleasurable penetration.
Bending forward while standing and placing the hands on a low stool or coffee table causes a spreading of the buttocks and a corresponding opening of the anus which some females find favorable.
Doggy style also spreads her cheeks and tends to loosen her asshole, allowing for excellent leverage and possibly the deepest penetration of any position.
Many females enjoy anal sex in the same position they enjoy vaginal sex – lying on their backs with their legs high and with their buttocks propped on pillows.
Another effective anal sex position for some couples is for the female to lie over a table with her feet spread wide on the floor.
Some females might prefer to merely recline on their backs and hug their knees up while her man enters her backside.
A marvelous and extraordinarily thrilling method is for the female to straddle the reclining male and literally sit on his penis. This method allows the female complete control as to the depth and speed of penetration, thereby allowing her to control the tempo and resulting climax.
Notwithstanding the extremely pleasurable aspects of fucking her up the bum, she’ll think you’re really a complete, considerate lover if you take the time and effort (not much) to prepare her. It’s a form of flattery that can’t be surpassed. “There he is, making love to that nasty part of me, showing me there’s no single part of me that he doesn’t love,” is what she’s bound to think. And, it’s likely she’ll want to return the favor by various kinds of asshole attentions that she gives to you.
The male has what amounts to a clitoris in his asshole, the prostate gland, and stimulation of that sensitive gland can be nothing less than ecstatic to most men, it if is contacted in the right way. A vibrator or a finger can be used, but not like the doctor uses his finger to examine your prostate. Slowly and gently does it. The nerve pathway from the penis to the brain runs through the rectum. One large bundle is located beneath the prostate.
Another reason why an anal-assisted orgasm feels deeper is because the nerve that transmits sensations from the bladder to the brain is getting stimulated.
Another suggestion for having a good time in her bum is if she occasionally contracts her upper thigh muscles. This will work to massage your buried cock marvelously and your woman will receive the same ecstatic sensations. This can even make it unnecessary for you to thrust in and out.
IF you like the thought of fucking her up the bum, chances are you like to watch anal sex videos. In her book, The Ultimate Guide to Anal Sex for Women, Tristan Taormino warns that anal intercourse requires a lot of preparation and a slow, relaxed approach. This is the part that anal sex videos leave out.
Even when making XXX-rated movies, they don’t just go plowing into some porn starlet’s rear without lots of preparation and anal foreplay – none of which the viewer actually sees in the video. So, while it’s fine to enjoy all the hot action in Anal Invaders Number Six Million and Thirty-Two, don’t for a moment try to replicate it in real life with a real partner, unless she’s inflatable and has a polyurethane asshole. No matter what you are putting into a rear-end, it needs to go in very slowly and come out even more slowly. Most people have no difficulty grasping the former, but they fail to realize that anything pulled out of an asshole, whether it’s a finger, penis, or vibrator, needs to be pulled out just as slowly as it went in.
One of the most sensitive parts of the human body is the skin that surrounds the outer rim of the asshole. It’s easy to stimulate this area with a thumb, finger, tongue, or vibrator without sticking a penis in at all. Lots of women who are receiving vaginal stimulation greatly enjoy it when their partner puts light to medium pressure on their anus with a thumb, finger, and especially a vibrator. This is also an extremely good way to prepare her asshole for later entrance.
Anal beads consist of several beads on a strong. Each bead is held in place on the string so it doesn’t slide. When inserted up the bum, and slowly pulled out at climax, they really make her kick-ass orgasm feel even more intense. Anal beads can be as small as moth-balls or as big as golf-balls. She can use them when she masturbates, and she can obviously even use them on you – have her slowly pull them out of your anus when you cum.
Instead of simply sticking a finger straight into your partner’s asshole, rest the pad of your finger over the puckered opening. Massage gently. Eventually, slide the tip of your finger in, assuming it is well lubed. Make sure she’s thoroughly aroused in other parts of her body before knocking on the back door.
One of the keys to blissful anal sex is having her entire body relaxed and receptive. Tell her not to hold her breath. Breathing deeply will help her stay relaxed.
Once you get your finger, penis, vibrator, or whatever inside her rear-end, don’t start thrusting with it. Leave it in place and gently start making circular motions. If and when she wants you to start thrusting, pull out slowly, and as far as possible, add more lube. Then, you can start thrusting slowly. A woman might like her clit being massaged at the same time she is having anal sex, as it will extend the feeling throughout her pelvis. Or, maybe not. Ask and see. Using a latex glove helps fingers slide in more smoothly; using a condom helps a penis thrust more smoothly. If you get into enemas as part of anal sex, use plain tap water and make sure it’s not too cold, unless she truly enjoys experiencing the cramps.
As I’ve emphasized, the main thrust of any kind of anal action is preparation. If you properly prepare her asshole for several days before you sink it in slowly, she’s going to love it. This is the one big difference between pain and pleasure for her: preparation. It’s not a big thing, either. A minute or so for several days (to a week) with a well-lubed finger is all it takes.
Some experts say that asshole penetration can become addictive to a female. It’s not hard to understand why. The connection can not only cause her to achieve longer and more explosive climaxes, she is also relived of the need to use contraceptives (a major cause of PMS) and her period no longer interferes with her fun. She (and her guy) can also be inclined to feel that her posterior preference sets her apart from peers whose sexual performance is strictly up front. She feels that she and her male are bonded in a merger that brings them a special (and secret) brand of bliss. There is little doubt that it is this difference that is currently making all kinds of backside play so popular.
Change is the name of the game when it comes to satisfying sex, and certainly a female’s asshole offers you guys plenty of passionate possibilities for variety and change.

Note from Lena: What makes you think guys are any different in the anal play department? That's where THEIR G-spot is!

Writing Lessons: Sex is Action

August 14, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments In case you haven't seen this -- from "Steam 101" by ANgela Knight.
(http://angelasknights.com/steam101.htm)

When goddesses speak, I listen. Even when you know this stuff, seeing it
distilled sharpens the focus -- at least it does for me.

Sex is action
One of the hardest things about writing a good love scene – particularly when you've written a lot of them – is how to keep them fresh and different. After all, the physical actions of sex are basically the same – kiss this, stroke that, insert tab A into slot B. You can spice things up by using different positions, locations and props, but that only works so many times.

Besides, readers are not dumb. They notice when you've got three sex scenes, and you tick through the basic positions in them: "Okay, we'll do missionary in this one, and female superior in this one, and in this one he'll..."

Yuck. Getting into porn territory again.

I've found that to keep sex fresh and different, love scenes needs to grow out of the characters themselves, not my reference copy of the Kama Sutra. Every time the hero and heroine go to bed together, it should reflect where they are in their relationship. In fact, ideally you should be able to read through the sex scenes alone and track the progress of the romance through the book.

In that first scene, maybe they're uncertain or cautious or exploring – or maybe they just go nuts from pent-up sexual tension. In the next scene, maybe they've had an argument right before going to bed together, and that anger bubbles under the surface so that the love scene becomes another expression for the conflict. And so on, until the last scene in the book, when we see how they make love now that they're really in love and committed to one another.

Sweet, tender action will do more than flowery declarations of love to tell the reader that these folks really will live happily ever after. Remember, too, that each love scene should not only mark the progress of the relationship, but also advance it. The characters are sharing a deeply personal interaction, exposing themselves to each other emotionally as well as physically. It should change how they relate to each other.

Writing Lessons– Getting Over Your Ick Factor

August 13, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Lena asked me to give a few pointers about writing sex (or any other type) scene that you've never had experience in. First, you are NOT your character. You have to distance yourself from your own personal biases or as Lena and I put it your own "ick" factor.

Second, if you've never experienced something, take a visual trip through it - rent a video! If you're doing an anal scene, rent a movie that has it - then STOP the video during the scene, imagine you are seeing your characters doing it - now write it, repeat as often as necessary to get it across on the page.

This way, even if you haven't done that particular act, or don't find it enjoyable, your character should and those actors are at least pretending they do. This same sort of thing would work for a travel video for scenes in another part of the country or world - cheaper than a plane ticket! As an editor, I can't use my own biases in my reading. Even if I have done it with multiple partners, and yes, all the groping for room on the bed, or landing on someone's hair or leg can get really funny, there are some acts that I'm not crazy about. I can't swallow - can't, won't, but I can imagine it with a character. That's what I mean about getting through the 'ick' factor.

Third, if its something about wanting to be more varied in your scenes - and as an editor, please do this! Redundant actions in multiple scenes or even books get boring - Get yourself a set or two of those foreplay or sex dice. When you are in plotting the where's and what's of a scene - roll the dice. It will keep some spark in your scenes and take some of the pressure off you feeling like "sXXt, not another sex scene, I just did that two chapters ago."

Fourth, and this one is funny - use the dolls, whatever, and do a type of home movie with them. That way, you position the dolls, take your video camera (some Libraries and the like will have them to check out, I've heard = or borrow one from someone) and make your own porn movie. Reposition them, give a running commentary if you want (hands here, etc.) take another part of the "movie", and keep doing it until you get through the scene. Use this to help with who would see what as you go through the scene. When you are done - ERASE THE TAPE! This is not something that you want the kids, family, or anyone else viewing. Unless you want to be blackmailed by your spouse.

And if you think I've never told my authors to do this - just ask Lena. I've given her "homework" assignments. Enjoy, and let me know if any of this helps.

Peggy Roberts

Writing Lessons- Links for Erotic Writing

August 12, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Links You’ll Need


1. Morgan Hawke's book

http://www.mojocast le.com/cheater/ write.html

2. The 52 Sex Positions Cards

http://www.slumberp arties.com/ productdetail. cfm?ProductIDCod e=1159&CategoryID=7

3. My Limits List and Dictionary

http://www.bdsm-education.com/checklist.html
Dictionary: http://www.bdsm-education.com/dictionary.html


ã Lena Austin 2007
Do not reproduce or distribute without permission

Sixteen Steps of a Sex Scene Overview

August 11, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Note: This is a mere overview of my full workshop on the Sixteen Steps. Please ask questions if you don't understand.


This class explains how detailed a love scene/sex scene can be. I urge you to use this form in its blank state for every sex scene you write. Not only will your word count go up, but you’ll write the hottest stuff to your personal limits and give your readers the full range of emotions and experiences. Keep in mind always that there are FIVE senses: Touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight. Use them. Mix and match. We are not just visual creatures.



Sixteen Steps of a Sex Scene


Participants: Name them all! Whose POV will you be using? Change the font color to remind yourself you’re in THAT person’s POV. If necessary, write the scene in first person, then change it later to third. You’ll get a very deep POV this way.

Location: Note the location(s) where the action will take place. If they change locations, note why

POV Character Conflict: Note the conflict of the POV Character. Think ahead, here. How can the POV character’s conflict impact this scene? How would s/he relate the sensations to his or her personal perspective? (Example: a construction worker might relate what’s happening to hammer blows, “nailing” her, and the satisfaction of seeing the final product done. His female companion may either resent such analogies or find it cute.)


Tension (repeat as necessary to ratchet up emotions)

After all, this is the beginning of the meeting, and foreplay. This ritual of meeting, sizing up one’s possible partners, picking one, and seducing them is as old as time and very important. These actions create tension between the characters for the readers if they understand the characters reluctances, conflicts, and attractions as a mix of emotions that must be dealt with.

Why should they bang one another? Why shouldn’t they? This applies to all characters involved, not just the POV character, though their conflict is the most important and obvious. They may have a different perspective on why they should and shouldn’t enjoy themselves with their chosen partner than what the partner actually feels is important.

A classic example blast from the past: He’s the Lord, and she’s the virgin. He wants her very badly, but is constrained by the social aspects as well as not wanting to hurt her. She, on the other hand, wants him badly enough to bear the pain and may wish to be deflowered for her own reasons. Still, she’s scared and telegraphs this fear. The Lord picks up on this fear, and this adds another layer of conflict on top of his conflicts.

How and when will you convey these layers to the reader without an information dump? Choose different points to subtly express these layers as they work through the courtship and foreplay dance. When the characters break these rules, why did they do so?

State conflicts: _________________________________________

Eye to body—Let the characters check each other out. Respectfully, most start at the head/face and work down the body, then back up. Those who do not respect their partners start lower, and work their way up.

Eye to eye – They catch one another’s eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul, and the reader’s window to their emotions. The POV character can read much in his prospective partner’s eyes.

Voice to voice – How they speak to each other can mean a great deal and add much depth. How would they speak to one another?

Hand to hand – This goes beyond just shaking hands or the ubiquitous hand kiss of historical fiction. It’s built into our psyche that the first touch contact will almost always be with our hands. Even holding hands while walking in public has significance. Think about it. How many times have you read where the heroine thinks the hero is being high-handed because he took her elbow and steered her toward something instead of more correct behavior?

Arm to shoulder – Think of the classic movie theater scene where he slips his arm around her to get a little closer. Does she accept this move or give him a filthy look? Does she feel trapped or is she scared? Is he attempting to protect her or is he making a move on her? Many a surprise change of pace can happen when he lovingly wraps his arm around her, and she anticipates further foreplay. Instead, he shoves her to the ground to avoid the villain! Is this a prelude to a full embrace? Go for it!

Arm to waist – Someone slides their hand around the other’s waist and perhaps pulls the embrace into full body contact. Or, do they keep to the socially neutral side-to-side move? Is it a snatch and grab or a tentative hug? Again, what are the emotions and conflicts?

Mouth to mouth --- A kiss is never “just a kiss.” The Kama Sutra lists many different kisses from the kiss you’d give a baby to the full-throated, “I’m going to eat your face and give you a tongue tonsillectomy” kiss. What is appropriate to each character, their emotions and conflicts?

Hand to head – Believe it or not, it is built into our psyche that touching the head is even more intimate than kissing. Letting someone touch your head (girls, allowing them to take down your hair) is very intimate and involves more trust than a mere kiss. After all, the head is where your brain case is if you’re human. At this point, full intimacy has been initiated by this display of trust.

****This is the point where non-erotic authors fade to black and let the readers’ imaginations provide the rest. However, many of us can go further. ****

Conflict
(KINK _____________________) –Think about your kink. Mix them up a bit. Need a hint? Look up Limits List from the BDSM community detailing every kink those twisted folks ever thought of, even a few most won’t touch. Many publishers consider some, such as Infantilism, taboo. Don’t go there. If you don’t know what it means, research. My limits list has a link to a dictionary of terms.

Hand to body – Uh…you do have to get your characters undressed. If someone’s going to tie someone up, what do they use? Tying the heroine up to the banister rails with her own sleeves or did the hero somehow conveniently have a soft cotton rope? Get creative.

Mouth to breast – Men like it too, in some cases. They too have an erogenous zone on the breast. Remember there’s more than a nipple there! The areola, under the breast, and even the sides of the breast are fair game.

Hand to genitals (May include use of protections, toys, lubes). There are sensual ways to put on a condom. You can use toys! Yes, you can. There are more than just dildoes out there. Go research if you’re clueless or need something new. Think about the setting. A pussy willow makes a great toy, but even an ice cube or handful of snow is a toy. Use the setting and the characters’ backgrounds. Would she think of the honey in the kitchen? How about the candle for a little hot wax play?

Mouth to genitals Oral technique used: _______________________ (repeat as often as you wish)—Really, who gives what to whom? Do they switch off? 69? Think about it. Where are they? What’s around beyond the bed?

Genital to genital A. Position A: ________________ B. Position B:__________________ Again, get them out of the bedroom and be unique. Go at it over an overstuffed chair or convenient rock. How about the table? Need help? May I recommend the 52 sexual position card set from Slumber Parties? http://www.slumberparties.com/productdetail.cfm?ProductIDCode=1159ICategoryID=7


Climax and Epiphany

DANGER!! Have you neglected to finish, or did you just have them scream and collapse! These next few steps are where most authors fail to tie it all up with a bow for the reader and leave them panting. This is the “satisfaction” for the reader and it should never be neglected.

Emotional change: __________________________ No one goes through a sexual experience without a change of emotion in a romance unless they’re an unfeeling monster. The POV character will have an emotional epiphany of some kind. Examples:

The Lord, having deflowered the virgin, now feels he must in honor marry her. This is Guilt.
The woman, having given her body to her lover, now recognizes it wasn’t just a happy roll in the hay with a good-looking man, but she’s in love. How does she feel about that?
During sex, he made a discovery about her and must now leave her. He may or may not want to do so.

14. 3- minute warning to climax (POVC will have an in-character/situation analogy) – A flying creature may have the analogy of flying to the sun. A space captain may relate the orgasm to that first time they hit a hyperspace wormhole. Relate their physical sensations to their personal situation.

15. Climax – This is the danger zone of purple prose. Be realistic. If necessary, go do a little research with your mate and try to put yourself in the head of your character.

16. Afterglow: (note afterglow technique)—This is romance. There should be an afterglow cuddle, maybe a little food or drink, or something more than falling asleep with exhaustion. If your characters fall asleep, so will your reader.

Move to next scene how?______________________ --Give the reader a reason to keep turning those pages. Give a clue as to the next challenge or how their emotional change will bring a plot twist. Where will they go? What will they do now? Leave ‘em hanging and twisting in the wind. Whatever!

ã Lena Austin 2007
Please do no reproduce or share without permission

Announcement– Adult Warning on Next Week

August 10, 2008 on 7:29 pm | In Writing Lessons | No Comments It's no secret that I write erotica. Therefore, it behooves me to include a few lessons on writing the hot sex so popular with the readers. You might want to skip this week if you write anything else but erotica.

The language will be frank. There may even be pictures. Stand by. This work is from my WIP, The Kinky Kama Sutra for Erotica Writers. All work is copyrighted by me.

Lena

Announcement– Adult Warning on Next Week

August 10, 2008 on 7:29 pm | In Writing Lessons | No Comments It's no secret that I write erotica. Therefore, it behooves me to include a few lessons on writing the hot sex so popular with the readers. You might want to skip this week if you write anything else but erotica.

The language will be frank. There may even be pictures. Stand by. This work is from my WIP, The Kinky Kama Sutra for Erotica Writers. All work is copyrighted by me.

Lena

Writing Lessons: The Hook by Lucynda Storey

August 8, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments Hooks - My Crit Strength and Pet Peeve

Chapter ending hooks are exactly what they sound like. Some of you
can relate to the analogy of fishing. You bait, toss the line in the
water, and hope the hook catches you a fish.

Not into fishing? Think of a movie scene, or some story you read that
you really enjoyed. You know the kind ... the one that leaves your
heart pounding, and you holding your breath.

Every chapter in your book is at least one scene in length, maybe
more. You arrange the setting, you place the story actors on the
stage, and you have them act. They go through what they need to, and
the tension builds. You can't wait to see or read what happens next.

And then, you find out.

Then chapter ends.

You look at the watch on your cell phone, or the clock in your
bedroom and yawn. Time for bed. You shove a bookmark into the
paperback, set it on the bed stand and go to sleep.

Yikes!

No. No! NO! You don't want your reader to breath easy at the end of
the chapter (or a scene for that matter). You don't want to put their
mind at rest.

What do you want? You want to agitate them with the question that
keeps them reading on into the next chapter. You want them to
ask, "What happened next?" What did s/he decide? How are they going
to get out of THAT situation?

How do you do it?

Simple. Write the scene, complete with the logical consequences of
the tension of that section of your work. Then reread what you've
written with an eye to the tension you've built. Take it to the
pinnacle, where there is no way at that particular time you can make
things any worse, and then, end the chapter.

Here is a sample from my novel, 15 DEGREES OF HEAT:

Diego pointed the gun in Rob’s face as he attempted to stand. “To the
desk, Doctor.”

Cold steel slapped onto his right wrist when Diego handcuffed him to
the crossbar between the front and rear desk legs. Rob rattled the
chains, tried to loosen them. Diego laughed and left him in the
thickening smoke.

A scream followed. Cali’s. Muffled thumps, another crash, and then
Rob glimpsed Diego with Cali slumped over his shoulder. The villain
stopped in the doorway. With a leisurely look, he took in the
conflagration that would soon consume the entire clinic. He tsked
with mock sadness. “Such a shame you have to die, Doctor, but the
clinic, I will make sure it is rebuilt, someday. Buenos dias, Señor.”
Diego grinned and closed the door.

This scene personified "out of the frying pan into the fire."

The reader doesn't know what happens to Dr. Rob. He's trapped,
handcuffed to the desk, the fire roaring around him.

Of course, I, as the author, know precisely what is going to happen
next. Rob is going to escape, but my reader doesn't know how. They
must read on to find the answer.

That is what a hook is supposed to do. Use them. You'll have readers
up to all hours of the night racing to the end of your novel.

Writing Lessons: Pesky POV Solutions

August 6, 2008 on 11:00 am | In Writing Lessons | No Comments POV Issues

Definition:
POV- Point of View- is simply "whose eyes are you looking out of when describing a scene or story." This is their perception, with their vocabulary, and their interpretation of events.

For example, a nobly born person will not view the same setting in the same manner as a street-wise punk. A man will not perceive a room the same way a woman does. Women notice different things and often can identify decorations by name. How many men can accurately differentiate between Prada and Gucci? A punk in a rich, opulent room may have no clue he's sitting in a Louis XIV chair, all he'd know is that it was "girlie" and looked delicate. Unless he's classically trained, he probably wouldn't know Beethoven from Vivaldi. He'd also be very uncomfortable.

I will use the characters from the movie, "The Wizard of Oz" as illustrations. Most of us are familiar with these characters.

The bane of every writer is to stay in the correct POV. The author looks at the scene from an omniscient point of view, and often falls into the trap of writing that way. Head hopping is a common error, and one many writers commit.

Fortunately, there are two easy solutions to the problem. While neither is guaranteed to fix all the issues, both do have advantages and disadvantages.

Method #1:

The first method has the advantage of being more accurate with less likelihood of falling out of POV. However, it is also the most difficult, requiring two stages. I use this method personally, because POV has been a consistent issue for me. Since I began doing this, I've had no critique partners nail me for POV.

Write your chapter in first person first. This forces you into deep POV, as you literally sit inside the head of your character and view the world through his or her eyes. For that brief time, you are that person and will more accurately perceive and describe through their personality. The Cowardly Lion and Dorothy would perceive the Dark Forest very differently. After all, it was Lion's comfortable home and he no doubt would be able to name every tree's species and even relate to events in his past. Dorothy, on the other hand, grew up in Kansas and probably could not do this. She would be concerned only with what might be in the forest and how to stay on the Yellow Brick Road to further her goal of getting to the Wizard. Lion is also a predator with a keen nose, and Dorothy a human with only a limited sense of smell. Depending on whose POV you wrote from, you would not describe events or the forest the same way.

Done? Now use the Edit/Replace commands in Word to highlight: he/she, his/hers, him/her, my, I, we, us, our, myself, himself/herself, mine. Let the computer do the work for you so you don't skip a single First Person reference. Change them to third person, one by one. Example: Our becomes Their. Make sure it flows. "I" can become either the character name or "He/She" depending on placement.

This takes practice. Don't expect perfection, because you won't get it all the first time. Now read it aloud to a friend or into a tape recorder. Play it back with your eyes shut. Do you hear anything awkward, or can't figure out who is referred to? Make a note to fix it and continue. A friend is very good for this. You're too close to the work and won't hear the flaws they would.

Method #2:

Change font colors to represent the different characters as a visual reminder of whose POV you're in. A bright pink font to represent your female, a bright blue to represent the male, or any coloration you like as long as you're comfortable.

This advanced technique has the advantage of allowing the author to write in third person the first draft. However, it also is less accurate in preventing head hopping mistakes. The author may assume they are describing accurately, but can't see the switch.

For those lucky enough to be able to stay in character, this technique may be all that's needed to remind them whose viewpoint they are working from with accuracy.

Both methods are equally valid, and can be used together if necessary. What works for one person will not work for another. Experiment and find what works for you.

Lena

Short bio: Lena Austin has written over thirty published titles. She has been writing professionally since 2003. She is also the Marketing Coordinator for Changeling Press, and assistant manager of Phoenix Rising Promotions.