Elsewhere

Today I'm being questioned over at author Shiloh Walker's weblog, where among other things I confess the title of the one book I think everyone should read.

Coyote Con Chat Questions

From Heather Massey:

Q: What were the joys and challenges in bringing the Stardoc novels to life? Were there any publication obstacles?

I wrote the first StarDoc novel just as a fun writing exercise, a way to explore an idea I’d written in a short story, and to pull myself out of a major depression. From the beginning that book was a pure delight to work on. I loved writing the story and once I got started, I couldn’t stop, which resulted in book two. I didn’t even mind when I tried to get some editors to look at the first novel, only to be resoundingly rejected (one editor told me I’d never sell it anywhere.) In a way it was a relief. I could keep having fun and not care about publication – or more rejections. I stopped sending it out and just wrote for myself.

My bliss abruptly ended when a friend who had read the first manuscript made a copy and sent it off to a publisher without telling me, which resulted in a two-book contract offer (my first.) Imagine the most horrified person that you’ve ever seen, triple that meltdown, and you’ll have an idea of how I felt when I found out. But after I calmed down – it took a couple weeks – I thought, “Stop being so ungrateful. How bad could it be? This is my chance.” and jumped in.

Writing the StarDoc series has never been a problem; publishing the books has provided enormous insight into that old saying “Be careful what you wish for.” Since the first book was published, StarDoc has been everything from a genre bestselling series to a dead five-book series to the foundation for a standalone and a disrupted trilogy spin-off to free e-books to an old series that would not stop selling and finally was brought back to life and, at long last, finished (the tenth and final novel will be released in August 2010.) StarDoc has been through just about everything Publishing could throw at it, and as its author, so have I.

Aside from the joy of writing it, I’ve had privilege of building a readership of people who simply refused to abandon the series. They kept talking about the books and giving them to their friends and spreading the word, even after the publisher had announced in mid-series that it was all over and dumped it. My readership is responsible for the StarDoc books because without them and what they’ve done, solely by word of mouth, the books wouldn’t exist. I’d have given up long ago and wrote them for myself.

I’ve written other novel series that have brought more financial success, critical acclaim and popularity on the market, but I’ll always consider the StarDoc series to be the most important novels I’ve ever written. These books taught me what it means to have a loyal readership, and what an honor it is to write for people like them.

Q: I'd be interested in hearing S.L. Viehl's perspective on SFR in general--what's been her experience with it in both her writing and the response from the publishers with whom she's worked?

The term Science Fiction Romance wasn’t in use when I got into the game (shortly after the Jurassic period.) I believe at the time that category of books was called “Futuristic Romance.” Not very many of them were being published after the 90’s when Futuristics peaked and fell out of popularity. I thought it was a shame, too, because while I was pursuing publication in the nineties I’d really enjoyed reading some futuristic romances by Ann Maxwell and Jane Ann Krentz. The only SFR author I can even remember being shelved in Romance at the time I turned pro was Catherine Asaro.

Purist attitudes about science fiction novels have always been very Victorian and uptight, and while my StarDoc series is science fiction/medical adventure, I did include romantic elements and relationships that were evidently quite offensive to the rocket ship crowd. Broke just about all their rules, I believe. My books were marketed and shelved as what they are – science fiction – but under the circumstances, the series probably would have been more popular if it had been marketed as SFR (I’m not sure about this because plenty of romance readers have complained about how the StarDoc series breaks too many romance rules, too. Maybe it doesn’t belong in either genre.)

I’ve worked with four science fiction editors, and while not all of them have been a good match for me, their responses to my work have been for the most part professional. Even when editors don’t like you or don’t get you, they usually try to do a good job. When they don’t, you deal with that, too. You have to remember something whenever you work with any editor (good, bad, indifferent, horrible or other) at the end of production, it’s not their name on the cover, it’s yours.

From the Coyote Con Chat:

[tina_writes_thecleanwhitepage] 1:39 pm: Does Stephanie Meyer's The Host come under this genre? There are alien lifeforms in an earth setting and although they have medical advances that we don't, there isn't much technology involved but there are strong love themes.

After I read “The Host” I came away with the feeling that I’d read a teen novel, so I was surprised that it had been marketed as adult fiction. It had a little romance and some SF world-building, but to me it felt more like YA than anything.

[John] 1:41 pm: How much romance do you need in SF to make it SFR? In my SF novels, such as Beyond Those Distant Stars which has a starship heroine (Mundania Press), there is a romance. But while it's an important, vital part of the story, it's not the overriding part. Would you still categorize it as SFR? Or perhaps SF Romantic Adventure?

The Futuristic Romances I used to read presented the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine as the primary conflict; the development of their relationship was always the engine that drove the story. Also, there was always an HEA. I think SFR Writers who want their work to appeal to the widest range of romance readers should probably stick to that approach. John, your books sound like crossover SF – they’d appeal to readers in both genres. If I were still a bookseller, I’d probably shelve them in SF and Romance.

[Oliver] 1:42 pm: Can you define the term space opera? (Is it like televisions ST or SG?)

Space Opera is a term used for novels set in the future that incorporate an adventurous chronological storyline that usually includes classic SF elements such as star ships, alien encounters, culture clashes, epic good vs. evil themes and that sort of thing. Star Wars is the best example of space opera I can think of.

[Marva] 1:46 pm: Is an R+ rating required for SFR? How about heat levels for YA?

I think now that romance readers are more receptive to explicit content that you can pretty much have as much heat as you like and still find a market for it. If you want to appeal to a certain segment of the genre, read the books that are most popular in it and see how explicit the content is, and that should give you a good idea of what readers are most likely to buy. When it comes to explicit content, YA also has a range, and I’ve been surprised by how graphic some YA books marketed to older teens are. Marva, if you’re aiming for readers in the tween portion of the market (10-13 years old) I’d keep the content PG, as involved parents are most likely to screen these books and/or object to their content.

[Babs M] 1:48 pm: Are the "rules" the same as in traditional romance that people have to meet by page X and have to fall in love by page Y and have the black moment on page 225, and so on? Or are these more flexible?

Babs, there are people out there running around with rules for everything in romance, and if you sit still long enough they will pile them on you until they crush the life out of your story. I never write to follow anyone else’s rules so I can’t help you here, but my advice is to always write what serves the story and not what caters to someone else’s idea of what you should or shouldn’t be writing.

[DavidKM] 1:52 pm: is it possible that there is "light" erotica for young adults written outside the United States?

My 15 year-old daughter reads manga, and I’ve found some of those books to be a bit more explicit than I expected. Still have not come across anything I’d call erotica, light or otherwise, but it may be different across in the pond.

[John] 1:55 pm: This question has been raised, sort of. How much romance or sex do you need in SF to make it SFR? What if the Adventure part or some other aspect is more important than the romance?

As I mentioned earlier, what you’re talking about sounds like a crossover novel – a book that will have appeal to readers in SF and Romance. Sometimes writers simply can’t be strictly classified as writing one thing or another; they resonate with readers on both sides of the fence. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, either.

[Oliver] 1:58 pm: Any suggestions for books or websites that takes technology and breaks it down so even a neandrathal (sorry Geico cavemen) can understand? (I can write great adventures, wonderful characters, conflicts galore and hot romance - but I suck in a rather unpleasant way when it comes to tech stuff...)

I think looking for research depends on the sort of world-building you’d like to do. If your story prominently features space ships, you should look for books and web sites about space travel and theories as to what kind of ship would be necessary to carry people through space, and then build on that.

There is no shame in looking at materials that are written for children; they're more geared toward educating than impressing, and I’ve found a lot of kids' books that were enormous helpful to me (I’m not a tech-head, either.) Don’t discount magazine articles, either. I’ve gotten plenty of insight and ideas from magazines like Discovery and Popular Mechanics, which are also written in terms that I could understand.

[Marva] 2:01 pm: Follow up on Babs Q: If "black moment" is the hero getting killed, is it still HEA if the heroine (MC) gets a new guy? For that matter, is HEA expected?

HEA is always expected by someone. It’s like your mom wanting you to get married, and when you cling to your freedom, she nags you unmercifully. The thing is, are you going to enter into a bad marriage and be unhappy just to please your mother, or are you going to do what’s right for you?

[Babs M] 2:09 pm: Headhopping. I just started a book that every time a new character is mentioned, they switch to everything you want to know about that person and what they're thinking. It's MADDENING. How many POVs would you find acceptable, and is alternating at chapter or formal breaks a better plan?

Head-hopping is really a style choice. Some writers are good at it and some aren’t. As styles go, it’s hard to do well. I avoided the problem in my SF series by sticking to first person/single protagonist journaling style for nine books (The one time I did use third person/multiple character narrative was to make a series transition. Since everyone was expecting first person they were startled, and some weren’t too happy, but it served the story.) Even when I use third person/multiple character, I never headhop inside a scene because I think it’s sloppy writing and can be very confusing for the reader. When I change POVs, I change scenes.

[FrancesP] 2:16 pm: Hi, I had a question in response to Oliver's M/M sfr note. I write primarily m/f sfr and avoid the scenes that "make me blush." If I wanted to try some m/m am I limited to erotica? Or is there really a market for sweet to sensual M/M romance?

I have a m/m romantic subplot in the final five StarDoc books, and it’s definitely inside the sweet range of romance. Reader response has been very positive, and I’ve been thinking about giving my guys their own novella. I’m not aware of a specific market for this type of romance, but I think new territory like this is definitely worth exploring.

Catching Up Q&A

Plugging back in last night, I realized a couple of things: It's almost November, which means October must have vanished into a time/space rift, because it was just September, wasn't it? I can't keep up; I need a perpetual calendar brain implant. I owe just about everyone e-mail now, too, including a couple of editors and my long-suffering agent. It would be so much easier if we were just telepathic. If there's ever a thought-transfer implant on the market, I want one of those, too.

One bit of lovely news: Shadowlight made the Times list for a second week; this time at #33.

I'm going through comments and e-mail now, but if I missed something while I was off being a writer and you need an answer, please post it in comments. Or just ask something new, or let us know what's happening with you.

Graphic credit: © Yellowj | Dreamstime.com

VW #8 -- Ask PBW Anything

Just a note to explain my lag on posting and answering comments -- we've had some storms here with lots of lightning, and I've had to keep the computer shut down and unplugged most of the day. It may sound over-cautious, but we've already been hit twice in the last couple of years and once it fried two of my computers. I will catch up today and tomorrow.

The winners of the VW#6 giveaways are:

MusicWish: Aimee K. Maher

Goodie Bag: mmarques

Winners, when you have a chance, please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com, and I'll get your prizes out to you. Thanks to everyone for joining in.



This is the last workshop of Left Behind & Loving It 2009, and as I did last year we'll make this one an open Q&A for leftover questions about the other workshops or any writing- or publishing-related topic. If you have any questions, please post them in comments.

While you're thinking about that, I also have a couple of things to talk about. All of the writers who were involved in LB&LI this year and every year do so strictly on a voluntary basis. They donate their time and effort to make this week informative and fun for all the attendees. If you've learned something new, had a good time or for whatever reason would like to show your support and say thank you, I recommend buying one of the writer's books or (if they're not yet published) visiting their blogs again.

I also know my editors will throttle me if I don't mention one time that I have two upcoming releases, Crystal Healer (StarDoc book nine) in August and Shadowlight (Kyndred book one) in October; pre-ordering one of them or asking for them at your local library would be more than enough thanks for me.

It's amazing how much my little summer project grown over the years, and how generous the writing community has been with getting involved and doing their part. I'm grateful to all the writers who are joining in for the 2009 event and who have in years past. As for me, I've always regarded LB&LI as my own summer writing vacation, the one time each year where I can hang with my people, talk shop and explore what it means to be a writer.

That said, I need to let you all know that this is going to be my last year as host/coordinator of LB&LI. There are a number of reasons for this, but mainly it's a time and effort issue. It gets a little harder for me every year to handle the work involved. I've also never been crazy about being broadcast by various RWA entities as providing an online alternative to RWA's National Conference for their membership. I have never done this for RWA. I did this for my friends.

LB&LI was intended to be an open and totally accessible group event, but as with any endeavor of this size, it does need someone to oversee the coordination and decision-making involved in making it happen. I'd like to see whoever takes up the torch have fun with it and make it what you want it to be (it doesn't even have to be called LB&LI anymore, you can rename it whatever you like.) These past two years there were a couple of sites that held their own versions of it -- which, btw, I always thought was pretty wonderful.

I'm hopeful the annual virtual workshops will continue on without me running things, but as with passing the torch I need to let go and leave that up to you guys. I will say that the need for free, globally accessible writing workshops is growing, especially now when most writers can't afford the cost or the time away involved in attending conferences and workshops in real life. It's a terrific opportunity to network and share ideas and possibilities.

I also believe events like LB&LI embody the spirit of the internet, and the concept of free online exchange of information, which is really the best part of being a member of NetPubLand. As a writing community we can always learn from each other, and by doing so become better at our craft and enjoy more of our writing life.

So there you have it. While I know this is going to disappoint some folks, I think after four years I've earned my retirement. I am grateful for all that you've shared with me and taught me about the writing life by hanging with me and everyone involved in LB&LI. Thanks for a terrific experience.

Today's LB&LI giveaways are:

1) A Mystery Art prize which may be a painting, quilt, or other artistic creation made by Yours Truly. No, I'm not going to tell you, that would ruin the surprise.

2) a goodie bag which will include unsigned new copies of:

The Treasure by Iris Johansen (hardcover)

Writing the Life Poetic by Sage Cohen (trade pb)
The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square by Rosina Lippi (trade pb)
Bullies, Bastards and Bitches ~ How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction by Jessica Page Morrell (trade pb)
Animal Attraction by Charlene Teglia (trade pb)

Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti
Round the Clock by Dara Girard
Temptation and Lies by Donna Hill
The Iron Hunt and Darkness Calls by Marjorie M. Liu (paperbacks)
Hawkspar by Holly Lisle (paperback)
A Writer's Space by Dr. Eric Maisel (paperback)

plus signed paperback copies of my novels StarDoc and Evermore, as well as some other surprises.

If you'd like to win one of these two giveaways, ask a question or toss your name in the hat before midnight EST on Monday, July 20, 2009 (this means by midnight tonight, so keep in mind the short deadline if you want to enter.) I will draw two names from everyone who participates and send one winner the mystery art prize and the other the goodie bag.

Everyone who participates in the giveaways this week will also be automatically entered in my grand prize drawing on July 21st, 2009 for the winner's choice of either a ASUS Eee PC 1005HA-P 10.1" Seashell Netbook or a Sony PRS-700BC Digital Reader.

As always, all LB&LI giveaways are open to anyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.

Other LB&LI Workshop Links -- new links are being added every day, so keep checking the list for new workshops (due to different time zones, some of these will go live later in the day):

E-publishing: From Query to Final Edits and Beyond -- Authors Madison Blake, Paris Brandon, Cerise Deland, Fran Lee, Afton Locke and Nina Pierce provide helpful insights and tips on e-publishing.

Writing Transformative Sex - Part Two by Joely Sue Burkhart -- So you know you want to avoid Plot Interrupted and Tab A/Slot B mechanics, but how do you get “down and dirty” into the emotions of a really deep sex scene?

Bird Migration by Suelder -- third in a series of workshops on birds that will focus on the science as well as how to adapt this information to writing.

Why You're Not Writing by JM Fiction Scribe -- Examining the reasons behind your writing block - because the identifying the 'why' of the problem is the best way of getting past it.

How-To Books that Saved My Life by Alison Kent -- a look at the three how-to books the author can't write without, and why.

Break through your fears and write! by Tamlyn Leigh -- One of the biggest obstacles on a writer's path is their fear. It can be for anything: fear people won't like their stories, fear they aren't good enough. In my workshop I want to offer tools to break through that fear, and get everyone writing!

Writing Prompt Series by Rosina Lippi -- Ask Me Anything related to writing or the biz.

Have No Fear by Marjorie M. Liu -- third in a series of workshops about different aspects of writing and publishing.

From Pantser To Plotter: How I Joined The Dark Side by Kait Nolan -- five workshops on the transformation of a pantser to a plotter.

Writing Sex Scenes That Matter by Jenna Reynolds -- Readers sometimes say they skip over the sex scenes in a book. And usually it's not because they have a problem with the sex. It could, however, be because, other than the sex, nothing else is going on. This workshop provides some suggestions on how to write sex scenes that matter and that readers won't skip over.

Writing Lab – Write or Die by Midnight Spencer –– Something fun to add at the end of this workshop. Something to help you get the writing you want done, a little push in the finishing touch.

Left Behind in Interesting Times by Charlene Teglia -- e-publishing in interesting times.

Epubs-wondering where to start? by Shiloh Walker -- Info for those curious about epubs and where to start.

Killer Campaigns: Volunteerism by Maria Zannini -- Passive promotion at its best

Graphic credit: © Yellowj | Dreamstime.com