Time for another teaser leading up to publication of my next book. Tap the video and turn your speakers up. Then ponder Lisa’s poster and see if you’re imagination gives you any clues about this story.
As always, feel free to use Lisa’s poster for your phone background, or whatever. She makes for great Pinterest pins.
How about it, gang? Any idea what this Halloween story might be about yet?
Hate to say it, but that quote is pretty spot on. The human heart is a very fragile thing when it comes to love. If one person in a relationship changes without the other and no attempts are made to bridge the gap then pain is the only result. Our emotional state is tied to our physical and mental states, so heartbreak can have a domino effect that some people never get out of. Depression, gaining weight, anxiety, phantom pains, lethargy, and the list of ailments that can be traced by to heartbreak is pretty long. Geez, I’m started to get some phantom chest pains just writing this one. We’re going to see how far I get because this is a subject that hits pretty close to broken home.
As authors, I think many of us enjoy the concept of romance. There’s a complaint that it’s found too often in fiction, but it’s a journey that most people go through or hope they can experience. If we are to create believable heroes then we have to consider if they would be interested in dating or getting married. Romance makes sense for some heroes because they are already caring about other people, so it’s almost like they’re destined to fall for somebody. There’s a higher level of emotional connections from them and love is the most powerful positive one in the book. That isn’t to say it’s mandatory, but it can make a lot of sense that these characters have romantic encounters. A way to avoid this is to make them cold and interested only in sex if they have any interest in relations at all. Still, I think this is one reason why relationships turn up even in non-romance stories.
The other side of the coin is heartbreak. With romance, you always have the risk of things not working out. That’s just how reality works and this might be harder to do than the initial connection. You need to build up a reason for things to go south because a sudden ‘we are through’ might hit with a dull thud. The dumper would be seen as a jerk and, if a hero, would have a cloud over their heads for the duration of the story. If it is sudden then you need a reason such as a villain forcing them to do it or something that clears up any mystery. Yes, there are break-ups that happen in real life where one party will never learn the reasons, but fiction does require more. Even shock value heartbreaks need to be explained later or they come off as empty. This can be as simple as the character no longer being in love and admitting that they didn’t know what else to do. My point here is that you need to plan your breakups almost more than you plan the initial romances.
Another part of the romance and heartbreak that some authors forget is that you need to maintain the emotions. Lovers need to show their affections to some extent either physically or verbally. Almost used the wrong word there. You can’t have them start a relationship and never act like a couple. Saying ‘I love you’ means nothing if you don’t act like it too. On the other side is heartbreak where at least one of the characters needs to be in pain. I’m sorry, but very few people shake off heartbreak after one night of drinking and a pep talk from friends. Even if they are significantly better, you can still see flickers of the anguish from no longer being in a relationship. Much of this is determined by the degree of the relationship too. Breaking up after a week won’t hurt nearly as much as a divorce after decades. Unless there is a mutual agreement to split, you’re going to have to write about the characters getting through the inner turmoil. This is a great place for growth and development too. We talk about how obstacles build heroes and heartbreak can be one of the worst.
I’m running out of steam here since this is a difficult topic for me. I’m writing this up in late June too, so I might be in better spirits come September. Anyway, tell me what you think about romance and heartbreak in fiction? Not if it belongs in there, but how you think it should be used and any tips you have for using it.
I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC for The Indie Writer’s Handbook by one of my favorite authors, David Wind. David has included a kind mention to this blog in his book, which is specifically aimed at Indies, hence the ARC.
“A great primer for new Indie authors (as well as ones who have been around and are wondering if they are doing everything they can to succeed). The easy, conversational style makes the fact that it is packed with information painless, the screenshot walk-thru’s of how to fill-out and accomplish various tasks online were a great idea – I’d definitely recommend!”
USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Indie Author Amy Vansant
David Wind is a Hybrid author with 40 books of fiction published both Traditionally and Independently. He is a member of the Authors Guild, The Mystery Writers of America, The Science Fiction and Fantasy…
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Blink from Marvel
There’s a difference between teleportation and dimension hopping that some people don’t always realize. The former involves jumping from one location to another in the same world. The latter is about moving between different worlds. You can call it dimensional teleportation, which works. Yet, the two words aren’t interchangeable. Obviously, I’m here to talk about the more complicated one.
Why is dimension jumping more of a challenge than regular teleportation? You have to build a lot for it to work. If the character is moving between worlds that are identical to each other then there isn’t much of a point. You need to make slight differences to the worlds in order for it to feel like multiple dimensions. It could be something minor like a mountain moved to another place or major like it rains worms that are devoured by the hungry grass. Basically, there has be a clear change for it to be called a different dimension. This requires building multiple worlds instead of one, which can be daunting for people. If you have too many then you begin getting desperate and can design a dimension that the audience can’t take seriously.
Another thing about dimension jumping is that you can’t really have it is a ‘power’ that characters use. It may work in comics where characters simply pass through pocket dimensions, but they always come back to the first world. If your hero or villain is leaping through dimensions then that’s a major plot point. Same thing goes for chases that cross time periods. With that, you’re trying to save the timeline or something connected to the time stream. When you have dimension jumping, you need to have a threat to all of those worlds or some goal that incorporates the powers. Perhaps the heroes got lost and want to get back home like in the show ‘Sliders’. It’s the main goal, which incorporates this big power.
I’ve considered dabbling with dimension jumping in the past and I still might add it to Windemere at one point. It’s kind of there with the Chaos Void being a side dimension of demons, but I’ve contemplated making a connection to Earth. At one point, Clyde from War of Nytefall was going to end his series by disappearing from Earth and appearing in Windemere. Going even further back, I wanted to have the main female characters of my various series team up for an Earth-based team. This is in high school and I had it that the fantasy character chased a villain through a portal into the superhero world. These were all tossed for various reasons, but I also had a story where a tear between dimensions draws two Earthlings into Windemere for an adventure. I’m on the fence about doing this because it can open a lot of issues and can cause people to demand that certain things get added to Windemere.
All that being said, I do have one story that I’m holding onto that involves dimensional jumping. The northern pole of Windemere is called the Ice Crown, which is a huge circle of ice that even the gods can’t get through. Inside is an angel who has the power to pull people through dimensional portals and she’s been populating this little world for centuries. This is because she is all alone and wants friends, but none of the kidnapped stay with her for long. They always go adventuring or live in one of the cities, which she doesn’t find interesting. One day, the angel found a world that she wanted to join since she was still lonely after drawing others into her world. She disappeared and this caused all of the inhabitants to be cursed. The story is about a group of pirates (people gathered from different dimensions) finding the angel and bringing her back. Of course, she’s on Earth and just retrieving her isn’t enough, but dimensional jumping is a major part of the story. Mostly the after-effects when one is dragged out of their world against their will.
So, I haven’t tackled this power yet, but I really want to. It’s a doozy when you actually analyze it. What do other people think of stories where the characters leap between dimensions? Remember that we’re talking other worlds instead of locations. I don’t know if I’d put time travel under here though. I guess they can work together because other worlds can be created by changes in the time stream. A lot of overlap between powers like this, which can help with the world building.
Young Frankenstein Lab
So, it seems I skipped doing this last year. Not surprised since I was job hunting and thought I had a shot at saving my marriage. Ah, what a naive youth I was in 2018. So, I really couldn’t muster the time or energy for this fun event. Let me explain for my new followers and those who may have forgotten.
This is an October event that involves me getting strange, unreal words and turn them into monsters or magical items/relics. You can see some examples HERE. Typically, I have these posts go up on Friday and combine volunteers to cover the entire month. I always give credit and direct people to blogs, so you might get a little promotion in here. No guarantees though. I might spread it to more than once a week if I get a lot of volunteers, but I think I can handle it. The guidelines are simple:
Thankfully, I’ve done this enough to get the kinks out of the system. So, I won’t get 12 lists with 10 words each or a bunch of animals that already exist. I mean, a gorilla is a gorilla even in Windemere.
I really enjoy doing a ‘monster’ theme in October, so I think I will do something with my vampires on Mondays and something else monster-based on Wednesdays. The Monday thing might be interactive interviews. Typically, I try to get the questions beforehand, but I might test my luck and see if people get into the fun with comments. I’m going to see what I come up with and post some polls next week. People enjoyed the write ups of Windemere monsters 2 years ago, so I might do that again.
Thanks to everyone who joins in. Feel free to spread the word and hopefully enough people appear to cover the month.
Author name: Trish Hubschman
Please tell us a little about yourself. What makes you a unique author (or artist)? I live on Long Island, New York, US, with my husband, Kevin and dog Henry.
Please tell us about your publications/work. I write the Tracy Gayle mystery series, Stiff Competition (a Miss America mystery) and Ratings Game (Talk Show Queen). Tracy is a Long Island private detective. Her sidekick is a rock and roll musician. She was hired by Danny Tide to find out who set his band’s summer tour bus on fire. They became close friends that eventually developed into more.
What first prompted you to publish your work? I love these characters and this series. I created Danny Tide in 1998. Tracy came years later. They came together by accident. The chemistry between them was wonderful. One mystery/eventual romance led to the next. I had to share it with…
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Let’s be honest. I didn’t have much of a summer break since I was working at camp even before my school job ended. That means I’ve really only had 13 days to rest. Minus 1 for orientation day though. Not much, but a lot has happened. I think I’m going to categorize this post to make things easier. That way people can skip to what they’re curious about here.
Baltimore
As I mentioned last weekend, I went to Baltimore with my son and parents. It was a fun trip, but I’ll admit that my body was at the end of its energy. Sleeping in isn’t an option when you share a room with a 10-year-old who figures out the remote, channel guide, and window curtain right away. When he woke up, I had to wake up. He tried to help by putting a pillow on my head, but that didn’t work. Thankfully, the continental breakfast was great, so I got a boost from that. The hotel also had a heated saltwater pool, which helped me relax.
Aside from being in the hotel, we went on a few outings. The first full day was really rainy, so we couldn’t wander around the harbor like we wanted. We did go to the National Aquarium, which was the main event and was all indoors. They have dolphins here and my son was super excited to see them. We made it in time for one of the training demonstrations, which explained how they are taught skills they would use in the wild like releasing bubbles underwater to herd fish and hydroplaning in the shallows. There was also a jellyfish touch tank that my son was a little scared about, but became thrilled after the first touch. They have a 500 pound sea turtle rescue named Calypso who is missing a front flipper too. We got a close look and she is huge.
Other parts of the trip were a train museum that was a lot of fun. Very old trains that are in great shape and you can go on a few of them. We didn’t ride on any of them and my son took a little time to get really into it. No interest in the more historical parts indoors, but he was happy when we walked into the Roundhouse. After that we went to the Maryland Zoo, which isn’t as big as the Bronx Zoo, but was a great way to spend a few hours. The highlight here was that my son got to see cheetahs, chimpanzees, and arctic foxes for the first time. Of course, the cheetahs are what he really wanted and they were right by the glass. Unfortunately, another kid was banging on the glass to get them to ‘do things’ and their parent wasn’t stopping it. So, the cheetah did keep some distance until that issue moved on. Overall, a fun summer trip.
I Live In a Storage Room Now
This is temporary, but we’re taking advantage of my son being with his mom for the last 7 days of his break. Both his and my room need to be painted, so we’re working on his first. I say ‘we’, but my dad is doing it while I only help with the heavy lifting. I’m just trying to rest up and get things ready for school on Tuesday like doing a few training/refresher things. There isn’t much space in there too. The big furniture is still there under a tarp, but most of his toys and smaller things are in my room. I can’t access my closets, a blanket box blocks me from my puzzle table, and there’s just this feeling of claustrophobia at times. I hope we can put things back tomorrow since I’d like at least one night of sleep in a room that doesn’t feel like a ‘Search and Find’ puzzle.
Back to School
I had my orientation/welcome back day on Thursday. I’m still working on an odd internal schedule, so I showed up really early. Said hi and chatted with people I haven’t seen since July. It’s going to be an interesting year because I’ve been moved in a manner of speaking. I’m not with the student I was with last year. Instead, I’m working in what is called Life Skills. This is a great program with amazing kids and teachers. I had one period with them last year, so I’m excited to be with them for most of the day. I’ll have to learn the protocols for when we go out in the community and the quirks of all the students. Big difference between one period and most of the day. Still, I’ve begun looking for online programs for a Special Education Masters, so this is the type of class that I would be working in. An added bonus is that I can wear sneakers since I’ll be on my feet more than before. I’m hoping to get some outlining done during my free period and lunch too, so here’s to a positive school year.
War of Nytefall: Eradication
My goal is to release this book right before Christmas even though it has nothing to do with the holiday. I began editing on Wednesday, but I lost Thursday. I’ve managed to finish 6 of 16 chapters. If I’m lucky, I can finish 15 before I go back to school on Tuesday and I can do the last one when I get home from work. My problem here is that I’m still unsure about this story because I wrote it during a difficult period of life. So, I had a lot of big breaks between writing sessions. This has resulted in characters using terms that they shouldn’t know until they are told later in the story. I changed villain plans throughout the story too. I didn’t have a clear idea of the bad guy’s secret, so he came off as inconsistent in terms of personality. At the end, I found a reason for this, but I’m afraid that it comes off sloppy. This is why I hate having weeks between writing sessions. The smaller bits of foreshadowing are lost and I lose an entire day if I have to reread everything. I’ve been fixing up a lot of stuff though, which is good. Okay, it isn’t as bad as I feared and there’s only one scene that’s really irking me so far.
I’ve noticed that I have this ‘Nytefall’ story move fairly quickly. It’s a large cast to balance and I try to have everyone make an appearance. I mean, does it work if two characters who are mildly involved in events only show up 3-4 times? One of the heroes got a lot of his scenes cut because they were recon that could be done ‘off page’ and would typically be fairly boring. Doubt is the flavor of the year with me on this. Keep fearing that my mojo is gone, but it looks like I slide back into form once I get going. My hope is to work on War of Nytefall: Ravenous in a month or two, but I need to rewrite the outline to suit a new idea. Not having an alpha reader anymore does make me twitchy. I can get people to edit and look at the content, but I lost that person who knew what was coming or at least understood the stories evolution.
GOALS OF THE WEEK!
First, I’m not talking about the manipulation of nostalgia, which seems to be getting used all over the places. This is more about you walking along or sitting at your desk. Just going through the day or relaxing. All of a sudden, you get hit by a nostalgic memory that leaves you a little off. The emotional pathway for me usually goes like this:
Honestly, this feels like a cruel trick of the mind. As if it’s trying to convince you to revisit or reenact your past during a time when you can’t. Maybe my mind is trying to escape or create a pulse of happiness in a desperate attempt to ward off sadness. This has been happening a lot to me this year, which is why I’m leaning toward that option. The divorce has left me feeling alone and broken in a way that I can’t really explain it well to others, so my mind might be grasping at childhood memories. Some of them are traceable while others are incredibly random. Here are the common ones:
I don’t know if there’s anything that I can use these bouts of nostalgia for. They don’t seem entirely useful in terms of inspiration. As I said, they come off as an odd defensive mechanism against some mental anguish. I don’t benefit physically from it and the fleeting happiness does more harm than good at times. Kind of fits with the way human bodies don’t make a lot of sense at times. I’d go into that, but I’m sure I’d get into a fight with people in the comments. Anyway, I can’t figure this out, but it’s enough to make me write about it.
Am I the only one who gets this? Has anybody been hit by nostalgia and figured out what triggered it? For that matter, is nostalgia a good or bad thing?
Now for the video I promised. Was torn between ‘Bloody Tears’ and the ending, so I went with the more upbeat one:
Bonus since I’d forgotten how great the opening song of ‘Lunar: The Silver Star Story’ was.
Hi, gang, Craig here to start this off. One of the fun things about a group blog is the camaraderie established by working with friends. We have a place to chat that’s free from others, and Sunday nights can get pretty crazy in there. This is a talented bunch, and I’m honored to be working with them.
One of the other advantages is mutual promotion. We haven’t done this for a couple of years, but we all have titles that match up with the Halloween season, and we’re taking our show on the road once more. Watch for us to show up on each other’s sites during our tour.
For myself, I’m going to be pushing a book I haven’t published yet. I’m still doing a few advance teasers, but this is part of my “year of sequels.” This one is a second book for Lizzie and The Hat. At…
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