P.J. MacLayne - P.J. MacLayne

How Do I Do It? #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 12, 2022 June 12, 2022 Open Book

June 13, 2022

What is your process for writing? Plot, then write? Edit as you go or not until you’ve reached the end of the story? Figure out your characters first? Something else?

WARNING: Unedited content ahead

I didn’t expect much from the two smaller bedrooms, so I wasn’t disappointed by the plain, utilitarian beds. Those rooms would come to life with the right accessories, a floral bedcover in one and stripes in the other. What I wanted to see was the master bedroom. We’d torn out a wall to combine two rooms into one and make it more of a suite. That had been Jake’s idea, back before his arrest.

The first things that caught my eye were the intricately carved wooden headboard and footboard. Truthfully, there was no way not to see them. The king size bed and matching nightstands dominated the space. Two upholstered chairs graced one corner of the room and an empty bookshelf was placed nearby. Two dressers, matching the bed, lined a second wall. The room was lit by natural daylight streaming in from the large window. Once we added light brown bed coverings and curtains, it would be just what I’d imagined during construction. Perfect for Eli.

I glanced over to see Jake taking off his shoes. ‘Should we try it out?”

I wanted to, but not with Jake. I frowned.

“Not like that, Angel.” He sprinted across the room and leapt onto the bed, landing with a soft thud, barely bouncing as he hit.

It looked tempting. But I’d been cleaning most of the day and hadn’t changed my clothes. I wasn’t going to get Eli’s mattress dirty before he had a change to use it. But to placate Jake, I walked over and pushed on the bottom edge. My hand sank into the surface and stopped at the perfect depth and I imagined how it would feel if I let it support my whole body.

That scene didn’t make the cut. Harmony wouldn’t stand for it, and for good reason. She is very protective of her relationship with Eli, and she won’t stand for anything that threatens it—especially when it involves Jake, her ex-boyfriend.

My stories are very much driven by my characters. I may go in with an idea of my plot, but they are more than ready to tell me when I get it wrong. We’ve been known to have arguments about which direction the plot should go. My characters usually win. Plus, they hold surprises. There are things about Harmony, from the Harmony Duprie Mysteries, that I didn’t discover until the fifth book.

As a result, I have to edit before I reach the end of a story. I also edit as a way to get past spots when I get stuck. Of course, the two are related—getting stuck and ignoring where the characters want me to go. The time taken editing gives the story a chance to roll around in my mind and helps me find the right path.

I do have a bit of process. I write my first chapter on paper. There’s something about the ink flowing onto paper that unleashed my creativity. Even if I move to the computer keyboard once I find my ‘groove,’ putting words on paper allows me to scratch phrases and paragraphs out without feeling guilty. Plus, they are preserved in case I change my mind and decide to use them after all.

The other part of my process is that I slow down near the end of each story. I know the ending, but I don’t want to write it because I hate saying goodbye to my characters. Writing “The End” is a cause for both celebration and for mourning.

Every author has their own way of creating stories. To find out how the others on this hop do it, just follow the links below. And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

June 13, 2022

What is your process for writing? Plot, then write? Edit as you go or not until you’ve reached the end of the story? Figure out your characters first? Something else?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

Teetering In The Middle #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne June 5, 2022 June 5, 2022 Open Book

June 6, 2022

How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

There are times we authors ask a lot of our readers. We ask them to believe that there’s a world out there where the sky is green, or that shifters live among us. Or maybe it’s something as simple as a jewel thief falling in love with a librarian. The readers are asked to believe that something seemingly impossible is true.

At the same time, we have to make sure the readers are comfortable enough with the characters and the story to keep turning the page. Are they expecting romance? Or suspense? They should be included.

Just this afternoon, I had a conversation with my mother about my latest release, “The Fall of Jake Hennessey” and how it makes her uncomfortable when she’s reading it and she meant it as a compliment. After all, my main character, Jake Hennessey, is not a good guy, but I’ve asked the reader to connect with him as he’s robbing a hotel safe or breaking into a mansion and rejoice with him when he succeeds. I’m not surprised that made my mother hesitant.

Writing Jake at his worst was hard, so I tried to balance his actions as a villain by including scenes where he’s shown as a decent guy. However, I left it up to the reader to decide if he’s truly doing it from the goodness of his heart or if it’s a way to manipulate the characters he’s involved with. Of course, he’s met his match In Harmony Duprie.

As usual, Harmony’s mind was a step ahead of his.

She picked up an armload of the books from her coffee table and carried them to the bookshelf. “There’s always a rational explanation for two people getting together. But not us,” she said as she returned them to their places. “Why can’t I find it?”

Harmony was slipping out of Jake’s grasp. Which meant he’d lose his chance at The Three Musketeers, the prize he’d been working for. But the longer he was around her, the more he realized she was the real prize. “Isn’t that like asking the meaning of life?” he asked.

“Why are you working in the construction business, Jake?”

The abrupt change in topic sent his mind spinning. “Because I like to eat. Why?”

“You keep going all philosophical on me, and I can’t tie the two things together. What would you do if money wasn’t an issue?”

He couldn’t tell her about the joy he got from a successful heist. “You know what I’d really like to do? Bring old houses back to life. That’s what brought me to Oak Grove.”
From The Fall of Jake Hennessey

I believe that it’s part of an author’s job to challenge their readers. How much is up to each of us. Finding the right balance can be tough and can change from story to story.

How do the other authors feel about challenging their readers? Follow the links below to find out.

As always, until next time, please stay safe.

June 6, 2022

How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

When The Going Gets Tough-June #IWSG

By P.J. MacLayne May 31, 2022 May 31, 2022 IWSG

Welcome to another month of the Insecure Writers’ Support Group Blog Hop.

Thank you to the awesome co-hosts for the June 1 posting of the IWSG: SE White, Cathrina Constantine, Natalie Aguire, Joylene Nowell Butler, and Jacqui Murray!

June 1 question – When the going gets tough writing the story, how do you keep yourself writing to the end? If have not started the writing yet, why do you think that is and what do you think could help you find your groove and start?

I’m a pantser – that means I don’t plan my stories out before I start writing. I may have a sketchy idea of what I want to say, but I ‘discover’ what happens as I write.

Most of the time. That also means that sometimes I get stuck along the way. Who am I kidding? I get stuck lots! How do I keep myself writing towards the end?

There are two techniques I use. The first one is to go back and read what I’ve already written. Just read. That frequently puts me back in touch with my characters and shows me where the story wants to head next. But it isn’t perfect. Sometimes I have to take it an additional step and start editing.

That puts me in touch with the deep core of the story as I prune and cut words and sentences I don’t need. Even whole scenes may disappear. What I’m left with is stronger, hopefully more compelling, and clears the path to move on in my story.

As far as not getting started writing? My problem is finding the ‘right’ place to start. I think it took me six attempts to find the beginning of my WIP. What started out as a full chapter is less than a page of a prologue. I’ve got a few other stories waiting in the wings that I’ve written and re-written the first few paragraphs but don’t feel as if I have a good grasp on the story yet.

And don’t forget – that ‘rule’ about writing every day is only a suggestion. It can be good to put your pen down for a day or two and allow your story and you to have a break. Life can interfere with the creative process, and it’s okay to acknowledge that.

At least that’s how I see it. Check out the suggestions of some other authors. Just follow the links below.

As always, until next time, please stay safe!

It Was a Dark And Stormy Night #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 29, 2022 May 29, 2022 Open Book

May 30, 2022

“The first sentence has to have a solid punch.” — Steve Berry from “Twisty Business” Let’s talk about it.

To quote Snoopy and others “It was a dark and stormy night…” (Yes, I’d love to insert a Snoopy comic strip here, but won’t because it would be copyright infringement.) The entire sentence, written by Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1830, is: ″It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the house-tops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.″

Then there’s this one penned by Stu Duval of New Zealand, winner of the 2021 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, honoring the most atrocious opening lines of the year. “A lecherous sunrise flaunted itself over a flatulent sea, ripping the obsidian bodice of night asunder with its rapacious fingers of gold, thus exposing her dusky bosom to the dawn’s ogling stare.”

Are you still with me? You didn’t nod off reading those sentences?

Compare those to this one from American Book Reviews 100 best first lines “Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash.” — J. G. Ballard from the book Crash.

I don’t claim my first lines match either the worst or the best, but I work hard on them. Here’s the opening line for my WIP. (untitled) “The rubber-tipped cane thunked as it hit the blacktop.” At least it’s better than the opening line from my first book, Wolves’ Pawn: “The spring rain had left puddles in the dirt road but she no longer tried to avoid them.”

Face it, readers need to get sucked into the story immediately. There’s no time to create a background story or a beautiful scene. They have their choice of thousands of stories to pick from, and if the first line doesn’t grab their attention, they may not move on to the second.

That first sentence should include hints about the genre, although it may not be immediately clear. (The cover should do that.). A mystery should be different from romance or fantasy. There’s a rule somewhere that the story shouldn’t begin with dialogue, but there are lots of examples of that being successfully broken.

It’s tough to do it right. I don’t know how many times I wrote and rewrote that first sentence for my newest book. Or how many times I may revise it again!

I’ve often said the first chapter is the hardest one to write, and the ‘right’ first sentence is tougher. I wonder if the other authors on this hop agree with me? Just follow the links below to find out.

As always, please stay safe until the next time.

May 30, 2022

“The first sentence has to have a solid punch.” —Steve Berry from “Twisty Business” Let’s talk about it.

When It Works, It Works. When It Doesn’t… #OpenBook BlogHop

By P.J. MacLayne May 22, 2022 May 22, 2022 Open Book

May 23, 2022

We’ve shared marketing tips that worked for us. What have you tried that didn’t work?

Here’s the hard, honest truth. When it comes to publicity, what works one time to sell books may not work the next. And what works for one author may not work for another. And I’m not great at publicity.

For example, Facebook ads. Some authors swear by them. I’ve only tried a couple, and got no results. I can sometimes trace sales to a FB post with the opportunity for free publicity, but FB ads are a wasteland for me.

Amazon ads were the hot sales avenue for a while. I even sat through a workshop that explained how to put one together and how they worked. While the one I ran brought in sales, it never paid for itself. Then, last fall, it stopped working. I didn’t change anything, so I assuming that Amazon revised its algorithm. That’s on my to-do list—update my ad and see if it kicks off new sales. (But I’ve heard from other authors that the same thing happened to them, so I don’t hold out much hope for success.)

I missed the glory days when blog tours were the way to get sales of new releases. I still set up one for my books, but they don’t pack the power to bring in sales like they used to. Either that, or I’m using the wrong tour companies.

I haven’t done an ad with one of the major newsletters like Robin Reads for a long time. I don’t know if they are still effective, but I need to find out. Maybe another author on this hop will share their recent experience with them.

A reminder to any author reading this blog—please don’t limit your publicity to only one form of social media. P.J. Fiala, one of the founders of this hop, recently had her FB account hacked and she can’t recover it. And she did everything possible to secure it! It also happened to Richard Dee, a regular here. Folks, consider changing your passwords. (If you followed P.J., and have lost track of her, you can find her at https://www.pjfiala.com/ )

That’s enough pessimism for one post. Y’all know the drill. Check out the other authors on this hop by following the links below, and see what publicity doesn’t work for them. And, until next time, remember to stay safe!

May 23, 2022

We’ve shared marketing tips that worked for us. What have you tried that didn’t work?

It’s All In The Name #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 15, 2022 May 16, 2022 Open Book

May 16, 2022

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

Shakespeare wrote “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet.”

There’s a lot in a name and we all know it. I won’t get into the ways that social/economic/political factors can be influenced by names, but I will acknowledge they make a difference in the way I name my characters. I try to make my good guys sound like good guys, and my bad guys like villains. How do I do that?

It’s the way the names ‘sound.’ Although American English draws from many languages, some sounds are more pleasing to the ear. For example, think about the contrast between the ‘hard’ c and the ‘soft’ c. Which is easier on the ear? Chaos or celery? So, my villains may have names that use ‘hard’ sounds while my heroes have softer names. Gertrude vs Sarah, for example.

But where do I find my names? I’ve got a variety of sources. For one, I keep a notebook with unusual names that I run into. I have pages of nothing but names, both first and last. Most of them I use for minor characters because my major characters often name themselves. But I try to come up with names that aren’t found in social media or in a google search. I do this by changing one or two characters in the name.

For Wolves’ Pawn, I used the US census from the 1700s and 1800s as a source for some of my last names. I wanted to give the wolf packs a historical feel, to show they had been on their lands for a long time. I’m probably the only one who is aware of it, but now you are in on the secret! Most of the first names were more modern, to make the characters more comfortable for the readers.

The names continued in Wolves’ Knight, but Wolves’ Gambit changed geographic locations, I switched the basis for names to reflect the difference in the packs’ backgrounds. I drew heavily on minor biblical names, but changed them to be familiar without being the actual names. My intent was to mimic the way language shifts happen in isolated populations.

Names in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries are different. I wanted to use names that could be found in any small town in the northeast USA. That gave me a wide range of options because my small town reflected the diversity of the area. As my cast of background characters grew across the series, I had to make sure I didn’t repeat a name accidentally, and my notebook came into play.

The notebook has been used for other thing—scribblings with ideas for plots, revisions, general notes—, and I’m running out of pages. It’s about time to retire it and start a new one. Maybe one of those nice ones that I hate to use because I should save them? (Don’t ask me save them for what. I don’t have a good answer.)

How do our other authors get their characters’ names? Just follow the links below to find out. And, as always, until next time, please stay safe.

May 16, 2022

How do you come up with the names for your characters?

#OpenBook Blog Hop: The Award For The Worst

By P.J. MacLayne May 8, 2022 May 9, 2022 Open Book

May 9, 2022

Do you remember the worst thing you have ever written? Will you share?

The worst thing I’ve ever written? I’ve written some lousy stuff along the way, but I’ve learned from my mistakes, I hope. Narrowing it down to just one piece of work is difficult because I’ve got plenty to choose from!

I won’t inflict the early fantasy on you — I have a copy somewhere, but don’t want to dig it out. So, I’ll settle for one of my bad poems. Incorrect punctuation and all. Now, this isn’t the worst I’ve ever written, it has a good line or two, but a lot could be improved. Like start over from scratch and try again.

Newlywed Blues

Sure, we’re happy together
But this morning
The eggs didn’t turn out right,
The bacon got burnt,
When you go to the table,
You didn’t feel like eating anyway

So when you went to work,
Forgetting to kiss me as you left,
And I was alone
With your dog,
And the dishes to do,
I started crying
I can’t really say why

Because I know you love me
As much as I love you
These days will happen,
We can’t stop them
But tomorrow is another day,
Another beginning
And tomorrow,
We’ll have pancakes

Did you make it all the way thru? Will you ever forgive me for inflicting it on you?

I’ve written worse, but many of those have been (happily) lost to the passage of time. I didn’t realize how badly pencil fades, even when the paper it’s on is stored in a closed box. At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I’m looking forward to reading the selections from our other authors. You know the drill, just follow the links below to find their posts. And, until next time, please stay safe!

May 9, 2022

Do you remember the worst thing you have ever written? Will you share?

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times #IWSG

By P.J. MacLayne May 4, 2022 May 4, 2022 IWSG

Welcome to the May edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group blog hop.

The awesome co-hosts for the May 4 posting of the IWSG are Kim Elliott, Melissa Maygrove, Chemist Ken, Lee Lowery, and Nancy Gideon!

May 4 question – It’s the best of times; it’s the worst of times. What are your writer highs (the good times)? And what are your writer lows (the crappy times)

I’ll start with the good stuff. Writing “The End” on a manuscript I’ve fought with for a year. Sure, now comes editing, but at least I can pat myself on the back. Or finding the solution to a plot hole that had been eluding me, or a part of a character’s personality that makes the story stronger.

Then there are the compliments coming from the beta reader. Sure, they are sprinkled with suggestions for improvements, but at least they don’t hate the story. Somedays, that’s all I can ask for.

Maybe the best thing is that first 5-star review left by a fan. Even 4 1/2 stars are enough to lift the spirit. Heck, any review feels like I’ve won a prize.

What’s the low point? When the book I’ve poured my heart into writing isn’t an instant best seller. In fact, it barely gets noticed. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Don’t forget to check out the posts from some of the other authors by following the links below.

And, as always, until next time, please stay safe!

The First Book Paycheck #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne May 2, 2022 May 2, 2022 Open Book

May 2, 2022

What did you do with your first book “paycheck?” (Thanks for reminding me of this idea, Richard.)

For those of you who aren’t indie authors, or you’re new to the business, here’s a sad but true fact of life. It takes a minimum of three months to get the first money payout from the major ebook retailers. By then, an author may or may not remember what they sold to earn that money! I only had one book available at that time, so the what was easy, but I had to go back and figure out how many copies I had sold to earn the small amount of money I received.

What did I do with it? I don’t remember. Nothing special, I’m sure. Chances are I used it to offset the cost of publishing Wolves’ Pawn, that first book.

I haven’t had a “big” paycheck yet, and I’ve continued to put all my earnings into my next book or into publicity, hoping one day to make that big score. It’s as close as I come to gambling.

But here’s where I get to play ‘what if.” What if I woke up one morning and found out I’d become a best selling author overnight? What would I do with the anticipated paycheck? Truth is, I have no idea but I’d find something to splurge it on, I’m sure. Buy some flowers to plant in my yard. Perhaps some quality chocolate. I could see a trip to the bookstore happening!

Let’s find out about the other authors. How did they spend their first book paycheck? Just follow the links below to find. out.

And, as always, please stay safe until next time!

May 2, 2022

What did you do with your first book “paycheck?” (Thanks for reminding me of this idea, Richard.)

Dreams, Nightmares, and the Art of Writing #OpenBook Blog Hop

By P.J. MacLayne April 24, 2022 April 24, 2022 Open Book

April 25, 2022

Do dreams/nightmares influence your writing? Do you keep a notebook by your bed to write down ideas?

The spring rain had left puddles in the dirt road but she no longer tried to avoid them. Under other circumstances this would have been a pretty ride. The young pale green leaves not yet entirely covering the branches she brushed by glittered in the sun that had finally chased away the storm clouds. Even the fresh scent of the earth moistened by water was unable to mask the smell of the hot motor between her legs. She didn’t know how much longer the bike would last the way she was pushing the engine.

Wolves’ Pawn

That’s the opening to my first book, Wolves’ Pawn, and yes, it was the result of a dream. I had no idea when I woke up where it would lead, but I sensed it couldn’t be ignored. So, I started writing.

Still, I lost part of the dream and had to work from scratch once I got past the opening scene. But that was okay, because the plot didn’t go where I’d anticipated.

“But, P.J.,” I hear you saying, “Why didn’t you write it down?”

I used to keep a paper and pen on my nightstand for just that reason. But the problem is — I’m a deep sleeper. If it’s not time to wake up, I don’t. The pen and paper do me no good. (When it is time to wake up, I’m awake, just like that.)

Most of the time, I don’t even remember my dreams. I might know I had a dream, but not any details. My memories don’t leave enough behind to form the foundation of a story. And boy, do I have some crazy dreams. How about a female PI chasing kidnappers around a cruise ship and up the hills in Italy? Or a wolf taking down a motorcyclist? Wait, that’s one’s a book.

So, I’ve given up on the whole idea of keeping a notebook on the nightstand. I never used it, anyway.

Now, my desk is a different story. Sitting here typing, I can count five notepads within easy reach, all different sizes. That way, I can grab one that’s the right size for the job.

How about our other authors? You can find out by following the links below to their posts.

As I say every week – until next time, please stay safe!

April 25, 2022

Do dreams/nightmares influence your writing? Do you keep a notebook by your bed to write down ideas?

Author: P.J. MacLayne