Dude Writes Like a Lady

"Oh, I thought you were a woman."

Not a lot of guys would grin if they were told that. I heard it five times...in a span of 40 minutes...by Literary Agents no less!

An explanation is in order.

In early June, I attended the Santa Barbara Writers Conference. This was my second year attending. In

Lunch on the beach during the conference

advance of the conference, I had sent in pages from the first chapter of Game of Love (my manuscript).

Although the story is a dual-perspective novel (switches between the female and male protagonists), the first chapter begins with her, Gemma. In fact, the story is Gemma's story. Andre is the agent of change. Also, although one could argue that this is a love story and therefore probably a romance novel, this story is can also pass for women's fiction.

So, to summarize: the pitch to the agents is that the manuscript is women's fiction or romance (depending on what they're looking for), the story begins in the head of my female protagonist, and to top it all off, my name is not the most manly name in the world.

Ara the Barbarian? Ara the Invader? You see what I mean?

Anyway, so as I waited for my first meeting, I began shadow boxing, humming the Rocky theme, and asking myself, "Are you going to bring it? Well are you?"

With that, I entered the lion's den. I found the first agent and marched up to her.

"Hi, I'm Ara. Nice to meet you." Firm handshake. Very manly.

"Oh." Pause. "Nice to meet you too." Pause. A shy grin. "I thought you were a woman."

The first time, my eyes went wide before I grinned. By the fourth one, I was laughing, full of pride.

Why, you ask?

Because I had succeeded in effectively capturing a woman's voice in the opening pages. I had done my job as a writer -- respect the characters. The agents all said the same thing. "You've nailed it," one said. Another said, "Readers may be surprised."

To be fair, this is not an out of the world skill. Successful authors do it all the time. A famous example: JK Rowling is not a teenage boy. You get the point. This is normal and has to be done. We all do it.

But for me, this feedback was monumental. When I set out to write Game of Love, I wanted to tell Gemma's story. Not the way a guy would perceive it, but the way she would perceive her life and the challenges she faced.

I've blogged about this before, and if you don't believe me that's fine. Just believe me when I say that I believe my characters are real. They exist in my head, my thoughts and imagination. My job is to listen to them and put their words on paper, the best way I can.

It appears I did a good job of that--or at a minimum the character is credible. Now all I have to do is convince an agent and then an acquiring editor that the story I've told is a sellable one.

Fight the good fight!

The Power of Brevity - "Hot In Here"

Less is more

The concept of brevity goes beyond not repeating things, or avoiding the sin of over explaining something, or going on and on, hoping your reader will finally understand what the heck you're talking about. Brevity asks you to focus on word choice and the imagery those choices create.

A simple example to set the stage -- in "A Wanted Man" by Lee Child, Jack Reacher is given a bottle of water. Child then explains:

"...He split the seal on the bottle..."

Child could have said, "...He opened the bottle..." (yawn!) but by choosing the verb "split" and the noun "seal," he produces an image that's impossible to miss. In fact, he accomplished a few things. He shows the action and puts the reader tight into the narrator's POV by allowing the reader to actually hear the action.

My freelance editor, JJ, put me to task. Over the last few months I've been knee-deep in revisions and have taken this simple lesson to heart. The right verbs go beyond showing, they let the reader hear and experience it by pulling them in closer to the story.

It was with this in mind that the opening lyrics of a Rascal Flatts song caught my attention.

"Hot In Here" by Rascal Flatts
She jumped in my truck in her bare feet
Slid on over to the middle seat
Baby crack a window,
Crank that AC high as it can go

Let's dig in...

She jumped in my truck in her bare feet

The opening sentence should make the reader/listener ask questions and extrapolate answers. Who is she? Why is she in her bare feet? She can't be a high society woman. Poor? Or is she a young woman? He drives a truck. Small town in rural America? Maybe Let's hear more.

Slid on over to the middle seat

Beautiful use of an audible verb. Slid creates the picture we need. She must be younger -- youthful attitude to be in bare feet and slide on over. As close as she can be to him.

Baby crack a window,

She calls him "baby." Not just acquaintances. Young love? Can you hear the crack of the window? Are you in the driver's seat yet? I remember my first car and how the day's temperature expanded the windows such that the first time I rolled her down, a cracking sound would echo in my poorly insulated car.


Crank that AC high as it can go

Crank. Old truck, no touch-screens on this puppy. It must be hot outside. And it seems that when these two are together, things get hot inside. Now the image of a barefooted young woman is taking on a new meaning.

What the songwriter(s) have done is set up the world and situation. The judicious use of powerful verbs create images, produce sounds, and deliver the audience an experiential story. We can see ourselves there, we've probably lived a version of this story in one form or another.

Brevity is power. As writers, we must question if our readers can experience the sentence we've written.

Are there passages or song lyrics that with the brief use of words have created a complete scene for you? Scenes where you didn't need to be there, but you could see it all unfold in front of you?

Fight the good fight!

BETWEEN by Kerry Schafer

Kerry Schafer's debut fantasy novel, Between has the potential to bridge the non-fantasy reader to this genre.

Fantasy readers know exactly what they're getting into: a vivid world, full of imagination, creativity and a whirlwind of action, romance and betrayals.

Non-fantasy readers are okay with all of that, but the common complaint goes something like this: "Fantasy novels are long and start slow. I need a map to follow the story. I need a decoder ring to follow the powers of each character and a family tree to track the kings, the goblins, etc etc etc."

There is some truth to that. Fantasy novels are longer because one of the main characters in the story is the story world. If done well, the world will be unique and by definition, the author will have to explain the rules of the new world.

Aspiring Fantasy novelists will do well to study Between. The story starts fast. The characters are rendered completely but throughout the novel. The back story is kept in the back, but the threads that we need to understand come at you in a clean concise way. The world is developed in a digestible manner. You are not given a straw and asked to drink from the fire-hydrant.

The story is creative, deep. The characters are powerful and beautifully flawed. The world is rich and vibrant and the enemy formidable.

Not all is great, I am saddened to say. The story is a trilogy, which means that I have to wait forever to read part II, much less Part III. The waiting is not good, but what awaits in the next installments is sure to be beautifully crafted.

Finally, a word on the book cover. Having a face on the cover is always tricky. The reader's imagination is seldom the same as the publisher's. Without the context of the story and the main character, an objective person would say that the book cover is pretty. But as you read the novel, the cover converts to perfection.

I highly recommend Between, by Kerry Schafer.

Visit the author's website

Order you copy today.

Official launch, Tuesday, Jan 29th, 2013.

Fight the good fight!

"THE NEXT BIG THING" Blog Hop

Welcome to the NEXT BIG THING Blog Hop.

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way for readers to discover authors new to them. I hope you'll find new-to-you authors whose works you enjoy. On this stop on the blog hop, you'll find a bit of information on me and one of my books and links to four other authors you can explore!

My gratitude to fellow author Kerry Schafer for inviting me to participate in this event. You can click the following links to learn more about Kerry and her book. 

Website: http://www.kerryschafer.com

Buy her debut book: "Between" releasing on January 29, and available for pre-order online

In this blog hop, I and my fellow authors, in their respective blogs, have answered ten questions about our book or work-in-progress (giving you a sneak peek). We've also included some behind-the-scenes information about how and why we write what we write--the characters, inspirations, plotting and other choices we make. I hope you enjoy it.

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the working title of your book?

Game of Love

2: Where did the idea come from for the book?

In May of 2010, I went to Paris on a business trip. It so happens that it was during the French Open and many of the world's best tennis pros were staying at the same hotel. Weeks before that trip, a tennis coach had told me to keep an eye on my six-year-old who had recently attended a tennis clinic. "He's got talent," I was told. With that in mind, when I sat for breakfast at the hotel, I had the privilege of meeting WTA star Dominika Cibulkova. I got to think of the challenging life-style of athletes. And worse, those who were celebrities in their own right (think Maria Sharapova). I live in LA, so I've seen the impact of the paparazzi on celebrities. Every smile, frown and blink captured by the needy. Then another thought sneaked in... do I want this for my son? The seeds of an idea had been planted.

3: What genre does your book come under?
Commercial fiction, specifically women's fiction.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That's a tough one. The main character, Gemma, will have to be one badass character. I know what her eyes should look like...

5: What is the one (or two) sentence synopsis of your book?

[Side note: every time I see the word synopsis, I break into a violent shake.]

The critic’s favorite target is a British tennis virtuoso who has yet to live up to her potential—or hype. But to master the game of tennis on the grass, she’ll first have to trust the game of love.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?

No, No and No... but stay tuned.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?


Seven weeks. And ever since, I've been revising and editing. My editor is nearly ready to call if done (crossing fingers).

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Everyone who has read my story has compared it to a movie, not a book. One of my mentors said the story and writing style is similar to Nick Hornby's--I have a hard time with that one as I'm a huge Hornby fan. Also, those who enjoyed the movie Notting Hill, will connect with the story and characters.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As mentioned in question two, the seed was planted in Paris during breakfast at the hotel. Over the following days the idea kept churning. Finally, on the return flight from Paris to Los Angeles, I wrote the opening scene on my iPad (I had just received it weeks earlier as a gift from my wife). 

The problem was that I had never considered writing a love story. I was nervous and certain that I would not be able to pull it off. Within a couple of days I was ready to give up. My wife told me to keep at it--work through it. When I was done, and found the courage to hand the first draft to my wife, I knew I had done well when I heard her crying. Good tears, I assure you.

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This is a love story, but also a story about the role our professional ambitions take. It asks the question of why we willingly jump into the rat race?And if it is a race, how do we know if we've won? What do we win in the end and what do we give up in the process?

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Thank you for being here. Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on WIPs and New Releases!

Aline Ohanesian (Website Twitter)
Gayle Carline (Website Twitter)
Jennifer Carlevatti Aderhold (Website Twitter)
Mark Koopmans (Website Twitter)

Fight the good fight!

Day 29: NaNoRevMo 2012

Done Done Done!

With one day to spare! Now I can be with my family in Anaheim watching Andre Agassi play against John McCenroe. I will be able to enjoy my dinner and maybe even wine!

It was a crazy night last night. I had a work-related presentation. It was at the Osteria Mozzo in Hollywood on Melrose. Great company, amazing wines, nailed the presentation, and the gelato was sinful. But the whole time I kept on thinking of one thing... "Thank God, I don't have to pay for this indulgence."

Okay, there was another thing that I was thinking of. The manuscript, NaNoWriMo, and you, my support and cheering team.

I got home at just past 11:00 PM. But I was committed. So I prepared a double espresso, two heaping spoons of Nutella and I hunkered down.

It took me just under three hours. By the time I was done, my knee was shaking and I was certain that I would throw up before I made it to bed.

More importantly, by the time I was done, I was really done.

I revised the entire manuscript and hit 59,261 words. Just shy of my 60,000 word goal, but like I've said before, I won't add scenes and dialogue just to hit a number.

This manuscript shall now go into sleep mode for two to four weeks. By then, I will have created enough distance that I can read through it all (hopefully in one sitting) and see the story anew.

My next post will be my thoughts on these past 30 days (29 but who's counting).

Thank you for sticking with me. And thank you for being a mechanism for guilt. We're all motivated by different things. Committing to a daily post forced me to always make progress.

Fight the good fight!

Day 28: NaNoRevMo 2012

The end is in sight...

And that's a good thing because the global conspiracy is in full swing.

We had a block-wide power outage yesterday. Then I started feeling a bit ill last night. Tonight, I have a day-job-related dinner/presentation--so I won't be home past 10:00 PM and then tomorrow, the last day of NaNoWriMo, my wife and I will be taking our kids on a small vacation. We're going to go and see the great Andre Agassi compete.

What does this all mean? I will have to steal time from wherever I can find it if I want to have any chance of finishing my secondary goal for November.

As a recap, I finished my NaNoWriMo challenge (yey!)
Then I added a new challenge: incorporate a new sub-plot, revise the manuscript, and try to hit 60,000 words in the process.

So where am I?

Day 28's total: 1,587
Overall: 57,073
Chapters revised: 30/38 -- 79% done

Close. I can feel it.

Fight the good fight!

Day 27: NaNoRevMo 2012

Running on fumes...

If you don't know what that means, here is the definition per The Free Dictionary:
...continuing to do something when you have almost no energy left...

That's been me. Work has been exhausting, the turkey hangover continues and I'm not even sleeping when I go to bed. A recipe for disaster.

This is the cosmic conspiracy against me. But I continue to fight through it. This is where I am now:

Day 27's total: 1,065
Overall: 55,486
Chapters revised: 22/38 -- 58% done

All chapters revised by Nov 30th. I've estimated that the story should be about 60,000 words long... we'll see how close I get.

I have to remind myself that exhaustion is a state of mind. Why is it that some can brush off an injury while others have to stay home over the same injury? Mental toughness--that's the difference.

Fight the good fight!