Hey, I'm in and out, and we're going to leave this "time period" of this blog open.... so we can chat back and forth about brainstorming.
I love brainstorming.
Mary Connealy is a great brainstormer.... If nothing else, it gets my wheels turning in another direction, and with that, I can start to see beyond my vision, to a greater story....
So even if I don't use anything specific from a brainstorming session (And Mary is usually encouraging me to KILL MORE PEOPLE....) Sigh.... but even if I don't, I gain ideas... and the plot begins to branch off into new directions.
So if you've got plot ideas you want to brainstorm, give us a shout out on this blog... and we can chat.
With after-supper coffee and sweet tea and S-mores... although I don't like s'mores, not at all, but I do have a giant piece of Laraby's coconut cake, and oh mylanta... it's to die for!
Oh! Give me a sec...I posted a little start on the other blog from this morning. Be right back.
ReplyDeleteI have an idea for a possible romantic suspense story. The heroine is hiding out from a domineering father who wants her join the "family business". The hero is a law officer. Too cliche?
ReplyDeleteI think cliches can be avoided by using unique details in character and premise, like a unique family business that isn't "the mob". If the business is a pizza parlor or a ballroom dance studio, for example. :) But I'm not sure those settings lend themselves to suspense. :)
DeleteTammy, I think that could work well but you have to make the father evil... domineering wouldn't be enough...
DeleteHe has to be willing to do anything to either keep her quiet... or assimilate her into the business.
So that's a GREAT STARTING POINT... because like in The Godfather, she knows too much! She already is in the business by default, so of course this could work... But how does she come to be under the protection of the officer... Or... do a COMPLETE about face and make her the law officer.... Like a total in your face move to show her father she'd never sink to his level... and then have the hero be FBI and he's investigating and thinks she might be working inside the racketeering... and a dirty cop. Having her be the cop would be a great twist.
Great ideas. I will think this through!
DeleteI like that Ruthy. Maybe the hero is sent or hired by the father to find her and when he does, then he's torn as to whether he wants to turn her in or protect her.
DeleteOh, Sandra, that is a great twist... If he didn't know the father's intention and comes as a P.I. or something like that... I love it!
DeleteI'm so curious to know how the around-the-campfire brainstorming will go. Ruthy, do you have certain brainstorming techniques?
ReplyDeleteFor my cozy mystery in process, my protagonist is Marcy Saturn, an adult who aged out of the foster care system and prefers not to share that with others. She lives in a guest house on the property of a childless 60-ish couple. Her rent includes "helping out" around their 1-acre property. Other characters - a half-grown border collie, various dog agility people, co-workers at the office. A mean neighbor, Lois, also a dog agility person, is the likely murder victim.
The killer - not sure yet who. Might be one of the dog-agility people. The victim's son is suspected and Marcy, who has befriended him, thinks he's innocent. I had another dog agility person, Phyllis, THINK she killed the victim - but she only knocked her out. I had it that the son actually did kill her. But I think matricide is problematic.
So - I welcome all ideas.
I've just finished writing my second cozy mystery for Guideposts... the first one is winging its way to you right now! So I've learned a lot the past nine months...
DeleteKeeping them light and funny and endearing seems to make them more successful. And I love that side of them... so the mystery part is the EASY part now that I've done a couple... I pick the culprit and the crime, then backtrack why certain people may or may not have been involved. And for mine I do a simple one-page (plus/minus) synopsis of the crime... because those details are hugely important to know.
But after that, I just have fun with it!
So what makes these folks shine/sparkle/shimmer. Why does the reader care? And is Marcy so serious that we'll find her tedious? And why doesn't she want folks to know???
That might be a telling part of her character arc right there.... and it could be something that gets revealed in the first book, and becomes a carry-through thread throughout a series... seeing her grow more confident...
Maybe a string of HORRIBLY bad dates???
Gotta have fun with this!!!!
Yes, you've hit the nail on the head. I scrapped my first attempt for just that reason - it wasn't light enough and it didn't feel right.
DeleteThe thing I like about Marcy is, she went through a difficult childhood, many foster homes, never adopted, but has been helped along the way and is so grateful. I think I have to be careful about too many details of her background, and would drop them in throughout the series.
More of why she's lucky and grateful - she got a job as an intern in a financial services company and though she's bottom of the totum pole, there are opportunities. She lives in a cute little guest house and the couple who are her landlords become surrogate parents. The dog befriends her and they become a team.
I love your idea of the string of HORRIBLY bad dates!!
Great going girls. The characters are key. Normally I don't care for mysteries nor criminal/cop stories, but if the characters grab me, I'm hooked.
DeleteOK, using Ruthy's Brainstorming (BS) idea (let me be clear, BS means Brainstorming, not another farm-based abbreviation) and Sandra's characters-are-key BS idea, I am bringing on:
DeleteSam Craig, dog agility instructor and his dog (name undecided - Copper?) Sam was going to be in law-enforcement, in the canine division. But using Ruthy's suggestion of keep-it-light how about - Sam is not a policeman, he just "plays one on TV".
Dana, that could be great fodder for humor.
DeleteI love, love, love this idea... if she's late twenties, then I'd make the bad date thing a must... Partially her fault (too busy solving crime) partially the date's fault... Just to have a thread of humor already involved in the whole thing. And I wouldn't focus on the gratitude too much... But the payback part, the being helpful, not looking for self-reward, just looking to pay it forward for not being wretchedly scarred... I'd take an avenue like that, I think.
DeleteTossing this in, no idea is too cliche. It's all in how you write it. A heroine on the run is always a solid beginning.
DeleteThanks, gals!
DeleteYes!! I've been mulling one over all day. She's a returned missionary--fled the country after a coup and is finding her feet back home and figuring out who she is now that her life looks different than she thought it would. He's working with youth in a "rougher" part of town and beating himself up over the "one that got away."
ReplyDeleteThey were an "almost" back in the day, but he broke her heart when he decided to date someone else. She spent three years in a hut overseas getting over him.
But now that she's back in town, what would throw them back together other than they happen to run into each other everyone once in a while?
AND HOW CAN YOU NOT LIKE S'MORES???? I'll eat yours. ;)
Give her a unique "super power" that would make her perfect to work with the one problem child he is unable to reach. Maybe a sensitive young girl. Or maybe she is a nurse-missionary, and this girl is always saving sparrows with broken wings, so she is the perfect mentor. Or the child is from the country she fled from, possibly affected in the coup as well, is traumatized and she is the perfect person to befriend her.
DeleteI am really lusting for the coconut cake.
You can have all of my s'mores. They're awful things... so sticky and messy and a waste of really good chocolate...
DeleteAlthough I love marshmallow and I love chocolate covered graham crackers... Mmmmmm........ so it makes no sense.
Okay, I'm kind of bored already with your returned missionary and the old beau....
Wait.
I'm yawning.
Give me a minute....
(DO YOU HATE ME YET?????)
Okay, I'll be nice, but it is so typical that we need to shake it up a bit, but how??? What MAKES her have to work with him?
I'd give him a kid from an out of wedlock experience, not the one she got dumped for, but to show that his wild streak went untamed for awhile... and the kid could even be a secret baby and before everyone THROWS GOOEY MARSHMALLOWS AT ME, secret babies have huge appeal... and there are some very normal and sometimes good reasons for the secret....
I would make his past wretched... and maybe she knew about it and maybe she didn't...
And I'd stretch the time period longer...
like 5 years or more....
And just when he'd put his life all together, maybe got saved in prison or put himself through college and is finally making something of himself, and the ex-girlfriend is going to jail or something wretched like that... and he gets a kid out of the deal...
Now he's scum in old girlfriend's eyes. He's double or triple whammied...
AND SHE HATES that she's still attracted to him. Clearly all he thinks about is sex... physical attraction...
But conversely I'd probably make him a little more sure of himself because he's grown up. He's made firm choices. She was attracted to a boy, a college student, or whatever...
This is a man.
A man of conviction.
And we don't want to make her TOO angry, or the reader will slap her.
I've slapped a few books in my time.... :)
How could I be mad at you for this? This is great!! I've not written romance before, so it's new territory for me to consider and I'll take any great advice or ideas I can get to flesh a "typical" idea out into something much more interesting. I've thrown my share of books across the room too!
DeleteThough I might start throwing marshmallows at you until you start roasting and eating them ;)
What about putting those ideas together? Her specialty or desire is to work with young children (speech therapist? counselor? social worker? volunteer for Big Sisters?) and the kid she's working with ends up being his?
DeleteSo on top of everything else and her hating that she's still attracted, she also still has to remain professional...
I like your last idea here!
DeleteI'm still trying to get over the fact that you don't like s'mores, Ruthy. I have to say, though, I usually just eat the chocolate and the graham cracker and skip the marshmallows.
DeleteMeg, I woke up thinking I was a big jerk for talking like we were in private, and we're on a blog vacation!!!! So I'm glad you're still talking to me!
DeleteI LOVE THAT IDEA... of making her someone who must be on hand to help, like a push-in speech or occupational therapist... Anything like that! THAT IS MARVELOUS!!!!!!!!
I like Dana's idea. If the child was from the country she came from or if the child needed her nursing skills?? And the hero would see through that child's experiences what heroine's life has been like and makes him feel even worse. But seeing her working with the child makes him aware of his love for her. She can see the changes in him, his growth and maturity by how he is handling the other youth and yearning to help this child.
DeleteRuthy--don't feel bad! If I can't handle a little constructive criticism from an experienced friend in a safe and relaxing environment like this, then I'm in the wrong business! ;) And look! We're coming up with some great ideas that I can get excited about. So it's all worth it.
DeleteDana and Sandra--I'm liking this idea too. I'm going to have to mull over the kid(s) she works with and how that will impact their relationship. Thanks for the ideas!
Megan, I love how you're taking the various ideas and growing your own out of that soil!
DeleteYes, I agree with Dana. Our comments are sparking your own brain into action. Yay. Don't you love how that works?
DeleteAnd Dana's hit the nail on the head... which I MOSTLY do, but the bruise under my left thumb nail is quiet testimony to the occasional mistake on my part... To take ideas and get the pot stirring.... because I don't stay married to my own ideas! And then an editor is going to have his/her own opinion, too... so we adapt as needed....
DeleteMegan in brainstorming there are no wrong answers. So I'm just going to react here. See if it helps. My sister spent a year in a mud hut in Ghana as a missionary. She came home and I remember her saying, she went to the store to buy shampoo...and it was overwhelming. She was absolutely unable to pick.
DeleteHer year in Ghana there was soap. Just soap. Forget body wash, shampoo, bars of soap, dish soap. None of that.
What if you're heroine is stranded in the shampoo aisle and can't handle it. And the hero comes along and sees his old girlfriend and he realizes how overwhelmed she is and he helps her pick a shampoo. And extrapolate that to every decision and they 'team up' to help her get reoriented to American.
if you don't like marshmallows, s'mores just don't do it for you... I just eat the chocolate.
DeleteMary--I love this! I also spent time in a hut in West Africa (Guinea) and remember feeling so overwhelmed when I got back too. And everyone was talking about this Twilight thing and all I could think was, "Vampires? Really?" It's amazing how much you miss while you're gone... haha
DeleteI'm also thinking about turning this on its head a bit. Maybe he's adopted a refugee and she works with refugees to orient them to their life in America because she needs to feel like she's doing something worthwhile as she desperately tries to get back to the field.
Her relationship grows with him through her interaction with his child, she sees he's grown up etc, and now has to decide whether to go back to the field or stay and work with the refugees...and of course her attraction to him is thrown in the mix and makes the decision harder as she wrestles with her motives.
Megan I like this twist... it gives the story more depth and more reason to exist. It's a pure culture shock when folks come back here from emerging nations (formerly knows as third world countries, changing names are such an annoyance....) But I digress...
DeleteAnyway, to get back here and realize that so many folks don't appreciate what we have. Pillows. Warmth. Medical care. Clothing. Food. Water. Shelter.
Statistically we are beyond blessed, and still human nature longs for more. I can see that as being a tough hurdle for her.
I know, I just saw that!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd we can keep this going throughout the week, this will be our brainstorming "page".....
And I'll start it off here by talking about my upcoming series set in western Idaho, a western series....
When three formerly rich Southern belles inherit a multi-million dollar sheep ranch in the rugged hills of Idaho, their uncle's only requirement was to have them stay on the ranch at least a year before selling. When the girls split the year, each one will need to be on hand... working the sheep... for four solid months. Three women, down on their luck, with almost nothing to their names... except a chance at a brand new life... and maybe, love.
I knew where I wanted this series, right here where we are with the retreat.... In Western Idaho, in the hills... and I knew I'd model the fictional ranch after the Red Horse Mountain Ranch, although my fictional one is a sheep ranch (just to make the cow lovers CRAY CRAY!!!) and because the Basque population of this part of Idaho made shepherding part of the history and the current landscape...
But then I had to figure out the stories!
And the girls first started as Ivy League New England girls, but then I realized I wanted real ladies... who could ride. And any rich Kentucky girl who grows up and can't sit saddle properly, should give away her Kentucky derby hats because she does not deserve to wear them!
Kentucky is horse country.
So that made more sense... and better conflict because these young formerly rich women can do the work required at "Shepherd's Crossing".... but do they have the guts it requires????
Love this! The only thing that confuses me is the 4 months. Why aren't all three there together all year? Is that so you can split it into three books? :) You probably have a good explanation.
DeleteI like it! By the way, I found pumpkin M & M's in the gift shop! Absolutely "sinful.
DeleteDana, that was the original idea, but it's for Love Inspired... and they thought that was too many people at once... so I'll bring the other sisters in, I won't make them wait the whole four months... but I liked the idea of all the sisters showing up together, too! And it was a CRAZY FUNNY BEGINNING!!!!
DeleteHow can CRAZY FUNNY not be right? :)
DeleteIf it was for a longer book... they'd like it. For Love Inspired, we need to focus on the hero and heroine and not be too confusing... although you're right, I loved that beginning!
DeleteI agree with Dana. If they are down on their luck and no penny to their name, they need to be on the ranch and you did say the stipulation was for them to be there a year. I think you can still focus on one character at a time with the other two way in the background. But what are they doing while they wait their turn? If they all took one aspect of the ranch to work on, you could focus that way instead of the whole ranch scene. But then if LI has already set this up, you better go the way they say. LOL
DeleteHad to laugh at your definition of sheep farming--to make the cattle ranchers nuts. The whole of Serendipity (my fictional Texas town) is cattle, but my latest H/H's families are both sheep farmers. It's the one thing that they have in common after a very nasty runaway bride situation. Deb, bringing more sheep to LI.
DeleteMaybe there is a problem finding all three? Make the will acknowledge the uncle has lost track of his nieces and the 'one year' rule doesn't kick in until they are found and informed?
DeleteThat would make it make sense to have them come in staggered like that.
Yes, sheep would make me kind of "cray cray"! :) But you could sneak in a deeper layer of Christian symbolism with the sheep that would hit some people at just the right time! I was rereading a novel just last night & was hit with an incredible deeper meaning out of just one line that I had never seen before.
DeleteAnd it would be fun to write & bury a treasure like that just to see who would read & find it!!!
I love sheep farming because the image of a shepherd and his/her flock brings so much to mind... and lambs! BABY SHEEP ARE SO CUTE! :)
DeleteMary, that's a great idea... To have the other sisters unavailable currently. And I'm bringing them in during this book, I just had this super cute, funny opening with the sisters being sisters, and it kind of took over... Yes, you guys would love it... but the new opening is working, too. Although without that strong humor to balance it.
Once the other girls come on board, their snark will set a new tone!
Well, maybe my idea won't work after all!
ReplyDeleteHey! You are not allowed to give up so easily! Talk about your idea a little more...
DeleteSure it could, Tammy... we all start at the beginning... and then we create the winding trail.
DeleteAnd remember, brainstorming is simply about throwing out ideas to make us think... One of the gals I know DOESN'T EVER BRAINSTORM because it makes her nervous to hear all the ideas...
And some just like to work alone.
I find it useful to get my mind working, but in the end it's the EDITOR who makes the final decision... unless you're going indie, and then your editor will give you advice... but they're not paying you, so you can take the advice or leave it!
And yes, I do work with an editor on my indie stuff, absolutely. I use my daughter Beth Jamison as my indie editor... I need those fresh eyes, that new look, and she's got a younger Point of View... and that's good in this busy, ever-changing landscape!!!
Food is calling me, and my head needs a pillow! But I'll check back before we take the trail ride up to the Eastern meadow in the morning.... and I sure did like that sheep shearing exhibition this afternoon!!! And tomorrow... well we have a SURPRISE GUEST to get you on your toes tomorrow, people!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy him/her as much as I do!
Thanks for brainstorming awhile, especially when you're tired and hungry. See you in the morning. Hoping there's a little bacon with the breakfast.
DeleteWe can brainstorm on this page ALL WEEK!!!! Pop in and talk anytime... and we can make this our writing chat page!
DeleteIf anyone is still on the trail, I'm almost at the end of my first draft of my current WIP which means it's almost time to start plotting the next book before I start edits (so the current book has time to rest).
ReplyDeleteSo I'm thinking my heroine is an amnesiac (and Ruthy, if you comment, I promise not to hate you! Your suggestions will just make it better!) who is approached by the FBI to try to remember details of the accident as her roommate (who died in the crash that caused her amnesia)'s father was part of the Russian mob. So questions that I'd appreciate any ideas about:
-How much time is too long between accident and investigation? (I was originally thinking a couple of years, but now as I'm starting to think about it more, I'm thinking I might have to shorten the gap).
-Is it too cliche to have the FBI agent hero have a personal stake in the outcome because of a relative's death as a result of the Russian mob? Would he even be able to investigate if this was known?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
I think this storyline sounds great! I would tend to also think the time gap should be shorter but maybe the case was closed until new evidence showed up a few years later and they are reopening the case?
DeleteFirst.... I love this. And I think you're right, shorten the time frame because she's at her worst right now. Recent brain trauma, no memory, fighting remembering possibly... And if you have the FBI agent's father or the uncle who raised him (giving you a time lapse separation) be the person who was tortured and then killed by the Russian mob... then I think it works out fine. If it's like his WIFE (Bourne series) then it's too soon and only if he's the off-the-grid rogue spy...
DeleteFor a true agent, I think you need that degree of separation via time.
So what's the stake here? Why is the mob after the roommate? Because of what her friend told her? Because there are files buried on her computer or a flash drive? Because she bears the mark of the future??? (couldn't resist...) :)
And why wouldn't the FBI agent trust her? What is it about her that makes this another job... and turns into love?
Why can't he just fall in love with her?
Amnesia works here (and it doesn't work in SO MANY CASES....) but it's got to be handled well... tiny glimpses, growing frustration, angst, and impatience... and then the odd bits of knowledge and he wonders how she knew that if she truly has amnesia... and she has no idea how she knew that.
The brain is an amazingly strong, fragile entity....
Tanya, I love that you let books rest! Me, too! Swept Away is resting right now while I work on the Idaho series!
Did you watch Blindspot on tv? Her memory was wiped out and during the series pieces would come back. Maybe that happens to your heroine and he is the one who triggers them. Then you would have to think of why? Maybe he reminds her of the mobster and that could be to links he's had with the mob undercover or something like that.
DeleteTanya, just throwing out ideas, right? Have the investigation happen immediately after the wreck. Amnesia is often short term so they'd have hope her memory would come back.
DeleteAlso it's common to regain memory except for right around the time of the head injury. So she could lose everything, then start getting it back, but her stubbornly blank memory won't fasten on the day of the accident.
PS I did an amnesia story once and it's TRICKY. Because a true, utter amnesiac has no past. She can't remember childhood traumas. She can't think things like, 'this nightgown belonged to her grandma, the only person who ever loved her.'
Because she can't remember that.
So maybe have the amnesia NOT encompass her whole life...or at least not for long.
In my amnesia book I finally just gave her, her memory back because I couldn't handle it.
First, I love amnesia stories. Second, I read one recently actually called Amnesia by Hallie Ephron and an actual memory Dr., in which the Dr. treating the amnesiac commented that memory patients are highly succeptible to suggestions. They may begin to think they remember something, because of the way questions are asked or because a trusted person indicates they "should" remember something and then describes what happens. Or they read about an incident in the paper or they here other people's testimony - and sometimes they come to believe they LIVED that reality rather than only heard about it.
DeleteWow! Thank you all for the replies. The "twist" in my amnesia story is that the heroine is actually the daughter of the Russian mobster who purposefully identifies her as his daughter's roommate so that she can lead a normal life. Thank you for the TV suggestion. No, I hadn't heard of that show before. And yes, I do think I'm going to compress the time frame. And as for why the hero doesn't trust her, I'm branching out to a suspense and they will be shot at when he finds her. I'm not quite at plotting stage as I'm still on the final 2500 words of my WIP, but I am so thankful for you all helping me think of important plotting questions (yes, I admit it - I am a plotter!).
DeleteYou can plot all you want, darling! You're a worker... and I love that about you! :)
DeleteOh boy! My drive up here sure didn't go like I planned :( Flat tire, ran out of gas, the list goes on. So I've finally arrived! I threw my stuff in my room and ran down to see if anyone else is at the campfire still!
ReplyDeleteI just started a new WIP about a former aspiring country singer (Cash) with sextuplets and a baker (Elle) who can't have kids. Without blabbing on about the whole plot the question I have is EXTERNAL CONFLICT?? I'm horrible at it :( How do I keep them running into each other? My thought was to have Cash's mom (who lives with them) need to leave town to help a sick relative so he needs a short-term Nanny. But what motivates Elle to take the job?
Phew! I think I'll drag myself to bed now so I can be more refreshed tomorrow! Sleep well everyone.
Thanks, Vesta, for your reply. Hope I can return the favor now. You can create some of the external conflict from the sextuplets. What age are they? What sort of parenting style does he have? Part of that might include why the mother is not in the picture - did she die and he's protective? Depending on age, he might not want them baking in the kitchen because he's afraid one of them might be burned and her grandmother had her in the kitchen from before she went to school. As a baker, did she lose her job? Her bakery? If so, how badly does she need this job? If she needs it badly, could that cause conflict? Also external conflict can come if he wants to go back on the road and she confronts him about the children? Think about what her goal, motivation and conflict is and then think about his goal, motivation and conflict. If the two are at odds, you've got the start. Hope I at least gave you some starting points to think about.
DeleteDoes she have to be a baker??? Can she be something else and love to bake? Could she be Amish and now you've got BIG CONFLICT from the beginning.
DeleteTanya's right, age of kids is huge here.
Where's their mom?
If she's dead, then that leaves a mark on kids...
If she left them, then that leaves a different kind of scar.
Scars matter a lot, they make stories...
Also, former aspiring country singer.... So he never made it big? What's he doing now? Or am I reading that wrong?
This has a lot to offer... I'm going to tell you what a lot of editors might say... too many kids off the get-go. Triplets they'd grab hold of... sextuplets might be stretching the boundaries too much, something to think about. Readers get confused with too many names, and how do you not intro all six, right??? You'd have to.
Let's keep talking about this!!!! I'm excited to see other people's ideas, too!
Sextuplets is unique. Sound of music managed a lot of kids. You find things that characerize each one and that could be the humor of how the Dad has devised a system to do so and the communication and learning of that could make it hilarious. Also, she might not approve of his method. Maybe he focuses on a character defect of each child and she focuses on a character strength. So those character traits could be the points of conflict until it builds up to one big blowout.
DeleteOk! Thanks for the suggestions so far! I was afraid to bore with too many details but it seems there are a lot of questions so I will share some more plot points!
DeleteCash was an aspiring country singer and he and his late wife were having trouble with infertility. He wasn't gung-ho about having kids since he was hoping to make it big but figured one or even two kids would be fun and doable if they had to go on tour with him. But then the fertility fairy hit and boom SIX! Which basically put an end to his career or at least put it on hold. Then just as they are settling in to life his wife dies (not sure how yet...).
Fast forward to 3-ish years later and Cash and the toddlers are living with his mother in her very large ranch house. His single sister Cindy also helps out frequently. The book opens with the kid's 3rd birthday party and Cash has forgotten his ONE job...to pick up the cupcakes.
Enter Elle, the baker. He stops into the bakery where she works just as they are closing and asks her (using his charming smile) to bake some cupcakes and deliver them to the party.
Elle has known since high school that she is not able to have children. So she threw herself into her work as a baker. Even though she loves kids, it is hard for her to be around them.
So, here is where I get stuck. My thought like I said above is that Cash's Mom has to go help a sick relative for a few weeks and Cindy works full time so he needs a Nanny. Maybe Elle's hours get cut back at the bakery??
**Side note** I asked Emily Rodmell on Twitter if sextuplets was too many for Love Inspired and she said anything can work if it's done right, but that's a lot of kids to manage and still have time for romance...so I took that as a challenge ;) I think the kids could be PART of the romance as I personally feel there is little sexier than a loving father!!
Hope that helps and isn't too much info!!! Thanks everyone! Look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Oh and one more side note. I did sort of organize the kids into sets of 2 in case I had to cut it down to triplets...2 quiet, 2 mischevious, 2 peas in a pod!
DeletevESTA, A lady near me had quintuplets, this is years ago, those kids are out of high school now and there was a very ORGANIZED (largely by a local priest) to get peole to volunteer for two hour shifts, or half day shifts.
DeleteI went every Friday morning with two other ladies and we just held babies, changed babies, fed babies. The three of us kept VERY BUSY. These were newborns and I did it for about six months.
The babies were premies and probably a couple of months old when they were finally home and the shifts started.
One of the babies had some stomach problem that resulted in projectile vomiting. Because of this one baby, the mom had to teach us how to feed him, with very careful instructions. He'd get just a swallow or two, then he had to sit up, then after X number of minutes, another swallow or two.
What if your baker takes teh afternoon shift. Bakers are EARLY MORNING PEOPLE.
So your baker fills up her cases with bread and rolls and donuts and everyday by 1 pm her shelves are wiped out and she's free until tomorrow am at 4 am when she bakes again.
So at 1:15 she goes to take her shift and shows an unusual gift for caring for one of these struggling babies. She has the perfect touch for getting this baby to eat (maybe they are borderline putting the child on a feeding tube and the father is trying so hard to avoid that)
So Baker Lady becomes incredibly important to the family. To the point she's urged to stay longer, to show up at feeding times, which includes once in the middle of the night.
Come circumstances make her sleep there? If Grandma was in the residence it would be 'proper'?
And they'd need Baker Lady even if Grandma was there. Caring for six babies would overwhelm dad and grandma, another helper would absolutely be welcome.
Also the demands of this one baby, whom Baker Lady has come to adore...even more than she adores all six...could affect Baker Lady's business. Maybe there's a three am feeding or every two hours for this one baby. And only she can do it, though the dad and grandma take over while she's baking...or maybe they come with the baby twice during her work day and she has to stop working to feed struggling precious baby. And grandma takes over her cash register, or dad does. Maybe Baker Lady oversleeps and wakes up at...whenever and doesn't get her baking done one day so the life of this baby begins to conflict with her ability to make a living...of course the baby takes priority but she's in danger of losing her livelihood.
DeleteNow she has to choose between her own dreams and the life of this baby
Could the bakery be like a coffee shop that has an open microphone night and he has a conflict when everyone or her pushed him to try again...with his Von Trapp like family of cute little singers?
DeleteThanks everyone! I do like the idea of her being a part-time helper...or maybe even just that the church is the one that sets up "nanny" situation.
DeleteI also like the potential idea of her pushing him to go back into singing...maybe she pushes him but thinks she's holding him back by pulling him into a potential relationship?
Wow! I missed the whole day as I had to be out of town, and tomorrow will be the same. I don't want to get behind in the brainstorming as I do need the help.
ReplyDeleteMy other half will be going through outpatient surgery in the afternoon, and he will need my support and attention, so I may not show up until late evening. So glad this brainstorming page will be kept open!
I love all the ideas flowing in the above posts...you guys are good! Can't wait to pick your brains!
Thanks again to Shane and Ruthy for having us here.
Blessings.
Praying for his quick and no problem surgery!!!!
DeleteAnd yes, you come on back to this page because they've got a campfire every evening! :)
And we can just chat throughout the week!
Marcia I hope the surgery went well and your husband is recovering.
DeleteSorry I couldn't stay awake to enjoy the campfire with you last night. I was plain tuckered out after all the fresh air and the excitement of everyone arriving. And of course, I ate too much so was really sleepy.
ReplyDeleteI"m an early riser so had to come back and read the transcripts of your conversation. Thank goodness Laraby decided to bring in a transcriber so we can read what you night owls came up with. I suspect some of you night owls might be sleeping in so will have to rely on the transcriber for the comments of us early birds. chuckle
Well I'm kind of stuck on one of my wip's. My beta readers said my heroine's character wasn't deep enough. Her mother died when she was young and her father abandoned her. She was raised by her grandmother who owned a huge chunk of land in the Sedona, Arizona area. There are Indian ruins on the land that her grandmother made Geri swear to protect. Geri has always wanted to travel and loves learning about other cultures. She was getting her degree in Anthropology when Granny died and she had to return to the land. On returning, she becomes involved with a man who doesn't really care for her, but wants access to the land. He takes groups out to the ruins to "find their connection with the spirits and calls it a vortex" One of the groups gets dehydrated in the sweat lodge and they die. That's when Geri finds out what this man is like and it sours her on relationships. She doesn't trust men.
The hero is hiking with his nephew and she rescues them from a flashflood. They are stranded at her primitive home for a few days and there is definitely an attraction. He works for an organization like Samaritan Purse in foreign countries and is looking for a place to move his widowed sister and her son out of the city where she was mugged and into a better environment. Because of his experiences, he can help fix some of the many things that need fixing in her primitive house and the attraction grows.
Well she doesn't trust him when she finds out he is there to buy land. He doesn't understand why she can't leave the land as he would want her to travel with him. Which of course she would love to do, but another agency starts sneaking tourists into the ruins so they both realize she needs to stay.
So my betas loved the hero (I always write better men than women????? Don't know why except a friend told me once, that maybe that exposes me. sigh) But they didn't like heroine so much. I need to get deeper into her emotions.
Any ideas?
Hi Sandra, I had some questions about Geri- Why does Geri love learning about other cultures? Is she just a culture hog or is she passionate about something within the cultures- starving children, the role of women,clean water, education, artifacts? What would she die to protect? Who would she give her life for? How does she feel about the artifacts on the land? Did her grandmother really need to make her promise to protect them or is she passionate because they are part of the history of a culture she lives around? Hopi? Navajo? Or are they an albatross around her neck because she has resentment for Native Americans? And I assume she's off the grid. Any improvements like solar panels or is she living more like on the reservation? I'd like to see her care deeply about some issue even if she's dead wrong about it and has to change. And why the heck doesn't she have a shot gun for those stupid trespassing tour guides? What if she becomes near rabid about protecting what is hers or what is history. What if the hero has to suck it up and help her fight the bad guys? What if she has to let go of her prejudice and ask the local tribal council to help her protect the artifacts that are part of their history? Just questions for you to take or leave.
DeleteHey Barbara. Great questions. The artifacts are Sinaloa which are common in the area and those tribes disappeared hundreds of years ago. They are not sure why. But living around all those ruins and the many different cultures that are part of Arizona history is what has sparked her interest and love of anthropology. She is torn because she loves the ruins and the history but she yearns to travel so needs to find a way to do both (which she does in the story btw) And also, she does have guns. She's a good shot too. But when they encounter the guy using the kiva with a group of tourists, she has the hero's nephew with her so doesn't want to put him in danger and the boy's mother happens to be in the group of tourists. Geri was watching the boy because she thought the mom was working and here she is. This creates some of the conflict. But I think I do need to deepen her reasons and conflicting desires about why she is protecting the ruins. Maybe some Indian blood in her background. Maybe visions from the grandmother. That might be fun to go along with the vortex stuff.
DeleteSANDRA!!! WE GET TO CRITIQUE TOGETHER!!!! Sandra and I cut our writing teeth together, a dozen years ago!
DeleteOkay, I'm going to throw a few things out there:
1. It's always easier to write the hero because he's the hero.
2. I would change her past significantly... bring her back not because of a great love for the land (I'm sorry, but that's a boring reason....) bring her back to nurse Granny or something like that... something that grabs hold of a reader's heart... and have her sacrifice something BIG to do it.
Remember Anne of Green Gables, she gave up the college scholarship to Gilbert to stay at Green Gables after Matthew died? You want that kind of sacrifice. Otherwise, why should anyone care?
THEN...
DON'T DO THE CRAZY BOYFRIEND AND DEATH STUFF!!!! PLEASE!!!!
:)
Okay, here's why: It cheapens her to have fallen for someone like that. It makes her look kind of stupid.
Our Motto: NSH
No Stupid Heroines
She could have been abused as a child, a horrible father.... and that could be a reason to not trust men, but I find that not trusting men isn't enough of a conflict to mean much these days.
Especially the more men I know! :)
So I'd go way deeper with that.
Give her a strong internal conflict and a strong external one.
He was the doctor who could have saved Granny if he'd come forth with great immunotherapy drugs but she didn't qualify for the trial...
He was the man who could have voted for the land to be placed in a land trust so that no one could ever change it (I hate those things, it's like being so sure you're right that you can see 50 years into the future and KNOW that your land should never be developed... Look at all the cities we'd have stunted if we did that thing a hundred years ago??? CRAZY!!!!)
So that's some of how I'd see this, my friend.
Make sure there's a solid "WHY???" behind every aspect.
What pops into my mind, Sandra.
DeleteCoudl she be under pressure from two directions?
ONE a developer...not a city but a tourist thing, which you've sort of got. But someone is offering her big bucks to sell a strip of land under the vortex, kiva, whatever you call it. They are promising her to respect the land (except turns out they want to build a casino? Or cheap motels and bars, with only minimal nod to the special site)
TWO (the other pressure) the government wants to name her sight a 'protected area'. But they don't want to do that with the ten acres under and around the special site. They want about a thousand acres because the government always wants too much. And they are offering her a pittance.
She's give the land to the government...if they only wanted ten acres. But can't part with so much.
Also she may know of other 'protected sites' that are purchased then ignored and maybe vandalized, but if she parted with the land she'd have no power to protect the land.
The hero could be from teh government or from the casino people...but then side with her when he realizes how she'd protect that land.
So she needs to choose between wealth from the casino or the utter destruction of her home by losing it to the government, but hopefully they'd at least protect the site.
And she could be studying to complete her anthropology degree online but she has no internet in her rustic house. No cell service. She can't afford satellite? Or no one will come out so far to install it. So she needs to drive...forty miles for a dependable internet connection.
Sorry my comment ended up in the wrong spot so I deleted it and am attempting the right spot. Hope it works. If the artifacts are Sinaloa and they are of any size, more than shards, there might be a museum wanting pieces for an exhibit? Possibly trying to steal from her? I remember someone actually dying in a sweat lodge a few years ago. Kind of cost the guy his tourist gig. I also remember a friend from Vermont who had 1/32 Cherokee blood, grew his hair and became one of Sedona's premier tour guides and story tellers. What would cause her to actually live in a primitive house off the grid? Is she broke? Maybe she'd hiding from something or someone or maybe the hiding is from a perceived threat. Maybe she needs something to be afraid of or something to lose.
DeleteSandra, I do think your heroine will become more likeable if she there is a deeply personal connection. While you were telling the plot, I noticed - no personal connections. So give her someone she would do anything for - so to care for granny is a good idea like Ruth said. It could also be a child or a teen about to go in the wrong direction. This could be a mini-subplot, if those are allowed in your line.
DeleteSandra, I'll echo what everyone else has written, but I'll add I think it's the distrust of men that might be throwing the readers off. It's tough because we as authors don't want our heroines to be too perfect, but I think you have conflict coming out in other ways. A more personal connection to the land will help add relatability (spelling error, mine).
DeleteWow terrific ideas and insights. I do have the sheriff department wanting a piece of her land near the highway to build a much needed substation. and I end up with hero buying land near the sheriff's department and building a subdivision so there is a house for his sister and he funds a day care facility for the elderly that his sister will run. Therefore helping Geri financially, protecting the access to the land and helping his sister while letter her be independent. He likes to be in control. So for her past, I need to dig deeper. She does give up her scholarship to ASU to take care of granny when she is sick. She has just died before start of story and Geri is hurting financially. She wants to stay out on her land, but will have to go into town to work to pay taxes and much needed repairs. (Which hero can help her with).
DeleteBarbara, the actual event is what gave me the idea for the story. Yes, several were killed by dehydration from staying in a sweat lodge too long without water.
Ruthy, I could easily not make him an ex-boyfriend. Since Geri does work in her girlfriends tourist center that schedules tourist activities, he could be a competing for business.
You've given me good ideas to mull over.
That's what I love about brainstorming with you guys. It allows my brain to step back and "see" a story from a different point of view... and lots of times that deepens the whole thing!
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ReplyDeleteHere is the blurb I use for a piece I've been working on for several years. I've added a few details to it. It is about a teacher who has written a musical about the underground railroad. She didnt major in music because of the critical attitude that is typically associated with that college major.
ReplyDeleteGinny’s life is about to become one big drama. Chance meetings with a handsome theater professor and her dream of producing her own musical will keep Ginny’s life on stage. Complications arise as professor Scott becomes overbearing when he is forced to become the director of the musical by a rich benefactor. As trust and interest begin to grow, confusion arises over a mysterious lady in Professor Scott’s life named Honey. (She actually a senior citizen who plays bass in the church band) Mix in a couple of mischievous dogs and quirky cast members for some fun and frustration. Will Ginny find a leading man in Scott or will the lead actor in her musical do?
Like a previous commenter I have better development for the hero. I've also been pretty nice to both of them. I could use some bigger conflicts both internal and external so I appreciate and brainstorm you can toss my way..
Good morning, Bettie. I like your idea with a musical theme because my daughter is a music teacher and loves drama. So is Ginny's big dream to produce her own musical? What is preventing that? Funding? Her own lack of experience? She has written this musical and ... is she white? If so, as you mention in your next comment, that can be a conflict to overcome.
DeleteShe is white but one of her female pals is African American and will eventually be an actress and costumer in the production. GInny initially thought the production would be something small presented on the grounds of the local history museum but the curator has grander ideas that initial backers are excited about. She has to over come imagined inadequacies...yet She feels strong enough to conquer the past. There will be major funds to be raised. Again I made it too easy in my manuscript to get funds. She has some experience with community theater but in reality will benefit from Scott's expertise but resents him taking control of her play. She is an elementary teacher who is involved at the museum. He has recently settled in to teach college theater after trying his hand at professional theater.
DeleteWhy does the musical have to be about the Underground Railroad? Just curious. Does she get any flack about it? Otherwise you could have her write a musical about anything. I'd like to see more conflict about the play itself.
DeleteKathy Bailey
Thanks. It gives me something to think about...I have personally written such a play and done the research so it was in mind. But I will definitely give your suggestion some thought.
DeleteOn another vein of thought...I have a half written story about a couple who fall in love as people in slavery and then seek freedom on the underground railroad. I stopped in the middle because a certain house said they weren't touching something about slavery. I have since heard that since I am not a person of that race it isn't my story to tell...our voice. What do you think? I have done lots of research in the area. I even had a brainstorm about it being a series or novella collection about the people they encounter on journey to freedom...from the couple's story through the story of the play mentioned in my previous post. Thanks for your thoughts
ReplyDeleteBettie, you could do it if it was part of a bigger, multi-character story> Brock and Bodie Thoene has several characters of color in their Shiloh series and they portrayed them with respect and insight and didn't get hassled. Don't know how it would work as the main H & H, but if the story is on your heart you'll find a way to tell it.
ReplyDeleteKathy Bailey
I like that idea. I haven't read those books in a long time. I'll put them on the to be read list. Thanks
DeleteI'm going to come right out and say that I will gladly write any story I please... because color doesn't matter one whit... it's about capability and story-telling. And I'm stubborn enough and confident enough that when someone tells me not to do something... I do it just to show I can....
DeleteIf we can tell stories about historical characters in any other form... why not this? Why not you? Why not now?
Harriet Tubman is one of my favorite historical characters. I've taught her story and used her for an example for scores of children... Rosa Parks is another one.
I believe that people are people and stories are stories and now I might just write a series of African American characters because I'm kind of stoked! ;)
Scottish history?
English history?
PLAGUE???
I don't have to have the plague, to write a gripping story about it.
This is why I'm so glad we have the option of indie publishing... because barriers are man-made. Not story-related.
Thank you! What a good point. And why not. You give me courage.
DeleteOK, I'll play. (Finally figured out how this works.) I'm doing a rough draft of the sequel to my first contemporary Christmas Romance. They all take place in a town called Hilltop, New Hampshire and my tag for the series is, "Welcome to Hilltop, the Town That Heals." Hilltop is the home of a large Christmas (Not "Holiday") festival that happens every year, where the local Catholic and Protestant churches join forces for a Christmas festival that exalts the name of Christ. In the first book community pillar Alice Merrill is accused of embezzling funds from the Hilltop Festival account, and her granddaughter and heroine Jane finds the means to exonerate her. But in the first book Jillian, a Hilltop native working in Boston television, breaks the story of the embezzling on Boston TV. Everyone is mad at her.
ReplyDeleteIN THE SECOND BOOK...Jillian loses her job in Boston TV and comes home to Hilltop, both because she's broke and to help her shiftless father clean up his house after a notice from the Board of Health. He is a hoarder. Police Chief Paul McKee, a widower with two daughters, had a serious crush on Jill in high school, but she didn't give him the proverbial Time of Day. He later married Sarah, a woman who shared his Christian faith, but she was killed by a hit-and-run three years before. Paul is annoyed with Jill for breaking Alice's non-story in the Boston market, and secretly annoyed with rejecting him all those years before. Jill is uncomfortable around Paul because of his goodness and the fact that she COULD have been nicer to him. He's really not happy that she's back in town and he offers to help her clean her father's house, ostensibly to get her out of Hilltop as fast as possible, but really because he feels compassion for her.
There are several gaps in the staffing for the Hilltop Festival and Paul volunteers Jill, thinking it will get her back in the community's good graces. She is reluctant, but decides to help after she sees how warmly Jane and Alice welcome her back, and how they've forgiven her.
Jill is not a Christian, and she did some Very Bad things in Boston besides ratting out Alice. But in seeing how the town welcomes her back, and how Paul selflessly helps her, she begins to be drawn to Christ. And to Paul.
They have their first kiss. But she DOES have a past, and the Boston criminal she was involved with tracks her to Hilltop. He wants her back, plus he wants her to serve as a conduit for the drug trade coming down from Canada. Drawn by the simple kindness of the Hilltop folk, she clearly sees what she was involved with and doesn't want it. He persists. That's the first monkey wrench.
Second monkey wrench: She and Paul grow closer and share a kiss. This might go somewhere. She's good with his kids. But when he stumbles in to her father's barn one night he sees a vintage Plymouth Valiant with a crumpled fender, and he realizes Jill's dad hit Sarah -- and Jill helped him cover it up. A total loss of trust,and Paul feels like a fool for letting her into his life. Jill feels like a bigger fool as she realizes that she's lost something precious.
Or so she thinks. At the lowest point she accepts Christ as her Savior. The town rallies around her, and on a Saturday before the Festival, dozens of people show up with brooms and mops to help her finish the house.
At the parade Christmas Eve afternoon, Jill is riding on a float supervising a group of children when her nemesis from Boston shows up in the Santa suit and holds her at gunpoint. (This is where it gets fuzzy.) I have her alert Paul somehow and have her save the children somehow while Paul saves the day somehow. He forgives her, and she casts her lot with Hilltop.
KB
Does this NOT work for anybody? Any suggestions?
DeleteI think this sounds like a good book series. It would be of interest to me. There were just a couple of things I wondered. At first you said Paul helped Jill clean the house so she could leave town quickly. Then you said he volunteered her to help with the festival to get in the community's good graces. This sounds like the opposite, but maybe you meant he later decides he wants her to stick around. I thought that was a great twist when he discovers the car. I wonder, though, if he could really overcome knowing that Jill knew about it. Maybe he thinks she was helping him, but really wasn't? Or maybe you will be able to show that he can get past that. I like the ending. I can really picture it in a movie. I think you have some good ideas.
DeleteWow, this is a lot... I have to think about this, Kathy... The plot, the ideas.... I think the most important thing when you're plotting a big-book feel kind of story, is to make sure the emotion of the people, the characters, drives the story. Don't let the events take over the calendar, and that's easy to have happen especially at Christmas time.
DeleteThank you, Ruthy. That is something I'll be looking at as I write this. There is a lot of potential for emotion, and I've got to let that shine through. My intent is for the Christmas festival to be a framework for the emotions to come out. Thanks for the tips, I'll let you know how this comes out. Slowly and painfully.
DeleteOne thing I'm stuck on is how to proceed after Paul finds the car. Does he prosecute Jill's dad, and Jill for covering it up? HOW can he forgive them? And what's the legal implication, does he have to report them after all this time?
But enough about me...Thanks, guys.
Kaybee, it seems as if you have a plot already fleshed out. Was there something you wanted brainstorming help with? I read through this but didn't find any - let me know if there's something you're looking for ideas about and I'll flex my brainstorming muscles. Otherwise, I won't try to fix what isn't broken. :)
ReplyDeleteWant help to make it better or any RED FLAGS that something isn't going to work. Thanks.
DeleteI need help with trying to justify why my heroine kept the hero's twin sons from him for four years. The twins are 3 and this is a secular contemporary western romance series (3 books). They have both come back to their hometown in MT (he traveled, she was in CO) due to different circumstances. She is a veterinarian, he is a rodeo stock provider and has spent years out on the rodeo circuit. They had a one-night-stand and voila! They grew up together...her two older brothers and the hero are best friends. Can anyone help from just these clues? What more do you need? I do have the whole story in mind, but I don't want my readers (hear, my daughter) to hate the heroine. My CPs have given me ideas, but I'd like to hear your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Could it be that one (or both) of the twins was sick as a baby and she didn't want to bring them on the road or have the hero think that he had to stop going out on the rodeo circuit to take care of the kids? Just a quick idea...don't know if it would work with your other plans :)
DeleteI should mention, Vesta, that my story is going to be based on the well-worn, much-loved "secret baby" trope. The hero has no idea he's a father until the little dynamos burst into the room, and their mother quite calmly introduces them to him.
Deleteoh yeah! I was just thinking that's maybe why she didn't tell him...because she doesn't want him to feel obligated??
DeleteI like Vesta's idea, she doesn't want him to feel obligated. Doesn't want to tie him down. I am assuming this all happens before she gives her life to Christ (hence the one-night stand), and when she grows in faith she realizes the kids need their father, or that it's not fair to keep them from him. OR...she and he could part on bad terms, which means she doesn't want anything to do with him. Until they show up in the same town and he Changes Her Mind.
DeleteKB
We need a REAL GOOD reason for a secret baby story to work for the editors and for the readers... In my first one the hero was a West Point candidate and he'd lose his appointment if the heroine revealed she was pregnant... so he didn't find out about his son for twelve years...
DeleteIn an upcoming one, the heroine gave her daughter up for adoption after being date-raped... she was in a different part of the country and told no one what happened, but when a stranger shows up in town with HER DAUGHTER... things get weird instantly.
What would make her keep the secret from him? And was she in Vet school? Or already a veterinarian?
If she's making a sacrifice for her children or the hero, that makes a difference.
Maybe the hero has prided himself on being a loner... one of a kind... a maverick. Untethered...
If she's doing it because she's mad at him... that's a rough one. Now she looks awful to the reader.
Or if she planned to give them up for adoption, and one got sick and she couldn't do it... or just couldn't do it... and then didn't know how to tell him.
But to have him be besties with her brothers makes it all a little too sweet, maybe?
I think adversaries would be more fun. They'd be trying to best him, he'd be trying to best them, and then they all find out Sis's kids are THE ENEMY's children...
Now I kind of like that!
Ruthy, I love your date-rape premise...what a twist!
DeleteMy heroine was already a vet and met the hero at a rodeo. She had a secret crush on him when she was younger, and since the boys were BFFs, the bro code was in effect. (You don't date your best friends sister, or anything else!) The reason I had for her secrecy was that he had told her he wasn't into relationships or marriage and the next day he was gone. She honored those wishes, but didn't keep them from him for revenge. I do like the adversary idea.
kaybee, I like your input, too. Although, this is a secular romance, not inspirational. God hasn't called me to write one...yet. I love reading them, so the possibility is there, but maybe at a later date.
Marcia, the date-rape one comes out in February, and I'm really pleased with it...
DeleteIf you go deeper with the reasons behind why she slept with him... if she's recoiling from something tragic or hurtful and she's reckless... then that creates a better basis for her to have done this... and if he's a Clint Eastwood kind of loner, who might have acted out of character that night... or maybe in character, and then we have a redeem the bad guy scenario (DO NOT TRY THIS IN REAL LIFE, PEOPLE!!!! THAT'S WHY WE WRITE FICTION!!!)
That might help.
It's all about believability and sympathy, isn't it?
Ruthy, I think deep down he's always been attracted to her, too. But, she was the younger sister to his BFFs. Also, she left home at 16 for college...yes, a brainiac. He only had glimpses of her when she came home for holidays and such, so when he finally gets to spend some real time with her, the attraction flares. She's 28 now and he's 32. Both of them old enough to know better, but then there's "the condom broke' dilemma! So, maybe both of them were acting out of character. Hormones and emotions will do that to you.
Delete(FYI from a counselor who works with teens & young adults)
Delete*I don't think you were thinking about this at all, but the Momma Bear Counselor in me just had to say this out loud...
Please be careful with a date rape scenario when a victim would fall in love with the perpetrator. Date rape is a crime. Empowering victims who keep their child! Absolutely!! Excusing anyone who rapes. Not a good thing.
I would steer more towards an "oops, we shouldn't have done that" verses an out right date rape.
I'm not meaning to step on anyone's toes. I've just seen too many broken girls fight back to life again after a date rape. They are Bold Brave Super Heroes! But it is a hard road.
Does that make sense?
Jana, you're so right. My heroine was devastated... and it played with her conscience to a point of taking blame for being stupid... and her resultant actions changed her life.
DeleteWomen take so much on themselves, and that's a societal flaw.
And I still see grown women, church-going women, pull apart other women for the most foolish of reasons... they don't raise their kids right, they don't dress right, they're too fat, too skinny, too brash, too sensitive... when we should be our own best cheerleaders, we become our own worst enemies as a gender...
And then that internal image takes the blame when something heinous occurs. "What did I do wrong? Why didn't I see that coming? Why am I so stupid?"
If I could help every woman see themselves like Christ sees them... like the good Lord sees them... I'd be delighted!
Date rape can work. If you're not doing inspy it doesn't have to be before they were Christians, but they should definitely have been Young and Shallow.
ReplyDeleteI have a secret baby story, my first Oregon Trail novel. Caroline didn't tell Michael because he was leaving to seek adventure, and she didn't think he loved her enough to stick around. Of course we all know he would have if he'd known, but SHE doesn't know that and HE doesn't know it.
I didn't want to use date rape in this one, I wanted Michael to be likable from the start, so I had her sleep with him because she was young and naïve and he was the love of her life.
"Hormones and emotions." If I had a dollar for every time THAT steered me wrong.
I could believe him telling her he wasn't into "relationships or marriage," and her believing it. Even though we know in his heart of hearts he doesn't mean her. He just doesn't know it yet. Oh, this is fun.
ReplyDeleteSorry I talked so much yesterday. I'm still getting the hang of how this works.
ReplyDeleteOh my stars, that's what this if for, you goose! You can talk all you want... Unless it's like quiet "Go Write A Book" time! :)
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ReplyDeleteLate to the party! Will print the entire brainstorming blog to get a real sense of what is needed for my wip.
ReplyDeleteOlivia, not late at all! We kept this page running all week on purpose, but I didn't have time yesterday to get over here... Those wolves did some damage in the hills and four fences were brought down.... but Shane and the guys got them back up and running, with my help, of course. :)
DeleteDid you want to brainstorm? Because we've got brains!
Sweet Friends,
ReplyDeleteMy sincerest apologies for having to leave the retreat. Not only did our dog have outpatient surgery, but we had a slew of family emergencies that pulled me back to Georgia. I will read everything catching up this week.
Love the brainstorming and I know I am so late to add. I have an Inspirational Women's Fiction Book Series based in the SC Lowcountry that I'm working on. It has quite the cast of characters. The first three books will be about the 3 estranged sisters and their journeys back to their bond of sisterhood and friendship. I don't have my book or series blurb nearby, but can pull it out. The oldest sister, a widow, is adopting sibling girls from foster care. She and the youngest of the three sisters are the most estranged. I'm not doing a good job giving you all my big ideas, but I can assure you I have character arcs, story arcs, and the series arc already formed as God has laid it out to me. I won a 50,000 word book edit via the ACFW silent auction, but I'm re-writing my book. I tried to make it work for Harlequin Heartwarming and Victoria Curran encouraged me to go big, which is how God gave it to me to begin with! I've got to trust Him and have the courage to write and stop editing as I go or I will never finish the first book! Tina Radcliffe confirmed what Victoria told me when I won a first chapter critique through Seekerville. I was encouraged when she said I have a lovely voice. I'm too new to recognize it, but I was concerned if I even had one at all.
I cannot wait to read your stories and connect with each of you in person at conferences, etc. one day. My thanks to all who poured into everyone this week and to Ruthy for dreaming this up.
Blessings,
Kimberly Absher
T: @kkabsherwrites
Numbers 6:24-26
Kimberly, this sounds like a Karen White type story... and I love Karen White... Her and her books!
ReplyDeleteAnd Victoria is a sound advisor on so many things.
Keep us posted in Seekerville about how this is going. I'd love to see it be hugely successful for you and I'm so glad you were here at least part time!
Thank you for your encouraging words, Ruthy! Karen lives close by, but I've never met her. I love her books, so this is a huge comparison that I don't feel worthy of. Pray I get it all on paper, so to speak!
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