By Sela Carsen

Like all of us, I’m a reader. I always have a book nearby and my tastes are fairly eclectic. Mostly genre lit, but I do wander off the romance path pretty regularly.

There are things that I don’t read, however. No, I’m not talking about horror or true crime or anything like that. I’m talking about books on writing. Craft books.

I feel kind of bad admitting that, to be honest. I feel like these are books I should read. Rather the way that I feel I should read Moby Dick. Not that it’s ever likely to happen, but still.

When writers get together, we toss out titles and authors like Anne Lamott or Chris Vogler and I just smile and nod. Nope. Never read ‘em. Probably never will.

I tried Vogler’s book. Snoozefest. I actually did read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. It made me mad. Did anyone else notice how they took a vibrant little passage from F. Scott Fitzgerald and edited ALL the voice out of it? Turned it into a paragraph of perfectly acceptable, perfectly dead prose. No thanks. That kind of self help, I can do without.

I’ve picked through various books on character and plot and scenes and sequels, but I’ve never gleaned much from them. Bits and pieces here and there, perhaps. But usually I’m left with the feeling that 1) this is something I learned from a critique partner or another writer, or 2) this is something that won’t work for me.

I’ve tried all the methods. Free writing, plotting, outlining, synopsizing. Three act, five act, and nine act structure. Character interviews and character sketches. I even tried directed dreaming.

Nothing. Nada. And so, after all this time, I’ve learned the one thing that all the craft books in the world can’t teach.

Follow your gut.
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Halloween is upon us . . . costumes, candy–gotta  *LOVE*  the candy–pumpkins, ghosties, ghoulies . . .

 . . . and let’s not forget the movies!

I have tried to take in as many movies as possible: The Scream Trilogy, Halloween series, the silly campy scary, the gruesome scary and the mental scary. What is it about a good scare that enamours people so? I mean, aren’t the nasty bloody icky movies usually the top box office earners?

Several of the movies I have watched recently were books first

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So I was having this conversation with this guy and blushingly confessed that, if I didn’t have neighbors (and mosquitoes), I’d love to wander around my back yard in the nude. He commented back the same, adding on his neighbor’s children.

I forgot about mine.

It being chilly at night now, sleeping in the nude (alone) isn’t so um…cool but I do prefer it. Unfortunately said children who have no manners make it difficult so it’s a treat for when they go to the sperm-donors for the weekend. That said, I’m not sure I have much of an exhibitionists streak in me (or even one that would go sans panties….the discomfort of denim on the kitty…*shudder*) beyond a bit of cleavage. Even going braless is a big NEGATORY–the girls a bit too boisterous for that.

Then I spent yesterday afternoon watching LA Ink and I thought…., I Really Really Hate Being Conservative…but I still thing I’m a fairly conservative person. I’m going to have to work on that. Maybe I should apply to get a tattoo on LAInk. I could really go for a set of wings (fairy wings…cuz we all know I ain’t no angel )

So, if repercussions werne’t an issue, what would you do? (killing the ex not withstanding!) What really secret wild thing would you do? If it’s really wild and I really like it I might use it in my next book (and give you credit), so don’t be afraid to let down your hair. 

How many times have you watched a favorite movie or television series, or read a book and thought, ‘hmmm…I think I might’ve changed this, or done that, or ended it another way?’

I do it.  I do it a lot.  And I know I’m not alone in this.
I’ve listed a few examples of movies below for which the directors filmed alternate endings.  I was surprised to find that I PREFERRED the alternate ending in most cases.  What do you think?

FATAL ATTRACTION—The crazed Glenn Close character commits suicide, but frames ex-lover Michael Douglas first, so it appears he murdered her.  Yum.

SUSPICION—following the famous ‘glowing milk’ scene (Hitchcock secreted a light bulb in the liquid), Joan Fontaine’s smitten character was to realize that the milk her husband had dished up WAS poisoned —and she drinks it anyway.

THE FUGITIVE—not the movie, the old series, starring David Janssen.  The final episode was one of the three highest rated in television history, with Dr. Kimble proving his innocence and walking into the sunset, a free man.  Janssen, however, wanted a slightly different ending.  He wanted Dr. Kimble to somehow prove that a one-armed man had certainly done the murder…and after being exonerated, Kimble would return home, a free man…and unscrew his own false arm.  Yessss!

SEX AND THE CITY—filmed three different endings, each with Carrie ending up with a different man.

Do you have a favorite film or novel whose ending you’d love to change?  Which one, and how would you end it?

The last time I participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those who have been living under a rock for the last few years), it was 2002. I did it. I got the T-shirt. I hit my 50,000 word quota.

I wrote a really bad novel about nano (bahah) technology. No really, nano technology. It was called The Nth Degree. It was about a girl who got into some bad stuff, hung out at a coffee house, fell in love, he died, she got into a car accident - a really bad one - and lived. Turns out the dude wasn’t dead after all and she had these nanites inside her that made her heal. There were, of course, bad guys after them. What’s a NaoNo story without bad guys, right? Or and lots of hot, dirty, nasty sex. Anyway. It all started in a coffee house named The Bitter End.

Well, that novel bit the dust years ago, but the coffee house remained. In fact, the coffee house is the setting for two of my novels (and one in progress), Talk Dirty To Me and Nice Girls Do.

So I decided to take the plunge this year and do NaNo again. My only problem is what the hell I’m writing. I thought about finishing one of the three I have in progress, but that’s like…you know…cheating.

But what to write? I have only about a week to come up with a plot. So I thought maybe I’d ask the readers to post plot ideas. So what say you, readers? Wanna give me some ideas?

And for all you writers out there, are you doing NaNo this year? And if so, whatcha writing?

Hey I’m chatting at Joyfully Reviewed this morning.  Ya’ll POP in if you get a chance.  The Aphrodisia authors will be there all day long to answer your burning questions lol

This has actually been well established for some time now–I can be a complete ass. I realize, when I get in a “way” I get in it good.

I hurt my back on Sunday–they always say lift with your knees–yeah, good idea. The kids got a computer from my BIL when they moved to Europe (doesn’t work over there). I put together the desk all by my self–no prob. Put together the chair–again, no prob. Go to lift the 40+ lb monitor. . .  desk much taller than my short frame can lift a huge ass old monitor . . . my back STILL hurts like hell. (to compound–spent three hours at the mall afterwards waiting to pick up Spare from a party at the movie theater.)

Then I go and get a cold. Can’t cough deeply enough to remove the crap from my lungs ’cause it hurts my damn back.

Then I go and lose my cell phone. (no worries FINALLY found it in a pair of jeans in my closet floor–after calling several times)

Can you say LOSER!

. . . and don’t get me started again on the people dropping off their kids at school. C’mon people–DO NOT HAVE A FRIGGIN’ CONVO W/ YOUR KID IN THE DROP OFF LANE–move to the freaking side dammit–I have other kids to drop off and a life to live  . . . I need a little extra something in my coffee, I think! 

I’m done now–wheshew!  Feel free to vent . . . it feels like one of those days.

 Leave a message at the beep.

I had to blog at SEx today so I’m not here.  But over there I’m talking about an article Lynn sent me on things that turn men on.

BTW my baby is 14 today…well officially not till around the noon hour but still.   :wtf:

I’ve always thought of books as near-sacred things.  Don’t write in them, use highlighters, don’t dog-ear.

So something about that book really has to chap my hide for me to toss it against a wall.
It happens very rarely, but I’m ashamed to say it has happened.

A couple of examples?

A romance novel (re-issue, to be fair) in which the very sympathetic heroine spends the entire book wondering, doubting, second-guessing about whether the hero has any feelings for her.  His fiery, intense gazes, occasional grunts, and brooding silences left her wondering until the very end.  It left me wondering too, since I read all the way through, waiting for a sign, a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter—SOMETHING—from his pov. 
THERE WERE NONE.

BAM!!!

Another?  An erotic romance.  Well-written, even had a bit of mystery with it.  My only problem?  The heroine diddled every man in that small town before she finally got to the hero—and suddenly decided it was love.  I am NOT exaggerating.  And don’t get me wrong.  I’ve written a menage myself, and one of my current heroines has an adventure or two with other men.
BUT EVERY MAN IN TOWN?!

BAM!!!

So let’s hear it.  No author’s or character’s names, please, let’s play nice.
Have you ever really done the wallbanging thing?  If so, what brought it on?

I’ve been going through somewhat of a writer-identity-crisis. Even though I really really want to write, nothing in this world, it seems will get me motivated or inspired.

It’s really a sad state of affairs.

So recently I was in Target and I stopped in the little Starbucks inside the Target (I promise this is relevant) and I ordered a Grande Vanilla Latte from the young gal behind the counter. I had a craving for one. I was also wearing my 2004–or was it 2002?– National Novel Writing Month shirt (that’s coming up, by the way - are you playing?). She asked if I was really a writer and I said yes. She asked if I was published and I said yes. She asked then if I wrote young adult.

I was stumped. No one had ever asked me this question before. I dutifully said, “No, romance.” She actually looked disappointed.

Again - I was stumped!

Me? Write YA? It had never occurred to me before.

So I was talking with a couple of other writerly pals one day and related the story. One of them said, “I can see you wrting YA. In fact, one of your WIPs I told you before was YA.”

I must have purged that brain cell because I sure didn’t remember it. But after I got to thinking about it, I realized - yeah, she did say that! And then I started wondering what was in the YA genre and what sort of stories there were.

Well, about the same time, my good friend in Wisconsin (who writers YA! - it’s plaguing me) emailed me and said, “YOU TOTALLY HAVE TO GET STEPHENIE MEYER’S BOOK TWILIGHT.” Yes, I think that’s a direct quote.

Apparently, it’s a vampire book and it’s - guess what? - YA. So she talked it up to me until I finally dragged another friend who is a boy (but we won’t go into that) to the bookstore the other day and bought it. As of this writing, it’s still sitting on my kitchen counter but I’m planning on starting it very soon.

In the meantime, I finished my edits for Nice Girls Do and in the comments of the manuscript, my editor asked if I was planning to write more Bitter End books.

All of this has come at a time when I’ve been struggling with myself as a writer and what I really and truly want to write. I started to really think about my career as a writer and where I really wanted to go. Even though I love writing the hot books because they’re fun and, well, hot… I don’t think that’s exactly where my heart lies as far as what I truly and really want to write. I think it’s truly and really fantasy. And possibly - yes, you guessed it - YA.

Perhaps I’ll have another latte and consider this some more…