Name Calling by Christine DePetrillo

What’s in a name? Well, for me, sometimes naming characters is a bit like trying on clothes. I gather as many names as I can carry, haul them into the dressing room, try them on, angle this way and that way in front of the mirror, ask a trusted buddy for her opinion, discard ones that don’t fit, and whittle down the possibilities until one has been selected. It’s important to get a character’s name right. A reader has to travel with that character for hundreds of pages. An improperly named character can mean the difference between an enjoyable read and an I’m-not-going-to-finish-this-book read.

I often call potential names out loud in voices portraying the varying moods found in my stories. I need to know a name is going to sound great even if another character is screaming it in rage. I try out the names while I’m talking to my characters. You might hear me say, “Well, you know, Patrick…” just to see if his name flows nicely in the context of a conversation. If it doesn’t, I’ll try another until I get the right vibe. Meanwhile, The Husband wonders who all these men are.

And what about a shortened form of a name? David to Dave, Michael to Mike, Steven to Steve. Who will use the shortened forms? Parents, friends, lovers? Are there shortened forms you as the author just won’t tolerate? Richard to Dick? Is it going to completely emasculate your Alpha hero, Ralph, if someone calls him Ralphie? These are all considerations to keep in mind when naming a character.

Once a first name is selected, the hunt for last names can be challenging. I’m Italian and live in a predominantly Italian neighborhood. Most of the people I know are Italian. The urge to make every last name sound like something out of The Godfather or Goodfellas or have it end in a vowel is always there. To help vary it up, I began collecting possible last names in my writer’s notebook. One fun source has been the names of towns along I-91 as I travel from Rhode Island to Vermont on the weekends. In Kisses to Remember, the hero, Holden Lancaster, has a first and last name that are towns on that route. His heroine, Johanna Ware, sports a last name that came from a highway sign. In Firefly Mountain, the last names of Claremont, Barre, and Thetford all came from this town method as well. This name collection system has really helped me branch out of the parmesan-encrusted bowl of gravy I had been stuck in with names. The whole world isn’t Italian or Irish or whatever ethnicity in which you’ve been held hostage.

                                     

Sometimes names have just come to me when characters are introducing themselves in my mind. I’ll be walking my dog, and out of nowhere, a voice will say in my head, “Hi, I’m Detective Daxton Wilder, and you should write my story.” Umm, okay, Dax. I’ll get right on that. And suddenly, no other name is right for him. He. Is. Daxton Wilder. Down to the core. I can try calling him something else, but he won’t listen. If he doesn’t listen, his story doesn’t get written, and that makes us both cranky.

Names are sometimes derived from something that describes the character. For example, in my young adult book, Run With Me, about a tree spirit, I chose the last name Everleaf for the hero, Jobah. It has a tribal, earthy feel that is perfect for his story and who he is. The heroine, Olivia Bradford, received what I’d call an upper middle class name. She lives in a respectable suburb, attends a nice school, is on the track team, has two brainiac parents. The last name Bradford was found with my town method mentioned earlier, and it sounded professional with the word doctor in front of it for her parents. 

I’ve also heard names of real people that I’ve simply fallen in love with like Salem Grimm. Fantastic! I’m going to use that someday. Everywhere I go, I check out employee nametags. I’ve come across some great names like Avaline, Gretah, and Doone. Unusual spellings of names can be fun too. Carissa can be Kharissa. Or Kevin can be Kevyn. Play around with names.

Naming characters is a blast, and I do think that those names can help determine who that character is going to be in a story. Treat your readers to some solid, creative names that will enhance their reading experience and have them remembering your characters long after the last page has been read.

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com  

Social Interaction by Christine DePetrillo

So it’s August already. Sigh. Summer is slipping away so swiftly.

I’ve re-watched the Twilight Saga, binged on new Netflix shows, read my way deep into J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood world, and fallen into the go-to-bed-at-1:00 AM-and-get-up-at-9:00 AM schedule that appears to be what my body will do naturally if given the chance. This is all characteristic of my typical summer leisure experience, but one thing I’m trying to change up is the social interaction.

An introvert since birth, I tend to prefer staying at home instead of going out into the world. When my parents would say, “Go to your room,” I’d skip down the hallway, happy to hide away in my safe haven. I loved being in my room and never saw it as a punishment. If my parents had told me to go talk to people instead, I would have felt far more inconvenienced.

Let’s face it – it’s scary “out there.” Social events also require getting ready. Doing one’s hair. Putting on makeup. Wearing clothes. Ugh. So much work. Chilling in the backyard requires none of these things.

Well, except wearing clothes. Probably.

I’m trying this summer, however, to push myself to interact with more people. I recently saw something online that said social interaction was the number one thing that led people to live longer. Even more than diet and exercise! Needless to say, when I saw that, I panicked. According to that study, I’m going to kick the bucket like… tomorrow!

I also listened to a show on the radio where it was stated that talking to people for as little as ten minutes a day boosted memory. The DNA in my family suggests that boosting one’s memory is definitely something I want to be doing. I felt compelled to call someone up and chat on the spot. (Of course calling people on the phone is an entirely different phobia I’m not ready to deal with at the moment.)

So, yeah… social interaction. I’m trying. It’s kind of exhausting though. The orchestrating schedules. The planning what to do/where to go. The gathering of stimulating conversation topics.

The relinquishing of time with my fictional characters to see real people…

I have to remember, however, that each social interaction has its benefits. Living longer. Boosted memory. And my favorite, story ideas. The more people I spend time with, the more tidbits I pick up and add to my writing notebook. Setting, plot, and character ideas have come to me as I surround myself with different people. I’m amassing quite a collection of words, one-liners, and character traits just by hanging out with my fellow humans.

Hopefully, by the time the summer is over, I’ll have filled my notebook and have reaped the benefits of getting social. If not, I’ll just go back to having full conversations with my dog at home. That has to have benefits too, right?

What tips do you have for me about social interaction?

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

Clothing your characters and other #amwriting guilty pleasures ~ by Leah St. James

A week or so ago, Betsy wrote about the “box” of character traits she creates for each of her characters, details that may never make it into a story – like what a woman would put into her purse – but that enrich each character’s persona.

I don’t go to the level of detail Betsy does (although maybe I should!), but I do create visual storyboards for settings and each main character—the clothing they’d wear, their day-to-day environments and anything visual I might have need to describe. Even if I don’t use  these images in the story, they stick in my head, and they usually help in choosing the right words to describe the character’s emotions or actions.

These visuals are especially important when I’m writing about a character that’s far from my personal reality—like rich people. :-)

I like writing about rich people. But not just any old rich people. Old rich. Filthy rich, as my mother used to say...which makes me speculate where the adjective came from.

I like reading about rich people, too. It’s one form of escapism, I suppose, without the headaches of having to manage massive investment portfolios or worry about threats of kidnapping or people stealing from me, or befriending me for the wads of cash in my piggy bank.

With the resources available via a quick Google search, outfitting the fictional rich is easy, and probably much more fun than real-life shopping (or so I tell myself).

For housing, I laze my way through magazines like Coastal Living or Southern Living – wherever the character is from. Or Pinterest, of course. I create my dream kitchen or garden for that particular story, or whatever setting a scene calls for. 

For example, in my current WIP, I have a scene where the heroine, her mother and sister are having a girls’ night out to watch movies. Since they’re not just rich, but rule-the-world rich, I searched for theater-style seating for the home, added a bar and mini kitchen (so, you know, they don’t have to travel all the way to the kitchen for food), and gave the room luxurious accessories, like cashmere throws to cuddle in.

Here’s an image on my Pinterest storyboard of seating available from homeportfolio.com. I used the general layout but made the seating more plush with brighter fabrics. (It's not like we have to worry about cleaning after all!)

For my heroine's family home, I'm using the manor house at the real Westover Plantation on the James River in Virginia, which is also the general setting for my story. Here's an image of their entry gate. (In my story, concealed security cameras help to guard the family from evil-minded interlopers.)

(An aside for you history buffs: The real plantation’s manor house was thought to be built by William Byrd, III, whose father, William Byrd II, founded Richmond, Virginia.)

But I digress...

To clothe my rich characters, one of my favorite sources is the J. Peterman catalog. Have you ever checked one out? It’s different. The inventory is limited and mostly consists of clothing for men and women, along with a few accessories. Each item is depicted by a hand-drawn illustration—like a designer’s sketch— instead of just a boring old photo, and each is accompanied by its own story.

Here’s an example of the “Adventurous Shirtdress” I’m coveting.

(The current sale has it priced down from $149 to a palatable $54...and free shipping! Luckily for me, my size is sold out.) 

Here’s the fun story that describes the dress:

"Wearing this, you could be standing in Nairobi, in Santa Fe, or even in midtown Manhattan and still look better than everyone else.

"You could be carrying oversized portfolios through humid streets, haggling in the Ixtapa bazaar, shepherding small children through Epcot, and still look self-possessed.

"To look like Ava, open three buttons. Or wear it entirely open, like a duster,  with a white tank and shorts. That would be an adventure...."

Even without the image, I want this dress! 

Granted, these prices don't rise to the level of what the rule-the-world rich might pay, but the lifestyle stories match. So to feed my Peterman obsession, I signed up for their newsletter, and sometimes I have to delete the emails without opening because I know I’ll be sucked into pouring over the latest sale items and their “stories,” instead of focusing on my own.  But even when I do, I tell myself it’s all in the name of research. Right?

Maybe that’s why I like writing about rich people. I like to imagine myself having the kind of resources to do whatever I want, whenever I want—without all the worry and work, of course! Writing gives me a reason to indulge in this one guilty pleasure, without any real guilt.

Don't we all have "guilty" reading pleasures? What about writing? What are yours?

 <><><><><><><><><><><>

When not researching clothing and environments for her super-rich characters, Leah writes stories of mystery and romance, good and evil and the power of love. Learn more at leahstjames.com. Check out her storyboards on Pinterest. She also occasionally posts about life and writing on Facebook.

Character Poetry

Sometimes I write poems in the point of view of my characters to get over writer's block. When I feel out of touch with a character, I close my eyes and try to BE that character. I review his or her goals, motivation, and conflict. I put myself in his or her situation. I regard his or her love interest and tap into the emotions.

Here's one I wrote after what we in the romance novel world call "The Black Moment." It's that part in the story where you're not sure the hero and heroine are going to get that happily ever after.

Slaying Silence

Silence hangs

between us

like summer night heat haze

across the faraway moon,

blurring her light,

her vision.

Blackness mutes

the celestial edges,

and I am small,

alone,

unwanted.

It would take

but a touch of your hand,

a brush of your lips

against my skin

to lift the fog

and silence the silence.

Your heartbeat would fill my ears,

caress my soul,

connect me,

save me.

After I penned this poem, the juices started flowing again and I wrote the ending to this character's story. This method may not work for everyone, but it's always been successful for me. It unlocks my mind and gets me back in tune with what I'm trying to convey to my readers. It brings the emotions to the surface.

The next time you are stuck, give character poetry a whirl. You just may find the words you're looking for. 

  

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

The Maple Leaf Series, available now. Book One, More Than Pancakes, is always FREE in ebook.

Characters by Diane Burton

from The Writer's Circle

I saw the above on Facebook and could I ever identify with it. I’m a pantser. My stories always start as a scene or line of dialogue in my head . . . usually as I’m trying to go to sleep. I start writing with a vague thought of what’s going to happen. Since I write a form of romance (science fiction romance and romantic suspense) I know the story will end with a happy-ever-after. As I write, the characters come alive. And then they misbehave.

If my main character appeared in another story, I know a little about him or her. Like Rissa, the MC in The Protector, who appeared in previous Outer Rim books—The Pilot and The Chameleon. I knew she ran a tavern on the frontier, that she was tall, strong, and wore her dark hair in a single braid. Other than that, I knew nothing about her past life, what drove her, what she wanted out of life. That all came out as I wrote. Who knew she would start rescuing kids and take on a child trafficking ring led by a galactic gangster's minion? I didn't.

If I was a plotter, I would have written a detailed character analysis and filled out a GMC (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict) table plus written a detailed outline of the plot. Well, folks, if I’d done all that I would’ve told the story already and have no need to write it. That’s the way pantsers are. However . . . By the time I reach chapter eight, I have to plot, at least a little. Otherwise my characters take off on their own. Then I have to wrestle them back on track. If I’d plotted first, I wouldn’t have to keep going back and adding stuff. Someone described what I do as circular writing. Write some, go back and add, write more, go back and fix, write more, go back and change/delete, etc. Plotters think I waste time. Oh, well. It works for me.

I’m not saying my way is best. I’m not saying plotting is best. It’s what works for the writer.

Now if Rissa and Dillan would behave and quit telling me to change something, The Protector will come out this summer.

Diane Burton writes romantic adventure . . . stories that take place on Earth and beyond. She blogs here on the 8th and 30th of each month and on Mondays on her own site: http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Character Interview with Hope Stannard

“She stood in the storm and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails.” ~ Elizabeth Edwards

I thought this would be a good quote to start off an interview with my character Hope Stannard in More Than Rum. She had to adjust her sails when dealing with Marine Adam Rouse. 

CD: Welcome, Hope. Tell us a little about your work.

HS: I run a website developing business when I’m not baking up a storm with Sage, my sister, at my cousin Rick’s store. I’ve created websites for the store, for Lily, Rick’s wife, for her bed and breakfast, Hinsdale Inn, among many others. I recently finished one for Black Wolf Tavern, our local hangout in Danton, Vermont and am now working on one for the police department.

CD: What do enjoy most about website development?

HS: I like the creativity. Customers tell me what they want, but I have a lot of room to make suggestions and think outside the box. I like designing a layout and then seeing how it all comes together. Same thing goes when I’m baking with Sage. We have our ingredients, but how we decide to put them together is what makes them unique… and tasty.

CD: I’ve heard a lot about the treats you and Sage whip up. How do you not spend all day stuffing your faces full of confections?

HS: (laughing) Who says we don’t stuff our faces full of confections?

CD: Your tiny waist says you don’t. Or do you workout like a machine every day?

HS: Not like a machine. Definitely not. I just don’t stop moving really. I’m always running around doing something. I like to hike and be outside. Now that I have my Dalmatian, Olive, I’m even more active. She’s always got energy to burn.

CD: Do you see yourself every moving out of Vermont?

HS: No. I love Vermont. There’s so much outdoors to explore here. I mean, I want to visit other places, but just visit. My family and friends are here. Vermont will always be my home. Adam feels the same.

CD: Ah, yes. Adam Rouse. How are things with you two?

HS: (smiling) Couldn’t be better. I’d get into more detail but some of that information is rated R.

CD: I see. Still enjoying rum swizzles at Black Wolf Tavern?

HS: Definitely. No one makes a better rum swizzle than Adam. It’s sort of like having my own personal bartender.

CD: Doesn’t hurt that he’s over six feet of muscle either, does it?

HS: Nope.

CD: One final question. What’s next on the horizon for you and Adam?

HS: Well, there’s the whole getting married thing we’re supposed to do in the near future. We’re also thinking of building a house on Adam’s land. We love his workshop barn and apartment above it, but we want something you can raise a family in.

CD: Well, good luck, Hope. I have a great feeling about you and Adam and the future you are building together.

HS: Thanks! I have a great feeling about your next characters, Detective Daxton Wilder and physical therapist Shaylee Keene.

To read Hope and Adam’s story, More Than Rum, click HERE.

Do you have any questions for Hope Stannard? Let us know and maybe she’ll answer them.

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com 

A Valentine's Day Treat

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” ~ William Shakespeare

This quote is so true in romance novels. If the course of love did run smooth, readers would be bored out of their skulls. So would authors. I’ll admit to feeling bad when obstacles get in my characters’ ways, but those obstacles are also what make things exciting. They are what reveal character traits and personalities. They are what build a strong relationship between the hero and heroine. They are what eventually lead to a happily ever after or a happily for now ending.

This year, I tried something new in playing with characters and their courses to true love. It’s called Kindle Worlds, an Amazon-controlled program in which Amazon has licensing agreements with other artistic works that allows authors to essentially write “episodes” of their favorite television shows or books. You can borrow the characters and the setting and branch off into those storylines you’ve always dreamed about seeing.

This might be the right time to tell you I’m obsessed with the CW television show The Vampire Diaries.

And yes, Amazon does have an agreement with this show.

Yay!

So, I buckled down and wrote a 14,000-word novella based on vampire Damon Salvatore of The Vampire Diaries. If you’ve never seen him, see him immediately right here, wipe the drool off your chin, and come back to read the rest of this post.

Right? Gorgeous? Thought so. An inspiring muse to say the least.

I decided to put him with a new character that I created, Angelique DeLucas. She’s got her own supernatural twist and the relationship she has with Damon in this novella is not without its bumpy spots. Something happens at the end that could create a really bumpy spot should I decide to write more in this series.

Writing for Kindle Worlds was a new adventure. It was fun and I’ll see where it takes me.

Because the course of writing never does run smooth either…

Here’s the blurb for The Vampire Diaries: Blood Angel -

Vampire Damon Salvatore has returned from The Other Side only to find his true love, Elena Gilbert, has compelled all memories of loving him out of her mind. Needing an escape from the heartbreak, he heads for the woods of northern Vermont, the best place for a man—or a vampire—to lose himself.

Angelique DeLucas was robbed of her life when a drunk driver slammed into her car. She begged for a second chance while on The Other Side and her wish was granted—not without a price. She’s lived the reckless life she’d been cheated out of and has kept up her side of the deal she made.

Until she finds Damon Salvatore in her woods.

Damon and Angelique spend two weeks together in the snow-covered mountains, finding what’s been missing in their lives in each other. An admission on Valentine’s Day, however, threatens to take all the magic between them away.

This novella can be found here. Did I mention part of the story takes place on Valentine's Day? Yep, it does. 

If you’re a fan of the show or just love a little supernatural short story, download it and enjoy. Maybe even browse the works Amazon has an agreement with. You might find some inspiration for a little side project for yourself.

Toodles,

Chris

The Maple Leaf Series, Available on Amazon, print and ebook

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com  

Lost in a Writer's Mind! Eek!!

I am not supposed to be blogging here today. Truly, I'm not. With only one sip of coffee in me, I looked at the date in the corner of my laptop and was positive I saw 8/12 and got all panicky because there was no post up on my regularly scheduled day. I was lost, we could say. And let me tell you, one place you do NOT want to be lost is in a writer's mind. Turns out I was even more lost than I normally am. Wrong date! Wrong time! Wrong everything! All I could think about was getting all the promo stuff out of the way so I could begin edits on a manuscript. My hero is telling me I have him acting like a child...and I mean to correct that today...whatever date today is...SIGH!

Non-writers have no clue what a writer's mind can be like. We hear voices. I mean, we literally border on schizophrenia! Characters invade--make that "move into"--our psyches and demand to be written about. Some sneak in quietly like my World War II pilot in his leather bomber jacket. He's very quiet and polite, and every time I don't use him in a new story, he pulls out a pack of cigarettes, his Zippo lighter and silently starts smoking. I'm a little concerned about how he'll behave once that pack of smokes empties.

I've had characters arrive more dramatically, like on horseback chasing a tumbleweed or on a motorcycle, circling our bed--a feat since our headboard is flush against a wall. Characters argue with each other. "She's writing about me next." Then, "No way, Bozo. I'm next in line." It's like having a hoard of spoiled children in your mind, I tell you!

And heaven help you if you write a scene wrong. If you have them acting in a way they would never behave. Believe me, there will be no peace that night. I once went to bed quite pleased with a scene I'd written. I'd struggled with it all day, writing and rewriting. But it was done and I could finally relax and sleep. The three characters in that dratted scene acted it out for me in a dream...over and over and over...until finally one of them glared at me and said, "Now, do you see why it won't work the way you wrote it?" Frankly, I was too tired to see or much care about anything, but I knew they wouldn't let me sleep until I crawled out of bed, turned on the laptop and rewrote the scene one more time.

See? Normal people don't have that to contend with.

Nor do they have to divide their "free" time between facebook, twitter, blogging and other promotional avenues to get their names out there among the public. If we don't, how will you know we exist? My research shows over 3000 books are published every day. EVERY day. This does not include self-published books. So how do we make ours stand out? How do we make ours the one you reach for or the one you order online?

We have no clue.

So we scurry about, trying everything. Asking other writers what works for them. Because in the final analysis, we have no clue how to become successful. We just know we have to keep writing because the people in our minds won't shut-up to give us some peace...and, on the other hand, we fear the day they do shut up. What then? Where will our characters come from then? Because for all our complaining, we do LOVE writing.

FACEBOOK RELEASE DAY PARTY
AUGUST 19TH AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED!!!

 



Dress Shoes Versus Work Boots – Who is Your Romance Novel Hero?

I’ve had this discussion with lots of women. When you pick up a romance novel or watch a romantic movie, what kind of a hero do you want? Are you looking for the confident billionaire in his tailored business suit and shiny dress shoes or do you crave a rugged outdoorsman in flannel, jeans, and work boots?

Who is your romance novel hero?

Below I’ve created two character sketches representing the two different heroes. Read them both and cast your vote for who you’d most like to read about. You’d be helping me with some valuable writing research and I’d be most grateful for your input. When you cast your vote, if you would leave me just a short reason as to why you picked the guy you did, that would really rock my research world.

Hero 1: Christopher Harrington, III

Occupation: President of Under the Blue Technologies – a company providing solutions for keeping the world’s oceans clean

Financial Status: Multi-billionaire

Appearance: 

• 6’1” tall
• athletic build
• blue eyes
• short, neatly styled blond hair
• clean shaven
• wears tailored suits to work with shirt and tie, dress shoes. Weekend wear includes khakis with polo and button-down shirts, boat shoes, expensive sunglasses. Clothes are well matched and fitted.

Home: Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island that he inherited from his parents, lavishly decorated with collectible art he’s picked out himself on his trips around the world

Number of Pets: 0

What He Does for Fun: Sail on his yacht, travel abroad, go to the theater, invest money, hold charity balls at his mansion

Idea of Perfect Date: Send a woman he’s interested in a fancy dress and a theater ticket with a note that reads, “Dinner and show tonight. Limo will pick you up at 7:00. Don’t be late. I hate waiting, especially for someone as exquisite as you.” The limo will arrive, pick the woman up, and drop her off at the theater. An usher – a friend of Christopher’s – will escort her to the first row. The woman will have a seat, but Christopher will not be there. No, instead he’ll be on the stage when the curtain opens, sitting behind a piano, playing and singing her a love song. Then he’ll exit the stage and join her in the first row. They’ll enjoy the real show, holding hands here and there throughout, and afterwards… well, he’ll see where the night takes them.  

Hero 2: Sam Henson

Occupation: Carpenter – builds houses, barns, furniture, pretty much anything he can build out of wood

Financial Status: Enough money to be comfortable

Appearance: 

• 6’3” tall
• rugged, broad-shouldered
• hazel eyes
• thick, black hair that’s always slightly untamed
• slight scruff of a beard and mustache
• wears T-shirts and flannel shirts, jeans that highlight his phenomenal ass though he doesn’t care about that. Work boots, year-round. Work wear and weekend wear are the same and he’s usually covered in a fine mist of sawdust.

Home: Log cabin he built himself in the woods of Danville, Vermont

Number of Pets: 4, all dogs he’s raised since they were pups

What He Does for Fun: Building stuff is fun, but he also likes to hike in the woods with his dogs, snowmobile, ATV, and ski.

Idea of Perfect Date: Take a woman on a long hike in the woods with his dogs up to the pond on his property where they’ll get into a rowboat and tour around the pond in the sunshine. They’ll see moose taking a drink at the shore then have a picnic lunch while the dogs splash around in the water. They’ll come back to his cabin and when night falls, he’ll build a fire in the outdoor fire pit and they’ll stargaze until it’s time to… do something else.

So, who would you pick and why? Do you maybe like some combination of the two? I can’t wait to read your responses!

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com Adult Romance

www.christymajor.weebly.com YA Romance
www.christineteaches.weebly.com Teaching Writing