My Third Grade Theory

All of my life I have written stories to cope with insecurities and disappointments. In school, I was never the most popular, the most athletic, or the girl who always got the guy. However, in my mind, or on paper I could be. In the third grade, I stood in front of the class and told a story that included all of my classmates. I remember it well, because in the story, I was pretty, athletic, and I got the guy in the end. When I was done with my dissertation, my teacher, with a Cheshire grin on her face said, “You have some imagination.”

Imagination is a writer’s best friend. With a vivid imagination and the ability to put ideas into words a WIP can become a dream fulfilled. In the past week, I’ve doubted my ability to write a soup can label, let alone an original story. I’m chalking it up to a bad week, and mimicking the Scarlett O’Hara attitude- "I’ll think about that tomorrow."

When I started writing fan fiction, it was a lot like my experience in the third grade. I didn’t like how the Janet Evanovich series was progressing so I wrote it my way. When reading Evanovich or other authors I admire, I challenge myself to plot an even better story. More often times than not, I create characters who overcome something that I’ve always struggled with emotionally or physically.

I’ve been overweight the majority of my life; you would think that when I envision my heroine in my WIP she would be thin with curves in all the right places.

Wrong.

My heroine is at least 20 pounds overweight. I figure if I have to struggle with this so should she. It’s what I know, and believe me, I can write it realistically. Over 50% of America’s population is obese; I surmise that my readers can relate to an overweight heroine. You might ask how realistic is it to believe a dead sexy hero would choose an overweight counterpart? Maybe not often, but back to my third grade theory-I can make my hero fall in love with anyone I choose. Besides, my real life hero loves me for who I am, and I believe that all true heroes should feel the same way.

I can also build a plot around any scenario I want as long as it’s believable. This brings me to my current demise. I’ve been struggling the past week to begin my first WIP. I had my mind set on writing an inspirational romance. I researched the guidelines put forth by some popular Christian publishers. They set many restrictive limits, some I agree with and some I don’t. It was difficult for me to edit scenes and dialog that I’ve had in my mind for so long, to fit a certain set of standards. In light of this revelation, I have decided I need to write what I know, and that is romantic suspense or contemporary romance. Maybe I’ll struggle like a fish out of water for a while, but eventually I’ll find my stride. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to use my third grade theory. I don’t want to write a book about a girl who is published. I want to write a book that gets the girl published.

Do you have a third grade theory? How did you decide what type of romance you wanted to write, or are you not limiting yourself to one specific genre? Did you struggle when you started your first WIP?

Ready or Not Here I Go…

I am about to embark on one of the scariest journeys of my life. For the first time I’m going to write an original story of my own. I’m not breaking into the writing world like most traditional writers. My writing experience started in the world of Janet Evanovich fan fiction. *gasp* Yes I am aware of the stigma that surrounds the idea of a writer taking another author‘s characters and creating their own stories. I could argue that Janet Evanovich gives her permission for writers to create fan fiction using her characters. At one point in time, she even had a fan fiction section on her website. That doesn’t stop some critics from believing that fan fiction is a rip off of a published author’s work. But we’ll leave that subject for another day.

Fan fiction has had a tremendous impact on my life from a personal as well as a writer’s perspective. If I had not discovered fan fiction a little over three years ago, I wouldn’t be a writer. I also would not have found some of the best friends I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. (Sin)

When I discovered fan fiction, I consumed story after story trying to feed the obsession I felt for Janet Evanovich’s characters. As you all know I fell in love with her bad boy character named Ranger. For those of you not familiar with Ranger he has enough sex appeal to charm a nun out of her habit. He emanates from the page, and never strays far from your mind once the book is closed. Ranger is the main reason I am a writer. He fueled a desire in me to write a story where he gets the girl in the end, something that I seriously doubt will happen when Evanovich writes the last book in the series. Over 200,000 words later, I’ve given Ranger the girl several times over. I’ve also sexed him up with the girl, had him walk away from the girl, had him shot, had the girl walk away from him and had him die with the girl in a plane crash. In the process I learned how to write, and I gained the confidence to write something to call my own.

Those are the positive points of using fan fiction to break into the writing world, but now I’m struggling on a daily basis from the negatives. Fan fiction has always provided me with some of the most difficult things a writer has to create. I have to create my own canvas now. It’s all about me creating a story from the ground up. I admit in the last several weeks I have been cursing fan fiction, because no longer do I have Ranger as my crutch. I know Ranger inside and out. I know where he lives. I know of his habits, his occupation, and his flaws. I have been told no one gets inside Ranger’s head the way I do. Well good for me right? Now I have to create my own hero and hope I don’t fall flat on my face in the process. For me attempting to write an original story is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. I’m experiencing the fear of the unknown.

Fortunately, my desire to create my own story out weighs my fear. At least now when I sit down at the computer and attempt to write about my characters I don’t feel faint, or like running from the room, screaming like a little girl.

This brings us to the present, where I’m preparing to embark on my journey. I’ll describe the scene in detail.

The news helicopters are circling above me. The co- pilot is shouting the details of the scene before him in his headset for the story at 11. He reports that another fan fiction writer has decided to take “The Plunge”

So I’m standing on a ledge fifty stories above the city looking down. I can barely see the outline of the net, beyond the black moment, where I will find my HEA. If I close my eyes, I can visualize my computer key board, while character descriptions, plot devices, and the dreaded beginning are dancing through my mind. Ranger is sitting next to me on the ledge whispering “Proud of you Babe.” I look at him; wipe a tear from my eye and whisper, “Thanks for everything.” Then I smile and step into thin air.

Was it intimadating for you to start a WIP? What are your biggest fears now as a writer? How do you over come those fears?

Making it Original

I was very excited to say the least when I was invited aboard Cap’n Jack’s ship. I had some reservations. I have never been a crewmember aboard a sea faring vessel. I have some experience straddling a cannon, just not on the deck of a ship… I want to tow my share of the the rope, but I realize the wenches aboard this great vessel are far more sea worthy than me.

Although I lack experience in the writing world, I wanted to be apart of this adventure to get my sea legs so to speak. I understand the basics of writing a novel. I know I need a character sketch, an outline, a plot, a synopsis and a query letter when the time comes. I know I need an agent and eventually a publisher. I know I need a heroine and a hero and I understand why a protagonist needs an antagonist. I need a muse to feed me, but she can only help provide the words and direction. My problem is getting past the first important step in writing a novel.

I have tried on occasion to do a character sketch and I have succeeded…in creating the perfect Mary Sue. My heroine always turns out exactly the way I wish I could be. My hero is always the most dead sexy male fantasy that I could ever imagine. Hell I even love to hate my villains.

Therefore, my question is this. How do you create characters with believable flaws that you can still embrace as your own? Do you have to like your heroine? More importantly, does it serve a purpose for her to behold qualities you find irritating?

I know the drill; never create a character that has the physical attributes and abilities that you find unattainable. This I can understand, where the line gets a little grey for me, is how I can create a heroine I believe in if she doesn’t share some of my own aspirations.

If I can embrace my characters, I can pass on that emotional connection to my readers. I want to create a hero and heroine that captivate the reader long after they close my book. I am excited about creating lives and situations for characters that I can call my own. However, I want them to be realistic, not superficial. I want to walk away at the completion of my novel and have pride in knowing I created characters readers want to believe are more real than fiction.

With that being said, I think the first order of business is to swab the deck of all extra baggage.

*Looking sternly at Mary Sue who is hunkered down in the bow of the ship*

“You‘ve been a cast away aboard this ship long enough. Come forth wench and walk the plank.”