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Welcome to our guest blogger and Exec Editor from Harlequin Blaze, Birgit Davis-Todd!

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-01-23 04:27.

Thanks very much for the invitation to this site. I love the name! I have to confess this is my first time blogging. Yes, I’ve done online chats in the past but this is a little different. And I’ve visited the blogs of many of our authors. Sitting down to write something that’s hopefully interesting to all is a bit daunting.

There’s always lots happening at Harlequin, but I thought it would be fun to mention a field trip a few of us took in mid-November. Robert McKee, author of STORY, brought his world famous seminar to Toronto. Twelve of the editorial staff including me took this intensive three-day program and were very impressed. Duly impressed were the large group of Toronto RWA members also in attendance. At first it might seem McKee’s material only relates to film, but in fact a great deal applies to novels.

Story structure, development of characters, the right pacing and crafting solid conflicts are all elements our authors wrestle with everyday. Film and writing are all about creating entertainment but also thinking about how to present it to the respective audience. So they get it. Even better so they love it. There are many good books on writing available, but I would urge authors to check out STORY and if possible attend the seminar. McKee is a fascinating individual who tirelessly conveys a lot of insider movie knowledge along with sensible advice. He capped off the intensive session with a scene by scene screening and analysis of CASABLANCA—well worth the price of admission alone.

For the editorial staff it was time well spent because good writing and story structure are things we deal with everyday. McKee’s comments only serve to underscore the relevance initiative that is our key (no pun intended) message to authors. We want to see good stories well told. We want them to be relevant and entertaining. What does that mean? For starters, the first chapter is critical. It must set up the characters and the plot. It must hook the reader by raising questions, posing conflict and more. And a good first chapter hooks the editor, the very first reader in a sense. So polish and revise in order to present your very best work. And make it relevant to women today.

I would love to hear from others about books on writing they would recommend. Who influenced you as you started your writing career or contributed to that “aha” moment?

Editorial staff in Toronto and New York not only attend seminars such as McKee’s, we also regularly get together to view select films and analyze them for structure and character development. Recently we watched our first Bollywood movie, which was fascinating. Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood. It’s huge. The audience is vast for these movies that contain romance, intrigue, tragedy, politics, music and more. But at the heart--just like our books--is a good entertaining story.

I want to remind everyone that we are actively acquiring for all our series. We have many talented authors writing for us but we always have room for more. You can check out our guidelines at www.eharlequin.com. On the website look for online chats from editors and authors on specific lines and topics. Also watch for the launch of Everlasting Love, our newest series coming in February 2007.

It’s fun to visit with all of you. Talk to you soon!

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Welcome Birgit

Submitted by Samantha Hunter on Tue, 2007-01-23 05:14.

I just want to jump in here quickly to thank Birgit for coming by to talk to us. I'm fortunate enough to have been able to work with her at Blaze for three years now, since she bought my first book, Virtually Perfect. Hardly seems that long already. . .well, maybe it seems that long for Birgit! LOL She has to put up with me. ;) But I also know she's so busy, as all the editors are, so this time is really appreciated. :)

There's a wealth of wisdom here to be shared, and I know we'll have a great discussion. I haven't read McKee (shame on me) but I've heard his name everywhere, and I have a lot of other writing books I love that I'll pop in and talk about tommorrow. Until then, good morning everyone!

Sam

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Thanks, Sam, for setting

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 18:22.
Thanks, Sam, for setting this up. The link for Mckee is www.mckeestory.com in case anyone is interested.
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3 words

Submitted by Mads on Wed, 2007-01-24 08:48.
Thank You Birgit. Sam, Don't faint. I can hear you now. Mads only typing 3 words, No Way! LOL. Have a great day everyone. Mads:)
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Thanks, Birgit for the link.

Submitted by DawnPeit on Thu, 2007-01-25 23:23.
Thanks, Birgit for the link. I checked it out and wow, what great information. I'm going to purchase the book and plan on taking his seminar. Thank you. Dawn
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Hi Dawn, I hope you find the

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Fri, 2007-01-26 18:22.
Hi Dawn, I hope you find the McKee book useful. We've had some other great suggestions this week from everyone who has stopped by. I think there's always something to be gleaned from books on our craft.
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Hi Birgit

Submitted by Mads on Tue, 2007-01-23 06:01.

Hi Birgit, Thank you for your output on what editors look for in a manuscript. I have read, and learned, so much from eharlequins guidelines. As a would be author, they have helped me quite a bit. It's great to know that although Harlequin has some wonderful authors, they're always looking for new talent.

Most of the things that I've read, tell me what editors are looking for. What I'd like to know is, what are editors not looking for? What kind of stories won't make the grade? Who does a new author send their manuscript to? If you get a rejection the first time, how do you resubmit a story?

I guess I've troubled you with enough questions for now.Please forgive me if I've asked too many questions.All the editors at Harlequin do such a great job. I just want you to know that, as a reader, I appreciate all the work you do. The authors and the stories you bring to us,are some of the best.

Have a great day and thanks for letting us get to know you. Mads:)

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Great to hear from you,

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 18:37.
Great to hear from you, Mads! Good questions. I think the most important thing for a writer is to target the right series--both when you are writing the book but also when you want to submit. So get the appropriate material to the correct acquiring editor. There's not a lot we say no to. Across all our series we are looking for historical, contemporary, inspirational, paranormal, african-american, first person, third person, hot and sexy, light-hearted, traditional etc, which doesn't leave a lot we don't want. When a submission comes in we look for a good story and good writing first. Then we want to see where the best fit is for the market. Most editors prefer a query letter first,which saves time for everyone involved, but do check the guidelines as there are some exceptions. If your ms was rejected with comments you should consider revising. After that certainly resubmit with a short note first to the editor asking if she'd like to see it again. Most will request a second look.
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Hi Birgit!

Submitted by Tawny Weber on Tue, 2007-01-23 06:28.

We met very briefly in Atlanta when Brenda introduced us (which I doubt you remember, it was crazy busy at the time)- Its great to have you here on the blog :-)

I LOVE McKee's STORY. I have to admit, the first time I saw it I passed it over. I didn't actually get it to read until last year - but once I started reading it - WOW. GREAT book. I love the way he presents the information and how... well, easy it is to absorb.

One of my other favorites is Finding your Voice - How to put personality in your writing, by Les Edgerton. Its one of the most freeing books on writing I've read.

Books aside, one of the most influental people in my writing career has been Brenda Chin(not kissing up -honestly) The encouragement and feedback I've gotten from her over the years helped me strengthen my writing and really see what I was doing wrong -and right.

Great topic!

I hope you enjoyed your foray into blogging :-)

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Hi Tawny, I do remember

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 18:46.
Hi Tawny, I do remember meeting you in Atlanta. What amazes me now is that we are already making plans for Dallas--that's how fast time flies. I had read McKee before attending the seminar and no question it is complex. I found the seminar made it all come together very smoothly. Now when I look at the book again I hear his voice in my head and his explanation. I think he shoud do a video. Thanks for the book suggestion on a very lively topic. "Voice" generates much discussion yet can be underrepresented in such books on craft. I wonder what the equivalent of voice is in film? Maybe certain producers and film makers have particular trademarks. Lastly it does help to work with your editor, to ask questions, to be willing to revise, to learn. Both editor and author want the best book possible in the market.
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writing books and aha moments

Submitted by Sarah Mayberry on Tue, 2007-01-23 07:08.

Hi Birgit, thanks for playing with us this week. I attended a Mckee seminar in Melbourne, Australia, where he did a one day thing on romantic comedies. A Fish Called Wanda was his critique piece. As you said, he is a treasure house of information. I have read a lot of books on writing, mostly screen writing as that's my "other" job. I got a lot out of Bill Idelson's "Writing for Dough", which is mostly him yacking on about his writing career, but inbetween he drops some gems about character and story etc. I also rate highly a slim little book called "500 Ways to Beat the Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend" by Jennifer Lerch. This one's full of little bullet point checks that are designed to make you look at your script/story and ensure you've hit the right notes - great for any kind of story structuring, in my opinion. My "aha" moment as a writer came when I started working for a soap here in Australia, and I suddenly realised that one of the things I had been getting wrong in all my submissions to Harlequin over the years was that my characters all knew what the other person was thinking too much. For me - and I've said this before on this blog - much of the excitement in romance lies in not knowing how the other person feels, and that you're therefore risking rejection when you declare yourself/show your interest. Okay, I can talk about this stuff for hours, so must practice SOME self restraint...
Cheers
Sarah

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Hi Sarah, Welcome from down

Submitted by Sarah (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 19:15.
Hi Sarah, Welcome from down under. It's a pleasure to have you in the Blaze line. I had heard about your soap opera experience and how you used that in one of your books. What is the most popular soap in Australia these days? I have to say I ocassionally check out General Hospital and it doesn't take long to catch up. I've noticed that Mckee is holding seminars everywhere. Wouldn't it be fun to attend one in Paris or Hawaii? Thanks for your book suggestions--both sound good! Your comment about understanding characters hit the mark. The conflict builds and our interest is sharpened when we don't know what is on the other person's mind. Thanks for stopping by!
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Hi Birgit, I LOVE McKee's

Submitted by Larissa Ione (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 13:25.
Hi Birgit, I LOVE McKee's STORY! It wouldn't hurt for me to re-read it...it's been a while. I also adore The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christopher Vogler. A friend of mine who couldn't make it through STORY loved the Vogler book because it's a little less dry. I found both of them to be extremely useful. Anyway, nice to "see" you here. I've heard so much about you from my Blaze buddies! :)
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Welcome Larissa! I've also

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 19:20.
Welcome Larissa! I've also read THE WRITER'S JOURNEY and found it very useful. It is a little more straightforward than STORY so is a good starting point for writers. Are you working on a story of your own?
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I agree...the Vogler book is

Submitted by Larissa Ione (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 21:56.
I agree...the Vogler book is probably a better book to start with, especially for people who aren't big on craft books. And no, not working on a Blaze right now. I've got my hands full with deadlines for other pubs, but I've got some Blaze ideas I might eventually flesh out for proposals. :)
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Okay, on the subject of writing books

Submitted by Samantha Hunter on Tue, 2007-01-23 14:40.

I have more writing reference books than just about anything I think -- I must have about fifteen grammar/style guides alone, many of them collected from my teaching years, but also I just picked up the AP Style Guide, since I'm doing magazine editing, and I love this stuff.

For fiction, I have several, though honestly I don't read them end-to-end, but pick them up and thumb through when I need a little boost or some specific information. One writing book I do return to again and again, maybe the only one I have read in total, and re-read, is Annie Dillard's The Writing Life. I love Dillard anyway, but this one small book is a pleasure to read, it's not a dry how-to on writing, but it's a writer thinking about writing. The writing itself is beautiful, which counts. I love that the book reminds me what a privilege it is to be a writer, and there's also practical advice among the author's musings. My favorite is a piece of fail-safe advice that has stayed with me forever:

When you are stuck in a book; when you are well into writing it and know what comes next, and yet cannot go on; when every morning for a week or a month you enter its room and turn your back on it, then the trouble is either of two things. Either the structure has forked, so the narrative, or the logic, has developed a hairline fracture that will shortly split up the middle--or you are approaching a fatal mistake. What you had planned will not do. If you pursue your present course, the book will explode or collapse, and you do not know about it yet, quite. . . .What do you do?"

She goes on to share anecdotes about how when people ignore their instincts or warnings, they die. LOL I'm sorry, really, though it is funny in the story, and the metaphor works really well. She has this kind of buried, understated, sort of sardonic humor that I love.

She gives advice for how to solve the problem ("Acknowledge first that you cannot do nothing. Lay out the structure you already have, x-ray it for the hairline fracture, find it; solve the insoluble problem..."), and ends it with "This is why many experienced writers urge young men and women to learn a useful trade."

The second book I pick up often is Robert's Rules of Writing which is not a famous book that I know of but has so much good, pithy advice that I love to read. Some is about writing, some about the writing life, you you can always find something in there.

I use anything else as general reference. Thick tomes like Swain's Techniques of the Selling Writer I've probably only read 20 or so pages from in discreet chunks -- I just can't sit and read those books like, well. . .books! LOL I know people like them but I think on some basic psychological level I resist books that offer templates to try to dissect writing too much, or try to tell me how to do it -- the only one who gets to do that is Birgit. ;)

Sam

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Hi Sam, I love the quote

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Wed, 2007-01-24 17:41.
Hi Sam, I love the quote from Dilliard's book! I think both editors and authors know when something isn't working in a story. Sometimes you can't figure it out right away. Looking at books on craft can stimulate thought and perhaps help you find a solution. For me the main thing is to think about the story while you are doing something else, say, gardening or embroidering--or even watching a hockey game. When you focus on something else it seems to free up your thought processes for the book. Of course, the other thing we do here in the office is go chat to another editor. Sometimes when you lay out the situation to someone else you get great ideas!
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Hi Birgit!

Submitted by Samantha Hunter on Wed, 2007-01-24 20:30.

Hey, thanks for coming back in. You know you're welcome here all the time -- maybe we'll give you the blogging bug. ;)

That particular Dillard quote is comforting to me because it tells me that this is a common occurance, but also to trust our instincts -- if we feel there's something wrong and we're banging our heads on the wall, the best thing is to sit back and reassess, rather than trying to push forward.

Even if we plan carefully in a synopsis, the actual execution may need changes. If we take our time and think them through, the answer comes eventually, even if we feel stuck (and yes, talk to our editors, friends, husbands, and quilt, exercise, or cook!) :) You're right, it does eventually loosen up.

I can't think of a single book I've written that didn't have that narrative "fork" at some point, and I think it's why my endings almost always work out differently than what I planned, but I think the important part is knowing that and going with it, not necessarily sticking to a rigid plan. I've always appreciated that you as an editor are open to that flexibility as well.

Sam

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Hi, Birgit! Thanks for

Submitted by Karen Kendall on Tue, 2007-01-23 14:56.

Hi, Birgit!

Thanks for stopping by--and we are honored to have your very first blog. McKee is great! I took his three-day STORY seminar in L.A. and then did the comedy seminar in New York. (I took 90 pp. of notes in the STORY one. Yes, really. Hmmm, I do wish I could decipher them now . . . LOL.)

Another writing book I recommend is Dwight Swain's TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER. I learned a lot from that one.

I re-read these books periodically because I need refresher courses--it's like going back to visit a favorite teacher. But McKee is someone you never forget. The force of that man's personality is legendary for a reason!

After I have one of those days-of-drivel (c'mon, we all have them) McKee's eyebrows chase me in my dreams. "Burn that!" he growls. "Write the truth, Karen. Write the truth."

All best, Karen

Karen Kendall
FIT TO BE TIED, March '07
MEN AT WORK, July '07
AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, October '07
www.KarenKendall.com

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Hi Karen, Your story about

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Wed, 2007-01-24 17:49.
Hi Karen, Your story about McKee made me smile. I can picture his eyebrows never mind hear the voice in my head a lot! That's what a three day course will do for you. I took 12 pages of notes. Dwight Swain is another name I hear recommended and I believe he attended a few romance related conferences years ago. Again lots of sound advice. By the way, Wanda is also a guest blogger this week on another site. We compared notes yesterday and agreed this is a lot of fun, hanging out, chatting etc. But if we did it too often we would never get any work done here!
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Thanks Brigit

Submitted by Debbie on Tue, 2007-01-23 16:37.
Hi Brigit! Thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts with us. It is great to see the momentum that your discussion promted. It is a very thought provoking and insightful discussion today. Also, Thank You for all the hard work you and the other editors do providing us the readers with quality books to read. You have a very wonderful selection of authors and story lines. Debbie
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Hi Debbie, Thank you for

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Wed, 2007-01-24 17:53.
Hi Debbie, Thank you for your kind words. Hearing from readers is one of the best things about the job. Another, of course, is reading so many great books before they are even published.
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Welcome Birgit

Submitted by Christine Rimmer (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 18:56.
Birgit, I love McKee's STORY. Contains my absolute fave quote on writing: "We give the audience the experience we've promised, but not in the way it expects. This is what separates artist from amateur." Love that. I think it explains exactly the appeal of a good romance. Other books on writing I wouldn't be without, aside from the great ones already mentioned here: Julia Cameron's THE ARTIST'S WAY Stephen King's ON WRITING Annie Lamott'S BIRD BY BIRD Natalie Goldberg'S WRITING DOWN THE BONES
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Hi Chris, I like that quote

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Fri, 2007-01-26 18:08.
Hi Chris, I like that quote from McKee. He says it all! The editorial group also read ON WRITING by Stephen King back in the fall and had several discussions. I really liked his book because it's from the perspective of a writer. He has some really good advice and while some of it is just common sense, I found myself underlining many passages in his book. I also really enjoyed hearing more about how he got started in the business and the struggles he had in the early days.
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Hi Birgit

Submitted by Jamie Denton (not verified) on Tue, 2007-01-23 20:26.
Who...contributed to that “aha” moment? Well, gee, that would probably be my editor :-)
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Hi Jamie, Good to hear from

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Fri, 2007-01-26 18:13.
Hi Jamie, Good to hear from you! I took a little break from blogging in the last day or so. We all recieved our registration packages for RWA National so I've had to jump into planning for that. The hotel looks beautiful. It's great to see former Blaze author Carly Phillips will be emceeing the awards' show. Hope to see many of you there.
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STORY

Submitted by Linda (not verified) on Thu, 2007-01-25 21:42.
McKee certainly expanded on the idea but originally the structure came from ancient Greek drama. It is amazing how many writers over look structure.
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Hi Linda, Thanks for

Submitted by Birgit (not verified) on Fri, 2007-01-26 18:17.
Hi Linda, Thanks for stopping by. Story structure is indeed critical and yet it may not be the key thing writers focus on.
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