The promise of a new story

Hello all!

November 1st and the beginning of NaNoWriMo brought good productive things. More than 2000 words today and a story that promises to be super fun to write. I can't give away the details but picture The Bachelor with only one woman contestant chosen by the world and she doesn't know it until she's already won...has promise...right?

I love starting a new book because there are so many possibilities, so much adventure just waiting to be discovered, love just waiting to happen.

To those of you who read my blog and are fellow writers, what is your favorite part of starting a new book? To those of you who are readers, what is your favorite part of opening a new book to read?

Leave me a comment and I'll pick someone random to send a book to.

It's that time again!!!

Okay everyone, it's time again for every writer to get him/herself a comfy chair, stock up on your favorite writerly snacks, tell the family you're unaccessable for the entire month of November because NaNoWriMo is right around the corner!!

That's right, you heard me right. Many authors feel adreneline surge into their blood at the mere mention of NaNo. 50,000 words in a month. Their brains start sifting through long ignored plots and story ideas for THE ONE! The one that will finally get their undevided attention for a whole writing intensive month.

So, get your supplies, inform the family so they can make preparations for your absence and don't look back.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this right of passage, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. Here's the website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ Join in the fun!!

The Liar's Diary- A novel by Patry Francis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Laurie Connors
A Plume Paperback Plume Publicity
212-366-2222
laurie.connors@us.penguingroup.com



THE LIAR’S DIARY

A Novel
By Patry Francis


“The new questions and revelations just keep coming…Readers will be heartily rewarded.”—Ladies’ Home Journal


When new music teacher Ali Mather enters Jeanne Cross’s quiet suburban life, she brings a jolt of energy that Jeanne never expected. Ali has a magnetic personality and looks to match, drawing attention from all quarters. Nonetheless, Jeanne and Ali develop a friendship based on their mutual vulnerabilities THE LIAR’S DIARY (Plume / February 2008 / ISBN 978-0-452-28915-4 / $14.00) is the story of Ali and Jeanne’s friendship, and the secrets they both keep.

Jeanne’s secrets are kept to herself; like her son’s poor report card and husband’s lack of interest in their marriage. Ali’s secrets are kept in her diary, which holds the key to something dark: her fear that someone has been entering her house when she is not at home. While their secrets bring Jeanne and Ali together, it is this secret that will drive them apart. Jeanne finds herself torn between her family and her dear friend in order to protect the people she loves.

A chilling tour of troubled minds, THE LIAR’S DIARY questions just how far you’ll go for your family and what dark truths you’d be willing to admit—even to yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Patry Francis is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize whose work has appeared in the Tampa Review, Colorado Review, Ontario Review, and the American Poetry Review. She is also the author of the popular blogs, simplywait.blogspot.com and waitresspoems.blogspot.com. This is her first novel. Please visit her website at http://www.patryfrancis.com/.

Praise for THE LIAR’S DIARY:

“Twists and turns but never lets go.”—Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean

“A quirky, well-written and well-constructed mystery with an edge.”—Publishers Weekly

“Outright chilling.”—New York Daily News

“Genuinely creepy…The unlikely friendship between a small-town school secretary and a flamboyant teacher proves deadly in this psychological murder mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A twisting ride full of dangerous curves and jaw-dropping surprises. This is one of my favorite reads of the year!”—Tess Gerristen, bestselling author of The Mephisto Club

“Francis draws and tense and moody picture of the perfect home and family being peeled back secret by secret…Four Stars.”—Romantic Times

THE LIAR’S DIARY
By Patry Francis
Plume Paperbacks / February 2008 / $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-452-28915-4
Readers Guide available at http://www.penguin.com/

For more information or to schedule an interview with Patry Francis, please contact Laurie Connors, Plume Publicity
212-366-2222 / laurie.connors@us.penguingroup.com

There was also a great little audio clip that went with this promotion but blogger is having issues uploading it so I can't put it up. I do hope, though, that you'll get this book!

Lovin' It Indeed

Hello my faithful readers...I know you're out there :) and I appreciate each and every one of you. My muse, my inspiration, has returned full force and I wrote about 9000 words in three days. A story that I'd set on the back burner is now almost finished- the first draft anyway- and I'm so happy. I've made it my goal to send the completed first draft to my crit partners by February first and polish it up to send it to Harlequin by March first. A month ago I had nothing even remotely ready to go but now things are really looking up. It's such a wonderful feeling.

So, okay, I know I'm rambling. I guess the whole point of my sharing is to encourage those of you out there who might be struggling with writer's block. You can break through it! Keep writing!

What if...

What if a playboy pilot and a stuffy stewardess crashland on a deserted island while transporting several children to the U.S. from Cuba?

or

What if a woman, running from an abusive relationship, poses as the expected nanny for a famous country singer?

I attended a writers retreat in November and the gracious host, Bob Mayer, taught that when writing, there needed to be a core question that more or less outlined the entire book in one sentence. What is the point of this, you ask? Well, when you're writing the story and you get stuck or need a boost of inspiration, look at your core question and remember what your original idea for the story was.

The two examples above are core sentences for two of the stories I'm working on right now. If I changed those sentences at all, they would no longer line up with the stories I've written because each part of the sentence is an important part of the story.

So, fellow writers, what is the core sentence, original idea for the story you're writing now? If you changed the sentence, would your story have to change too?

An Amazing thing happened yesterday...

A dear friend of mine who happens to live in Australia, emailed me with some information about a writer's workshop that takes place right here on my little island. I looked up the info and contacted the author who is hosting the event- his name is Bob Mayer- and got to talking with him about it. At first the finances just weren't there for me to go but now they are and my wonderful husband is insisting that I go. I'm so excited. Writing is my dream job and to be able to get input and knowledge from a New York Times best selling author is going to be so amazing. I can't wait for next Thursday to arrive. It's four days, here on Whidbey Island at the Saratoga Inn in Langley. What a beautiful place for a workshop!

So, my To Do list, in order for me to be ready to go, includes the following:

• Write a cover letter
• Write a synopsis for City Nanny, Country Singer
• Polish first 20 pages of manuscript
• Send all of above to my wonderful crit partners for a final polishing and do any and all necessary edits.

And you can all be sure that I'll be posting some of the wonderful information I glean from this experience! If anyone wants more information on Bob Mayer, just click on the title of this blog post and it'll take you to his website.

Another year draws to a close

Today is November 1st. The year is 5/6 over already. People over the world are starting their NaNoWriMo challenge. The United States will celebrate Thanksgiving in three short weeks, Christmas 4 weeks after that and a week later it will be 2008. Then it will be time to put into motion New Year's resolutions, force ourselves to remember that it's 2008 when we write a check or some other document that requires the date.

So what will be your goals for the new year? Do you need to eat less and exercise more? Organize your home? Finish a book you're writing, start a new book, find an agent? Learn a new skill? Take up a new hobby or maybe finish that closet full of crafts you started and set aside?

As I look at that list, I find it kind of funny that most of those apply to me! I need to do most of those things, all but the start a new book and find an agent ones.

So tell me, what are some New Year's Resolutions that you're considering?

70 Days of Sweat, update 1

How's it going, you ask? Well, if you're hoping to hear that I've written 1500 words a day since October 15, you're going to be sadly disappointed because I've barely been able to write even a third of that. Last night was my daughter's 12 birthday so that was a complete bust even though I did try. I took a shower once the house was quiet and sat down to write, only to fall asleep sitting up because I was so worn out. The rest of the week was just plain hectic. I have managed to get about 1500 words done during the week...much less than I'd hoped to accomplished.

I have learned something, however, from this experience so far and that is this: Even when I'm not at my computer, I find myself thinking much more about what I should be writing which means that when I sit down to write, I actually have something to write about. That's a good thing. Instead of staring at the blinking cursor just hoping for the muse to strike, I'm keeping that muse active throughout the day by engaging it, coming up with sub plots and scenes that would be perfect for this novella that I'm working on. That's a very good thing. I'm not ignoring my Muse then expecting her to show up when I'm ready to work. I have to nurture her and keep her actively on my side so that when I'm ready to work, she's already warmed up and ready too.

What do you all do to get psyched up to write? To prepare your brain and fingers to get down to the business of being creative?

Seventy Days Of Sweat

Yeah sweating for 70 days doesn't sound at all attractive but it holds great appeal to me because I've found myself in a terrible rut where my writing is concerned. So this challenge- write 750-1500 words a day for 70 days beginning October 15- sounds like just what I need to get my head back on the right track. The challenge actually lasts for 93 days because, unlike NaNoWriMo, you actually get some free days if you have things that come up and you are unable to write at all or as much as you need to. That's a nice perk and considering I have four children with very busy schedules, I'll probably need every one of those extra 23 days.

So, if any of you would like to join me in the 70 days of Sweat, click on the title of this blogpost and it'll take you to the official site where you can sign up.

or you can go here: http://70daysofsweat.com/wordpress/

Setting is everything...

A story I'm working on has been taking the life out of me lately.

The rough draft is due and I've been procrastinating on even looking at it. Two days ago I figured out why.

The setting was off.

I had the story set in France and I just wasn't loving it. It wasn't working for me so I put it aside and stopped working on it. The ideas refused to come.

So now I've decided to move the setting to a totally different place and the ideas are rolling in faster than I can write them down. It's all about the setting so if you're working on something and it's refusing to move, maybe the setting is all wrong and literally needs to be moved.

Maybe your story is set in a tropical hide away and maybe it needs to be set in a desert instead. A city might need to be in the country, a mountain setting might work better in a valley.

Ingredients of a successful Romance

I picked up and dusted off a how to write book off my book shelf yesterday and came across a list of eleven 'ingredients' of a successful romance. The book is called: Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant. Click on the title of this blog post to go to her website.

1. A Story Question: A good novel begins by stirring a question in the readers mind. The nature of your story question is determined by the type of novel you're writing. The story question must remain the focus throughout the story and should never be comletely answered until the end of the story.

2. An Empowering Story: The best love stories are fantasies in which the deep emotional values of love, family, and partnership in marriage emerge victorious over lesser values.

3. Sympathetic Heroine: The reader wants to identify with the heroine, care about her, and believe in her. She needs fears, dreams, hopes, a personal history, and hang-ups. She should begin the story at a change or crisis point in her life.

4. A Hero She Can Love: Your hero must be a man your heroine can love. He should also have strengths, weaknesses, goals and dreams and he should also begin the story at a change or crisis point in his life.

5. An Interesting Initial Conflict Or Problem: Most good books begin with an immediate initial problem or conflict which keeps the reader turning pages until the core conflict develops.

6. An Emotionally Intense Core Conflict: As your hero and heroine come to know eachother, new obstacles to their happy ending must appear, or the original conflict must grow and change.

7. A Plot: To be interesting, the events in your romance novel must be important to your characters. In a successful romance novel, the story or plot develops logically and naturally from character and conflict.

8. Appropriate Sensuality: In a successful romance novel, the degree of sexual intimacy must be appropirate to the characters and the story. A love scene should reveal hero and heroine's feelings and excitement of their growing intimacy.

9. Archetypes: Throughout time, certain character types appear again and again in our myths and stories, based on pattern or archetypes.

10. Black Moment And Satisfying Resolution: As you read a good novel, the obstacles to happiness and fulfillment intensify as the story progresses. As you near the end of the book, you read a point where it seems impossible for hero and heroine to resolve their differences. This is the black moment.
The more emotionally intense a black moment is, the more satisfying the reader will find the resolution and victory that follows.

11. An Emotionally Satisfying Ending: When readers pick up a catagory romance they expect a happy ending. The ending must be emotionally satisfying, affirming the values of love and positive relationships.


So, as I read through this list of must haves, I started thinking about my current WIP and trying to figure out if I had all of these things. I have some of them but I don't think I have them all. I started asking myself questions about my hero & heroine's conflicts, trying to decide if they were strong enough to carry the story and if they will weave together seamlessly to form a solid storyline. I think it certainly needs work but in thinking these things through, more ideas have come to me, ideas that will make the story stronger and won't be all that difficult to add in.

It's amazing the things one can learn when you fall back on an old reliable source of information...How To Books!

Okay, POV's are so....

Okay, I guess I have very specific ideas about points of view and changing point of view in something that I'm reading. I mean, in my opinion- and that's all it is, my opinion- it should be easy to tell whose head I'm supposed to be in when I'm reading a story. Is it the hero or the heroine who is trying to decide what to do? Is it the hero or the heroine who is looking at a happy family with bittersweet longing? When an author isn't clear about whose POV is in the forefront, it's very confusing to the reader- to me anyway. I'm currently reading a book- the only specific info I'll give is that it's a Harlequin SuperRomance- and the author of this book head hops. The beginning of the chapter starts out in the heroine's POV and three paragraphs later- without any kind of definable break- we're in the hero's head.

So tell me, when reading a book, do you like head hopping or do you like to stay in one POV for a time so you can get to better know the character?
Do you like it when the POV change is obvious or not so obvious or completely hidden? Does it bother you when you're reading along and all of a sudden realize you are no longer in the POV you thought you were and you have to go back and figure out where it changed?

The Writer's Prayer

I was browsing the web yesterday and came across this wonderful little prayer that I wanted to share with you all. So I got permission from the author and here it is:

The Writer's Prayer
Open my mind, Lord. Grant me the talent to

write with clarity and style, so my words go

down rich and smooth, like fine wine, and

leave my reader thirsty for more.

Open my heart, Lord. Grant me the

sensitivity to understand my characters--their

hopes, their wants, their dreams--and help

me to confer that empathy to my reader.

Open my soul, Lord, so I may be a channel

to wisdom and creativity from beyond my

Self. Stoke my imagination with vivid

imagery and vibrant perception.

But most of all, Lord, help me to know the

Truth, so my fiction is more honest than

actuality and reaches the depths of my

reader's soul.

Wrap these gifts with opportunity,

perseverance, and the strength to resist those

who insist it can't be done.
Amen.

-- Sandy Tritt
(c) copyright 1999, Sandy Tritt. All rights reserved.

The site has a lot of great info for writers. I was really impressed. Here's the address: http://users.wirefire.com/tritt/home.html