Duct Tape Escape and Other Writing Research Shenanigans

Book research can be crazy fun. Of course what you are researching plays a big role in that, as does if you are actually getting anywhere. I have a linguistics friend who totally gets her geek-on translating old parish records that are in Danish or Norwegian. I’ve tried this, not the translation part, simply trying to decipher the name, but my grasp of early Scandinavian penmanship sucks. The initial delight at finding those particular records quickly dimmed as my lack of ability to decode the historic scratches made that jack pot of information morph into teasing frustration. This woman rocks it, and loves it! She did decipher those records and I found out I have a Finnish great-grandma who immigrated to northern Norway.

So yes, my research super power is not making out historic handwritten records. I can watch equine events for hours on end, though. I’m talking double digits in the same day kind of time. I love that kind of research, studying and understanding whatever my topic is, picking up those nuances of details and tucking away in my visceral memory until I can sit down to write next. I can’t always swing it in person, mind you. For instance, horse events in southern Alberta are considerably more accessible to me that CSIS agents (i.e. Gabe from Kiss Me in the Rain’s previous career). And don’t get me started on how many hours I blow through when doing genealogy research. I get sucked in and promise myself just another few minutes. Usually four hours, and several rabbit holes later, I finally look up and notice how much time has passed.

Spy Tips
Last week another writer friend and I decided to do a bit of field testing on some CIA spy tips I found in the book Spy Secrets that can Save Your Life, by Jason Hanson. I came across the book when I was cruising the reference section at a local bookstore. It caught my eye for a few reasons. First of all throw spy secrets in the title of anything and it is going to sound pretty darn interesting. I often include agent and/or law enforcement types in my fiction and am always keeping an eye out for research material. Score. I’ve also started paying more attention to titles by current and/or former law enforcement types as I am collaborating with a homicide detective on a non-fiction universal life-lessons book. So yeah, this book jumped out at me like crazy.

Spy Secrets that can Save Your Life shares techniques and strategies to keep you alive while in dangerous situations that Hanson has learned on the job. Spy Secrets has been a fascinating read so far, if a bit dooms-day. But I figure that’s the point he was going for in his book, staying alive if shit hits the fan. For any of the fellow anthro-nerds out there who find the study of people and culture interesting, you might want to check it out for that, even if learning evasive driving is not on your bucket list.

Field Testing
As I mentioned before, I just started it, but there is a ton of information that a novelist could use in there. For instance, I was telling another author friend, Makenzi Fisk about it and shared I wanted to try the get-out-of-being-duct-taped part. She is a retired police officer and I figured she would dig it, or at least understand my awe at some of the maneuverers. Of course she said, “I have duct tape. Want to try it now?”
This is why authors schedule writing sessions with other authors. Because when cool stuff like this comes up, we have someone to try it with. The impromptu duct-tape session was a hoot. And successful, the first try anyway. It was pretty awesome ripping those binds. But for the second time Makenzi asked me to not keep my elbows together when she taped them, just to see the difference. I couldn’t get the angle to rip, I couldn’t get out! I did manage to squirm my hands out of them, but it demonstrated just how important it can be to follow those directions. Check out the video Makenzie made of our get-out-of-duct-tape escapades.

I hope you are never duct-taped for realsies, that this video simply gives you a few moments of entertainment or maybe some information to include within the pages of your next book.

Happy Researching!

National Novel Writing Month: one, two, three, weeeeeee!

On your marks, get set . . . NaNoWriMo!

NaNo-huh? At least that’s the response I’ve gotten when mentioning the write-a-50k-novel-in-the-30-days-of-November event to those who haven’t heard about the big writing party. It is also known as National Novel Writing Month, but NaNoWriMo is way more fun to say.

This year I figured, why not? If I fail, well, that many words wouldn’t have been written anyway. But if I succeed, well dang, then I have that many more words and likely hammered out my writing process all that much more, not to mention the great practice in  time management. That this blog, and that I actually just signed up, on the second day I hope signals the adaptiveness of my adventure instead of the tardiness.

When you sign up on NaNoWriMo.org there are all sorts of cool things to explore, which I haven’t yet because I’ve been signed up for about a second. Anyway, lots to check out including tons of new friends to meet who are on the same journey. Kind of a strength in numbers thing; we’re all on our own writing journey, but with legions of other writers around the world on their journey, too . . . all at the same time. Fun!!

Day Two 2016 NaNoWriMo

So how have I prepped for such a journey? Apparently not actually signing up until day two, but I digress. I’ll admit I had grandiose ideas of what I would do. It was mid-October when I decided to jump in. Two whole weeks to prepare! That’s like eons early in Sarah-time. About a week or so before I had even picked up a copy of Ready, Set, Novel! by Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant, and Tavia Stewart-Streit of National Novel Writing Month. I wanted to work on writing more efficiently. Now that writing is my day job, it’s important to me to figure out efficiency, obviously without losing art and form. I don’t normally go for the workbook style of book and was surprised it so captured my attention. But this one had that intuitive buzz that happens when there is a direction that is a really good idea to take and it is only later that you saw that it was foreshadowing, and in a really cool way. Besides, it is when we put ourselves out of our comfort zone, stretch those boundaries, that we so often see awesome growth.

So in going through that book, and hearing the voices of countless writing friends and presenters I’ve heard over the years, who dig plotting (as opposed to other writing process approaches), I thought okay, I can try this again. Last time was an epic failure. I didn’t throw my laptop out a window or anything, but that approach drove me bonkers. At least how I did it, did. I’m normally a pantser writer. At least in the first half of the book, writing for me is getting in front of the computer and seeing where the characters are going to lead me next. It is crazy fun, but I’ll be honest, not a very efficient way, at least for me anyway. Maybe others have had better luck. In the early stages of writing a book, I simply let the characters play. As they play, I get to know them more, figure them out, their motivations, their backstory, what direction they are headed in, and what conflict would really put them through their paces, that sort of thing. The story comes as I’m writing. It’s always an adventure when I sit back and let the characters take me along with them. When I tried plotting a few years ago, my characters kept veering off course from what I had plotted, but in really cool ways! It was like trying to herd cats until I finally abandoned the plotter approach and let my characters run wild, and it worked. Just like it had before. Again, just not super time-efficient. But who knows, maybe this time it will click. If nothing else, it is pretty cool to challenge yourself as a writer, see where you grow, what you can do.

So in prepping I decided to at least think about plot points I wanted to accomplish. I didn’t figure out the whole story, but I spent more time than normal pondering all those goodies of the characters I usually write to get to, and also options of where the storyline can go. I’ll let you know how that goes.

I have been using the writing program Scrivener for the non-fiction book I’m collaborating on (it's AMAZING), and have just recently started to embrace it for my fiction work, too. That’s another cool thing about this month of targeted writing, seeing if I harness Scrivener and all it’s functions and gizmos to help facilitate my fiction writing process, too!

Other ways to prep included finishing processing the garden harvest. I know that might sound weird for a writing binge prep, but I know I won’t have time while I’m supposed to be getting my word counts in, and the clock was ticking on the produce, anyway. I had finished most, but there was a bit more to go and I hate to see anything go to waste. I only have a teeny tiny bit left to do. Whew! And that sense of accomplishment has actually given me that feeling of Wonder Woman, definitely an asset going into this writing month that can be a bit intimidating!

I also took on a few house projects I’ve been meaning to tackle . . . because they needed to get done before NaNoWriMo?? No, because I tend to make something that is already hard, harder. Doh! My new hall closet is now partially complete. Which means it’s empty except for almost-done hand-made shelves. All the contents previously in said closet are now littering my studio, bedroom, and the bathroom. Brilliant Sarah, brilliant. Because clutter is so conducive to the creative process. I had been thinking to eliminate clutter by re-doing the closet, but until it’s actually finished, that would be a definite backfire. Whoops.

What have I learned so far? Really, just chill. My writing journey has meandered something fierce. But the one constant is that to be a writer, you must write. It's an incredible journey and the more I learn the more I realize I have years and years of learning and growing ahead of me. Nice! There are many paths to a completed novel, NaNoWriMo is one (thanks!!). The event has helped many, many writers accomplish their goals. Maybe it will help you, too. Maybe it is just the beginning, or another stepping stone, in this awesome path we call writing.

Have fun and happy writing!

To see how my writing has changed and evolved, check out Claiming Love (2009) and Kiss Me in the Rain (2016). Crazy different, but still Sarah. I’m also currently collaborating with a homicide detective on non-fiction book about the universal life-lessons he’s learned while on the job in law enforcement. Seven years ago if you would have told me that’s what I would be working on today along with my fiction, I would have said cool! But I totally didn’t see that one coming.

Writing can be such an incredible journey, hope you are having a blast!

When Words Collide 2016: Happy Readers, Happy Writers

Celebrating with my editor Adrienne Kerr.
When Words Collide, Calgary

I’m still glowing from the the sixth annual When Words Collide! It’s a festival/conference for readers, writers, editors, agents and publishers, of all genres, fiction or non-fiction . . . basically if you’re involved with the written word, come play here for three days of awesome!

This is my fifth year participating, my fourth year on the board of directors, and a staple of my summer writing geek-on. What I love about this conference is not only the calibre of panelists and special guests, but the sense of community and seriously relaxed, happy vibe. This is a place to find your writer or reader tribe, learn, share and be inspired!

I met my incredibly talented editor, Adrienne Kerr, at WWC a few years ago. She listened (and heard) what I wanted to do with Kiss Me in the Rain and helped get me there. It released August 2! I’m still giddy. Just in case you are wondering how to kick your manuscript up a notch...or ten, I can’t say enough amazing things about this editor! And she likes scotch like me!

YA Author Suzi Vadori
When Words Collide, Calgary

For me, conferences are more fun when you have a roommate to share it with. A few years ago when I went to the Surrey International Writers’ conference, the fabulous Victoria Smith took me under her wing. What a difference that made! If you are considering going to a conference, maybe see if a friend wants to come, too. My long-time WWC “roomie” is Suzy Vadori. She writes YA and was nominated for an Aurora Award straight out the gate for her debut novel The Fountain! And she loves the tradition of the late-night fort building as much as I do. This was the third year of the fort-building shenanigans . . . shout out to all who played at 2am!

The panels, workshops and presentations, gosh, where do I start?? All of it was awesome, all of it! Maybe pictures are the best way to show? I had such a great time at #wwcyyc16. Thank you to all the old friends, and new. Happy Reading, Happy Writing, and see you all next year!

LOVE. THIS. CONFERENCE.

With fellow Eco-writer Nina Munteanu!
When Words Collide, Calgary

Author S. G. Wong and I giggling way too much!
When Words Collide, Calgary

All smiles in the fort!
When Words Collide, Calgary

Playing Outside in Winter

On the drive in today I heard Norquay is opening on Tomorrow, Lake Louise on Friday and Sunshine on November 11th. To anyone not familiar, that’s code for it’s ski season in the Canadian Rockies! This news brings joy to so many people and for me it brings the solid knowledge . . . that I am so not a downhill skier. *drops head in shame*

Snowshoeing the Canadian Rockies

I tried. Well, most recently my efforts have been taking a lesson/going once a season, blasting my quads for the morning and then grabbing a beer and writing while I wait in the non-terrifying warmth of one of the hill’s bars with absolutely zero elevation changes while waiting for my husband and kidlette to finish their afternoon, if that is trying, then yes, I rocked that!

I love the Rockies and have SO much fun on the bunny hills out here (don’t let the name fool you, they’re frickin’ huge). But I’ve realized what I like most about skiing is hanging out on mountains in winter. As much fun as I had on those bunny hills, as soon as I go on a regular run somewhere on the way down somewhere is a shockingly steep part. It’s all fun and games until the crazy steep parts. I know that’s the point of skiing, its called downhill for a reason, but being terrified isn’t fun. I mean there’s beer and coffee at the bottom, why scare myself when I could be having a pint and writing?

But if I’m in the bar writing, I’m not gawking at the Rocky Mountain winter splendour, really immersing myself in the outdoor awesomeness, which fills my bucket right full. Being on top of a mountain, snow all around and all over the trees, each peak and range full of majesty - it is an incredible sight to behold. When more snow is falling it feels like you’re in the middle of magic, when the sun is shining and making the snow twinkle it feels like anything is possible, when the sun is shining and the snow is blowing it feels like you’re in a snow globe and you can’t imagine anything more beautiful.

Winter Mountain Wonderland, Canadian Rockies

A conundrum to be sure. Unless I admit my downhill days are either behind me or somewhere in the future and I should focus on the winter sports that don’t terrify me, like cross country skiing, snow shoeing, winter hiking, sledding, pond ice skating, having a soak in a hot springs while it’s snowing . . . a wait, that last one isn’t a sport, but it feels so good and is so pretty, especially after an active day outside in the cold.

There are so many ways to play outside in winter. What are your favourites?!

Taking Writing to the Mountains: Rocky Mountain Writing Retreat 2015

View from my balcony writing space at Baker Creek Lodge
 at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Writing Retreat

This morning while making tea in the kitchen (sometimes I drink tea instead of coffee ;)) I had a vision flash through my mind of standing in the kitchen, warm, with tea steeping, while snow was gently falling outside, adding to the thick blanket already on the yard and trees. Incongruent, I know, we just welcomed September and it is a perfect late-summer day out there.

So on this day of the first flash of winter to come, let me share how I kicked off summer. In early June I attended the Rocky Mountain Writers' Retreat. I had three days of writing in a beautiful lodge, in the Canadian Rockies, in Banff National Park, minutes away from Lake Louise with thirty other writers and one of my critique partners as my roommate. I had attended one other writing retreat a few years ago and knew the potential for serious headway on my manuscript. I also knew the power and magic that happens when you gather with one of your tribes. It feels good. There is the sense of friendship and belonging and hanging out with other people on their own version of this same crazy writing experience/journey that I am on.

The view a few steps from my
writing retreat door was this view.

Feeling the flow of Baker Creek
in between writing sessions.

I stayed holed-up in my room (or the balcony) writing, coming out only at meal time and at the evening social events. Well, that and gabbing with my roommate when we need a writing break. :) Okay, and when I needed to go for a quick explore. I was in the Rockies along the gorgeous Baker Creek, after all.

I had hours of uninterrupted writing time in a natural setting. I loved it! Happy kick-off to summer!

Do you attend writing retreats? Where do you like to go? What are your favourite ones? Do you set aside a weekend with a couple of writer friends or do you go on more formally organized ones?

Expanding Your Boundaries as a Writer

Whew. Thanks 2014.

Life is an exciting ride and as the calendar flips, I like to reflect. New Years is always an interesting time for me. I usually have a lot of emotions; gratitude, relief, anticipation, excitement. 

I wrote my longest book to date this year, and am now expanding it further. It reminds me of what it must feel like holding the reigns of one horse vs an eight-hitch team. There is beauty and purpose in both, but the two experiences are different. That is a lot of power in your hands, waiting to be channeled.

I'm really loving expanding my boundaries as a writer. Not only in story length and all the plot and character adaptations that entails, but also including more of my environmental/nature-loving side. I'm also exploring going deeper with my characters and their emotions. Let me tell you, that's a trip. Characters are as rich and deep as you take the time to explore. They are there, patient, waiting for you to get to know them more. Waiting for you to then share that with the reader. 

The more confident I become as a writer, the more I am able to push those boundaries, to get to a place where I feel comfortable taking myself beyond my previous comfort level. Writing is dynamic stuff. :)

How do you expand your writing boundaries?

Writing: as dynamic as a shoreline
Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park, Vancouver Island, Canada

When Words Collide 2014 is here!

Wow. . . it has been a spectacular two days, and we're still in the pre-festival festivities of When Words Collide 2014. I'm all floaty and happy . . . I love writing and the writing communities!!

I started my WWC 2014 yesterday when Adrienne Kerr of Penguin Canada rocked it with the Author-Publisher Relationship workshop. Today Mark Leslie, director of Author Relations at Kobo Canada, totally delivered with the workshops Marketing Best Practices and Hybrid Publishing.

My brain is fantastically full of new information . . . and maybe some information I've heard before but it has finally sunk in. :) Thank you Adrienne and Mark and When Words Collide.

Then there was Ranchman's. For anyone who knows Calgary, you might have checked out this iconic western bar. More fun and a really good dinner. Then we found the mechanical bull. Full disclosure, we did not in fact ride it. But we might have included it in a few photo ops.

What's on for tonight? Prepping my Alberta Romance Writers' Association workshop on writing with depth that I am team-teaching tomorrow morning with Diana Cranstoun, Mahrie Reid and Jessica Jackson.

And with that, I should get to it. :)

Happy When Words Collide 2014!

Monday Top Five: When Words Collide

When Words Collide 2014 is almost here! I'm starting the pre-festival workshops on Wednesday and I am solid conferencing through Sunday. That's right, five whole days devoted to all things writing. (I'm fanning myself right now.)

Giddy. Up.

Which brings me to this Monday's Top Five: When Words Collide. And as usual, in no particular order.

1) 5 solid days devoted to all things writing. There is something magical about a group of people coming together, ever. This group is coming together in the name of words. And I'm going to be there!!  And present. Be present. Soak it up!

2) Learning. Constantly. The more I write, the more I learn. That's one of the things I love about writing, it is a craft that you can work on a lifetime and still find new, dynamic, funky things to do with words and storytelling. I guess that's the same with musicians who have been making cool music for years. Never stop learning. Or stretching your artistic boundaries.

3) Celebrating achievements. There are always awesome announcements and a conference full of people to share in the good news of each other. It's pretty cool.

4) The pool. This conference is fabulous, but can be intense with the weekend-long sprint of everything that's going on. The pool keeps it real.

5) Laughing. Writers are fun. This is a happy crowd and I'm looking forward to lol'ing the WHOLE WEEKEND.

Happy When Words Collide 2014 week.

You Want Me To Do What? Stand-Up Comedy and Other Pushed Boundaries

I love expanding my horizons. It helps me grow as a person. When I push past my comfort zone, I find a new place of normal, a new horizon, a new dimension to myself previously unexplored. Life has winked many a time I have pushed past those previous boundaries and found new ones.
Of course, sometimes I blow past my comfort zone then have to live with the deer-in-the-headlights feeling. It is often followed by me wondering how I got myself in that situation. Sarah, dude, what were you thinking?! It has always turned out awesome (probably why I keep doing it), but some of the hang time can fluster.

Personal growth . . . Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Enter When Words Collide (WWC). It is an all-genre conference held in Calgary for readers, writers and publishing types. I'm active in WWC. I love this conference. I love this crowd. I have a blast the second weekend in August playing with other writers and readers types. (It starts next week!!)

I have a solid line-up this year, including my third year on the Humor in Fiction panel. Our dear moderator is rocking it organizing us this year and innocently asked if I'd prepare a brief stand-up comedy piece.

After I picked myself up off the floor from laughing so hard, I looked at the computer screen and  realized he wasn't kidding. Crap. Stand-up comedy? Me? Deep breath . . . Good 'ol Sarah pep talk . . . Then sanity returned.

That's me, next to pilot.
This boundary pushing was pretty fun.
Well, until the weather got crappy.
But we made it. Another round
to personal growth.

And I realized some boundaries I wasn't ready to bump out. Then I realized there was personal growth in that, too.

A week from Friday, at When Words Collide, I will be a panelist for the 2014 version of Humor in Fiction, but I will not be doing stand-up comedy like a couple of my fellow panelists. (Whew!) I will be sharing how this past year especially, including humor in my writing has added depth and relate-ability to my characters, it has upped the human and emotional element, it has been an avenue for my author "voice" and it has been straight-up delightful to write funny characters.

Write on.

Tall, Dark and Brooding

Yesterday I was driving in the northwestern quadrant of Calgary and first saw, then smelled, one of my FAVORITE things. For those of you who are local, you might have guessed it. Those EPIC rain storms that rolled through.

Look south and it was patches of blue sky peeking from behind rather mundane pale gray clouds, look north and it was all tall, dark, brooding clouds full of presence and energy. That's what I'm talking about, whew, I love storms like that. All that pent up energy you can feel through your whole body, the depth and texture of those layers and layers of clouds, the sweet smell of rain like someone squeezed a particularly enchanting cologne and you inhale as deep as you can just to smell more of it . . . that was me in the car with my window down just enough to catch that incredible scent.

That rain turned to snow, but I got the preview. Aw man, now I want to write a storm scene . . .

Happy Weekend!

Expand Your Normal

Sarah Kades and Ski School Instructor Extraordinaire
(he also answers to Rob)

Have these words ever crossed your mind: take a downhill ski lesson, you don't know what you're doing.

Cabin Fever
They did for me a couple weeks ago. Cabin fever had set in at our household so it was time for an adventure. And what better way to celebrate winter than playing in the snow in the mountains?

Winging It
Oh wait, it's been years since I've been on downhill skis and I never really knew what I was doing, just kind of winged it. Well, hello Panorama Resort and the Ski School. And we were meeting friends out there. Okay they knew what they were doing. So does my husband. But this kid < thumbs pointing to chest >  took a lesson. Weeeeeeeeeeeee!

Laptops and Lounges
I did bring my laptop and even got some writing in that wonderful weekend. But, I spent most of the time playing which equalled recharging. And maybe I hit the T-Bar with everyone for a cold one or two... ;)

 

Sarah Kades, beyond the magic carpet

Gold Medal Game
I did not wake up at 5am that Sunday to watch the Gold Medal Hockey Game between Canada and Sweden. My hubbie did, though. Does that count? just kidding.

Blasted Quads and Inspired Words
It wasn't a relaxing weekend, per say. I haven't blasted my quads like that in years. But it sure was fun! And my writing has absolutely taken off since coming back home. Nice!

Thanks Winter, Family and Friends who played, too, Ski Instructor Extraordinaire (a.k.a. Rob), and those gorgeous mountains! I had a blast...and not just my quads. ;)

Happy Adventuring, Happy Reading

Sunday Morning...before coffee

Feeling the Love

Kind of late for a Valentine, but here goes . . . 

Dear World, Sending Peace and Love.

And Joy. To Everyone. :)

Happy campfire rocks in interior British Columbia, May 2013

Happy Thanksgiving, twice

As some of you know, I am an American Canadian. Besides paperwork, that means all sorts of goodies. Like celebrating both Canadian and U.S. Thanksgiving! A delicious holiday full of gratitude and good times. 

Saskatchewan (more than Grey Cup Champions!! Go Roughriders!!)

Last month I was in Saskatchewan spending Canadian Thanksgiving weekend with good friends and their extended families. Our extended families are 3000 km away, so the 9 hour drive to Saskatchewan was relatively wee and loads of fun. I walked through cleared frosted fields at sunrise, watched geese fly overhead and waterfowl putter on slough ponds. I ate and drank, celebrated the abundance of the season and great company. 

Horses and Helicopters

I also got on a horse that gave me the opportunity to get my head screwed on straight. Horses have that effect on me. Nearly always, right before I get on a horse, whatever energy that is just below the surface that needs to come out bubbles up. Then the horse waits patiently as I have my epiphany or release before I hop on. Horses are magical like that. Like helicopters, horses get me all fascinated and excited, but there is a serious side to them, too. They both offer me opportunity for perspective and usually release, too.

Celebrate the Process

This Thursday is U.S. Thanksgiving. As much as I love turkey, we're going to celebrate with one of the salmon we caught this past summer on the Pacific Ocean fishing trip we did. Again, something to be thankful for. That trip rocked! And it has the added energy of eating food that which we have procured ourselves. There is a connection, a satisfaction and tapping into something universal when we pay attention to, respect and honor our food. Whether you are cooking, gardening/farming, fishing, hunting or ranching, celebrate it. As for the eating, savor that experience, too. It keeps us ticking . . . so we can write more! And everything else we do, too. :)

Happy Thanksgiving.

PS, Pumpkin pie with the salmon? Sure, why not. ;)

How To Write Sexual Tension Workshop in Calgary, Canada

One of my all-time hottest and most-popular blog posts was when I wrote the entry Writing Sexual Tension, Heightening Your Readers' Satisfaction from the workshop I gave for ARWA (Alberta Romance Wroters' Association) in 2012.

A year and a half later I am team-teaching the workshop with Lorraine Paton for the wonderfully low  price of $10 as a pre-festival affiliate (ARWA) workshop at When Words Collide, a festival for readers and writers in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The workshop is Friday, August 9, 2013, from 9 a.m. - noon, at the Carriage House Inn. For more information and to pre-register click here.

The workshop is open to everyone who registers, you do not have to be registered for the conference to register for the workshop!

Here is that post that inspired this years WWC ARWA workshop.
From Sarah Kades blog:

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012

Writing Sexual Tension, Heightening Your Readers' Satisfaction

I gave a workshop for ARWA on writing sexual tension. Enjoy and Happy Writing!

Sexual Tension, Heightening Your Readers’ Satisfaction

by Sarah Kades

I love writing sexual tension. It’s fun, it’s dynamic, and you get to create a storm of feeling within your characters. Your characters dance around each other and their feelings for each other and wrestle with darn near everything under the sun trying to ignore the burning heat that is threatening to scorch them if they don't give in to the passion exploding through their system.

But they can’t give in. Not yet. Something is stopping them from grabbing that other person and rocking their core. And not just any something. Nope. It has to be a big enough deal to stop this rocking attraction. And sexual tension isn’t soft and fuzzy. Soft and fuzzy has a place, mind you, but it is not when the stakes and the passion are so high somethings got to give and your characters have no idea what they are going to do because they can’t act on the attraction (insert plot element here where acting on it would be the dumbest thing in the world, internal or external conflict) and they can’t not act on the attraction (because the attraction and passion are so real, so intense, so burning that not acting on it is the most unnatural and dumbest thing in the world).

Sexual tension has very little (sometimes nothing) to do with the actual act of sex. Sexual tension is passion unsatisfied. It is emotion and conflict, both internal and external, with anticipation and frustration thrown in the mix. 

It is that passion, that attraction that makes your characters’ life impossible because they cannot stop feeling their beloved (or be-lusted) everywhere. It’s distracting and oh-so-fun to write your characters going through it. It is up to you how you put it in there.

Sexual tension scenes grip your reader. I want my reader to feel what my characters are feeling, feel the sexual tension, feel the sexual frustration, feel the heat that is the no holds bar, intense, crazy attraction that can exist between two people.

The core of writing believable, charged sexual tension, is to feel it. Feel that fire and translate it to your reader. Have you ever met someone and were rocked to your absolute core? Have you ever felt completely consumed by passion? Have you been floored that you could feel that much? 

Write it. Make your characters feel that. 

And if you haven’t experienced, no worries. As writers we create. Create that feeling, that passion, with so much clarity that your readers are caught up in the maelstrom of emotions and conflict, both internal and external, the anticipation and frustration, that they are squirming in their seats desperate for release, too.

We write sexual tension by overstimulating our characters’ senses with each other. We have (at least) five senses to work with. Go play and have fun working your characters into a frenzy over each other. Remember, sensuality trumps sexuality in the sexual tension game, so work with your characters’ senses!

Love (or lust) amplifies everything, it takes ordinary situations and experiences and blitzes the system with feeling. Everything is more intense because there is an underlying feeling that is inexplicable, and impacts everything, it amplifieseverything. Sexual tension is part of that. Write it.

A few things to note:

Direct the sexual tension where you want it to go, not where you don’t. Don’t ‘conflict’ your characters into a corner they cannot get out of. Or a corner where your reader looses interest.

Throw your readers enough bones. Teasing your readers and characters is one thing, but they need something to tide them through. Sexual tension ebbs and flows. Heightening satisfaction includes the sensual dance of push and pull. Keep your reader actively engaged in this drama by keeping it rolling. Too much pushing with no pull will disengage your reader. Keep them engaged and wanting more.

Check otherwise “non-sexy” scenes and see if there is opportunity to heighten your hero and heroine’s awareness of each other. Sexual tension builds. Utilize the opportunities for it to build in your story.

Condom are sexy. Romance novels now include responsible, safe sex. Have fun writing condoms into your sizzling scenes.

Exquisitely craft your sexual tension scenes. Your characters, and your readers, will thank you. Happy Writing!

For more information, check out:

Juliet Burns, Sexual Tension – You want his WHAT to go WHERE? ©

 HYPERLINK "http://www.julietburns.com/tension.html" http://www.julietburns.com/tension.html

Connie Flynn, Creating Sensual Tension 

 HYPERLINK "http://www.theromanceclub.com/writers/articles/art0023.htm"http://www.theromanceclub.com/writers/articles/art0023.htm

Marg Riseley , The Exquisite Heat of Sexual Tension

 HYPERLINK "http://www.likesbooks.com/tension.html" http://www.likesbooks.com/tension.html

Special Guest Diana Cranstoun, Two Weeks of WWII Food Rations

I've written before on the vibrant writing community that is in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. I met today's special blog guest Diana Cranstoun when I joined Alberta Romance Writers' Association (ARWA) four years ago. She is a joy and an inspiration. I am honored to call her friend and to have her as a guest on my blog today! 

For those interested in World War II, you are in good company, as that is of particular interest to Diana, the main topic she writes about, and what prompted her to earlier this month eat only WWII food rations. For more information on Diana, visit her at dianacranstoun.com.

Please welcome Diana Cranstoun:

Firstly, many thanks for inviting me to guest blog on your site, Sarah.  I’m very excited about it!  As to what to write about...

Although I grew up in Glasgow 20 years after the Second World War ended, it’s not really surprising that particular war has always fascinated me.  On my daily walk to school I passed several gardens that still had air-raid shelters in them. When my history teacher asked my class how many of our fathers had been at Dunkirk, at least a dozen hands (including my own) shot into the air. And although the rebuilt stonework was fairly well matched, it was obvious where a landmine had taken out a tenement building on the street where my mother was born. 

The soldier/sailor/airman’s experience of those years is well documented, but those of the women they left behind, not so much. Perhaps that’s what was in the back of my mind when I decided to limit myself to wartime rations for a two week period.  What must it have been like trying to feed your family during that time?  (BTW, rationing in Britain continued until 1954, nine years after the war ended.)

Weekly allowance of rationed food for a British adult during WWII.
Photo by Diana Cranstoun

The weekly allowance of rationed food for a British adult consisted of: 8oz meat, 4oz ham or bacon, 2oz butter, 2oz cheese, 4oz margarine, 4oz cooking fat, 3 pints milk, 8oz sugar, 1lb jam every 2 months, 2oz tea, 1 egg, 3oz sweets.  Bread and vegetables (locally produced/in season) were not rationed and formed the basis of the diet.  Certain tinned foods were available on a points system. Although proteins e.g. eggs were rationed, that didn’t mean they were always available.

The first week was a challenge trying to juggle everything so I didn’t run out of rations, but by the second week I was starting to get the hang of it, and I learned a lot from the experience.  Preparation and cooking from scratch every day was very time consuming.  I had the luxury of a fridge, microwave and being able to buy all my groceries in one trip to the shops, but that wasn’t the case for the women during the war. Even harder if you were holding down a full-time job as well.

But perhaps the greatest thing I got out of the experience were the memories my aunt supplied.  She was a child during the war and had some unexpected tales to tell. 

One story I remembered my mother telling me, and which has always stuck in my head, was her experience during the Clydebank Blitz.  She was a young mother of a six month-old baby at the time. The night of the blitz, my grandmother gathered the whole family onto mattresses in the hall as the bombs fell. If they were going to die, they would die together.  (This was about half a mile away from the landmine mentioned above.)

My aunt, eleven years of age at the time, remembers the event differently.   We all gathered in the ‘safest’ place in the house but I several times made an excuse to go to the bathroom so I could see the searchlights and the glow of the fires. Ah the resilience of youth!

Oh yes, and then there was her story of the pheasant . . . !

Why I Write Romance Novels Set in the Great Outdoors

I write romance novels and novellas set in the natural world, the great outdoors. Why? Because every time I sit down to write, I get to connect with places like this picture and it makes me really happy. 

It also gives me the opportunity to share my love of this beautiful world with my readers.

Have fun out there! Happy Reading, Happy Hiking!

Sarah Kades with Family and Friends in Kananaskis Country, Alberta, Canadian Rockies

W. Brett Wilson Chats With ARWA

Thursday night ARWA (Alberta Romance Writers' Association) was pleased to welcome W. Brett Wilson to chat with our group. 

I have to admit I had no idea what to expect, and I imagine we were not his usual audience. But my personal evening started with a good long walk in the balmy Calgary air and going out for beers with a couple fellow writers. So, the night was a success before I even got to ARWA. Excellent.

Sarah Kades, W. Brett Wilson, Lorraine Paton at ARWA.

Enter Brett. Entrepreneur, philanthropist, former Dragon (CBC TV Show Dragon's Den), and author of Redefining Success. . .  in a room full of romance writers. How is this going to go?

Brett told his stories, shared  insights, lessons learned, wisdom culled, listened to our questions, answered thoughtfully, and through the evening, quietly took us for a walk along on his journey. It was a thoughtful, inspiring, and a rather awesome night.

A few highlights stick out for me and inspired my own self-reflection. . . 

Priorities

Priorities was a big one. Getting them in order, straight in our head, so to speak, and having our actions match our priorities. I've been asking myself this same question, too. What are your priorities? Are they in line with how you want to live your life? Are you rocking it or blowing it? What are you spending your time on? Mindfully prioritize, live, adjust as necessary, repeat.

The Power of a Word

The importance of word choice was another. Although the context was in labels (e.g. corporate social opportunity instead of corporate social responsibility), he spoke of the importance of using the right word. Writers practice that, but for me, it goes farther. Words have power. They are energy. Take care to use the word you really want to use so you communicate exactly what you want, not what you don't. 

Words have Power and Energy

There are numerous books and authors that address this concept. I'll mention one here, Masaru Emoto. His books on water crystal healing speaks to the impact energy, in the form of thoughts and words, have on water, on us, and the world around us. Emoto's books ask we take care in what we are communicating, what energy we are sending out with our words and thoughts. Makes sense to me. Send out love and up the frequency of all around, send out grump and tank the vibe of what's around you. To be clear, I have no idea Brett's take on water crystals and happy thoughts, he did not go there. My brain did.

What is Your Frame of Reference?

It was interesting to hear an entrepreneur's angle, side to some of the topics. It reminded me when I was working on an interdisciplinary academic grant project years ago that included archaeologists, geo-archaeologists and geographers. Several profs, with like a million years of higher learning among them, all from different backgrounds, stared at a single soil stain and gave their theory on what it was from. Each one explained the anomaly with theories from their chosen field. Makes sense, you explain with your frame of reference. But for a bystander it was a fascinating anthropological study. And quite a show. Our history, our background, frames our experiences, gives us lenses from which we view the world around us. Of course we can choose to broaden our views and maximize our possibilities. But it helps to remember if we are looking at a soil stain as a physical geographer, it might not dawn on us the stain could be from, say, a boil pit. 

How are you viewing the world?

When We are Lucky, Books Help Us on Our Own Journey

He mentioned people have resonated with the book, some a bit surprised about it. Nicely done. A sneak attack of resonance is fun. 

This might be cheesy to pull one of my own quotes, but I'm going to because it fits. "The written word, like all forms of art, has the ability to move people, take them to a place they couldn't or wouldn't get on their own. Good books take our hand and lead us on an incredible journey. When we are lucky, they help us on our journey." 

I have no idea if this one is going to do that for you or me, but it sounds like it certainly has for some.

Overall, great night of reflection, sharing, and inspiration. Am I looking forward to reading the book, yes. Am I looking forward to redefining my success, oh yeah.

Thanks Brett and thanks ARWA. ;)

PS, I dig hyphens, too.

PPS, Honor your writing process.  Whatever it is, whatever path it leads you on, it is perfect. Sometimes writing a book is as much about the journey and getting there, as it is about your end product. Honor that. Some chapters are 900 drafts of journey. Some fly out of us and we nail it the first round. Books are teachers for the reader and writer, when we let them be. 

Happy Reading, Happy Writing!

Goal Setting and Achieving

Happy New Year! Thank you 2012, you were awesome! Welcome 2013, here's to our best year yet!!

I've been thinking a lot about goals for this year. A lot of my writer friends have shared their writing goals and it has got me thinking about mine. What do I want to accomplish this year, as a writer, as a person, as a wife and mother. What do I want to do with my 2013?

2012 was an incredible year. I learned so much, and had a blast doing it. What I want to characterize 2013 is more action and more focus. I've been working on the organizational part of the writing business, but it is time to take it the next step and produce more results. To write, sell, and promote successfully.

I'm a foundations kid, I like to learn and figure out the baseline, make sure I have a solid understanding of the foundation of whatever endeavor I am pursuing, and build and grow from that. A couple years ago I picked up bouldering as a sport. Nothing hard core, mind you, and I have no idea the vernacular yet, but it is a great example of my foundation building. I worked hours on grip work, both with my hands and feet. I practiced moving across the wall, tuned to my center of gravity, balance, reach. If it has been awhile since my last time out, I still bring it back to basics. But there comes a time when you have to trust yourself and move beyond the foundations stage. There comes a time when you have to try that wall, with its overhangs and verticals and ridiculously wee grips.

Sure you might slip or fall, or not manage the route you were going for, but the learning and discovery is awesome. And when you do get across the wall, it is pure elation. The feeling of accomplishment incredible.

Holy crap, I can do more than I thought I could.

Indeed. We all can. What is your writing wall, or otherwise, that you want to move across? What toe and hand holds to you need to coordinate, orchestrate, navigate to reach your goals? Are you working on it? Have you taken your goals and broken them down into doable, small steps? Big tasks are done by completing small steps. 

This business of writing is a fun, awesome adventure. Cheers to 2013, it's epic adventures, and all the people who help make it so! Thank you!!

Happy Writing, Happy Reading, Happy Being!
Sarah

Spring Equinox

Happy Ostara everyone!

It is the first day of spring. I celebrated by planting house plants. It is gorgeous outside, so a walk or a cup of coffee outside sounds pretty darn good, too.

I've been meaning to decorate for spring the last two weeks. But, meaning to and actually doing are two different things. So, the decorations are in my head for the time being.

The writing keeps going. Snippets at a time more than full blocks of time. But that's ok. It still works and is still fun!

I went to the Calgary Flames game last night with a few co-workers. 4-3 Calgary over San Jose. Thank you work.

Happy Spring Equinox everyone!