So I've been at my new job for a little over three weeks. Last Friday, I had a woman from our editing department come up to me very excited. She asked me if I had written a JAFF book called Speak Not Against the Sun. I lifted my eyebrow and said that I had. She broke into a huge grin as she told me that she read my story on one of the fan sites before she ever knew me. I couldn't believe it!
It was such a rush, and a coincidence. My follow up book, Forgive Me, Jane, actually is about a woman who writes a JAFF book and gets to know her fans at a Jane Austen convention. I felt like I was living it.
You all need to cross your fingers for me since my story is in the reading queue at one publishers, and I'm emailing an agent back and forth. She read my first three chapters of both my books and without saying that she would represent me, she told me she would poke around this week and see if she could find anyone that was interested in a "Sweet Romance." She said that romances without sex are harder to sell. We will see...
So things are well enough in my little small world, at least lots is happening. And now I have that song stuck in my head, but in a good way.
Showing posts with label Mr. Darcy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mr. Darcy. Show all posts
Monday, May 10, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
I'm naked and standing in front of a crowd...
I sent my finished manuscript to a publisher late last night via email, and sent off a query to another one today. (Yes, I finally reached my 90,000 word goal and did a little dance to mark the occasion.) I am gearing up and eating some protein, so I'll have enough stamina to send it off to a third. My tummy is woozy and I'm emotionally drained. Each publisher required different things, and I spent a good part of two days obsessing about every little detail. Is the query too long? One publisher wanted me to write at least two paragraphs describing my book, but did not set a limit. What if I'm describing two books and I write ten paragraphs? They didn't specifically ask for a logline and synopsis, but they didn't say not to include them either--what should I do? I had to write a career arc and make a list comparable/competitive books for another publisher. I was suppose to give sales records if I had them. I had nothing like that, but I had you!
So, I turned them over to you by giving them this blog link as well as a link to fanfiction.net, which keeps the best stats of all of the JAFF sites. They can read my reviews there if they would like. And if they come here, "HOWDY! PICK ME!" or better yet, "FIGHT OVER ME!" :0)
I am actually pitching two books, the second one, which I am currently writing, is very closely tied to Speak Not Against the Sun--though I haven't told any of you why. Yet. Until now. Right now. Next paragraph. Read it.
My new book, Forgive Me, Jane, is based oh-so-very loosely on my experience writing Speak Not... And I say loosely, because it's a modern romance and the heroine is young, single, and of course impossibly beautiful. She's also brilliant and an overnight Internet sensation--pure fiction.
So, I'll give you my logline and my synopsis, since they're out running buck naked in the publishing world now anyway--shameless hussies!
Logline:
Reluctantly using the Jane Austen fan fiction genre to break into a more intellectual writing career, Internet sensation “4giveMeJane,” A.K.A., Amanda Jorgenson, unveils her new book at the very quirky traveling “Always Austen Convention,” unaware that her own pride and many prejudices will come into play, as an unexpected love story waits for her there.
Synopsis:
Amanda Jorgenson, a frustrated USC English Lit post grad, cannot get any publishing company to look at her overly erudite work, Transport to Nowhere. And until she gets her big break, Amanda works as a dental hygienist with her best friend and JAFF nut, Jessie, whom she berates for “slapping dearest Miss Austen in the face” with the literary aberrations she constantly reads.
Getting desperate, Amanda secretly researches the lucrative world of JAFF, and without Jessie’s knowledge starts writing her own JAFF book, Speak Not Against the Sun. (Yay!) Under the instruction of her geeky, viral marketing guru brother, she also starts a blog, “Forgive Me, Jane,” chronicling her journey, and starts to post her finished chapters on her blog and various fan fiction sites under the screen name “4giveMeJane.”
Almost overnight, Amanda, becomes an Internet sensation. Thousands upon thousands of fans all over the world can’t get enough of her writing, and soon she is contacted by a publishing company and gets a three-book deal. Amanda’s first book is due to be debuted at a traveling Jane Austen Convention. After coming clean with Jessie, she gets Jessie to join her on the book tour, acting as her personal assistant, while trying to rein her in, since Jessie is after all, visiting her personal Mecca.
Once at the convention, which is overrun with pudgy middle-age women running around in Regency costumes, and dealing with the surprising politics of other JAFF authors, Amanda starts to regret her decision to write the book. She is even more depressed to meet her fans, wondering in her head how they were able to tear themselves away from their thirty cats and stacks of newspapers piled to the ceiling to come to the conference. (Pure fiction, I hope, since I've never met any of you in person...)
After an exhausting evening of book signing and fake smiling for pictures, Amanda steals away to a neighboring hotel bar, where she has one drink too many—literally. She only has one drink, but she is the ultimate lightweight when it comes to alcohol. She meets a terribly handsome Brit named Rhys, whom she flirts with and inadvertently throws herself at, kissing him, without him returning the gesture. Jessie tracks her inebriated friend down; literally pulls Amanda off of the poor man and drags her away, apologizing to a stunned, but strangely charmed Rhys.
The next day, Amanda discovers the mysterious Brit she kissed is the actor who played creepy, oily and overweight, “Mr. Collins,” in the 2006 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. He is there along with other lesser actors who have been in Jane Austen films, to sign autographs, take pictures with fans, and sit on a panel for Q&As.
Although Rhys is completely fit and gorgeous now, Amanda, who is very conservative—never even having slept with a man—is absolutely horrified by her drunken kiss, and even more by the object of the kiss. She has always been repulsed by this particular Mr. Collins and cannot un-connect the actor from the character he played. She does everything she can to avoid Rhys the rest of the three city convention, to no avail.
She eventually finds out that Rhys turned down the coveted role of handsome, but rakish “Wickham” in order to stretch himself to play the repulsive Collins—which he purposely gained weight for. And he pulled off the part brilliantly. For no producer, director or woman for that matter, would think twice about him for a sexy lead after his very believable performance as Collins. And as cruel fate would have it, the actor who did play Wickham was catapulted to stardom after the movie, and Rhys has to live with his decision. At least he did it honestly, and was acclaimed for the role, though it came to nothing but offers for other overweight and less than glamorous bit roles. Played against Amanda’s decision to purposely lower her standards to gain success, there is an interesting dynamic and conflict between the two.
Subplots include a sweet love story between Jessie and Kevin, Amanda’s geeky but cute older brother, and an unlikely friendship between Amanda and the seemingly icy “Queen of Regency Romps” author, Lizzy Manchester.
Gradually, but hilariously, snobby Amanda gets over her prejudice against her bizarre but adoring fans. And although she fights hard against her attraction to Rhys, she comes to truly love the down-on-his-luck, but oh-so-hunky and talented actor.
So, does it make you want to read my book? Let me know what you think.
So, I turned them over to you by giving them this blog link as well as a link to fanfiction.net, which keeps the best stats of all of the JAFF sites. They can read my reviews there if they would like. And if they come here, "HOWDY! PICK ME!" or better yet, "FIGHT OVER ME!" :0)
I am actually pitching two books, the second one, which I am currently writing, is very closely tied to Speak Not Against the Sun--though I haven't told any of you why. Yet. Until now. Right now. Next paragraph. Read it.
My new book, Forgive Me, Jane, is based oh-so-very loosely on my experience writing Speak Not... And I say loosely, because it's a modern romance and the heroine is young, single, and of course impossibly beautiful. She's also brilliant and an overnight Internet sensation--pure fiction.
So, I'll give you my logline and my synopsis, since they're out running buck naked in the publishing world now anyway--shameless hussies!
Logline:
Reluctantly using the Jane Austen fan fiction genre to break into a more intellectual writing career, Internet sensation “4giveMeJane,” A.K.A., Amanda Jorgenson, unveils her new book at the very quirky traveling “Always Austen Convention,” unaware that her own pride and many prejudices will come into play, as an unexpected love story waits for her there.
Synopsis:
Amanda Jorgenson, a frustrated USC English Lit post grad, cannot get any publishing company to look at her overly erudite work, Transport to Nowhere. And until she gets her big break, Amanda works as a dental hygienist with her best friend and JAFF nut, Jessie, whom she berates for “slapping dearest Miss Austen in the face” with the literary aberrations she constantly reads.
Getting desperate, Amanda secretly researches the lucrative world of JAFF, and without Jessie’s knowledge starts writing her own JAFF book, Speak Not Against the Sun. (Yay!) Under the instruction of her geeky, viral marketing guru brother, she also starts a blog, “Forgive Me, Jane,” chronicling her journey, and starts to post her finished chapters on her blog and various fan fiction sites under the screen name “4giveMeJane.”
Almost overnight, Amanda, becomes an Internet sensation. Thousands upon thousands of fans all over the world can’t get enough of her writing, and soon she is contacted by a publishing company and gets a three-book deal. Amanda’s first book is due to be debuted at a traveling Jane Austen Convention. After coming clean with Jessie, she gets Jessie to join her on the book tour, acting as her personal assistant, while trying to rein her in, since Jessie is after all, visiting her personal Mecca.
Once at the convention, which is overrun with pudgy middle-age women running around in Regency costumes, and dealing with the surprising politics of other JAFF authors, Amanda starts to regret her decision to write the book. She is even more depressed to meet her fans, wondering in her head how they were able to tear themselves away from their thirty cats and stacks of newspapers piled to the ceiling to come to the conference. (Pure fiction, I hope, since I've never met any of you in person...)
After an exhausting evening of book signing and fake smiling for pictures, Amanda steals away to a neighboring hotel bar, where she has one drink too many—literally. She only has one drink, but she is the ultimate lightweight when it comes to alcohol. She meets a terribly handsome Brit named Rhys, whom she flirts with and inadvertently throws herself at, kissing him, without him returning the gesture. Jessie tracks her inebriated friend down; literally pulls Amanda off of the poor man and drags her away, apologizing to a stunned, but strangely charmed Rhys.
The next day, Amanda discovers the mysterious Brit she kissed is the actor who played creepy, oily and overweight, “Mr. Collins,” in the 2006 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. He is there along with other lesser actors who have been in Jane Austen films, to sign autographs, take pictures with fans, and sit on a panel for Q&As.
Although Rhys is completely fit and gorgeous now, Amanda, who is very conservative—never even having slept with a man—is absolutely horrified by her drunken kiss, and even more by the object of the kiss. She has always been repulsed by this particular Mr. Collins and cannot un-connect the actor from the character he played. She does everything she can to avoid Rhys the rest of the three city convention, to no avail.
She eventually finds out that Rhys turned down the coveted role of handsome, but rakish “Wickham” in order to stretch himself to play the repulsive Collins—which he purposely gained weight for. And he pulled off the part brilliantly. For no producer, director or woman for that matter, would think twice about him for a sexy lead after his very believable performance as Collins. And as cruel fate would have it, the actor who did play Wickham was catapulted to stardom after the movie, and Rhys has to live with his decision. At least he did it honestly, and was acclaimed for the role, though it came to nothing but offers for other overweight and less than glamorous bit roles. Played against Amanda’s decision to purposely lower her standards to gain success, there is an interesting dynamic and conflict between the two.
Subplots include a sweet love story between Jessie and Kevin, Amanda’s geeky but cute older brother, and an unlikely friendship between Amanda and the seemingly icy “Queen of Regency Romps” author, Lizzy Manchester.
Gradually, but hilariously, snobby Amanda gets over her prejudice against her bizarre but adoring fans. And although she fights hard against her attraction to Rhys, she comes to truly love the down-on-his-luck, but oh-so-hunky and talented actor.
So, does it make you want to read my book? Let me know what you think.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Is Edward Cullen a modern Mr. Darcy?
Do I dare compare Pride and Prejudice with the Twilight sagas? A most beloved classic and a pop culture phenomenon? I can almost hear the intake of breath from Austen devotees. :) I know they are two very different things, but how different are they really? I don't mean to get any feathers ruffled, but the more I dive into Darcy's character, the more parallels I see to a new literary heartthrob (not the actor heart throb), Edward Cullen. If we can separate Colin Firth and Matthew MacFadyen from the literary Mr. Darcy, then we can pull Robert Pattinson, "purdy" as he may be, away from Edward Cullen and examine the men from the books.
Let's really look at the two and try to get past the whole fantasy vampire genre. Darcy and Edward are both good decent men (slash vampire.) They are both very reluctantly drawn to a strong young woman that they meet by chance with lots of other people around. Each are surprised by their unexplained attraction and initially treat the objects of their desire quite horribly, in hopes that Lizzy and Bella will stay away from them. Darcy and Edward are uber-rich, brooding, intelligent, and have lost their parents. They both dress impeccably and are from completely different worlds than the ones Lizzy and Bella come from.
Even though both books are about our heroines, their love interests interest us all for the same reason. We just love tortured men! If there was a contest, Edward would win hands down for most tortured with the whole "I'm a vampire and had no choice in becoming one", and spends his waking hours (which are all of them) quelling an unrelenting thirst for human blood. He knows that he should stay miles and miles away from Bella because he's afraid that his darker instincts might overpower him if he gets too close to her. But Darcy in his own tortured way was all alone in the world and doesn't know how badly he needs Elizabeth until she flatly rejects him in Hunsford. We don't get to see him beyond when he and Elizabeth are in the same room, but we get the idea that he spends the majority of his time trying not to think about her, yet inventing ways in his mind to be near her. And there is nothing sexier than a man torn to bits over a woman he can't or shouldn't have.
When Darcy first met Elizabeth, he flatly refused to dance with her and called her "tolerable, yet not handsome enough to temp him" within her earshot. Ouch! But we all know that it was only a knee-jerk reaction to his instant attraction to her. Edward saw Bella from across the cafeteria and couldn't read her thoughts. That was intriguing, but when he got a whiff of her in Biology class, he literally had to lean away and not take a breath for fifty minutes. Poor Bella even sniffs her own hair to make sure she isn't the one offending. Like Lizzy, Bella was absolutely mystified why and how he could be so suddenly repulsed by her. Each lady was left with bitter memories and did not look kindly on the man who acted repulsed.
Interestingly enough, while fighting his attraction, Darcy still asked Lizzy to dance at the Lucas gathering and again while Lizzy was staying at Netherfield. Which shows us that there was a real war going on in his head. He then decided that he would not speak to her if he could help it, after he realized where his heart was heading. Austen writes a scene where the two are in the same room alone for quite some time without saying a word to each other, but we all know that their thoughts were full of each other.
Struggling with his attraction, Edward couldn't help but save Bella when he saw a car skidding straight for her. But after the hospital, when he fully realized what danger they all were in from his attraction, he did not say a word to her for six weeks, though they sat next to each other in Biology class each day. Bella narrates the book, and every once in a while she thinks she sees Edward's head slightly incline her way when she is talking to someone else, but she can't be sure. Well played, Stephenie Meyer. I was on edge for those six weeks!
There is just something about being in on how tortured each man is--longing for and wanting the girl, but holding back. And that is one thing that I tried to do in my book--let everyone in on Darcy's struggle. I longed to know what he was thinking in P&P, and this was my interpretation--he could not get her out of his head. I even touch on Colonel Fitzwilliam's struggle. He gives up Lizzy because he knew in the end, it was for the best.
And there is most likely a longing in all of us to be the object of such love. Maybe the extra handsome produce manager looks forward to your weekly shopping trips, and switches his hours with someone knowing that you come at 5:30 every Wednesday evening. Maybe he thinks you are too good for him with your Jimmy Choo shoes and your Lexus parked outside, so he barely says anything to you, but he thinks about you all the time while he works his way through graduate school. And even though you are attracted to him, you think he is a huge snob because he smiles and heartily greets everyone but you. Heavy sigh.
It's highly intoxicating, and that is why there have been two centuries of women in love with Mr. Darcy, and now droves of youngsters and cougars alike who can't get enough of Edward Cullen. It's a delicious formula that works and has held up for over two hundred years.
I did it. I just compared Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy to a sparkling vampire. If Jane will forgive me for writing a fanfic with her dearest characters, then maybe, just maybe she can forgive me for this...
Let's really look at the two and try to get past the whole fantasy vampire genre. Darcy and Edward are both good decent men (slash vampire.) They are both very reluctantly drawn to a strong young woman that they meet by chance with lots of other people around. Each are surprised by their unexplained attraction and initially treat the objects of their desire quite horribly, in hopes that Lizzy and Bella will stay away from them. Darcy and Edward are uber-rich, brooding, intelligent, and have lost their parents. They both dress impeccably and are from completely different worlds than the ones Lizzy and Bella come from.
Even though both books are about our heroines, their love interests interest us all for the same reason. We just love tortured men! If there was a contest, Edward would win hands down for most tortured with the whole "I'm a vampire and had no choice in becoming one", and spends his waking hours (which are all of them) quelling an unrelenting thirst for human blood. He knows that he should stay miles and miles away from Bella because he's afraid that his darker instincts might overpower him if he gets too close to her. But Darcy in his own tortured way was all alone in the world and doesn't know how badly he needs Elizabeth until she flatly rejects him in Hunsford. We don't get to see him beyond when he and Elizabeth are in the same room, but we get the idea that he spends the majority of his time trying not to think about her, yet inventing ways in his mind to be near her. And there is nothing sexier than a man torn to bits over a woman he can't or shouldn't have.
When Darcy first met Elizabeth, he flatly refused to dance with her and called her "tolerable, yet not handsome enough to temp him" within her earshot. Ouch! But we all know that it was only a knee-jerk reaction to his instant attraction to her. Edward saw Bella from across the cafeteria and couldn't read her thoughts. That was intriguing, but when he got a whiff of her in Biology class, he literally had to lean away and not take a breath for fifty minutes. Poor Bella even sniffs her own hair to make sure she isn't the one offending. Like Lizzy, Bella was absolutely mystified why and how he could be so suddenly repulsed by her. Each lady was left with bitter memories and did not look kindly on the man who acted repulsed.
Interestingly enough, while fighting his attraction, Darcy still asked Lizzy to dance at the Lucas gathering and again while Lizzy was staying at Netherfield. Which shows us that there was a real war going on in his head. He then decided that he would not speak to her if he could help it, after he realized where his heart was heading. Austen writes a scene where the two are in the same room alone for quite some time without saying a word to each other, but we all know that their thoughts were full of each other.
Struggling with his attraction, Edward couldn't help but save Bella when he saw a car skidding straight for her. But after the hospital, when he fully realized what danger they all were in from his attraction, he did not say a word to her for six weeks, though they sat next to each other in Biology class each day. Bella narrates the book, and every once in a while she thinks she sees Edward's head slightly incline her way when she is talking to someone else, but she can't be sure. Well played, Stephenie Meyer. I was on edge for those six weeks!
There is just something about being in on how tortured each man is--longing for and wanting the girl, but holding back. And that is one thing that I tried to do in my book--let everyone in on Darcy's struggle. I longed to know what he was thinking in P&P, and this was my interpretation--he could not get her out of his head. I even touch on Colonel Fitzwilliam's struggle. He gives up Lizzy because he knew in the end, it was for the best.
And there is most likely a longing in all of us to be the object of such love. Maybe the extra handsome produce manager looks forward to your weekly shopping trips, and switches his hours with someone knowing that you come at 5:30 every Wednesday evening. Maybe he thinks you are too good for him with your Jimmy Choo shoes and your Lexus parked outside, so he barely says anything to you, but he thinks about you all the time while he works his way through graduate school. And even though you are attracted to him, you think he is a huge snob because he smiles and heartily greets everyone but you. Heavy sigh.
It's highly intoxicating, and that is why there have been two centuries of women in love with Mr. Darcy, and now droves of youngsters and cougars alike who can't get enough of Edward Cullen. It's a delicious formula that works and has held up for over two hundred years.
I did it. I just compared Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy to a sparkling vampire. If Jane will forgive me for writing a fanfic with her dearest characters, then maybe, just maybe she can forgive me for this...
Monday, April 19, 2010
Amended Chapter 7
I've added to Chapter 7. Jane and Bingley on their honeymoon. A few sweet scenes, and the mystery of Bingley having to take off suddenly (to snip a queue.) Enjoy!
The new job is great so far...
The new job is great so far...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Prologue
Coming soon: Extended Chapter 5 with more D&E&C.F love triangle. Still working on it...
Saturday, April 3, 2010
This is it...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
So the spoiling continues...
Thirteen is up, ladies. Can I just take a second and tell you how much I love my thesaurus. I adore my thesaurus. I have a penchant for my thesaurus. I delight in my thesaurus. I am devoted to my thesaurus. I am completely besotted with my thesaurus!
It's almost Friday, and I did some more editing on 13 for the JAFF sites, and changed the ending a bit, so I reposted the revised chapter here, if you are interested...
It's almost Friday, and I did some more editing on 13 for the JAFF sites, and changed the ending a bit, so I reposted the revised chapter here, if you are interested...
Monday, March 29, 2010
I'm so happy right now!
All I have to say is "Mademoiselle Adele and Mr. Darcy in the same room!" I am cracking myself up!! I'm writing London scenes with Darcy while Lizzy is at Pemberley, and guess where Darcy has to go to pick up something for his dear little Georgiana! It's just killing me. Darcy might need a little magic, too.
This might be an entire chapter tucked in right before Chapter 12. We all need more of Darcy and I think I'm on to something...
Just thought I'd share my joy. I'll tell you when it's good and fat enough to post.
Thank you all again for all the extremely helpful suggestions. There are many I want to explore--including delving in further into the almost Darcy, Lizzy Colonel Fitzwilliam love triangle when she first arrived in London. I want to be gentle on Richard, since I have an admitted crush on him, but I do think we should find out just how Richard came to the realization that he should give up any thoughts of her and decide to help Darcy...
Okay, back to writing!
This might be an entire chapter tucked in right before Chapter 12. We all need more of Darcy and I think I'm on to something...
Just thought I'd share my joy. I'll tell you when it's good and fat enough to post.
Thank you all again for all the extremely helpful suggestions. There are many I want to explore--including delving in further into the almost Darcy, Lizzy Colonel Fitzwilliam love triangle when she first arrived in London. I want to be gentle on Richard, since I have an admitted crush on him, but I do think we should find out just how Richard came to the realization that he should give up any thoughts of her and decide to help Darcy...
Okay, back to writing!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
I'm waay ahead of you...
We've got a nasty flu going through our house, and since I'm feeling a little strange myself, I thought I'd get this up while I can. This is my favorite chapter since Mademoiselle Adele was introduced. Lots of fun and an absolute heart pounding last scene. Yay me!
Let me know what you think...
Oh! Thanks for all of your ideas on stretching out my book. I'm actually glad, because you can stick around after I've posted my last chapters on the JAFF sites, to see what else I'm adding and give me feedback. I really appreciate everything! :0)
Let me know what you think...
Oh! Thanks for all of your ideas on stretching out my book. I'm actually glad, because you can stick around after I've posted my last chapters on the JAFF sites, to see what else I'm adding and give me feedback. I really appreciate everything! :0)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I need 17,000 more words!
Okay, I am looking in to querying some publishers who do JAFF. The minimum requirement is 90,000 words. I'm at 73,000 right now with my full 14 chapters. That is roughly two more chapters that I need to write! There is no way I can contrive to keep D&E apart much longer, and I don't want to.
Since my background is script writing, I am not used to this much leeway. For feature length scripts I usually have only 120 pages that are not even full WORD pages--all the dialog has set margins only a few inches across, and is centered with the character's names above them each time they speak. Seriously, I would say that it would be about 60-80 full WORD doc pages--that's it. So, I've learned how to be very brief, but to make my words tight and powerful--full of meaning and subtext while propelling the story forward. Needless to say, I'm a little lost with all of this white space.
What I need is ideas for more "stuff" in between the beginning and Lizzy's trip to Pemberley. But it has to be relevant to the story and it has to propel it forward, it cannot simply be a distraction. There has to be information in it for us or the characters.
Here are some things off the top of my head, but I really would like to hear from my ladies. Tell me what you would like to have fleshed out even more.
* Jane and Bingley's relationship--maybe his disappearance in Bath
* More Wickham interaction previous to the encounter
* Should I spend more time in London with the Gardiners--the 1st time
* Should I have a Caroline subplot/story?
* Should I follow Darcy on his "business" trip while Lizzy is at Pemberley?
Ooh, I think I probably could do an entire chapter on the Darcy thing. Because he is up to something, but I don't reveal it until later. Maybe we can know, but Lizzy will be in the dark. Hmmmm.
Give up your ideas my dears--please! :0)
Since my background is script writing, I am not used to this much leeway. For feature length scripts I usually have only 120 pages that are not even full WORD pages--all the dialog has set margins only a few inches across, and is centered with the character's names above them each time they speak. Seriously, I would say that it would be about 60-80 full WORD doc pages--that's it. So, I've learned how to be very brief, but to make my words tight and powerful--full of meaning and subtext while propelling the story forward. Needless to say, I'm a little lost with all of this white space.
What I need is ideas for more "stuff" in between the beginning and Lizzy's trip to Pemberley. But it has to be relevant to the story and it has to propel it forward, it cannot simply be a distraction. There has to be information in it for us or the characters.
Here are some things off the top of my head, but I really would like to hear from my ladies. Tell me what you would like to have fleshed out even more.
* Jane and Bingley's relationship--maybe his disappearance in Bath
* More Wickham interaction previous to the encounter
* Should I spend more time in London with the Gardiners--the 1st time
* Should I have a Caroline subplot/story?
* Should I follow Darcy on his "business" trip while Lizzy is at Pemberley?
Ooh, I think I probably could do an entire chapter on the Darcy thing. Because he is up to something, but I don't reveal it until later. Maybe we can know, but Lizzy will be in the dark. Hmmmm.
Give up your ideas my dears--please! :0)
Friday, March 19, 2010
What a big liar I am!
You broke me. You sighed, you whimpered, and you apparently twitched. Here is Chapter 11 two days early...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Good news and bad news...
Hello all!
Chapter 10 is up. Yay! That is the good news. The bad news is that I am catching up to myself. I cannot post two chapters a week anymore without letting things slip. I only have three more chapters to go and I have to make sure I'm wrapping everything up tightly. I technically have finished, but am going back and adding, editing, and filling out everything. I have a little more research to do as well to make sure I get some details right.
All that to say that I will not publish Chapter 11 until next Sunday. I will miss all of you, and plan to keep you with me for another 3 weeks. :0)
Enjoy this chapter...
Chapter 10 is up. Yay! That is the good news. The bad news is that I am catching up to myself. I cannot post two chapters a week anymore without letting things slip. I only have three more chapters to go and I have to make sure I'm wrapping everything up tightly. I technically have finished, but am going back and adding, editing, and filling out everything. I have a little more research to do as well to make sure I get some details right.
All that to say that I will not publish Chapter 11 until next Sunday. I will miss all of you, and plan to keep you with me for another 3 weeks. :0)
Enjoy this chapter...
Friday, March 12, 2010
A new title??
So, I have never been married the title, "Speak Not Against the Sun." I slapped it on so I could put it up on the JAFF sites. It seemed clever enough, but it is a mouthful. It's tied to a wonderful thread throughout my story arc, but I'm not convinced that this is what I will name my baby.
I had been toying with a joke title, which made me laugh, but the more I thought about it, the more appropriate it sounded. And it would stop a Janeite in her tracks, if she saw it in a bookstore. "The Practice of Elegant Females." Very marketable, but still not speaking to my soul.
And then, two days ago, it hit me while I was editing Chapter 9. "A Rush of Blackbirds." It's what started the entire story, and it is referred to several times thereafter. I can't stop thinking about it.
Elizabeth ran through the rain. She was dressed in her deep green gown, her hair wet and loose down her back. A dark figure in a red coat was waiting in the shadows of the wood. He smiled handsomely, and bid her to come. Elizabeth stopped in horror, and wanted to change her course, but something down the muddy path caught her eye. Mr. Darcy was sitting against the oak, holding her handkerchief, but he did not see her. He saw nothing, for scarlet was pouring from his head, and his body was twisted and broken. A rush of blackbirds startled her awake. She was in London.
Le sigh... It just sounds so dang romantic to me. Is it just me? What do you think, Miss Austen?
I had been toying with a joke title, which made me laugh, but the more I thought about it, the more appropriate it sounded. And it would stop a Janeite in her tracks, if she saw it in a bookstore. "The Practice of Elegant Females." Very marketable, but still not speaking to my soul.
And then, two days ago, it hit me while I was editing Chapter 9. "A Rush of Blackbirds." It's what started the entire story, and it is referred to several times thereafter. I can't stop thinking about it.
Elizabeth ran through the rain. She was dressed in her deep green gown, her hair wet and loose down her back. A dark figure in a red coat was waiting in the shadows of the wood. He smiled handsomely, and bid her to come. Elizabeth stopped in horror, and wanted to change her course, but something down the muddy path caught her eye. Mr. Darcy was sitting against the oak, holding her handkerchief, but he did not see her. He saw nothing, for scarlet was pouring from his head, and his body was twisted and broken. A rush of blackbirds startled her awake. She was in London.
Le sigh... It just sounds so dang romantic to me. Is it just me? What do you think, Miss Austen?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I'm certain to make people angry now...
All I can say, is that I'm promising a very happy ending. It's way too soon to end my book now, and if you want to kill a book, a movie, or a TV show--get the two, who have created sexual tension for months on end, if not years, together. No one is interested past that. The reader/viewer experienced their happy ending, and don't care about the wedding plans, mean relatives, or if he puts the toilet seat down or not. I have seen it over and over again. It is a well known fact in Hollywood that you have to do anything you can to keep the love birds apart, unless there is an ensemble cast, and this was not the only story going on.
So, since this is the only story going on, more angst is on the way. Deal with it people (she says with deep affection...) :0) Enjoy the roller coaster ride. Grab the safety bar, and hold on tight. We can fix our hair when it's all over.
I hope that you enjoy Chapter 9. Thanks for sticking with me this far...
So, since this is the only story going on, more angst is on the way. Deal with it people (she says with deep affection...) :0) Enjoy the roller coaster ride. Grab the safety bar, and hold on tight. We can fix our hair when it's all over.
I hope that you enjoy Chapter 9. Thanks for sticking with me this far...
Sunday, March 7, 2010
I must be getting old...
Sorry readers,
I had a little lapse, and forgot to post Chapter 8 earlier! I was up at 4:30 this morning to sing at church and then came home, ate, and crashed. I've been almost useless since. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Charlotte makes me smile.
I had a little lapse, and forgot to post Chapter 8 earlier! I was up at 4:30 this morning to sing at church and then came home, ate, and crashed. I've been almost useless since. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Charlotte makes me smile.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Chapter Seven is up...
I'm rewarding all of you who have come to my blog, by posting my newest chapter here, a day before I post on the three JAFF sites.
Let me also share that I am in the home stretch. I finally have a clear vision on just how this is going to end, and am very exited, and pretty certain that I will finish the book this month. Knock on wood, or MacBook, whatever is closest....
So enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Let me also share that I am in the home stretch. I finally have a clear vision on just how this is going to end, and am very exited, and pretty certain that I will finish the book this month. Knock on wood, or MacBook, whatever is closest....
So enjoy, and let me know what you think.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Warning--Angst Ahead!
Hello friends,
Sorry I could not manage to get Chapter 6 up a day earlier. I inadvertently added two new scenes, and had to obsess over them completely before I unleashed them on you.
I would like to publish each chapter individually, but this site only lets me publish 10 pages. So, my advice would be to scroll down to the end and then up from there.
I should warn you that you are in for a bumpy ride in Chapter 6. It is high time a villain came and twisted his mustache, don't you think?? :0)
Don't panic. No one dies. Just some emotional trauma.
I hope that you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
Sorry I could not manage to get Chapter 6 up a day earlier. I inadvertently added two new scenes, and had to obsess over them completely before I unleashed them on you.
I would like to publish each chapter individually, but this site only lets me publish 10 pages. So, my advice would be to scroll down to the end and then up from there.
I should warn you that you are in for a bumpy ride in Chapter 6. It is high time a villain came and twisted his mustache, don't you think?? :0)
Don't panic. No one dies. Just some emotional trauma.
I hope that you enjoy it. Let me know what you think.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Now you can read my story here!
Thanks to my new internet friend, Carrie (you rock, girl!), I now figured out how to post my story here. Simply click on the link under "Home" and my first five chapters will show up. I'm still posting on three JAFF sites, and will update every Monday and Friday. I guess I will keep the same schedule here--or maybe I'll do it here a day earlier... Hmmmm. What do you think?
Everyone has been wonderful. Please let me know if you see a mistake, so I can fix it. I'm excited about where the characters are taking me. Wrote a VERY emotional scene yesterday--PMS can help make those brilliant! :0)
Enjoy, and drop me a comment if you are so inclined.
Everyone has been wonderful. Please let me know if you see a mistake, so I can fix it. I'm excited about where the characters are taking me. Wrote a VERY emotional scene yesterday--PMS can help make those brilliant! :0)
Enjoy, and drop me a comment if you are so inclined.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A Time Line, and Possibly, A Title...
I'm doing a time line jig! Isn't it purdy?? (Can you see the artwork of Mr. Darcy in my P&P book from 1940? He looks so darn snooty, it makes me giggle.) So, my novel takes place in a ten month period. I just found that out last night, when I started putting a time line together. I was starting to lose track of key events, and was having to search for certain passages I had written, to know who did what and when. I went to a wonderful sight that has already been invaluable called the Regency Encyclopedia, and found an old scanned written time line of P&P. I took notes, and was able to make my own time line using P&P's, since some of the same things still happen in my book after my jumping off point.
We start in November the day after the Netherfield ball and go to the following September, which is exactly one year from the day Bingley decided to take up residence in Hertfordshire. I just finished writing what happened in March, which you can see many many major things happened. So, now my book has progressed into April, which is slow and sort of uneventful. I'm ruminating and trying to figure out what our star crossed lovers are thinking--how they are processing things, because things will pick up in the summer. I'm actually catching my breath, since writing about the events in Hunsford exhausted me. (Lizzy does go to visit Charlotte, but the events are very different from P&P.) I was actually tensed up while I was typing, and my heart was pounding. How nerdy am I?
I also might be able to do an "I Chose a Title" jig. I'm just not positive it's the best marketing choice. From the research I have done, if you really want to grab true Austenites, they recommend that you title your books with something recognizable in it, like Pemberly, Darcy, or Longbourn. Or to do a play on the original title--like Pride and Pestilence, which is still a viable option for me. :0) But my really awesome, well-obsessed-over title is neither. Writers love to be either extremely clever, or want deep and prophetic strings tied to their works. One of my produced scripts, which was a modern day Jonah story, I entitled "Hold the Anchovies." It still makes me proud. (Of course I had to explain to my scientist hubby, "What if Jonah ordered pizza?" Three seconds later, he smiled and nodded.)
So, my maybe-title "Speak Not Against the Sun," will not stop a Jane Austen fanatic in her heels at the bookstore, but it is a fun and meaningful thread throughout my book. When Elizabeth wants to distract herself in my novel, she recites Latin verses she has memorized. She did just that under her breath within earshot of Darcy,"Adversus solem ne loquitor," which translates as "speak not against the sun", or "why argue when you have no chance of winning?" Darcy understands her and it becomes a private joke or spear point between them the rest of the book. Should I go for the marketing method or with my vanity? What think you, esteemed reader?
I'll post something new from my book next time. If any of you have a good book title idea for me, give it up! Until then, forgive me, dearest Jane...
Friday, February 12, 2010
Greatness
When I first decided that I was going to write a JAFF book, I had to choose between a modern adaptation and a Regency era "what if." I had a list going of pros and cons for both, and one of the cons for a Regency era book was the vernacular. I thought it would be difficult trying to use words that I have only read, and most likely never uttered out loud. Also the order of the words--they are unintuitive. And the predicates are all over the board with Jane. I just didn't think I could get in the groove. I was wrong. No. How wrong I was.
We all know that there are little freaky pockets of our brains that stow away bits of information that we never intended to keep. But I was not expecting that I had a little stash of words and phrasings that I would use on a whim some day. All those years of period dramas, Masterpiece Theater, Bronte books, and of course my beloved Austen books and screen adaptations paid off. When I chose Regency, I dove right in, and out of my subconscious came flowing a river of words that I would never have strung together in every day life. It surprised me how easy it was. Thanks little freaky brain.
The problem for me now is that those words that I spend hours on, meant for characters living and breathing in 1800, are starting to come out in my every day conversations. "Make haste!" and "Are you quite well?" are escaping without any thought. I'll be lucky if I don't start running around in empire waisted frocks instead of my everyday blue jeans, and buying ugly bonnets to make over.
Some words are new to me, and some are old friends. One word that I have fallen in love with during this journey is "great." The power of that word is lost in our language today. We use it to mean awesome, wonderful or sometimes large, but it's lost its weight. Its heaviness. Its poundage. "A great slap" is sooo much better than a "hard slap." There is more force, but also more class attached to it. A "great shout" is ten times better than a "loud shout"--or is it just me? I have been having to quell (another ancient word I never used before) my liberal use of "great" and rein myself in, but I have enjoyed my new appreciation for that great word.
Okay, back to my work in progress. I've written about 130 pages so far. The checklist helped a great deal. I will leave you with a little paragraph that makes me laugh each time I read it. Poor Caroline is the one lady everyone loves to hate, and I'm no exception. I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for keeping up with me.
*
Surprisingly, and most likely against Caroline’s wishes and knowledge, Mr. Bingley came calling at Longbourn two days later. Elizabeth wondered if he had to lower himself from an upper story while his sister was distracted cooking plump children. She also noted that it was fortuitous that her young visiting cousins were mostly lean and thus safe. Mrs. Bennet could barely contain her raptures, and Mr. Bingley was immediately invited to dinner the following night, which he graciously accepted, though they were merely having fish.
We all know that there are little freaky pockets of our brains that stow away bits of information that we never intended to keep. But I was not expecting that I had a little stash of words and phrasings that I would use on a whim some day. All those years of period dramas, Masterpiece Theater, Bronte books, and of course my beloved Austen books and screen adaptations paid off. When I chose Regency, I dove right in, and out of my subconscious came flowing a river of words that I would never have strung together in every day life. It surprised me how easy it was. Thanks little freaky brain.
The problem for me now is that those words that I spend hours on, meant for characters living and breathing in 1800, are starting to come out in my every day conversations. "Make haste!" and "Are you quite well?" are escaping without any thought. I'll be lucky if I don't start running around in empire waisted frocks instead of my everyday blue jeans, and buying ugly bonnets to make over.
Some words are new to me, and some are old friends. One word that I have fallen in love with during this journey is "great." The power of that word is lost in our language today. We use it to mean awesome, wonderful or sometimes large, but it's lost its weight. Its heaviness. Its poundage. "A great slap" is sooo much better than a "hard slap." There is more force, but also more class attached to it. A "great shout" is ten times better than a "loud shout"--or is it just me? I have been having to quell (another ancient word I never used before) my liberal use of "great" and rein myself in, but I have enjoyed my new appreciation for that great word.
Okay, back to my work in progress. I've written about 130 pages so far. The checklist helped a great deal. I will leave you with a little paragraph that makes me laugh each time I read it. Poor Caroline is the one lady everyone loves to hate, and I'm no exception. I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks for keeping up with me.
*
Surprisingly, and most likely against Caroline’s wishes and knowledge, Mr. Bingley came calling at Longbourn two days later. Elizabeth wondered if he had to lower himself from an upper story while his sister was distracted cooking plump children. She also noted that it was fortuitous that her young visiting cousins were mostly lean and thus safe. Mrs. Bennet could barely contain her raptures, and Mr. Bingley was immediately invited to dinner the following night, which he graciously accepted, though they were merely having fish.
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