Lisa Hendrix

Those may not be the first two question I ask myself when I start writing, but they’re right up there. I HAVE to know his name and appearance — hero first, almost always. Until I get them right, I cannot truly begin. Names are a huge thing for me. I can’t use a placeholder name to start out; too much baggage attaches to it, and then when I try to switch to the “real” name, I find I’m writing about a completely different person.

The title of the book is much the same, though it can wait a little while. I do have to put a good name to it sometime before I hit the end of Act I, however–usually before I complete the proposal–and I tend to obsess until I come up with something I like. I’ve had to change a couple of titles after I turned the manuscripts in, though, and strangely, it didn’t bother me like a character name change does. All I did was obsess again until my editor and I agreed to something.

As for appearance, that’s more general but just as critical. Really, a blond hero is different from a raven-haired one, and if you add a streak of silver to the raven, well you have someone entirely new. I’m not one of those people who does a collage, but I do clip images on the internet and save them. Dozens of them (more on that in another post).

What brought this up is that I got my cover art for Immortal Warrior a few days ago. It’s gorgeous, all hero all the way. Unfortunately, it’s also preliminary, so I can’t share it yet — and I did ask. Though the cover model doesn’t look anything like who I pictured while I was writing, he’s a perfectly wonderful stand in. In fact, he has replaced my original model in my mind and heart. I’ve asked for his name and will share it when I can post the cover. This boy has a chest…omigod.

So while we’re waiting, I thought you might like to see what Ivo looked like while I was writing him. Turns out, he was a dead ringer for the juicy, tortured, wonderful Captain Etienne Navarre from Ladyhawke (aka Rutger Hauer)–except he wore grey.

Sigh,

I’ve noticed my speech patterns getting lazy–full of stuff, sort of, like, um, this. I don’t want my writing to get that way, so I’m working on it, and I’ve discovered a couple of blogs I think will help.

First I found Barry Eisler’s remarkable blog, The Heart of the Matter, which covers not writing, but “politics and language, particularly language as it influences politics” (thanks to “robin” who pointed me toward Eisler’s blog via a comment here at Buzz, Balls & Hype). His “Extras” page in particular hit home with me. I’d already commented to family that my speech –along with that of most of the people around me–was getting lazy. Eisler puts it in words and suggests some specific verbal tics to eliminate.

Eisler links to another site that I found appealing, The Vocabula Review, a blog on all things gramatical. Sharp and to the point. I suspect I’ll learn a lot from it.

Ironically, I found Eisler because of an old BB&H post (linked above) where MJ Rose claimed most author blogs are useless when it comes to actually selling books. Maybe. But I’m enjoying the process. And I’m going to go buy Eisler’s current book today — because of his blog.

Lisa

I found a piece by Steve Martin at the Smithsonian Magazine website today. Even though the title is Being Funny, it’s not really about being funny. It’s about professionalism, finding your voice, being true to yourself, hard work, and a myriad other things a writer needs to make part of his or her soul.

And about being funny.

Be sure to watch the video that’s linked at the top of the article (Martin’s breakthrough Tonight Show performance). Just be sure you don’t have a mouth full of coffee. I nearly sprayed my keyboard.

Lisa

My favorite technology blog, LifeHacker: tips and downloads for getting things done, had a great post today linking to 10 *free* online writing courses.

The original article from Education Portal tells you how to find courses from poetry to technical writing, from top-notch schools like MIT, the UK’s Open University, and UCLA.

I’m going off to download the screenwriting course, right now.

Lisa

I came back from Portland totally jazzed and full of ideas for improving Immortal Outlaw, the next book in the series. Deb Dixon is full of insight on things like the Big Black Moment (another workshop she gave to the group), and my brain just kept clicking over new possibilities, both during the workshop and later, on the long road home (I live about 6 hours from Portland).

The big thing I realized Read the rest of this entry »

Three critical elements of a good story. Also, a terrific book by romance and women’s fiction author Deb Dixon.

And finally, the title of Deb’s workshop, which she’s giving this weekend for Rose City Romance Writers, the RWA chapter in Portland Oregon.

I’m headed that direction tomorrow, laptop in hand, ready to learn. But also, to play. It is Portland, after all.

Portland: Bridges and riverfront parks. The casually threatening Rimsky-Korsakoffee House (home of the Church of Craft). Excellent mass transit. The incredible pastries of Papa Haydn. And of course, Powell’s books.

Aaaah. Civilization.

Lisa…smiling blissfully.