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Maya Rodale

The Not-So-Secret Diary of Maya Rodale, Romance Novelist

I am utterly amazed at those who manage to blog every day. Alas, my life is just not that interesting…most of the time. When it is, I’ll be writing all about my adventures and posting them here.

Shameless namedropping

June 29, 2009 – 5:58 am

One of the characters in my latest novel, The Sinfully Seductive Rakish Rogue’s Mysterious Midnight Mistress of Pleasure, is a shameless namedropper (confession: she’s based upon a woman I once met at a dinner party). This means that I must casually mention lots, and lots of names.

  • Don’t tell anyone, but Lady So and So mentioned to me, in the strictest confidence….
  • Lord Something looked so dashing tonight!
  • Can you believe the nerve of the Countess of Blah?!
  • I heard from Lady A that Lord B is having a wild affair with Lady C...

Sometimes, I find names for characters at baby name sites (and then have had awkward moments when the BF finds that screen open on my laptop). I also like to peruse the list of dukes, earls, etc at answers.com. But if anyone has any suggestions of Regency sounding names, please post them and I shall make good use of them!

By Maya Posted in The Sinfully Seductive Rakish Rogue's Mysterious Midnight Mistress of Pleasure, The Writing Life Comments (12)
 

Exclusive Sneak Peek!

June 23, 2009 – 2:44 pm

Previously on my blog, I wrote about writing an entire first draft of a manuscript in dialogue. As promised, here is an exclusive, un-edited, sneak peak snippet of pure dialogue. No tags, no descriptions of tone of voice, or posture, or anything. Of course, the scene is enhanced by it, but here is the naked version.

Oh, but first, a brief introduction:  Our heroine, Miss Harlow, has found our hero’s list of Desired Qualities In A Wife and reads it aloud to him, with unsolicited commentary. Ever the gentleman, Lord Brandon endures her dramatic recitation of his personal writings.

*****************************************************************

           She read aloud: “Desired Qualities In A Wife.”

           “Miss Harlow…”

            “Item the first: Attractive. That is understandable, Lord Brandon. A pretty face across from yours at the breakfast table would be pleasant.”

            “I thought so.”

            “Item the second:  Reasonable Intelligence. That strikes me as…reasonable. Item the third: Agreeable Temperament. Again, I do concur that is a reasonable request in a spouse. One would not wish to deal with hysterical tantrums or violent outbursts or the like.”

            “I do not care for episodes of disruptive or highly emotional behavior.” 

            “Item the fourth: From a respectable and distinguished family. It seems to me that you have found the perfect woman in Lady Isabelle, for she fulfills all of these qualities.”

            “I am in agreement with your assessment.” 

            “Anyone would think so. But I notice something, Your Grace. Love is not mentioned on this list.”

            “Of course not.”

            “Why would you not wish for love? Or at the very least, companionship, friendship, or affection?”

            “Because, Miss Harlow, the purpose of marriage is to combine assets and protect them for the future generations, which one is to create. Love does not enter into it at all.”

            “But love will make all of that so much more happy, pleasant, wonderful…”

            “Or it can lead to crushing and devastating heartache that numbs one to any and all other pleasures in life.” 

            “Well, I suppose, but…”

            “I trust that none of this will find it’s way into your column, Miss Harlow?”

            “Of course not. I should hate to crush the romantic notions of my readers.”

*****************************************************************

By Maya Posted in The Sinfully Seductive Rakish Rogue's Mysterious Midnight Mistress of Pleasure, The Writing Life Comments (4)
 

He said, she said: Writing Dialogue

June 22, 2009 – 3:13 pm

I’m trying something new with this novel–other than being meticulously organized with My Glorious Outline (which I am so thankful for!). I’m writing my first draft entirely in dialogue. Line after line, scene after scene–nothing but characters chattering away. We’ll see how it reads, but I’m finding it a thrill and a pleasure to write.

In writing workshops I’ve attended, I’ve learned that every scene is supposed to move the story forward and that dialogue is a great way to do that in a page turning way. It simply reads faster that block paragraphs of internal thoughts, and it certainly writes faster, too. Plus, dialogue offers more opportunities for gossip, jokes and witty retorts.

I’ve struggled with writing dialogue before and I realize now it was because I was relying overmuch on character’s internal thoughts to tell (ok, dump) information on the reader. It left the characters little to say, and even less to respond to. For example:

“Blah blah,” he said, thinking whatever and then she responded while he wondered what she was thinking and what she looked like naked and she said something, like, what was it, a paragraph ago? It had been so long, he couldn’t remember….

Tomorrow, I shall post a snippet of un-edited, untagged dialogue from the new book, for your eyes only, dear readers!

By Maya Posted in The Sinfully Seductive Rakish Rogue's Mysterious Midnight Mistress of Pleasure, The Writing Life Comments (3)
 

Writing and Rejection

June 21, 2009 – 5:19 pm

I’ve blogged about rejection before, but I’ve been inspired by a comment on a previous post to revisit the subject. The question posed was “How do you overcome rejections and not let them get you so down you can’t write?”

And here is my answer: perhaps you don’t write.

Instead, perhaps you take a time out to miss writing, to remember why you love it, and to recover your passion for the act of creating stories or for the burning desire to be published.

That’s what I did. After receiving a rejection phone call 8 hours into a 12 migraine, I fought the urge to slap together a new proposal and take that out shopping to all the publishers. Instead, I forced myself to take a time-out. And while I was not writing, I was still thinking up characters, and stories, and world building. I missed writing. I realized that this was what I really wanted, and something that I was willing to fight for, to suffer for. I also realized that I needed to work on a new project.

When I sat down to write a new proposal, I was inspired. When my agent sent it back for revisions numerous times, I promptly set about fixin’ what needed fixin’. I knew that this proposal could be rejected–and lordy that was a frightening thought! Which brings me to another suggestion: If you can’t imagine a positive outcome, and least refuse to dwell on the negative ones. Add “possible rejection” onto your List Of Things Best Left Un-thought.

By Maya Posted in The Writing Life Comments (2)
 

How to deal with writer’s block

June 13, 2009 – 1:27 pm

Every once in a while, I have one of those days when the words just aren’t coming. This isn’t usually a problem for me (really, it isn’t, but I must add that just in case my agent or editor is reading this). Usually I don’t have time for writer’s block but I am only human, so every once in while it happens to me. Here are some ways I’ve found to deal with it: 

1. Write scenes in which your character has writer’s block. Conveniently, the scene I am working on it one of the heroine writing, and at a loss for words. She takes a sip of tea (I sip coffee). She goes to get a biscuit from the kitchen (I go to look for a snack, too). She checks the mail (I check my email).

2. Remind self that there are days when the words are coming so quickly that you can’t type fast enough. Remember that you can’t have that every day, and in the end, the word count probably ends up the same. Do this while staring at blank screen, of course. 

2.5 Check email again.

3. Review what you’ve already written. Go back a few pages. Rearrange commas. Get back into the story.

4. Skip ahead. You can always write that troublesome scene later–if you really do need it. Who says the hero and heroine have to have a Big Black Moment where all seems lost and they realize their everlasting love? Oh wait, sorry, that one is non-negotiable. Best make something up then; it’s only fiction after all.

4.5 Update Facebook status.  

5. Go back to bed. Play computer solitaire. Walk the dog. Clean the bathroom. Catch up on reading of celebrity weekly magazines. 

6. Write anything, even if it’s totally crap. You can fix it later. After checking email. Again.

7. Write blogs about writers block to make yourself feel productive. Done!

By Maya Posted in The Writing Life Comments (3)
 

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