My Recent Comments

I loved that show.  And the woman in it is now in Love Soup, another favourite. 

 Liz

Thanks for that Amanda!  I watched one of those programmes.  A tiny Japanese girl marrying a guy who could have picked her up in one hand.  The weddding cost over a million dollars and the flowers....

 Crazy, but beautiful.

Liz

It's Bill Bailey from Black Book, Michelle.

 Liz

I hope things go well for you, Melissa!  In the meantime you did win a book on my Larry Roibal guest blog so if you want to drop me an email with your snail mail addy, I'll try and get in the post before I go away.

 Cheers

Liz

I'm off to Bruges next week.  There's a whole street full of shops that sells hand-made chocolate...

 The mother-of-the-bride diet doesn't stand a chance.  Never mind.  I've got until September to get thin...

 Liz

Forget the desperate wip, I'm volunteering for ice cream duty.  Is that Paul Bettany whose lost all his clothes...  Someone really should look after him.  Nell, I need suncream...

 Liz

Well, there you are Melissa!  Great advice.  My top tips...

 1  You need a big enough conflict to sustain the book.  (My first editor made me go back and rethink that in my first published book). A simple misunderstanding is not enough.   If the two protagonists could sit down and solve it all over a cup of tea then I promise you, it's not big enough.  (You've at least got to have a big enough reason for them not to do that!)

2 Two many characters. That's been said, but I'll say it again anyway.  Okay, I've had subplots, enough children to start a kindergarten in one book, and sorted out the lives of more than one set of characters in at least two books, but the core conflict has to drive everything else.  I've also written two books that were virtual two-handers.  Hero/heroine isolated and alone -- a useful writing exercise if you find yourself being bogged down with extras.  In my wip -- taking place in a busy town -- I've written 80 pages with less than a page in which there are other characters present (I have the protagonists' mothers about to appear but they will drive the two of them closer together -- at least that's the idea).

3  The hero's journey.  I tend to check what I've written against the stages in Vogler and usually I can see it when I'm done but I'm not a greater planner.  In The Bride's Baby, the hero is a man who thinks he can have it all without emotional commitment.  We see him gradually make that commitment to the point where he's selflessly helping the woman he loves plan her wedding to another man even though it's tearing him apart.

4 Be absolutely sincere.  Most of my writing (and reading) problems these days come from an inability to suspend belief and go with the fantasy.  You have to believe that this could happen.

5 Sex should never solve the problem, just add another layer of complication and tension.

 6 Always ask yourself "How could this be worse for characters..."  "Better..."  "Funnier..."

Go for it!

 Liz

Sadly, not at the moment, Melissa.  But you are welcome to use this thread to ask any questions you like.  We do like to help!

Liz

You are so caring, Nell. 

Liz

I saw, Rae, and thank you!  it's been a completely mad week, but in a good way!

 Liz