World Builder

By: Taige Crenshaw

One of the things I love most about reading and writing is the world the story is set it. It doesn’t matter if it is contemporary, historical, paranormal, sci-fi, mystery or any other genre build a world that will make the reader want more.

This is what makes some books automatic buys. The world is another character. It compliments the cast of people you have created. Having the world they inhabit makes them more than a shell. Books with a captivating world will make a reader want to read more. It’s all about the atmosphere that you set. Let the reader visualize they are there in that world. Make them imagine they actually walking down the street with your characters.

When I create my own worlds in the books that I write I strive for a feeling. The feelings that will make you want to live in the world I created. There are so many intricacies to building a world. You have to engage all the senses. The sounds you hear, scents that make the place familiar, sights that you see, the feel of the place, and the taste of its local cuisine. Once these are engaged it brings richness to the world.

To get an idea of how to create a captivating world – think of a place that you enjoy going. One that you talk about with others. Once you have that visual in mind then break down what is it about that place that draws you. Write it down using all the five senses. Be detailed as possible. Then go and become a World Builder.

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Taige Crenshaw is a multi-published author with books available at Ellora's Cave Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, Loose Id, Total-E-Bound and Summerhouse Publishing. Taige has been enthralled with the written word from time she picked up her first book. It wasn’t long before she started to make up her own tales of romance. With novels set in today, in alternate dimensions, or in the future she writes with adventure, fun sassy heroine’s, and sexy hero’s. Always hard at work creating new and exciting places Taige can be found curled up with a hot novel with exciting characters when she is not creating her own. Join her in the fun, frolic, interesting people and far reaches of the world in her novels. You can find out more about Taige at her website: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com or blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog.

Silken Inferno. Book 2 in the Phoenix Intelligence Agency from Summerhouse Publishing

When the past comes calling it brings unexpected revelations that must be faced.

Vaughn Saunders expects his return to Phoenix Intelligence Agency to not be an easy one. He has some unfinished business to settle with Allure, his ex-partner and the woman he wants badly. Before they can move forward they have to get past their complicated history. Getting beyond it will be worth the risk… at least for him. She has his heart, body and soul. He craves Allure’s body and her soul, yet does not expect to have her heart, since it’s already taken by another. Having what she is able to give is all he wants…but does he dare go for it all.

Allure Davis never expected to have to face the one man who she trusted at her back until he betrayed her. His reasoning might have been to save her, but with his leaving her, she knew she could only depend on her family. Yet in her heart he is one of them. Vaughn’s return throws her for a tailspin and she has to face not only the past but also her ultimate desire. There is a need burning deep within her soul that only Vaughn can quench.

To bring two strong-willed souls together it takes a Silken Inferno, burning to meld them together from now to eternity and beyond …

Can Everyone Write?

Musings from Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

Hi FF&P members...

I'm Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, a paranormal romance author. You'll probably recognize my name from the loop. A really quick bio for me would list Kensington Brava, Dorchester, and Harlequin Nocturne as my publishers, and with nine projects for Silhouette and Harlequin under my belt, I'm currently under contract for more Nocturnes of the vampire and werewolf persuasion. Sheer bliss!

I've been asked to write an article on craft, but have been pondering a conversation I recently had with someone who contacted me with this question - one I seem to get all the time, as I'm sure most writers do:

"Can anyone write?"

Our standard reply is always: "Of course." Because we know that anyone can. Heck, we are!

But the conversation went deeper than that, and slightly more into the realm of reality (sorry paranormal folks - LOL) when I was asked about the "process" of getting published. This was from a person who has never set one word on paper.

Thinking this was like asking how to run a marathon without ever having gone for a jog, skipping all the training and work in between, my own musings were eye-opening for us both. I'd like to share.

Here was my reply . . .

"As for the process... well, I just don't know how to tap into the many kinds of talents people have. I have pals who are fantastic artists, and I can't draw a stick figure. Some people sing like angels. Some run like they have deer in their genes. I write because I have to. It's actually a compulsion. Words are like manna from heaven to me. I have to get words on paper and create worlds for them to live in. I've been writing one thing or another since I was eight years old! A true passion. I am driven to write, to create . . . And the compulsion gets worse as I age.

I do think that people have special gifts in some areas. I have heard over and over again that anyone can write. Yes, I believe this is true. But also, anyone can sing. Right? The difference lies in the degree to which a talent can be born and developed, added to the sheer unadulterated persistence of character, and lots of practice.

As for getting published, writing is only part of that process. The business side is not easy! Meeting deadlines and coming up with new ideas are not easy! Self-promotion is not easy! I honestly do believe that everyone can write something if they really want to . . . but if the goal is to get "published," that's a whole other matter. The statistics are that about one percent of all people who write, or want to write, ever get published by a New York publisher. Then again, at present, anyone can self-publish, or publish with an e-book company, which opens up all sorts of avenues for all of levels of writers and their personal satisfaction.

Still, writing starts with writing. Before anything else, there has to be words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, chapters, and a completed manuscript. This takes time and dedication, because the odds are also that a major percentage of people who want to write, and desire to get published, never do finish penning a single book. Or take the time to study the craft of writing."

Ah, yes. And there was another question from this person, after all that. Here it is:

"How does a person know if they are worthy to write?"

What? Oh my gosh! I wonder what YOU would reply to this one? I'm still thinking about it.

Because "worthy" might differ from person to person. Right? Does it mean self-satisfaction, or does it mean getting published? Two extremes in concept. For instance, I'd be writing if I'd never gotten published, because again, I have to write. Once I had learned the craft and developed my own voice and style, I geared my writing ideas toward specific New York publishers by making myself aware of what kind of things they wanted. With some talent (thank you mom and dad!), a lot of luck, and maybe even some mystical forces at work on my behalf... not to mention sheer dogged persistence . . . I made it into the one percent. And I'm thrilled every darn day to see my books on the shelf! I know that if people actually continue to buy my books, hopefully I'll be able to keep on publishing for quite a while. But I will write, no matter what.

I don't want to ever discourage anyone with a true desire to write. We all need encouragement and all the help and nourishment that others who have finished a manuscript can supply. I frequently send fairy dust over the air waves to friends who are just getting started, and I've offered to lend my Muse to a few. I offer hankies when needed, murmur "You can do it" to them and to myself on a regular basis, and have checked out sets of pom-poms on line in case I need to shake things up on our behalf.

The fact is that none of us know if we have real talent and fresh ideas until we try the very thing we want to do. As all of us on the FF&P site know, even if we're willing to do what it takes, and try, unless it's absolutely a labor of love...

Well, you get the picture.

So, I've shared this, and hope you might have something else to offer on the subject.

Were you encouraged to write?

Have you been writing since you were a kid, because you HAVE TO?

Did you realize how difficult - blissful writing could be?

Does writing make you so very happy, you hardly want to do anything else?

Please share, if you have a minute.

I'm here today, listening, and so are a lot of others.

We're in this crazy business together.

I love nearly every minute of it.

Cheers-

Linda

www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com

Linda's latest releases from Nocturne in her Vampire Moons series are: "Golden Vampire" (full book) and "Night Born," a Bite. She also has a fluffy, girly paranormal novella recent release, titled "Veronica and the Vampire."

NIGHT BORN

Love and hate, vampire and slayer—opposites too closely connected for their own good?

After her mother is nearly killed, slayer-in-waiting Danika Douglas vows to destroy the vampire she believes is responsible—Alexander Kent. An experienced vampire older than sin itself, Alexander possesses dark good looks and a strong sensual allure.

Danika knows a slayer and her target are chained together by fate, compelled to find each other. Yet she never expected them to share such a powerful attraction, leaving Danika torn between revenge and desire….

Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

We're welcoming PAN author, Michele Hauf.

That subject line applies to a few of our heroes, especially the wolfie ones. But today I’m focusing on us, we, the writers. I’m interested in hearing how everyone decides what their comfort level for taking on new projects is. Are you a writer who likes to focus on one story from beginning to end? Or are you the sort who enjoys having two, three, or even more projects going at one time?

Myself, I’m the multiple project writer. I need that option project going because there are days I’m not always interested in the main project. And I’ve learned that to force myself to work on something that isn’t calling to me results in dull text and uninspired characters. I don’t normally veer from a main project for long. Sometimes I take a day to work on other things, but it can be as long as a week. And the really great thing? When I return to the main project it feels fresh to me.

I’m going to guess that the majority of us are multiple-projects writers, for those same reasons I mentioned above. Escape from a project not calling to us, and the joy of sitting down to an old project that feels new again.

But do you ever get in over your head? Besides being the sort who will juggle many projects at once, I also have this frustrating habit of never saying ‘no’ to new projects. Oh sure, I can squeeze that one in between Project A and Project B if I stay up 24/7 for the next week. No problem! Have any of you ever done that? And then you find yourself struggling to finish the new project and not compromise the integrity of current projects. And sunlight! Sunlight becomes a thing of myth and legend. And in the end, is it really worth it?

I’m learning my lesson on that one. Sure, it’s awesome when new opportunities present themselves. But we, as writers, only have one set of hands, and one over-worked brain that loves to feed us the wyrd stuff, but seriously, they need a break once in a while. So today I said ‘no’. It hurt because I was passing up an opportunity, but at the same time it felt freeing. I will see the sun before winter comes! I will find a few moments away from the keyboard to just sit outside and remember what a tree looks like. :-)

What I’m trying to say is we’ve got to start taking care of ourselves and understand that sometimes the big bite isn’t as good for us as nibbles. Does that make sense?

So tell me, are you a multiple project or single project writer? And do you ever bite off more than you can chew?

Michele