It's fun to be back with another edition of my ezine. Especially since exciting things are happening at susanmeier.com. I'm adding more content to my website. You won't have to wait for this ezine for excerpts! Or to read a little bit more about the characters in each of my books. Starting with A FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS, I'm posting "What Came Before" and "Happily Ever After" segments that will show you what came before the book opened for one of the main characters and how they're doing a few years later!
There will also be a new workshop up on the site...Goal Setting! Just in time for the new year.
I'm also toying with the idea of releasing an ezine every other month. I'd like to do it every month but with my schedule I think trying out every other month might be wiser!
So what about this anthology Barbara Wallace and I wrote for Christmas? Well, I'm prejudiced, but working with Barbara was lots of fun. This is her debut story, which was very humbling for me. What fun to be out with someone who is experiencing her first book rush!
Our heroines are twins. My twin Gwen finds her true love first in A BABY BENEATH THE CHRISTMAS TREE. The hero, Drew Teaberry, is a workaholic who doesn't believe in love. But single mom Gwen quickly turns into a confidante when Drew's adolescent son begins acting out, angry that he's left with his dad while his mom goes on her honeymoon.
All that would be great, but what makes this book special is that it takes place on a Christmas tree farm. And, even better, the trees are said to be magic. Legend has it that if you hold a branch and make a wish, your wish will come true.
There's a lot to wish for in the Teaberry family. There's the success of the business venture that brought Drew back to his family home. There's the longing of Drew's son, Brody, to have a place. There's the longing in Gwen's heart not to be alone.
Drew and his son become her temporary family...but can she keep them?
I think the two stories in A FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS, will warm your heart. So grab a cup of cocoa, wrap up in a blanket and settle in for some holiday fun...and romance!
Enjoy the writing lesson that follows, along with this issue's Cat Tails, which features my favorite mouser, Sophia Maria Lolita Conchita Chequita Banana.
And for those of you who follow my workshops, a schedule is also posted below!
susan
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FOR THE WRITERS AMONG US!
This issue's lesson is Lesson One of one of my favorite workshops, THE POWER OF QUESTIONS. I'm thinking of shaking things up a bit and releasing all the lessons of this workshop in the upcoming editions. So you'll get the whole workshop!
Enjoy.
Lesson One: Questions can revolutionize your writing
Most of you are here for one of two reasons. Some of you are at the beginning of your career and you’re eager to learn everything you can. Others are trying to better yourselves or your work, or simply to take the next step.
If you’re here because you are at the beginning of your career and you’re eager to learn everything you can right now, before you take too many steps…Wow. I envy you. Learning how to use questions will make your path so much smoother!
If you’re here because you’re trying to better yourself, maybe your career has stalled, maybe your books seem to be falling flat, maybe you’re looking to take the next step…You are also in for a treat.
Learning how to use questions efficiently and effectively will revolutionize your life.
I’m not kidding.
But before we actually get into specifics, there are a few generalities about questions that you need to understand.
Every time I propose this workshop on THE POWER OF QUESTIONS, the coordinator always says, “Oh, you mean story question, right?” And I say, “No…well, yes, story question is in there, but there’s more to questions than just that one facet.”
More than anything else, learning how to ask good questions will set you up for life with a wealth of ideas.
Think it through. Does every idea you get become a book? If you’re like me, the answer is probably no. Not every idea comes full-blown. Not every idea is marketable.
But what if I were to tell you that by using a well constructed question you could just about assure that every idea you get could BECOME a great idea – not just a good idea, but a great idea? Or what if I told you that using the right question can help you take ideas you don’t think are marketable and turn them into marketable ideas?
Well, you’d probably kiss my feet! LOL
So questions can help you come up with great ideas, or turn lackluster, out-of-market ideas into great ideas.
But questions can also direct you. For instance, did you know that every type of book, genre and subgenre, has a core story question? And if you work with that core story question, you’ll not only write a tighter book; you’ll also write a more marketable book?
Did you know that YOUR BOOK should have a specific story question? Something that lures readers along?
And did you know that using scene or chapter questions can sharpen your story? Keep it from being boring? Prevent you from having purpose-less scenes?
Don’t limit your questions to the one facet of story question! Using all kinds of questions has the power to free your mind and to take your work to the next level.
So in this workshop, we’re going to take a look at all of them. Core story questions for your genre, individual story questions, scene questions and general, let’s-make-my-book-better questions! LOL But before we do that, I’d like you to take a look at your current WIP.
Do you have a story question? Is there a question in readers’ minds as they move through your story? Is there a question they want to have answered?
Do you know what the core story question is for your genre or subgenre? Is it clearly represented in your book?
After reading the first six or so scenes of your wip, can you see the scene questions?
If you answered no to any one of those, don’t worry! They may be there. You just don’t know it yet!
I realize it might be difficult to post answers to these questions, (LOL!) because they’re sort of your opinion at this point, but seriously read through at least the first six chapters of your book looking for your scene questions, your core story question, and the “story question” that should be guiding your readers along!
susan meier
A BABY BENEATH HIS CHRISTMAS TREE, Harlequin Romance, 11/10
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CAT TAILS -- Should we call you Granny Sophia?
A few weeks ago, I noticed that our sweet Sophia, who is a warrior at heart, now has two white whiskers. It wouldn't be so bad, except they are glaringly obvious in a mostly black cat.
At first she took offense when we pointed them out. "You are getting older," we reminded her, and our reward for that comment was a dead chimpmunk on the back porch. It was as if she was saying, "Old? Let's see you do that! Heck, let's see Fat Fluff do that!"
Sophia isn't going to be one of those women who ages gracefully. Or maybe she is. It appears she's decided to simply ignore her age. She still hunts. (The neighbors love that she keeps the rodent population down.) She still wrestles Fluffy who outweighs her by at least five pounds -- he is REALLY fat -- and she wins.
So maybe sweet Sophia knows the real meaning of life. Just keep going. Keep doing what you were doing. Don't let age slow you down and meaningless whisker colors upset you!
***
COMING ATTRACTIONS!
Books!
I've told you a bit about A FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS, an anthology with Barbara Wallace. An excerpt is at the end of the ezine.
But, in 2011, I have a special treat...at least it was a treat for me to write. Harlequin Romance is releasing my first 3-book series for them! BABIES IN THE BOARDROOM features 3 half-brothers, Darius, Nick and Cade Andreas. Because they have the same dad but different moms, they didn't really know about each other until the reading of their father's will where they discover there's a fourth 1/2 brother, baby Gino!
Book 1, THE BABY PROJECT, comes out in April.
Book 2, SECOND CHANCE BABY, comes out in May.
And book 3, A BABY ON THE RANCH comes out in June.
Watch for some special content to be posted on my website. There's a prologue for Nick's book, book 2 SECOND CHANCE BABY that didn't make the cut in edits, but which I know you will love. A cinnamon roll recipe that figures heavily in book 3, A BABY ON THE RANCH! And hopefully something a little special for book 1!
ONLINE WORKSHOPS
This year I'm doing things a bit differently with my online workshops. I'm only doing each workshop ONCE. I've given each group on exclusive for 2011. So if you miss it, you've missed it until 2012! So here are the four I've planned.
REMEMBER, IF YOU MISS IT, YOU MISS IT UNTIL 2012!
January:
This is the year you write that book! with Susan Meier
Dunes and Dreams RWA Chapter. Details aren't up on site yet, but I'm sure they will be soon!
http://dunesanddreams.org/writing-workshops/
Want to make 2011 the year you finally finish the novel that’s under the bed collecting dust? Or do you have a fresh, wonderful idea that you really want to see become a great book? Join Susan Meier for THIS IS THE YEAR YOU WRITE THAT BOOK and learn not only the basic crafting ins and outs of Plot, People, Polishing and Prestidigitation (tricks published authors use) but also get four lessons on the psychology of writing. The psychology of committing, drafting, pushing through the tough times and finishing. Make 2011 the year you write that book!
February
Story, Theme and Vehicle Mid Williamette Valley RWA Chapter http://www.midwillamettevalleyrwa.com/(info not up on their website yet!)
Have you ever written a book that was good, but simply didn’t seem good enough? Or one that wasn’t cohesive? Or one that should have been wonderful but seemed to fall flat? In Story, Theme and Vehicle, Susan Meier explains how knowing your book’s story type, story question, and the difference between its theme and its “vehicle” will keep your book focused. Learn the five easy steps to a synopsis and the four steps to a one-paragraph pitch.
April
http://starrwa.org/on-line-workshops/
April 4 – 29, 2011: Can This Manuscript be Saved
SUSAN MEIER IS ONLY OFFERING THIS CLASS ONCE IN 2011!
Instructor: Susan Meier
Deadline to Register: April 3, 2011
Course Content: Rejected? Can’t get an agent? Can’t sell, even though your critique partners LOVE your work? Susan Meier reviews the seven most common rejection catch phrases and explains how determining whether your problem is a story, scene or word problem, a first step on the road to recovery. She’ll shares tricks-of-the-trade to finding and fixing your errors before you submit. Following the assignments at the end of each lesson, attendees will learn how to “skim-read” their manuscripts quickly, marking specific problems with post-its. Susan also demonstrates how to use a storyboard, a list of twenty and a one-paragraph blurb to create a plan of attack for fixing your book’s trouble. She can’t revise or rewrite your manuscript for you, but with her tricks you’ll not only see how to revise the book of your heart; you’ll also see how published authors are able to write four, five and even six books a year without breaking a sweat!
August
Journey Steps. NEORWA (Info not up on site yet!)
http://www.neorwa.com/index.php/Workshops/Workshops
Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere Ever wonder what you’re supposed to “put” in between those four or five turning points of your story? Susan Meier’s Journey Steps, Taking the Train to Somewhere provides quick, easy solutions for any author who has ever wondered “now what?” Topics include the “magic formula” for plotting, the list of five, explanation of plot threads versus subplot and tricks for writing an “edge-of-the-seat” read. Learn to tell your story in one straight-forward paragraph that can be used for pitches! Beginners, intermediate and experienced authors will benefit from this workshop.
***
Excerpt
Chapter 1
For as long as Gwendolyn MacKenzie could remember the old timers in the tiny town of Towering Pines, West Virginia had whispered that Teaberry Christmas Tree Farm was enchanted. The rumor was that if you touched one of the Teaberry trees while wishing, your wish would come true.
Driving up the fir-lined mountain road that took her to the farm, Gwen glanced around in amazement, understanding why the legend had formed. Majestic evergreens punched into a vast indigo sky. Fat fluffy white snowflakes pirouetted around the green pine branches, falling heavily, like frosting on sugar cookies, creating a magical world.
But when she reached Teaberry mansion, Gwen’s mouth dropped open in dismay. Two rows of tall windows with thin black shutters dominated the huge red brick home, but the shutters tilted drunkenly from age and neglect. The Teaberry family hadn’t even visited for at least a decade. It didn’t surprise her that the house was in disrepair. But she’d thought Andrew Teaberry, her new boss, would have called ahead to have the place prepared to be used. If the house was this bad on the outside, she feared it would be worse on the inside.
Still, a wisp of smoke rose from the red brick chimney, disappearing into the inky sky, proof that the caretaker, Max Peabody, had started a fire in preparation for the owner’s return. At least she and her daughter wouldn’t spend their time shivering, while they waited for Drew Teaberry to arrive.
She got out of her beat up little red car and opened the back door, reaching in to unbuckle the car seat of her three-month-old baby. When she’d gotten pregnant by a boyfriend who’d bolted the very second she told him, Gwen and her twin sister Gill had both worried that she might fall into the same trap their mom had. Ginger MacKenzie had married the man who had gotten her pregnant. But when twins were born, he’d panicked, saying one baby was difficult enough to handle, two was impossible, and he’d left town. Leaving Ginger to raise the girls alone, watching out the window, longing for him to come home.
Six months after her mom’s sudden death, finding herself in a position very close to Ginger’s, Gwen had quickly shaped up. She didn’t want to be one of those women who wasted her entire life pining after a man who didn’t want her. She stopped believing in miracles. She stopped believing wishes came true. She packed her dreamy side away. And she now only dealt in facts.
Which was why she was at this rundown old house, about to start a job as the assistant for a man she’d never met. She had to pay her own way, support a child and finish her degree. This job might be temporary, but it paid enough money that if she watched how she spent, she could keep herself and Claire through her last semester of university.
“Hey, Claire-bear,” she said, lifting the little girl and rubbing noses. Bundled in her thick pink snowsuit, with the white fur of the hood framing her face, chubby, happy Claire really did look something like a stuffed pink bear.
Using the key sent to her by Andrew Teaberry, Gwen unlocked the front door and stepped inside. A huge curving mahogany staircase greeted her and Claire. But so did cobwebs. A layer of dust coated the banister and the stairs.
“Wow. We could be in big trouble, Claire-bear.”
Walking from room to room, her dismay grew. Though the lights worked, the sinks had water and the kitchen appliances had been plugged into electrical outlets and hummed with life, the house was filthy. Drew Teaberry might have instructed the caretaker to get the utilities turned on and the furnace working, but he’d forgotten about cleaning.
Discovering a suite in the back that had probably at one time been maid’s quarters, Gwen set Claire’s baby carrier on the dusty bare mattress of the single bed but lifted it back up again. She’d arrived an hour early, hoping to make a good impression but Drew Teaberry hadn’t yet arrived. If she hurried, she could race home for a vacuum cleaner, mop, broom, soap and dust cloths, and still have time to clean this suite enough that Claire could sleep here.
Two hours later, Andrew Teaberry pulled his shiny black SUV into the circular driveway in front of his family’s old homestead and his face fell in disgust. Pressed for time on this spur-of-the moment trip, he’d thought ahead enough to hire an assistant and have the caretaker open the place, but he hadn’t considered that Teaberry mansion might not be habitable.
“So this is the fabulous Teaberry Farm.” In the passenger’s seat of the SUV, Drew’s sixteen-year-old son Brody glanced around and snorted with derision. “Looks like a rat hole to me.”
Drew nearly squeezed his eye shut in frustration. As if it wasn’t bad enough that he had to move into this old monstrosity while he negotiated the purchase of a local manufacturing company, his ex-wife decided to get remarried, forcing Drew to keep their son for the entire month of her honeymoon. So while he negotiated to buy the business of crusty old Jimmy Lane, a West Virginia entrepreneur who only wanted to sell his business to someone who lived in West Virginia, he was saddled with a sassy sixteen-year-old.
Inserting the key into the back door lock, he glanced behind him at Brody, who was so engrossed in whatever he was doing with his cell phone that he didn’t even watch where he walked. Wearing a black knit cap over his yellow hair and a thick parka that seemed to swallow him whole, Brody was the complete opposite of his dark-haired, dark-eyed, always observant dad. The kid was going to step into traffic one day.
Brushing up against one of the pine trees beside the kitchen door as he pulled the key out of the door lock, Drew prayed that they both survived this month. He pushed open the door, stepped into a kitchen that looked like something out of a horror movie and froze.
“Mr. Teaberry!” The woman standing by the dusty kitchen counter winced. “I’d say welcome home, but I’m not sure that’s exactly appropriate, given the condition of the place.”
Drew blinked at yet another surprise this morning. Unless she was Max Peabody, the caretaker, this had to be his temporary administrative assistant, Gwen MacKenzie. In their phone interview, she’d told him she had one more semester of university to finish, so he’d pictured her as being a petite blonde sprite, someone who’d look only a little older than his son. Instead, he’d hired a classically beautiful woman with thick dark hair and catlike green eyes, who was built like every man’s fantasy come to life. A bright red sweater accented her ample bosom. Dark, low riding jeans caressed her perfect bottom. Her shoulder-length hair swung gaily when she moved.
He slid his laptop to an available counter, glancing around at the nightmare of a kitchen. The oak cabinets were solid, but coated in dust, so were the kitchen table and the four chairs around it. But, like the cabinets, the furniture and the ceramic floor tiles looked to be in good shape. The house wasn’t really falling apart, just dirty.
“Good morning. Sorry we’re late. We couldn’t get on the road until hours after what we’d planned.”
She batted her hand in dismissal. “Not a problem.”
Brody pushed into the kitchen behind his dad, not caring that he’d bumped into him. “Hey, babe, thought for sure you’d have muffins and coffee waiting.”
Drew blanched at his son’s disrespect. “Not only is Gwen not our cook, but we don’t call employees babe.”
“All right. Great. No babe.” Brody pulled his sunglasses down his nose and peered over the rim at Gwen. “Sorry about that, sweetie.”
“We don’t call employees sweetie, either!” Drew said, his temperature rising. If he didn’t know better, he’d think the kid was deliberately antagonizing him. “How about an apology?”
Brody glared at his dad. “Fine. I’m sorry. Why don’t you just write a list of rules so I know what the hell I can and can’t say this next month!”
With that he stormed through the kitchen, all but knocking the swinging door off its hinges as he punched through it.
Though Drew knew he should go after him, he had no idea what to say to this new version of Brody. That was part of the problem. Sixteen years ago, when his ex had moved herself and their son to Colorado, two thousand miles away from Drew, he’d protested. But in the end she hadn’t budged and his visits with Brody became something like two-week vacations spent on tropical islands or ski resorts.
They’d always gotten along well. Until this trip. Now, Brody was suddenly obnoxious. Drew had absolutely no idea what the heck was he going to do with him for the entire month of December. One-on-one in a house so far out in the country that it didn’t get cable, they were going to be miserable. Especially since Drew wasn’t even sure when or why Brody had turned into such a mouthy kid or where to start with discipline.
He did, however, know exactly what to say to an embarrassed employee. He turned to Gwen. “I apologize for my son’s behavior.”
“Not a big deal,” she said with a laugh. “He’s what? Fifteen? Sixteen? He’s testing the water. All kids do it.”
A steamroller of relief rumbled through Drew. At least the relationship with his temporary administrative assistant would be normal. Then she smiled at him, her pretty green eyes shining, her full lips winging upward, and everything male inside of Drew responded. Her thick, shiny dark hair framed a heart-shaped face with bright eyes, a pert nose and generous lips made for kissing.
Involuntarily, his gaze swept down the red sweater and tight jeans. He rarely went out and, when he did, the women he dated were nothing like Gwen. They were tall, cool blondes. Sophisticates. Models. Starlets. But there was no denying that this gorgeous brunette ignited a spark inside him, made him wonder what it would be like to kiss her--
He groaned inwardly. He wanted a normal working relationship with this woman! Plus, even if he was the kind to dabble in affairs, she was too young for him and an employee. If those weren’t enough, he had responsibilities as the Chairman of the Board of his grandfather’s conglomerate. The pressure of holding the top position in a global company left him no time for anything but work. That was why he’d only spent vacations with Brody. Why Brody had had time to change without Drew even realizing. Why he had to figure out how he’d handle him for the four long weeks in December.
“I think I’ll grab Brody and get our bags.”
***
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Summer 2010!
This summer I'm thrilled to be releasing a Duet from Harlequin. MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is available in July and MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD is available in August!
I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved these two stories. I started off with a heroine, Liz Harper, who had run away (with her mom and sisters) from an abusive father. She'd married the perfect guy, Cain Nestor, but never told him about her past. Three weeks after they eloped, his brother was killed in an automobile accident and he fell into a deep depression. She stayed with him for three long years but when she miscarried their first child, she knew she needed support he couldn't give and she left him.
Fast forward three years. Cain is filthy rich (because all he does is work) and Liz owns her own house cleaning service. She's still in the beginning stages of her company, so she still does eight hours of cleaning every day. And who does she walk in on in his underwear? Her ex. His assistant had hired Liz to work for "the CEO of Cain Corporation" so she had no idea she was accepting a job to work with her ex.
The story is funny, yet gut wrenching, because she never told him about her past or the miscarriage and she has to face a lot of demons. But so does Cain. He knows he let her down. He loved her, but he let her down. If any two characters ever deserved a happy ending, it's these two.
Unless it's Mac Carmichael and Ellie Swanson. Ellie has such a honed sixth sense about people that her friends call her Magic. She was abused by a former boyfriend and met Liz when she ran to a charity Liz supports that helps abused women with kids. The charity couldn't help childless Ellie, so Liz took her in herself. Now, they're best friends and Ellie is Liz's second in command.
So when Liz goes on her honeymoon with Cain, Liz takes over Happy Maids and meets Mac. Because he's a business associate of Cain's, someone Cain has been trying to woo for a decade, Liz knows she can't disappoint Mac. She agrees to take the job at his house before he explains she'll also have to be a nanny to his two kids.
With the help of Cain's silly administrative assistant, Ava, Ellie not only manages to run Happy Maids, she also becomes a nanny for Mac's kids. Seeing Ellie with his kids, Mac realizes how special she is. But she's damaged and his life as a member of one of the richest families in the United States is anything but easy.
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them...And I hope you enjoy your summer. Take a book to the beach! And enjoy the rest of the ezine! I've posted a great lesson for the writers among us. Cat Tails this month focuses on my daughter's cat, Fluffy! And an excerpt from the first chapter of MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is posted at the end.
Enjoy!
susan
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Writing Tip
Journey Steps: Creating a Compelling Story (Or as I like to say. . .Taking the Train To Somewhere) is one of my most popular workshops. So I thought those of you who haven't taken it would enjoy the first lesson!
Lesson One: What are Journey Steps?
Lots of speakers, writers and pundits define plot points as four or five major events of your story, pivotal points, points of change or twists that take the story in a different direction. High points of the story.
Couldn't agree more. But when I would sit down to write a book, I'd come up with four or five 'high points' and have no idea what to put in between those high points. So I dug deeper and that's when I discovered 'Journey Steps.' Actually, I might have made them up. But they work, so you might want to try them too.
What are Journey Steps?
In Susan Meier World -- which is a little bit like a theme park but you have to 'work' on the rides -- Journey Steps are the steps it takes your main character (protagonist) to get from who he or she is at the opening of the book -- the inciting incident, the terrible trouble, the day/moment everything changed -- to who he or she is at the resolution of the trouble and the satisfying conclusion.
Note that I don't say it's all the steps from one plot point to another. . . though I could. I'd rather see the big picture of a story. The journey. And not put so much emphasis on those four or five points. Though obviously plot points do shake things up on the journey, they are still 'steps' and if I don't make a big deal out of them (LOL) I see my whole story unfolding as 'steps.' Plot points being more important steps, but still steps . . .
And steps are action, and action breeds a reaction and reaction breed decision, which always breed action, which breeds a reaction, which breeds a decision and on and on and on.
When I discovered this action/reaction/decision sequence in books by Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain, I started calling the sequence a magic formula for plotting because it is. If you follow action/reaction and decision, you can not only tell a story, you can tell it in a tight, focused way.
Which should be all of our goal!
But even when I figured all this stuff out, I still had a bit of trouble with my books. That’s when I discovered Story, Scene and Word.
Good grief! What the heck is Story, Scene and Word?
Story, Scene and Word are actually the three levels on which we write. If you want to write a good novel, you must be able to come up with a story, manifest that story through scenes and be able to build those scenes using words.
Coming up with a story, creating scenes and using words well are three distinct and definitely different skills, by the way. Right now, some of you are probably very good with coming up with stories, but you’re having trouble turning them into books because you might not be as good at dividing your stories into scenes. Or maybe you can write great scenes, but your “stories” aren’t as strong as they need to be. This might be what’s keeping your from publication, or slowing down your process.
For the purposes of understanding journey steps, words don't concern us. But scenes sure as heck do. Why? Because the basis of every scene should be a journey step. But even scenes don't yet concern us because before you can come up with scenes that manifest your story, you actually have to have a story.
Lots of people groan at that, but you have to know your story. For the pantsers among us, you don't have to get fancy and/or specific and do an outline that ruins your fun. In fact, the less fancy or specific you are the better. Having a one sentence or one paragraph description of your story is enough to begin figuring out journey steps. From there you can write each scene individually and come up with your journey steps as you go along. So your pantser fun isn't ruined!
But you have to know at least the bare bones of your story to come up with the "correct" first journey step. The important one that starts the book.
Okay, so what does a one-line or one-paragraph story description look like?
How about this: In my romantic suspense novel, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her.
Short, succinct, no fun spoiling, but enough to come up with a great opening scene.
Here's another: Driving home from Vegas, where the heroine ran when she realized she didn't want to marry her fiancé, the hero and heroine are incredibly attracted. But in this SEXY CATEGORY ROMANCE, the hero won't do anything about the attraction because the heroine's ex-fiancé is his BOSS.
(By the way, I call this a story summary. Couldn't write a book without one!)
Once you have your one-paragraph or one-sentence idea, the "steps" or journey steps, are the way you tell that story. And basically you illustrate those "steps" in scenes.
Okay. You now know that in order to figure out your journey steps, you need to know your story -- at least the bare-bones idea. So, I'd like you to see if you can condense your story down to one line or one short, succinct paragraph that tells the kind of story it is (that’s why I “capped” the sexy category romance…to show you it doesn’t have to go at the beginning, though it can) and the overall GMC.
How do you do that?
Well, first...you never want to say the words 'The hero's goal is' or 'The Heroine's motivation is'. You want them to blend seamlessly into your sentence.
Remember our example? In my romantic suspense, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her?
Do you know what their goal is? Yes, to catch a killer.
Do you know what their motivation is? Yes. . .They're trying to save her. Well, she's trying to save herself. He's trying to make sure the right person is prosecuted for the crime.
Do you know what their conflict is? Sure. They are on opposite sides of a battle for one. But also, they're running against the clock. So, they can't be attracted because of being on opposite ends of a battle. He WILL prosecute her if the evidence turns him in that direction. AND they don't have a lot of time.
Do you see how I took all that "stuff" and turned it into one sentence?
THAT'S what you need to do with your book!
That's your assignment. Rather than just read this post, try to put your book's concept into one sentence! You will be thrilled with what you will learn from this experiment!
***
Coming Attractions
I'm blogging
July 13 Cataromance
July 14 eHarlequin
July 20 Pink Heart Society
July 23 Tawney Webber
August 6 Heroines with Heart
August 11 Writing with the Top Down
August 11 eharlequin
August 26 Pink Heart Society
WORKSHOP in August:
STORY THEME AND VEHICLE writersonline.com
This is a great workshop. We really get down and dirty with figuring out your idea, seeing if you have enough for a story, and pulling it all together.
I haven't given it often. Maybe twice. So it's some fresh material for those of you who follow my workshops!
What you missed...
If you haven't been reading the Susan Meier blog you missed...
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Execllence Contest (March archives)
A size 14 in a size 0 world...very funny! (October archives)
Cookie Painting at Grandma's (November archives)
Christmas Cats (December archives)
Valentine's Day post...also very funny! (February)
Grubby kids at Easter! (April)
I attended the NOLA conference (which was fabulous!), Washington Romance Writers Conference (also fabulous!) and gave an hour-long talk for the New Jersey RWA chapter. I will be speaking to the STAR chapter in Melbourne, Florida this weekend!
Cat Tails
This edition we'll talk about my daughter's cat, Fluffy. It's not easy liviing with a cat named Sophia Maria Lolita Conchita Chequita Banana. She can be a tad vain. So Fluffy is more laid back. But he gets his licks in on Sophia! For one, he weighs eighteen pounds to her nine. When it comes to cat food, he's the ruler of the dish!
But what makes Fluffy really adorable is that he knows the sound of my daughter's car. We'll be watching TV, with him sleeping comfortably on the oval rug in the living room and suddenly he'll bolt up, his ears will go back and he'll race to the door. (Like a dog!)
Even cuter is the way he'll sit by the door when she's gone for more than her work shift. If she's on vacation or staying a weekend away, he will sit by the door, patiently waiting for her return.
He's the most loyal cat I've ever met!
Book Excerpts
MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE
Pink underwear?
Cain Nestor tossed his formerly white cotton briefs into the washer and slammed the door closed. Damn it! He should have stopped at the mall the night before and bought new, but it had been late when his private plane finally landed in Miami. Besides, back in Kansas he had done his own laundry plenty of times. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten so much in twelve years that he’d end up with pink underwear, but apparently he had.
Tightening the knot of the towel at his waist, he stormed out of the laundry room and into the kitchen just as the back door opened. From the pretty yellow ruffled apron that was the trademark of Happy Maids, he knew that his personal assistant was one step ahead of him again. He’d been without a housekeeper since February 1 – three long weeks. Though Eva had interviewed, he’d found something wrong with every person she’d chosen – his maid lived in and a man couldn’t be too careful about whom he let stay in his home – but the lack of clean underwear had clearly proven he’d hit a wall.
Leave it to his assistant to think of the stopgap measure. She’d hired a cleaning service.
Ready to make an apology for his appearance, Cain caught his once-a-week housekeeper’s gaze and his heart froze in his chest. His breathing stopped. His thigh muscles turned to rubber.
“Liz?”
Though her long black hair had been pulled into a severe bun at her nape and she’d lost a few pounds in the three years since he’d seen her, he’d know those catlike green eyes anywhere.
“Cain?”
A million questions danced through his head, but they were quickly replaced by recriminations. She’d quit a very good job in Philadelphia and moved with him to Miami when she’d married him. Now, she was a maid? Not even a permanently employed housekeeper. She was a fill-in. A stopgap measure.
And it was his fault.
He swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Liz Harper blinked a few times, making sure her eyes were in focus and she really was seeing her ex-husband standing wrapped in only a towel in the kitchen of the house that was her first assignment for the day. He hadn’t changed a bit in three years. His onyx eyes still had the uncanny ability to make her feel he could see the whole way to her soul. He still wore his black hair short. And he still had incredible muscles that rippled when he moved. Broad shoulders. Defined pecs. And six-pack abs. All of which were on display at the moment.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You could start by saying, ‘Excuse my nakedness. I’ll just run upstairs and get a robe’.”
Remarkably, that made him laugh and myriad memories assaulted her…
The day they met on the flight from Dallas to Philadelphia…
How they’d exchanged business cards and he’d called her cell phone even before she was out of the airport...
How they’d had dinner that night, entered into a long-distance relationship, made love for the first time on the beach just beyond his beautiful Miami home, and married on the spur of the moment in Las Vegas.
And now she was his housekeeper.
Could a woman fall any farther?
Worse, she wasn’t in a position where she could turn down this job.
“Okay. I’ll just—“
“Do you think—“
They stopped. The scent of his soap drifted to her and she realized he hadn’t changed brands. More memories danced through her. The warmth of his touch. The seriousness of his kiss.
She cleared her throat. “You first.”
He shook his head. “No. Ladies first.”
“Okay.” She pulled in a breath. She didn’t have to tell him her secrets. Wouldn’t be so foolish again as to trust him with her dreams. If everything went well, she wouldn’t even have to see him. “Are you going to have a problem with this?”
He gripped his towel a little tighter. “You working for me or chatting about you working for me while I stand here just about naked?”
Her cheeks heated. The reminder that he was naked under one thin towel caused her blood to simmer with anticipation. For another two people that might be ridiculous three years after their divorce, but she and Cain had always had chemistry. Realistically, she knew it wouldn’t simply disappear. After all, it had been strong enough to coax a normally sensible Pennsylvania girl to quit her dream job and follow him to Miami, and strong enough that a typically reclusive entrepreneur had opened up and let her into his life.
“Me working here for you until you hire a new maid.” She motioned around the kitchen. The bronze and tan cut-glass backsplash accented tall cherry wood cabinets and bright stainless steel appliances. “Is that going to be a problem?”
He glanced at the ceramic tile floor then back up at her. “I’ve gotta be honest, Liz. It does make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Why? You’re not supposed to be here when I am. In fact, I was told you’re typically at the office by eight. It’s a fluke that we’ve even run into each other. And I need this job!”
“Which is exactly why I feel bad.”
That changed her blood from simmering with chemistry to boiling with fury. “You feel sorry for me?”
He winced. “Not sorry, per se—“
“Then sorry, per what?” But as the words tumbled out of her mouth she realized what was going on. Three steps got her to the big center island of his kitchen. “You think I fell apart when our marriage did and now I can only get a job as a maid?”
“Well—“
Three more steps had her standing in front of him. “Honey, I own this company. I am the original Happy Maid.”
I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved these two stories. I started off with a heroine, Liz Harper, who had run away (with her mom and sisters) from an abusive father. She'd married the perfect guy, Cain Nestor, but never told him about her past. Three weeks after they eloped, his brother was killed in an automobile accident and he fell into a deep depression. She stayed with him for three long years but when she miscarried their first child, she knew she needed support he couldn't give and she left him.
Fast forward three years. Cain is filthy rich (because all he does is work) and Liz owns her own house cleaning service. She's still in the beginning stages of her company, so she still does eight hours of cleaning every day. And who does she walk in on in his underwear? Her ex. His assistant had hired Liz to work for "the CEO of Cain Corporation" so she had no idea she was accepting a job to work with her ex.
The story is funny, yet gut wrenching, because she never told him about her past or the miscarriage and she has to face a lot of demons. But so does Cain. He knows he let her down. He loved her, but he let her down. If any two characters ever deserved a happy ending, it's these two.
Unless it's Mac Carmichael and Ellie Swanson. Ellie has such a honed sixth sense about people that her friends call her Magic. She was abused by a former boyfriend and met Liz when she ran to a charity Liz supports that helps abused women with kids. The charity couldn't help childless Ellie, so Liz took her in herself. Now, they're best friends and Ellie is Liz's second in command.
So when Liz goes on her honeymoon with Cain, Liz takes over Happy Maids and meets Mac. Because he's a business associate of Cain's, someone Cain has been trying to woo for a decade, Liz knows she can't disappoint Mac. She agrees to take the job at his house before he explains she'll also have to be a nanny to his two kids.
With the help of Cain's silly administrative assistant, Ava, Ellie not only manages to run Happy Maids, she also becomes a nanny for Mac's kids. Seeing Ellie with his kids, Mac realizes how special she is. But she's damaged and his life as a member of one of the richest families in the United States is anything but easy.
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them...And I hope you enjoy your summer. Take a book to the beach! And enjoy the rest of the ezine! I've posted a great lesson for the writers among us. Cat Tails this month focuses on my daughter's cat, Fluffy! And an excerpt from the first chapter of MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is posted at the end.
Enjoy!
susan
***
Writing Tip
Journey Steps: Creating a Compelling Story (Or as I like to say. . .Taking the Train To Somewhere) is one of my most popular workshops. So I thought those of you who haven't taken it would enjoy the first lesson!
Lesson One: What are Journey Steps?
Lots of speakers, writers and pundits define plot points as four or five major events of your story, pivotal points, points of change or twists that take the story in a different direction. High points of the story.
Couldn't agree more. But when I would sit down to write a book, I'd come up with four or five 'high points' and have no idea what to put in between those high points. So I dug deeper and that's when I discovered 'Journey Steps.' Actually, I might have made them up. But they work, so you might want to try them too.
What are Journey Steps?
In Susan Meier World -- which is a little bit like a theme park but you have to 'work' on the rides -- Journey Steps are the steps it takes your main character (protagonist) to get from who he or she is at the opening of the book -- the inciting incident, the terrible trouble, the day/moment everything changed -- to who he or she is at the resolution of the trouble and the satisfying conclusion.
Note that I don't say it's all the steps from one plot point to another. . . though I could. I'd rather see the big picture of a story. The journey. And not put so much emphasis on those four or five points. Though obviously plot points do shake things up on the journey, they are still 'steps' and if I don't make a big deal out of them (LOL) I see my whole story unfolding as 'steps.' Plot points being more important steps, but still steps . . .
And steps are action, and action breeds a reaction and reaction breed decision, which always breed action, which breeds a reaction, which breeds a decision and on and on and on.
When I discovered this action/reaction/decision sequence in books by Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain, I started calling the sequence a magic formula for plotting because it is. If you follow action/reaction and decision, you can not only tell a story, you can tell it in a tight, focused way.
Which should be all of our goal!
But even when I figured all this stuff out, I still had a bit of trouble with my books. That’s when I discovered Story, Scene and Word.
Good grief! What the heck is Story, Scene and Word?
Story, Scene and Word are actually the three levels on which we write. If you want to write a good novel, you must be able to come up with a story, manifest that story through scenes and be able to build those scenes using words.
Coming up with a story, creating scenes and using words well are three distinct and definitely different skills, by the way. Right now, some of you are probably very good with coming up with stories, but you’re having trouble turning them into books because you might not be as good at dividing your stories into scenes. Or maybe you can write great scenes, but your “stories” aren’t as strong as they need to be. This might be what’s keeping your from publication, or slowing down your process.
For the purposes of understanding journey steps, words don't concern us. But scenes sure as heck do. Why? Because the basis of every scene should be a journey step. But even scenes don't yet concern us because before you can come up with scenes that manifest your story, you actually have to have a story.
Lots of people groan at that, but you have to know your story. For the pantsers among us, you don't have to get fancy and/or specific and do an outline that ruins your fun. In fact, the less fancy or specific you are the better. Having a one sentence or one paragraph description of your story is enough to begin figuring out journey steps. From there you can write each scene individually and come up with your journey steps as you go along. So your pantser fun isn't ruined!
But you have to know at least the bare bones of your story to come up with the "correct" first journey step. The important one that starts the book.
Okay, so what does a one-line or one-paragraph story description look like?
How about this: In my romantic suspense novel, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her.
Short, succinct, no fun spoiling, but enough to come up with a great opening scene.
Here's another: Driving home from Vegas, where the heroine ran when she realized she didn't want to marry her fiancé, the hero and heroine are incredibly attracted. But in this SEXY CATEGORY ROMANCE, the hero won't do anything about the attraction because the heroine's ex-fiancé is his BOSS.
(By the way, I call this a story summary. Couldn't write a book without one!)
Once you have your one-paragraph or one-sentence idea, the "steps" or journey steps, are the way you tell that story. And basically you illustrate those "steps" in scenes.
Okay. You now know that in order to figure out your journey steps, you need to know your story -- at least the bare-bones idea. So, I'd like you to see if you can condense your story down to one line or one short, succinct paragraph that tells the kind of story it is (that’s why I “capped” the sexy category romance…to show you it doesn’t have to go at the beginning, though it can) and the overall GMC.
How do you do that?
Well, first...you never want to say the words 'The hero's goal is' or 'The Heroine's motivation is'. You want them to blend seamlessly into your sentence.
Remember our example? In my romantic suspense, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her?
Do you know what their goal is? Yes, to catch a killer.
Do you know what their motivation is? Yes. . .They're trying to save her. Well, she's trying to save herself. He's trying to make sure the right person is prosecuted for the crime.
Do you know what their conflict is? Sure. They are on opposite sides of a battle for one. But also, they're running against the clock. So, they can't be attracted because of being on opposite ends of a battle. He WILL prosecute her if the evidence turns him in that direction. AND they don't have a lot of time.
Do you see how I took all that "stuff" and turned it into one sentence?
THAT'S what you need to do with your book!
That's your assignment. Rather than just read this post, try to put your book's concept into one sentence! You will be thrilled with what you will learn from this experiment!
***
Coming Attractions
I'm blogging
July 13 Cataromance
July 14 eHarlequin
July 20 Pink Heart Society
July 23 Tawney Webber
August 6 Heroines with Heart
August 11 Writing with the Top Down
August 11 eharlequin
August 26 Pink Heart Society
WORKSHOP in August:
STORY THEME AND VEHICLE writersonline.com
This is a great workshop. We really get down and dirty with figuring out your idea, seeing if you have enough for a story, and pulling it all together.
I haven't given it often. Maybe twice. So it's some fresh material for those of you who follow my workshops!
What you missed...
If you haven't been reading the Susan Meier blog you missed...
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Execllence Contest (March archives)
A size 14 in a size 0 world...very funny! (October archives)
Cookie Painting at Grandma's (November archives)
Christmas Cats (December archives)
Valentine's Day post...also very funny! (February)
Grubby kids at Easter! (April)
I attended the NOLA conference (which was fabulous!), Washington Romance Writers Conference (also fabulous!) and gave an hour-long talk for the New Jersey RWA chapter. I will be speaking to the STAR chapter in Melbourne, Florida this weekend!
Cat Tails
This edition we'll talk about my daughter's cat, Fluffy. It's not easy liviing with a cat named Sophia Maria Lolita Conchita Chequita Banana. She can be a tad vain. So Fluffy is more laid back. But he gets his licks in on Sophia! For one, he weighs eighteen pounds to her nine. When it comes to cat food, he's the ruler of the dish!
But what makes Fluffy really adorable is that he knows the sound of my daughter's car. We'll be watching TV, with him sleeping comfortably on the oval rug in the living room and suddenly he'll bolt up, his ears will go back and he'll race to the door. (Like a dog!)
Even cuter is the way he'll sit by the door when she's gone for more than her work shift. If she's on vacation or staying a weekend away, he will sit by the door, patiently waiting for her return.
He's the most loyal cat I've ever met!
Book Excerpts
MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE
Pink underwear?
Cain Nestor tossed his formerly white cotton briefs into the washer and slammed the door closed. Damn it! He should have stopped at the mall the night before and bought new, but it had been late when his private plane finally landed in Miami. Besides, back in Kansas he had done his own laundry plenty of times. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten so much in twelve years that he’d end up with pink underwear, but apparently he had.
Tightening the knot of the towel at his waist, he stormed out of the laundry room and into the kitchen just as the back door opened. From the pretty yellow ruffled apron that was the trademark of Happy Maids, he knew that his personal assistant was one step ahead of him again. He’d been without a housekeeper since February 1 – three long weeks. Though Eva had interviewed, he’d found something wrong with every person she’d chosen – his maid lived in and a man couldn’t be too careful about whom he let stay in his home – but the lack of clean underwear had clearly proven he’d hit a wall.
Leave it to his assistant to think of the stopgap measure. She’d hired a cleaning service.
Ready to make an apology for his appearance, Cain caught his once-a-week housekeeper’s gaze and his heart froze in his chest. His breathing stopped. His thigh muscles turned to rubber.
“Liz?”
Though her long black hair had been pulled into a severe bun at her nape and she’d lost a few pounds in the three years since he’d seen her, he’d know those catlike green eyes anywhere.
“Cain?”
A million questions danced through his head, but they were quickly replaced by recriminations. She’d quit a very good job in Philadelphia and moved with him to Miami when she’d married him. Now, she was a maid? Not even a permanently employed housekeeper. She was a fill-in. A stopgap measure.
And it was his fault.
He swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Liz Harper blinked a few times, making sure her eyes were in focus and she really was seeing her ex-husband standing wrapped in only a towel in the kitchen of the house that was her first assignment for the day. He hadn’t changed a bit in three years. His onyx eyes still had the uncanny ability to make her feel he could see the whole way to her soul. He still wore his black hair short. And he still had incredible muscles that rippled when he moved. Broad shoulders. Defined pecs. And six-pack abs. All of which were on display at the moment.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You could start by saying, ‘Excuse my nakedness. I’ll just run upstairs and get a robe’.”
Remarkably, that made him laugh and myriad memories assaulted her…
The day they met on the flight from Dallas to Philadelphia…
How they’d exchanged business cards and he’d called her cell phone even before she was out of the airport...
How they’d had dinner that night, entered into a long-distance relationship, made love for the first time on the beach just beyond his beautiful Miami home, and married on the spur of the moment in Las Vegas.
And now she was his housekeeper.
Could a woman fall any farther?
Worse, she wasn’t in a position where she could turn down this job.
“Okay. I’ll just—“
“Do you think—“
They stopped. The scent of his soap drifted to her and she realized he hadn’t changed brands. More memories danced through her. The warmth of his touch. The seriousness of his kiss.
She cleared her throat. “You first.”
He shook his head. “No. Ladies first.”
“Okay.” She pulled in a breath. She didn’t have to tell him her secrets. Wouldn’t be so foolish again as to trust him with her dreams. If everything went well, she wouldn’t even have to see him. “Are you going to have a problem with this?”
He gripped his towel a little tighter. “You working for me or chatting about you working for me while I stand here just about naked?”
Her cheeks heated. The reminder that he was naked under one thin towel caused her blood to simmer with anticipation. For another two people that might be ridiculous three years after their divorce, but she and Cain had always had chemistry. Realistically, she knew it wouldn’t simply disappear. After all, it had been strong enough to coax a normally sensible Pennsylvania girl to quit her dream job and follow him to Miami, and strong enough that a typically reclusive entrepreneur had opened up and let her into his life.
“Me working here for you until you hire a new maid.” She motioned around the kitchen. The bronze and tan cut-glass backsplash accented tall cherry wood cabinets and bright stainless steel appliances. “Is that going to be a problem?”
He glanced at the ceramic tile floor then back up at her. “I’ve gotta be honest, Liz. It does make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Why? You’re not supposed to be here when I am. In fact, I was told you’re typically at the office by eight. It’s a fluke that we’ve even run into each other. And I need this job!”
“Which is exactly why I feel bad.”
That changed her blood from simmering with chemistry to boiling with fury. “You feel sorry for me?”
He winced. “Not sorry, per se—“
“Then sorry, per what?” But as the words tumbled out of her mouth she realized what was going on. Three steps got her to the big center island of his kitchen. “You think I fell apart when our marriage did and now I can only get a job as a maid?”
“Well—“
Three more steps had her standing in front of him. “Honey, I own this company. I am the original Happy Maid.”
Thursday, June 24, 2010
August ezine
MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD
Chapter 1
Ellie Swanson had not signed up for this.
Yes, she’d agreed to run Happy Maids while her boss, Liz Harper Nestor – took a well deserved honeymoon after remarrying her gorgeous ex-husband Cain. And, yes, she was perfectly capable of supervising the fourteen or so employees on Happy Maids’ payroll for the four weeks Liz would be in Paris. But she wasn’t authorized to make a change in the company’s business plan, as the man across the desk wanted her to do.
“I’m a friend of Cain’s.”
Of course he was. Tall and slender with perfect blue eyes and black hair cut short and businesslike, Mac Carmichael wore his tailored navy blue suit with the casual ease of a man accustomed to handmade suits, fine wines, and people taking his orders. Just like Cain.
“And he told me his wife’s company was the best in town.”
“But we’re a weekly cleaning service. We don’t place maids in clients’ homes.”
“You should.”
A bead of sweat rolled down Ellie’s back. The air conditioning had broken the day Liz left. But Ellie could handle the heat and humidity of June in Miami. What she couldn’t abide was failure. Her first day on the job and already she was turning away a client. An important client. A client who could not only tell Cain that Happy Maids hadn’t come through for him; he could also tell all his wealthy friends – the very people Liz would be marketing to when she returned.
Ellie leaned back on the chair, tapping a pencil on the desk blotter. “Explain again what you’re looking for.”
“My maid quit unexpectedly. I need to hire a temporary replacement while I interview for another one.”
“I can send someone to your house a few times a week to clean,” she said hopefully.
He shook his head. “I have a daughter and a son. They need breakfast every morning.”
“Then I’ll be happy to send someone every day at seven.”
“Lacy gets up at five.”
“Then I’ll have someone at four.”
“I work some nights.”
Ellie gaped at him. “You want the maid to be a nanny too?”
He caught her gaze. His sinfully blue eyes held hers and she fought the urge to swallow as pinpricks of attraction sparkled along her nerve endings.
“And live in.”
She gasped. “Live in?”
“I also pay very well.”
Ah, the magic words. A victim of domestic violence herself, Liz had gotten involved with A Friend Indeed, a charity that helped women transition out of their abusive homes and into new lives. It was a natural fit that Liz should begin employing the women from A Friend Indeed until they got on their feet. Ellie had actually been the first client Liz had hired through a meet at the charity. The company needed every job – especially the good paying ones – to provide work for all the women who wanted help.
Mac rose from his seat. “Look, if your firm can’t handle it, I’ll be on my way.”
He turned to the door.
Stop him!
She bounced out of her chair. “Wait.”
He faced her again. This time she did swallow. His eyes reminded her of the ocean in the dead of summer, calm and deep, and perfect blue. His dark hair gleamed in the sunlight pouring in from the window to his right. High cheekbones angled to blissfully full lips, the kind that made most women take a second glance and wonder what it would be like to kiss him. It should have been pure pleasure to look at him. Instead, the scowl on his face caused Ellie to doubt the intuition that guided her life.
“Yes?”
“I –“ Why had her intuition told her to stop him? She didn’t have anybody who could work as a maid/nanny. Most of Liz’s employees had kids of their own and homes to get back to every night. They couldn’t live in. And that’s what he needed.
“I – um – maybe we can work something out.”
His scowl grew even darker. “I don’t work things out.”
No kidding. She didn’t need intuition to tell her that.
“I want someone today.”
Don’t let him go.
She groaned inwardly, wondering why her sixth sense was so insistent on this. But accustomed to listening to the intuition that had saved her life, she couldn’t ignore it.
“I’ll do it.”
His scowl shifted into a look of confusion. “You?”
“I know I’m behind the desk today, but I’m only filling in for Cain’s wife Liz. She runs the business herself, but this month she’s on her honeymoon. I’m more than capable of cooking, cleaning and caring for children.”
His eyes held hers for another second or two. Then his gaze dipped from her face to her pretty red dress, and Ellie suddenly regretted her decision to wear something as exposing as the short strapless creation made more for having lunch with friends on a sunny sidewalk café than working in an office. But not having air conditioning had made the choice for her. How was she supposed to know a client would show up?
He smiled and all the air whooshed out of Ellie’s lungs. The temperature in her blood rose to an almost unbearable level. She could have melted where she stood. If this guy lived up north, snowflakes wouldn’t stand a chance against that smile.
“We have air conditioning, so you might want to change into jeans and a T-shirt.” He took a business card out of his jacket pocket, scribbled on the back and handed it to her. “That’s my home address. I’ll meet you there in an hour.” Then he turned and walked out the door.
Ellie collapsed on the office chair. Damn it! What had her intuition gotten her into? Now she not only had all of Liz’s work, she also had a full-time job. More than full-time! She had to live in!
Chapter 1
Ellie Swanson had not signed up for this.
Yes, she’d agreed to run Happy Maids while her boss, Liz Harper Nestor – took a well deserved honeymoon after remarrying her gorgeous ex-husband Cain. And, yes, she was perfectly capable of supervising the fourteen or so employees on Happy Maids’ payroll for the four weeks Liz would be in Paris. But she wasn’t authorized to make a change in the company’s business plan, as the man across the desk wanted her to do.
“I’m a friend of Cain’s.”
Of course he was. Tall and slender with perfect blue eyes and black hair cut short and businesslike, Mac Carmichael wore his tailored navy blue suit with the casual ease of a man accustomed to handmade suits, fine wines, and people taking his orders. Just like Cain.
“And he told me his wife’s company was the best in town.”
“But we’re a weekly cleaning service. We don’t place maids in clients’ homes.”
“You should.”
A bead of sweat rolled down Ellie’s back. The air conditioning had broken the day Liz left. But Ellie could handle the heat and humidity of June in Miami. What she couldn’t abide was failure. Her first day on the job and already she was turning away a client. An important client. A client who could not only tell Cain that Happy Maids hadn’t come through for him; he could also tell all his wealthy friends – the very people Liz would be marketing to when she returned.
Ellie leaned back on the chair, tapping a pencil on the desk blotter. “Explain again what you’re looking for.”
“My maid quit unexpectedly. I need to hire a temporary replacement while I interview for another one.”
“I can send someone to your house a few times a week to clean,” she said hopefully.
He shook his head. “I have a daughter and a son. They need breakfast every morning.”
“Then I’ll be happy to send someone every day at seven.”
“Lacy gets up at five.”
“Then I’ll have someone at four.”
“I work some nights.”
Ellie gaped at him. “You want the maid to be a nanny too?”
He caught her gaze. His sinfully blue eyes held hers and she fought the urge to swallow as pinpricks of attraction sparkled along her nerve endings.
“And live in.”
She gasped. “Live in?”
“I also pay very well.”
Ah, the magic words. A victim of domestic violence herself, Liz had gotten involved with A Friend Indeed, a charity that helped women transition out of their abusive homes and into new lives. It was a natural fit that Liz should begin employing the women from A Friend Indeed until they got on their feet. Ellie had actually been the first client Liz had hired through a meet at the charity. The company needed every job – especially the good paying ones – to provide work for all the women who wanted help.
Mac rose from his seat. “Look, if your firm can’t handle it, I’ll be on my way.”
He turned to the door.
Stop him!
She bounced out of her chair. “Wait.”
He faced her again. This time she did swallow. His eyes reminded her of the ocean in the dead of summer, calm and deep, and perfect blue. His dark hair gleamed in the sunlight pouring in from the window to his right. High cheekbones angled to blissfully full lips, the kind that made most women take a second glance and wonder what it would be like to kiss him. It should have been pure pleasure to look at him. Instead, the scowl on his face caused Ellie to doubt the intuition that guided her life.
“Yes?”
“I –“ Why had her intuition told her to stop him? She didn’t have anybody who could work as a maid/nanny. Most of Liz’s employees had kids of their own and homes to get back to every night. They couldn’t live in. And that’s what he needed.
“I – um – maybe we can work something out.”
His scowl grew even darker. “I don’t work things out.”
No kidding. She didn’t need intuition to tell her that.
“I want someone today.”
Don’t let him go.
She groaned inwardly, wondering why her sixth sense was so insistent on this. But accustomed to listening to the intuition that had saved her life, she couldn’t ignore it.
“I’ll do it.”
His scowl shifted into a look of confusion. “You?”
“I know I’m behind the desk today, but I’m only filling in for Cain’s wife Liz. She runs the business herself, but this month she’s on her honeymoon. I’m more than capable of cooking, cleaning and caring for children.”
His eyes held hers for another second or two. Then his gaze dipped from her face to her pretty red dress, and Ellie suddenly regretted her decision to wear something as exposing as the short strapless creation made more for having lunch with friends on a sunny sidewalk café than working in an office. But not having air conditioning had made the choice for her. How was she supposed to know a client would show up?
He smiled and all the air whooshed out of Ellie’s lungs. The temperature in her blood rose to an almost unbearable level. She could have melted where she stood. If this guy lived up north, snowflakes wouldn’t stand a chance against that smile.
“We have air conditioning, so you might want to change into jeans and a T-shirt.” He took a business card out of his jacket pocket, scribbled on the back and handed it to her. “That’s my home address. I’ll meet you there in an hour.” Then he turned and walked out the door.
Ellie collapsed on the office chair. Damn it! What had her intuition gotten her into? Now she not only had all of Liz’s work, she also had a full-time job. More than full-time! She had to live in!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Welcome to Summer 2010!
This summer I'm thrilled to be releasing a Duet from Harlequin. MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is available in July and MAID FOR THE SINGLE DAD is available in August!
I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved these two stories. I started off with a heroine, Liz Harper, who had run away (with her mom and sisters) from an abusive father. She'd married the perfect guy, Cain Nestor, but never told him about her past. Three weeks after they eloped, his brother was killed in an automobile accident and he fell into a deep depression. She stayed with him for three long years but when she miscarried their first child, she knew she needed support he couldn't give and she left him.
Fast forward three years. Cain is filthy rich (because all he does is work) and Liz owns her own house cleaning service. She's still in the beginning stages of her company, so she still does eight hours of cleaning every day. And who does she walk in on in his underwear? Her ex. His assistant had hired Liz to work for "the CEO of Cain Corporation" so she had no idea he was her ex.
The story is funny, yet gut wrenching, because she never told him about her past or the miscarriage and she has to face a lot of demons. But so does Cain. He knows he let her down. He loved her, but he let her down. If any two characters ever deserved a happy ending, it's these two.
Unless it's Mac Carmichael and Ellie Swanson. Ellie has such a honed sixth sense about people that her friends call her Magic. She was abused by a former boyfriend and met Liz when she ran to a charity Liz supports that helps abused women with kids. The charity couldn't help childless Ellie, so Liz took her in herself. Now, they're best friends and Ellie is Liz's second in command.
So when Liz goes on her honeymoon with Cain, Ellie takes over Happy Maids and meets Mac. Because he's a business associate of Cain's, someone Cain has been trying to woo for a decade, Ellie knows she can't disappoint Mac. She agrees to take the job at his house before he explains she'll also have to be a nanny to his two kids.
With the help of Cain's silly administrative assistant, Ava, Ellie not only manages to run Happy Maids, she also becomes a nanny for Mac's kids. Seeing Ellie with his kids, Mac realizes how special she is. But she's damaged and his life as a member of one of the richest families in the United States is anything but easy.
It's one of those cases where it looks like a compromise won't ever be found, until a bomb threat shows them what's really important and how to work to get it.
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them...And I hope you enjoy your summer. Take a book to the beach! And enjoy the rest of the ezine! I've posted a great lesson for the writers among us. Cat Tails this month focuses on my daughter's cat, Fluffy! And an excerpt from the first chapter of MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is posted at the end.
Enjoy!
susan
***
Writing Tip
Journey Steps: Creating a Compelling Story (Or as I like to say. . .Taking the Train To Somewhere) is one of my most popular workshops. So I thought those of you who haven't taken it would enjoy the first lesson!
Lesson One: What are Journey Steps?
Lots of speakers, writers and pundits define plot points as four or five major events of your story, pivotal points, points of change or twists that take the story in a different direction. High points of the story.
Couldn't agree more. But when I would sit down to write a book, I'd come up with four or five 'high points' and have no idea what to put in between those high points. So I dug deeper and that's when I discovered 'Journey Steps.' Actually, I might have made them up. But they work, so you might want to try them too.
What are Journey Steps?
In Susan Meier World -- which is a little bit like a theme park but you have to 'work' on the rides -- Journey Steps are the steps it takes your main character (protagonist) to get from who he or she is at the opening of the book -- the inciting incident, the terrible trouble, the day/moment everything changed -- to who he or she is at the resolution of the trouble and the satisfying conclusion.
Note that I don't say it's all the steps from one plot point to another. . . though I could. I'd rather see the big picture of a story. The journey. And not put so much emphasis on those four or five points. Though obviously plot points do shake things up on the journey, they are still 'steps' and if I don't make a big deal out of them (LOL) I see my whole story unfolding as 'steps.' Plot points being more important steps, but still steps . . .
And steps are action, and action breeds a reaction and reaction breed decision, which always breed action, which breeds a reaction, which breeds a decision and on and on and on.
When I discovered this action/reaction/decision sequence in books by Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain, I started calling the sequence a magic formula for plotting because it is. If you follow action/reaction and decision, you can not only tell a story, you can tell it in a tight, focused way.
Which should be all of our goal!
But even when I figured all this stuff out, I still had a bit of trouble with my books. That’s when I discovered Story, Scene and Word.
Good grief! What the heck is Story, Scene and Word?
Story, Scene and Word are actually the three levels on which we write. If you want to write a good novel, you must be able to come up with a story, manifest that story through scenes and be able to build those scenes using words.
Coming up with a story, creating scenes and using words well are three distinct and definitely different skills, by the way. Right now, some of you are probably very good with coming up with stories, but you’re having trouble turning them into books because you might not be as good at dividing your stories into scenes. Or maybe you can write great scenes, but your “stories” aren’t as strong as they need to be. This might be what’s keeping your from publication, or slowing down your process.
For the purposes of understanding journey steps, words don't concern us. But scenes sure as heck do. Why? Because the basis of every scene should be a journey step. But even scenes don't yet concern us because before you can come up with scenes that manifest your story, you actually have to have a story.
Lots of people groan at that, but you have to know your story. For the pantsers among us, you don't have to get fancy and/or specific and do an outline that ruins your fun. In fact, the less fancy or specific you are the better. Having a one sentence or one paragraph description of your story is enough to begin figuring out journey steps. From there you can write each scene individually and come up with your journey steps as you go along. So your pantser fun isn't ruined!
But you have to know at least the bare bones of your story to come up with the "correct" first journey step. The important one that starts the book.
Okay, so what does a one-line or one-paragraph story description look like?
How about this: In my romantic suspense novel, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her.
Short, succinct, no fun spoiling, but enough to come up with a great opening scene.
Here's another: Driving home from Vegas, where the heroine ran when she realized she didn't want to marry her fiancé, the hero and heroine are incredibly attracted. But in this SEXY CATEGORY ROMANCE, the hero won't do anything about the attraction because the heroine's ex-fiancé is his BOSS.
(By the way, I call this a story summary. Couldn't write a book without one!)
Once you have your one-paragraph or one-sentence idea, the "steps" or journey steps, are the way you tell that story. And basically you illustrate those "steps" in scenes.
Okay. You now know that in order to figure out your journey steps, you need to know your story -- at least the bare-bones idea. So, I'd like you to see if you can condense your story down to one line or one short, succinct paragraph that tells the kind of story it is (that’s why I “capped” the sexy category romance…to show you it doesn’t have to go at the beginning, though it can) and the overall GMC.
How do you do that?
Well, first...you never want to say the words 'The hero's goal is' or 'The Heroine's motivation is'. You want them to blend seamlessly into your sentence.
Remember our example? In my romantic suspense, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her?
Do you know what their goal is? Yes, to catch a killer.
Do you know what their motivation is? Yes. . .They're trying to save her. Well, she's trying to save herself. He's trying to make sure the right person is prosecuted for the crime.
Do you know what their conflict is? Sure. They are on opposite sides of a battle for one. But also, they're running against the clock. So, they can't be attracted because of being on opposite ends of a battle. He WILL prosecute her if the evidence turns him in that direction. AND they don't have a lot of time.
Do you see how I took all that "stuff" and turned it into one sentence?
THAT'S what you need to do with your book!
That's your assignment. Rather than just read this post, try to put your book's concept into one sentence! You will be thrilled with what you will learn from this experiment!
***
Coming Attractions
I'm blogging
July 6 Cataromance
July 10 at Petticoats and Pistols
July 14 eHarlequin
July 20 Pink Heart Society
August 6 Heroines with Heart
August 11 Writing with the Top Down
August 11 eharlequin
August 26 Pink Heart Society
WORKSHOP:
STORY THEME AND VEHICLE writersonline.com
This is a great workshop. We really get down and dirty with figuring out your idea, seeing if you have enough for a story, and pulling it all together.
I haven't given it often. Maybe twice. So it's some fresh material for those of you who follow my workshops!
What you missed...
If you haven't been reading the Susan Meier blog you missed...
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Execllence Contest (March archives)
A size 14 in a size 0 world...very funny! (October archives)
Cookie Painting at Grandma's (November archives)
Christmas Cats (December archives)
Valentine's Day post...also very funny! (February)
Grubby kids at Easter! (April)
I attended the NOLA conference (which was fabulous!), Washington Romance Writers Conference (also fabulous!) and gave an hour-long talk for the New Jersey RWA chapter.
Cat Tails
This edition we'll talk about my daughter's cat, Fluffy. It's not easy liviing with a cat named Sophia Maria Lolita Conchita Chequita Banana. She can be a tad vain. So Fluffy is more laid back. But he gets his licks in on Sophia! For one, he weights eighteen pounds to her nine. When it comes to cat food, he's the ruler of the dish!
But what makes Fluffy really adorable is that he knows the sound of my daughter's car. We'll be watching TV, with him sleeping comfortably on the oval rug in the living room and suddenly he'll bolt up, his ears will go back and he'll race to the door. (Like a dog!)
Even cuter is the way he'll sit by the door when she's gone for more than her work shift. If she's on vacation or staying a weekend away, he will sit by the door, patiently waiting for her return.
He's the most loyal cat I've ever met!
Book Excerpts
MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE
Pink underwear?
Cain Nestor tossed his formerly white cotton briefs into the washer and slammed the door closed. Damn it! He should have stopped at the mall the night before and bought new, but it had been late when his private plane finally landed in Miami. Besides, back in Kansas he had done his own laundry plenty of times. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten so much in twelve years that he’d end up with pink underwear, but apparently he had.
Tightening the knot of the towel at his waist, he stormed out of the laundry room and into the kitchen just as the back door opened. From the pretty yellow ruffled apron that was the trademark of Happy Maids, he knew that his personal assistant was one step ahead of him again. He’d been without a housekeeper since February 1 – three long weeks. Though Eva had interviewed, he’d found something wrong with every person she’d chosen – his maid lived in and a man couldn’t be too careful about whom he let stay in his home – but the lack of clean underwear had clearly proven he’d hit a wall.
Leave it to his assistant to think of the stopgap measure. She’d hired a cleaning service.
Ready to make an apology for his appearance, Cain caught his once-a-week housekeeper’s gaze and his heart froze in his chest. His breathing stopped. His thigh muscles turned to rubber.
“Liz?”
Though her long black hair had been pulled into a severe bun at her nape and she’d lost a few pounds in the three years since he’d seen her, he’d know those catlike green eyes anywhere.
“Cain?”
A million questions danced through his head, but they were quickly replaced by recriminations. She’d quit a very good job in Philadelphia and moved with him to Miami when she’d married him. Now, she was a maid? Not even a permanently employed housekeeper. She was a fill-in. A stopgap measure.
And it was his fault.
He swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Liz Harper blinked a few times, making sure her eyes were in focus and she really was seeing her ex-husband standing wrapped in only a towel in the kitchen of the house that was her first assignment for the day. He hadn’t changed a bit in three years. His onyx eyes still had the uncanny ability to make her feel he could see the whole way to her soul. He still wore his black hair short. And he still had incredible muscles that rippled when he moved. Broad shoulders. Defined pecs. And six-pack abs. All of which were on display at the moment.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You could start by saying, ‘Excuse my nakedness. I’ll just run upstairs and get a robe’.”
Remarkably, that made him laugh and myriad memories assaulted her…
The day they met on the flight from Dallas to Philadelphia…
How they’d exchanged business cards and he’d called her cell phone even before she was out of the airport...
How they’d had dinner that night, entered into a long-distance relationship, made love for the first time on the beach just beyond his beautiful Miami home, and married on the spur of the moment in Las Vegas.
And now she was his housekeeper.
Could a woman fall any farther?
Worse, she wasn’t in a position where she could turn down this job.
“Okay. I’ll just—“
“Do you think—“
They stopped. The scent of his soap drifted to her and she realized he hadn’t changed brands. More memories danced through her. The warmth of his touch. The seriousness of his kiss.
She cleared her throat. “You first.”
He shook his head. “No. Ladies first.”
“Okay.” She pulled in a breath. She didn’t have to tell him her secrets. Wouldn’t be so foolish again as to trust him with her dreams. If everything went well, she wouldn’t even have to see him. “Are you going to have a problem with this?”
He gripped his towel a little tighter. “You working for me or chatting about you working for me while I stand here just about naked?”
Her cheeks heated. The reminder that he was naked under one thin towel caused her blood to simmer with anticipation. For another two people that might be ridiculous three years after their divorce, but she and Cain had always had chemistry. Realistically, she knew it wouldn’t simply disappear. After all, it had been strong enough to coax a normally sensible Pennsylvania girl to quit her dream job and follow him to Miami, and strong enough that a typically reclusive entrepreneur had opened up and let her into his life.
“Me working here for you until you hire a new maid.” She motioned around the kitchen. The bronze and tan cut-glass backsplash accented tall cherry wood cabinets and bright stainless steel appliances. “Is that going to be a problem?”
He glanced at the ceramic tile floor then back up at her. “I’ve gotta be honest, Liz. It does make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Why? You’re not supposed to be here when I am. In fact, I was told you’re typically at the office by eight. It’s a fluke that we’ve even run into each other. And I need this job!”
“Which is exactly why I feel bad.”
That changed her blood from simmering with chemistry to boiling with fury. “You feel sorry for me?”
He winced. “Not sorry, per se—“
“Then sorry, per what?” But as the words tumbled out of her mouth she realized what was going on. Three steps got her to the big center island of his kitchen. “You think I fell apart when our marriage did and now I can only get a job as a maid?”
“Well—“
Three more steps had her standing in front of him. “Honey, I own this company. I am the original Happy Maid.”
I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved these two stories. I started off with a heroine, Liz Harper, who had run away (with her mom and sisters) from an abusive father. She'd married the perfect guy, Cain Nestor, but never told him about her past. Three weeks after they eloped, his brother was killed in an automobile accident and he fell into a deep depression. She stayed with him for three long years but when she miscarried their first child, she knew she needed support he couldn't give and she left him.
Fast forward three years. Cain is filthy rich (because all he does is work) and Liz owns her own house cleaning service. She's still in the beginning stages of her company, so she still does eight hours of cleaning every day. And who does she walk in on in his underwear? Her ex. His assistant had hired Liz to work for "the CEO of Cain Corporation" so she had no idea he was her ex.
The story is funny, yet gut wrenching, because she never told him about her past or the miscarriage and she has to face a lot of demons. But so does Cain. He knows he let her down. He loved her, but he let her down. If any two characters ever deserved a happy ending, it's these two.
Unless it's Mac Carmichael and Ellie Swanson. Ellie has such a honed sixth sense about people that her friends call her Magic. She was abused by a former boyfriend and met Liz when she ran to a charity Liz supports that helps abused women with kids. The charity couldn't help childless Ellie, so Liz took her in herself. Now, they're best friends and Ellie is Liz's second in command.
So when Liz goes on her honeymoon with Cain, Ellie takes over Happy Maids and meets Mac. Because he's a business associate of Cain's, someone Cain has been trying to woo for a decade, Ellie knows she can't disappoint Mac. She agrees to take the job at his house before he explains she'll also have to be a nanny to his two kids.
With the help of Cain's silly administrative assistant, Ava, Ellie not only manages to run Happy Maids, she also becomes a nanny for Mac's kids. Seeing Ellie with his kids, Mac realizes how special she is. But she's damaged and his life as a member of one of the richest families in the United States is anything but easy.
It's one of those cases where it looks like a compromise won't ever be found, until a bomb threat shows them what's really important and how to work to get it.
I hope you enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them...And I hope you enjoy your summer. Take a book to the beach! And enjoy the rest of the ezine! I've posted a great lesson for the writers among us. Cat Tails this month focuses on my daughter's cat, Fluffy! And an excerpt from the first chapter of MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE is posted at the end.
Enjoy!
susan
***
Writing Tip
Journey Steps: Creating a Compelling Story (Or as I like to say. . .Taking the Train To Somewhere) is one of my most popular workshops. So I thought those of you who haven't taken it would enjoy the first lesson!
Lesson One: What are Journey Steps?
Lots of speakers, writers and pundits define plot points as four or five major events of your story, pivotal points, points of change or twists that take the story in a different direction. High points of the story.
Couldn't agree more. But when I would sit down to write a book, I'd come up with four or five 'high points' and have no idea what to put in between those high points. So I dug deeper and that's when I discovered 'Journey Steps.' Actually, I might have made them up. But they work, so you might want to try them too.
What are Journey Steps?
In Susan Meier World -- which is a little bit like a theme park but you have to 'work' on the rides -- Journey Steps are the steps it takes your main character (protagonist) to get from who he or she is at the opening of the book -- the inciting incident, the terrible trouble, the day/moment everything changed -- to who he or she is at the resolution of the trouble and the satisfying conclusion.
Note that I don't say it's all the steps from one plot point to another. . . though I could. I'd rather see the big picture of a story. The journey. And not put so much emphasis on those four or five points. Though obviously plot points do shake things up on the journey, they are still 'steps' and if I don't make a big deal out of them (LOL) I see my whole story unfolding as 'steps.' Plot points being more important steps, but still steps . . .
And steps are action, and action breeds a reaction and reaction breed decision, which always breed action, which breeds a reaction, which breeds a decision and on and on and on.
When I discovered this action/reaction/decision sequence in books by Jack Bickham and Dwight Swain, I started calling the sequence a magic formula for plotting because it is. If you follow action/reaction and decision, you can not only tell a story, you can tell it in a tight, focused way.
Which should be all of our goal!
But even when I figured all this stuff out, I still had a bit of trouble with my books. That’s when I discovered Story, Scene and Word.
Good grief! What the heck is Story, Scene and Word?
Story, Scene and Word are actually the three levels on which we write. If you want to write a good novel, you must be able to come up with a story, manifest that story through scenes and be able to build those scenes using words.
Coming up with a story, creating scenes and using words well are three distinct and definitely different skills, by the way. Right now, some of you are probably very good with coming up with stories, but you’re having trouble turning them into books because you might not be as good at dividing your stories into scenes. Or maybe you can write great scenes, but your “stories” aren’t as strong as they need to be. This might be what’s keeping your from publication, or slowing down your process.
For the purposes of understanding journey steps, words don't concern us. But scenes sure as heck do. Why? Because the basis of every scene should be a journey step. But even scenes don't yet concern us because before you can come up with scenes that manifest your story, you actually have to have a story.
Lots of people groan at that, but you have to know your story. For the pantsers among us, you don't have to get fancy and/or specific and do an outline that ruins your fun. In fact, the less fancy or specific you are the better. Having a one sentence or one paragraph description of your story is enough to begin figuring out journey steps. From there you can write each scene individually and come up with your journey steps as you go along. So your pantser fun isn't ruined!
But you have to know at least the bare bones of your story to come up with the "correct" first journey step. The important one that starts the book.
Okay, so what does a one-line or one-paragraph story description look like?
How about this: In my romantic suspense novel, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her.
Short, succinct, no fun spoiling, but enough to come up with a great opening scene.
Here's another: Driving home from Vegas, where the heroine ran when she realized she didn't want to marry her fiancé, the hero and heroine are incredibly attracted. But in this SEXY CATEGORY ROMANCE, the hero won't do anything about the attraction because the heroine's ex-fiancé is his BOSS.
(By the way, I call this a story summary. Couldn't write a book without one!)
Once you have your one-paragraph or one-sentence idea, the "steps" or journey steps, are the way you tell that story. And basically you illustrate those "steps" in scenes.
Okay. You now know that in order to figure out your journey steps, you need to know your story -- at least the bare-bones idea. So, I'd like you to see if you can condense your story down to one line or one short, succinct paragraph that tells the kind of story it is (that’s why I “capped” the sexy category romance…to show you it doesn’t have to go at the beginning, though it can) and the overall GMC.
How do you do that?
Well, first...you never want to say the words 'The hero's goal is' or 'The Heroine's motivation is'. You want them to blend seamlessly into your sentence.
Remember our example? In my romantic suspense, the hero and heroine must catch a killer but she's already been arrested for the crime and he's the DA prosecuting her?
Do you know what their goal is? Yes, to catch a killer.
Do you know what their motivation is? Yes. . .They're trying to save her. Well, she's trying to save herself. He's trying to make sure the right person is prosecuted for the crime.
Do you know what their conflict is? Sure. They are on opposite sides of a battle for one. But also, they're running against the clock. So, they can't be attracted because of being on opposite ends of a battle. He WILL prosecute her if the evidence turns him in that direction. AND they don't have a lot of time.
Do you see how I took all that "stuff" and turned it into one sentence?
THAT'S what you need to do with your book!
That's your assignment. Rather than just read this post, try to put your book's concept into one sentence! You will be thrilled with what you will learn from this experiment!
***
Coming Attractions
I'm blogging
July 6 Cataromance
July 10 at Petticoats and Pistols
July 14 eHarlequin
July 20 Pink Heart Society
August 6 Heroines with Heart
August 11 Writing with the Top Down
August 11 eharlequin
August 26 Pink Heart Society
WORKSHOP:
STORY THEME AND VEHICLE writersonline.com
This is a great workshop. We really get down and dirty with figuring out your idea, seeing if you have enough for a story, and pulling it all together.
I haven't given it often. Maybe twice. So it's some fresh material for those of you who follow my workshops!
What you missed...
If you haven't been reading the Susan Meier blog you missed...
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Execllence Contest (March archives)
A size 14 in a size 0 world...very funny! (October archives)
Cookie Painting at Grandma's (November archives)
Christmas Cats (December archives)
Valentine's Day post...also very funny! (February)
Grubby kids at Easter! (April)
I attended the NOLA conference (which was fabulous!), Washington Romance Writers Conference (also fabulous!) and gave an hour-long talk for the New Jersey RWA chapter.
Cat Tails
This edition we'll talk about my daughter's cat, Fluffy. It's not easy liviing with a cat named Sophia Maria Lolita Conchita Chequita Banana. She can be a tad vain. So Fluffy is more laid back. But he gets his licks in on Sophia! For one, he weights eighteen pounds to her nine. When it comes to cat food, he's the ruler of the dish!
But what makes Fluffy really adorable is that he knows the sound of my daughter's car. We'll be watching TV, with him sleeping comfortably on the oval rug in the living room and suddenly he'll bolt up, his ears will go back and he'll race to the door. (Like a dog!)
Even cuter is the way he'll sit by the door when she's gone for more than her work shift. If she's on vacation or staying a weekend away, he will sit by the door, patiently waiting for her return.
He's the most loyal cat I've ever met!
Book Excerpts
MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE
Pink underwear?
Cain Nestor tossed his formerly white cotton briefs into the washer and slammed the door closed. Damn it! He should have stopped at the mall the night before and bought new, but it had been late when his private plane finally landed in Miami. Besides, back in Kansas he had done his own laundry plenty of times. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten so much in twelve years that he’d end up with pink underwear, but apparently he had.
Tightening the knot of the towel at his waist, he stormed out of the laundry room and into the kitchen just as the back door opened. From the pretty yellow ruffled apron that was the trademark of Happy Maids, he knew that his personal assistant was one step ahead of him again. He’d been without a housekeeper since February 1 – three long weeks. Though Eva had interviewed, he’d found something wrong with every person she’d chosen – his maid lived in and a man couldn’t be too careful about whom he let stay in his home – but the lack of clean underwear had clearly proven he’d hit a wall.
Leave it to his assistant to think of the stopgap measure. She’d hired a cleaning service.
Ready to make an apology for his appearance, Cain caught his once-a-week housekeeper’s gaze and his heart froze in his chest. His breathing stopped. His thigh muscles turned to rubber.
“Liz?”
Though her long black hair had been pulled into a severe bun at her nape and she’d lost a few pounds in the three years since he’d seen her, he’d know those catlike green eyes anywhere.
“Cain?”
A million questions danced through his head, but they were quickly replaced by recriminations. She’d quit a very good job in Philadelphia and moved with him to Miami when she’d married him. Now, she was a maid? Not even a permanently employed housekeeper. She was a fill-in. A stopgap measure.
And it was his fault.
He swallowed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Liz Harper blinked a few times, making sure her eyes were in focus and she really was seeing her ex-husband standing wrapped in only a towel in the kitchen of the house that was her first assignment for the day. He hadn’t changed a bit in three years. His onyx eyes still had the uncanny ability to make her feel he could see the whole way to her soul. He still wore his black hair short. And he still had incredible muscles that rippled when he moved. Broad shoulders. Defined pecs. And six-pack abs. All of which were on display at the moment.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “You could start by saying, ‘Excuse my nakedness. I’ll just run upstairs and get a robe’.”
Remarkably, that made him laugh and myriad memories assaulted her…
The day they met on the flight from Dallas to Philadelphia…
How they’d exchanged business cards and he’d called her cell phone even before she was out of the airport...
How they’d had dinner that night, entered into a long-distance relationship, made love for the first time on the beach just beyond his beautiful Miami home, and married on the spur of the moment in Las Vegas.
And now she was his housekeeper.
Could a woman fall any farther?
Worse, she wasn’t in a position where she could turn down this job.
“Okay. I’ll just—“
“Do you think—“
They stopped. The scent of his soap drifted to her and she realized he hadn’t changed brands. More memories danced through her. The warmth of his touch. The seriousness of his kiss.
She cleared her throat. “You first.”
He shook his head. “No. Ladies first.”
“Okay.” She pulled in a breath. She didn’t have to tell him her secrets. Wouldn’t be so foolish again as to trust him with her dreams. If everything went well, she wouldn’t even have to see him. “Are you going to have a problem with this?”
He gripped his towel a little tighter. “You working for me or chatting about you working for me while I stand here just about naked?”
Her cheeks heated. The reminder that he was naked under one thin towel caused her blood to simmer with anticipation. For another two people that might be ridiculous three years after their divorce, but she and Cain had always had chemistry. Realistically, she knew it wouldn’t simply disappear. After all, it had been strong enough to coax a normally sensible Pennsylvania girl to quit her dream job and follow him to Miami, and strong enough that a typically reclusive entrepreneur had opened up and let her into his life.
“Me working here for you until you hire a new maid.” She motioned around the kitchen. The bronze and tan cut-glass backsplash accented tall cherry wood cabinets and bright stainless steel appliances. “Is that going to be a problem?”
He glanced at the ceramic tile floor then back up at her. “I’ve gotta be honest, Liz. It does make me feel uncomfortable.”
“Why? You’re not supposed to be here when I am. In fact, I was told you’re typically at the office by eight. It’s a fluke that we’ve even run into each other. And I need this job!”
“Which is exactly why I feel bad.”
That changed her blood from simmering with chemistry to boiling with fury. “You feel sorry for me?”
He winced. “Not sorry, per se—“
“Then sorry, per what?” But as the words tumbled out of her mouth she realized what was going on. Three steps got her to the big center island of his kitchen. “You think I fell apart when our marriage did and now I can only get a job as a maid?”
“Well—“
Three more steps had her standing in front of him. “Honey, I own this company. I am the original Happy Maid.”
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