Category Archives: The Craft of Writing

Links to aid in developing the writing craft

HOW SEXY IS TOO SEXY?

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HOW SEXY IS TOO SEXY?

I have been asked: what is the most difficult scene to write? That one is easy: #sex.

Now don’t get me wrong. It isn’t from lack of experience! No, the challenge stems from the fact that #sex is such an intense experience that to write it well I must decide how much detail is enough while making sure I don’t cross the line into too much. I hate it when I am reading a book and really want to shout, “TMI!”

The other thing that makes the writing of #sex scenes difficult is that I am a product of my time/era. I grew up during a certain period of history, in a specific #culture with its particular cultural norms that was nestled within the mainstream #culture. My family expressed our #culture in a certain way, and with that way comes a set of morals, ethics, viewpoints, perspectives, and obligations.

I must negotiate my way through those constraints to arrive at my own definitions of what is acceptable. But, isn’t that what writers do? We take where we came from, how we grew up, what we learned and what we dream and define the alternate realities that we create.

Beyond the personal, there is the major constraint of the story, the novel that I am writing. Scenes, whether sex scenes, battle scenes, or death scenes, must fit within the context of the story. I cannot simply decide I need some filler material so I’m going to write a battle scene, or maybe a juicy, hot sex scene. To employ such devices would create a jarring sense of disconnection within the story.

The #SpecialCrimesTeam murder mystery series I am writing does not lend itself to sex scenes, so in Book 1: Sketch of a Murder the reader will find battle scenes and death scenes, but not much in the way of sex.

In the second edition of #Good #Intentions, a literary #novel, sex is present, but more hinted at than actually shown.

Good Intentions Final cover

On the other hand, in my coming vampire series, Book 1: Artemis’ Warriors, there are very detailed sex scenes. Graphic sex is an integral part of the story.

While there is no simple solution to how I handle writing those challenging scenes, whether they are sex scenes, battle scenes or some other scene, the one constant is that a writer must be true to her vision of the story. I must know my #characters intimately enough to know how much is too much, how much is not enough to lend the #novel its verisimilitude.

I would be interested in hearing from my readers if they feel there should be more, or less, sex in my (soon-to-be-released) novels: #Good #Intentions, second edition, and Sketch of a Murder. Once you have read the novel, you can leave a comment on my blog, or leave a comment on my facebook page. Both books should be released by my publisher, Mountain Springs House (#MSH) by the end of this month.

Stay tuned to this blog for information on the release dates for Good Intentions and for Sketch of a Murder.

Meanwhile, you are invited to visit #Aya on #facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/ayawalksfar

When Do Characters Attack You?

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I have always heard voices in my head. When I was eight years old, I found a spot beneath the concrete, city steps that went from one street to the street above, and that is where I hid, scratching out the conversations that only I could hear.

As I got older, my hiding spots became more creative. Crunched under the covers at night, holding a flashlight between my ear and my shoulder, I scribbled descriptions of worlds that only I could see.

My mother worked, so I was expected to pull my weight around the house as well as excel in school. However, sometimes I couldn’t help it: I hid in back of the clothes closet furiously jotting down arguments and betrayals. One time, in the grip of a pitched battle, I secreted myself beneath a broken down car with pen and paper.

It wasn’t that my mother was unsympathetic. No, she understood that I was different, but “even different has to make a living” she once told me. So, she kept tracking me down and assigning chores, and I kept slipping away to some other reality.

Nowadays I don’t have to do that. Nope. Just have to make sure my dogs don’t see me, or hear me, sneaking into my office. If I get caught there is a whole lot of bark-demands to be my “Muse for the day”.

Of course, I am using the word ‘day’ very loosely here. Much of my writing is done between the hours of midnight and dawn. I love the absolute quiet of those hours. My work on the land is finished for the time being, my dogs are all asleep, my wife is either reading or sleeping, the phone is silent, and the world outside my window lies wrapped in warm darkness. Sometimes, if I am fortunate, a coyote will sing.

When it comes right down to it, however, I write at any hour that my characters chatter too loudly for me to hear the present day. There are times that I pull my vehicle into a rest area so I can jot down bits of dialogue, or snippets of description. I have been known to rise up from my bed, and a sound sleep, wander half-blindly through the house searching for pen and paper to write down the argument clamoring in my head. Then, I can tell my characters to shut up and let me rest!

For this Blog Tour, Mountain Springs House asked me to explain my writing routine, how do I get those novels written. So, there you have it: my confession about my writing non-routine.

Come chat with me on Facebook: http://facebook.com/ayawalksfar
Or tweet your thoughts to me on twitter: Aya Walksfar@ayawalksfar
Stop by Mountain Springs House Facebook page and check out my publisher: http://facebook.com/mountainspringpublishing

MOUNTAIN SPRINGS HOUSE BLOG TOUR!

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I am thrilled to announce that Mountain Springs House Publishing is doing a blog tour from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

This is the VERY FIRST blog tour I have ever been involved in and I am honored that my publisher, Allison Bruning, has asked me to participate. I will be getting to host some really fine authors on my blog, and I will be doing guest posts on other blogs. This is going to be so much fun! Even for a technosaur like me!

Check out Mountain Springs House on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/mountainsprings/
And “LIKE” us on http://www.facebook.com/MountainSpringsHouse?fret=ts

I have been asked to post a bio and photo so you can get to know me a bit better.

One dark night, just as the wolves howled…. Oh, wait! I’m supposed to do the true stuff, right? Okay, try again.

I was born. I grew up. I am now a big monster. Oh, okay, that’s not quite what I was supposed to do. Do I ever do what I am supposed to do? Not really. Probably why I like Sergeant Nita Slowater of the Special Crimes Team.

Sooo…here’s the real skinny:

Born in a rougher section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, (and there were several of those areas when I was growing up. I hear they’ve cleaned Pittsburgh up very nicely, now. Haven’t been back in many years.) I soon learned how to make myself invisible. If you tend to be on the smaller side, this is a very good talent. As a result, I got to observe people in their myriad of attitudes and emotions. They fascinated me.

In self-defense against loneliness, I learned to read very early, and to write. My first story was written in pencil on those tablets for little kids with huge spaces between lines. It was a story about a lost dog. Do you ever forget your first?

Ever since that day, I have been creating alternate realities.

Fortunately, my life has been anything except traditional, and therefore, I have never run out of stories to tell. I lived on the road for several years, have worked non-traditional jobs (and a very few traditional jobs), and have walked many dark roads and city streets.

Currently, I live on a 12 acre wildlife/wild bird/indigenous plant habitat that my wife of 25 years and I have created. During a single year, we host over 68 different species of birds, and many different animals.

When I am not either reading or writing, I love to hike, take photographs, work with my dogs, tend the land, horseback ride, travel, learn new things, and recently, I acquired a motorcycle, so I am having a great deal of fun learning to ride. Whenever I have the opportunity, I also search for the perfect chocolate. There are many good chocolates in the world, but I am convinced that there is a “perfect one”. Have to eat a lot of chocolates while I am researching!

Aya Walksfar

Aya Walksfar

Now that you know who I am, let me share what I write.

My novella, Dead Men and Cats, is a murder mystery set on an island in Puget Sound, Washington. Two women, Megan Albright and Janie Sampson, while walking on the beach, discover an old rowboat stuck in a driftwood tree. As they turn to continue their walk, a calico kitten leaps from inside the rowboat and onto the slick tree trunk. Nearly falling into Shallow Point Cove, the frightened animal leaps back into the boat.
Megan wades out to the rowboat to rescue the kitten, and encounters the body of a dead man lying in the bottom of the boat. A few days later, Dan Uley’s bookstore is firebombed. With a black cat.
Not long after his bookstore is firebombed, Dan is gruesomely murdered.
Fearing that Sheriff Johnson’s lack of progress may stem from his well-known anti-gay sentiments, Megan and Janie launch their own investigation. They never expected their search to lead to a young man that they both considered a friend.

In mid-July, my literary, coming-of-age novel, Good Intentions, will be re-released as a second edition, by Mountain Springs House.
In August, the first book in my three-book series about the Special Crimes Team, Sketch of a Murder, will be released by Mountain Springs House.

So, there you have it: who I am and what I’m up to!

Some Fun Stuff

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I love it when people ask me about my novels and short stories.  Some of the fun conversations that I’ve had include this one:  how do I find the various hair colors for my characters?

Talking to hair stylists is really fun.  Many of these good-natured folks are happy to share their passion for hair.  I have talked with  everyone from a fun  guy who gives hundred dollar haircuts to the great young women at chain salons such as Hair Masters.  They can really tell some stories!

Of course, at three in the morning when I often do a lot of my writing, my friends at the hair salons would not appreciate a. being woke up  b. being interrupted during party-time!  So, I’m on my own, and that’s a scary thought! Especially since I’m a wash-and-wear sort of woman.

For those long nights, I hit a website called Best Wig Outlet.  www.bestwigoutlet.com  They actually have a chart of a wide variety of hair colors.

So, there you have it.  My secret.  Be sure to visit the Best Wig Outlet.  It’s a fun place.

 

Know the Write Rules before you Break them

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Grammar, punctuation, word choice: these are the tools of writers.

To write effectively we need to know when and where certain punctuation is used.  A misplaced comma can change the entire meaning of a sentence.

Word choice is critical.  Using a word incorrectly can cause confusion, embarrassment and loss of credibility.

However, there are times in fiction writing  that breaking the rules makes the writing more powerful.  The only way to know how to effectively break the rules, is to first understand them.

Grammar Girl has an excellent, easy to use website for any writer to learn about these essentials.  In addition, you will also find information on proofreading, commas splices and so much more.  I highly recommend it.

Google search: grammargirl.quickanddirtytips.com

Importance of Book Cover Design

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When a reader cruises the bookstores, whether online or physical, they often walk down the aisle containing books that reflect their favorite genres.  One of the very first things that catches the eye is the cover of the book; sometimes even before the title or the author.

In today’s competitive market, catching the eye of the reader is the most important step in marketing your work.

The book cover represents the concept of your book.  Not only does it need to catch the reader’s eye, but it needs to honestly reflect the contents within.  There is nothing as annoying as opening a book, perhaps with a horse on the cover, and discovering there in nothing connected to horses, to the culture of horses, to people who own horses, within the book.  The reader feels cheated, or at the least, led astray.

With the basic image decided upon, the author needs to consider the font, size, and placement of the title of the book.  If the reader sees a knight on a horse as the basic design, then it follows that the title script should reflect that era.  The caution here is to not use such artistic script as to make the title difficult to read.

The third element of cover design is the author’s name.  The author’s name needs to be easily read.  Placement and size, in comparison to the title, needs to be considered as well.

Many authors commission professional cover designers.  If, however, this is not a possibility, or the author simply wants to produce their own covers, Jonathan Gunson has provided a list of wonderful links to FREE professional photographs that can be used in cover designs.  http://www.bestsellerlabs.com

Sentence Fragments by Dave Dumais(scribbledhopes)

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This was a conversation in a writer’s group.

scribbledhopes(Dave)

Re: Sentence Fragments

Our first Problem as writers

Actually people speak in sentence fragments all the time. That’s because we have body language and tone and voice pauses to drop hints on intent. So when we write, we tend to forget the last part and assume what we are saying is with the correct intent.
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