FOE and Muses 12/02/2010
 
I recently finished reading J. M. Coetzee's Foe, which has left me contemplating heavily over the concept of the muse.  The story presents itself as the narrative of a woman who spends a year shipwrecked with Robinson Crusoe after setting off to find her missing daughter.  However, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that Foe is many layers deeper than it first appears.
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I do not want to bore readers with an exhaustive critical analysis, but I do need to share that Foe is a novel all writers--or all who heed the muses--should read.  The ending is haunting, yet so relevent.

I consider the stories that have haunted me over the years ... the characters that have begged, sometimes demanded, to have their stories told.  I consider every one of them gifts, as maddening as they can be at times.  I have a constant desire to write.  I answer the call to numerous muses; the thought of adhering to just one genre would be like having to choose one food on which to sustain myself for the rest of my life.  Writing sustains my soul, so I listen whenever the muses call, no matter what stories they have for me. 

I've been asked before where my ideas come from and why I write the genres I write, and my answer is always the same: "I believe in muses."  Sounds silly, I know, but I must give credit where credit is due.  Most of the stories I write would not fall under mainstream or popular fiction, but they do have an audience--and writing them is always thoroughly enriching and fulfilling, no matter how hellish some points of the process might be.  Most readers who do not write have never experienced the blissful, beautiful hell that comes with being a writer, the hours upon hours of typing, revising, editing, the writer's block, the eye strain....  Writers truly write because we must.  The muses can be demanding, however, and the stories if left ignored eventually build like steam in a boiling kettle.  They don't always come easily, but they demand to be written just the same.

Sometimes the muses play tricks, throw in twists in the last minute, or change parts of the storyline without advance warning.  For example, I found out Andy's pivotal role in the second The Darkness and the Night book only when the the muses disclosed it in the story: I had a moment of silent awe as the scene revealing him played out, and then I went back and read his scenes in the first book, Blood and Coffee, delighted with the twist.  I know I'm alone in this phenomonon, and I would love to hear from others on t.

Other writers, what are your experiences with the muses?  Readers, what is your take?
2 Comments
 
 
Wells, Vonnegut, and many others wrote it.  The canonical literature list includes it.  It is the strongest possible way to write social commentary--and yet, here in the contemporary U.S., there seems to place for it.  The typical reader calls it "depressing."  Everyone seems to want that happy ending.  I sympathize with those who want a "happily ever after" in all thay they read, really I do; however, happy endings to not affect change.  They do not reflect the realities of life and society.  "Happily ever after," when it all comes down to it, only exists in fairy tales.  Yes, there is a place for it--but there is also a place for change, for gritty reality, and for statements about the complacency in society.

Many of my works break against the current trends, in the belief that mainstream fiction is primed once more for speculative, more intellectually stimulating works.  My novels are for an audience that is ready to be shocked, to be intrigued, and to be made to think about the world in a different way.  Yes, this can be depressing at times, but it is also necessary.  Without a focus on the negative, we cannot focus on creating the positive.  Without dystopia, all that remains is complacency.

So, what do you think?  Is America ready for something new and different?  Is America ready to think?  Ready to face reality?  Ready for change?  I think so ... but I'm interested in what you have to say about it.
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In response to an article I recently wrote for the Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog, Miss S. stated, “Perhaps you could have a follow-up with more detail about building tension--and how?”  I thought Miss S.’s suggestion was a good one, definitely worth the follow-up, so today I dedicate my blog to the subject of building tension in erotic and romantic works.

Good tension begins with good character dynamics.

In both erotic and romantic writing, it is important to consider the way the characters are going to interact.  Ask yourself, “What is it that attracts your protagonists to one another?  What could potentially keep them apart?”  You want the romance to build gradually, waxing and waning in a natural progression, while also creating obstacles that threaten to destroy the relationship before it has a chance to climax.  Don’t be afraid to tease your audience; you want your readers to crave satisfaction just as desperately as you want your characters to crave one another.  If you give in too quickly, you might make later interactions less satisfying—but if you hold off for too long, you’ll lose your readers’ interest.

Balance is the key.

Just like any good story should be divided into three “acts,” a good erotic romance should be divided into a number of “episodes.”  In a typical plotline, Act I introduces the characters and whatever initial dilemma they are to overcome, Act II brings added intensity to that dilemma (often with the overcoming of the first dilemma, only for a larger one to arise in its place), and Act III moves the story to its climax and conclusion.  With romantic and erotic “episodes,” the romantic and/or sexual tension should rise and fall around every thirty to fifty pages.  Just like with the necessary resolution and additional dilemma found in the transition between acts, one should strive for romantic or sexual dilemmas between these episodes, offering resolution—or even some kind of minor release—only to build the tension even higher than before.  Mistaken identity, misconstrued words and/or actions, quarrels and reconciliations, and love triangles all work well to add to the building and dropping of romantic and sexual tension.
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Think of the building of romantic tension as written foreplay.

Words are powerful tools; use them to your best advantage.  Play with your readers’ senses.  Use words or phrases that appeal to the body or further arouse the imagination.  Your wordplay need not be overtly sexual to be sensual.




Consider the following poem:

A gently laced chain of words
awakens every sense;
colorful, sweet, musky, hard,
and symphonic offering, aching, needing.

The hot, dew-wet red rose
smells the fragrant hard wood
that penetrates deep into the earth,
expanding, tasting her soil,
and dancing to the sonata in the wind.

The above words use imagery in slow, sensual steps to build its readers.  If the poem were to continue, it is safe to say that the sexual tension would rise and fall through a series of several more stanzas, with the final lines bringing both the natural figures and their audience to climactic release.  Give your readers prose that takes them beyond their own bodies, while at the same time offering a holistic, full-body experience.  Tantalize their minds, make their bodies tingle, and then tease them with a twist of heartache or disappointment, only to build them and their expectations even higher than before.

And then, around the same time you’ve reached the climax of Act III, give your readers what they’ve been waiting for—sweet, beautiful, sensual release.
3 Comments
 
 
From December's Vol 44 No 12 Forum magazine review:

Thanks to Twilight and True Blood, vampires are hot and sexy again, but while
Blood and Coffee taps into that trend it is definitely more of a horror fantasy
than a straightforward erotic novel. Many of the characters here come to grisly
ends, so it's not for the squeamish, but Lisa Lane manages to keep the action
moving at a relentless pace while detailing Karen's conversion from human to
vampire and all the dilemmas she faces along the way. This is the first part in
a trilogy, and there are enough clues as to how the action will progress to
ensure those who like a bit of gore with their sexual tension will hunt down the
second and third volumes.
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For more information on The Darkness and the Night series, visit Ravenous Romance or stop by my Erotica Page.

To read the full review, you'll have to find the back-order for Forum's December issue.

Happy reading!

Lisa
6 Comments
 
 
Thanks to your votes, Lust in Space made the top 10 erotica novels for 2009 and The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness finished in the top 20 horror novels.  My thanks to all who showed their support!

The (tenative) final standings:

Erotica
1. Murder by Design, Jade Falconer, Phaze, [link]
2. Kilted Lover, Nicole North, Red Sage Publishing, [link]
3. Breaking The Covenants, Celina Summers and Rob Graham, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
4. Scent of a Vampire, Jude Stephens, Hearts on Fire Books, [link]
4. Dommemoir, I.G. Frederick, Fanny Press, [link]
4. Only Pleasure, Lora Leigh, St. Martin's Griffin, [link]
5. Strangers, Barabara Elsborg - , Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication, [link]
6. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
6. Eden's Hell, Dawné Dominique, Purple Sword Publications, [link]
7. Xylon Warriors IV: Ecstasy Bound, Ruth D. Kerce, Ellora's Cave, [link]
7. Internet Bonds #8: After Glow, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
8. Curfew, Samantha Stone, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
9. Lust in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
9. Sex Camp, Natalie Acres, Siren Publishing, [link]
9. The Janitor, Jan Irving, Loose ID, [link]
10. Location, Location, Location, Emma Hillman, eXcessica Publishing, [link]
10. Triad, Cat Grant, Lyrical Press, [link]

Horror
1. Rise Of The Darkness, C.A.Milson, Lulu, [link]
2. Armageddon Bound, Tim Marquitz, Damnation Books, [link]
3. The Great Right Hope, Mark Jackman, LL-Publications, [link]
4. Cursed, Jeremy C. Shipp, Raw Dog Screaming Press, [link]
5. Angels of the Mourning Light, Frank E. Bittinger, iUniverse, [link]
6. The Hollows, Ben Larken, LL-Publications, [link]
7. The Last Church, Lee Pletzers, Black Bed Sheet Press, [link]
8. War of the Worlds plus Blood, Guts and Zombies, Eric S. Brown, Coscom Entertainment, [link]
9. The Dark Path, Luke Romyn, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
10. Demon Hunter: The Chosen One, Cynthia Vespia, Aspen Mountain Press, [link]
11. Kelland, Paul G. Bens, Jr., Casperian Books, [link]
12. Cemetery Gates, Maryann Paige, Club Lighthouse Publishing, [link]
13. Escape: A Zombie Chronicles Novel, James Melzer, Permuted Press/Pocket Books, [link]
14. The Further Accounts of the Imaginary Friend, P.S. Gifford, Virtual Tales, [link]
15. Gentle Art of Making Enemies, Kevin Mellor, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
16. Blood of the Dark Moon, Adrianne Brennan, Freya's Bower, [link]
16. The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. The Kult, Shaun Jeffrey, Leucrota Press, [link]
17. White Witch, Black Curse, Kim Harrison, Eos, [link]
18. Dismember, Daniel Pyle, Wild Child Publishing, [link]
18. Shadows of Souls, Allan W. Azouz, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Under the Dome, Stephen King, Scribner, [link]
19. Angels of the Deep, Kirby Crow, MLR Press, [link]
20. Shadows, Joan De La Haye, Rebel e Publishers, [link]

Romance
1. Babies in the Bargain, Mona Risk, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
2. The Benefactor, Margaret Reyes Dempsey, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
3. The Trouble With Playboys, Margaret Tanner, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
4. Clippings, A.J. Mirag, Lulu, [link]
5. Hostage Heart, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
6. Innocence Lost, Tiffany Green, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
7. The Third Wish, K. F. Zuzulo, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
8. Fortune's Pride, Michele Stegman, Asylett Press, [link]
9. Creighton Manor, Karen Michelle Nutt, Tease Publishing LLC, [link]
10. Midnight Secrets, Lisa Rose Olick, Black Bed Sheet Books, [link]
11. Recipe For Love, Fiona McGier, Wings e-press, [link]
12. Spell of Appalachia, Molly Wens, eXcessica, [link]
12. Love Means No Shame, Andrew Grey, Dreamspinner Press, [link]
13. Another Time, Another Place, T. Sue VerSteeg, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
14. Beyond the Quiet, Brenda Hill, Vanilla Heart, [link]
15. Champagne, Inara LeVay, Ravenous Romance, [link]
16. A Chaunce of Riches, Chelle Cordero, Vanilla Heart, [link]
16. Honor Thy Neighbor, Valerie J. Patterson, BookStrand, [link]
17. Darkness Into Light, Christy Poff, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, [link]
17. Unfolding the Shadows, Katie O'Sullivan, Cerridwen Press, [link]
17. Binding Vows, Catherine Bybee, The Wild Rose Press, [link]
18. All For A Fist Full Of Ashes, R. Ann Siracusa, Sapphire Blue Publishing, [link]
18. Timeless Mist, Terisa Wilcox, L&L Dreamspell, [link]
19. Branded By Fire, Nalini Singh, Berkeley Books, [link]
20. Vicus Luna, Jessica Coulter Smith, Wild Horse Press, [link]
20. Mistletoe and Holly, Marilyn Gardiner, Wings e-press, [link]
20. Lonely Soul, Mary Quast, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
20. Circle of Eternity, Sandy Nicks, Vanilla Heart Publishing, [link]
21. Time For Love, Melissa Miller, IE Novel, [link]
21. Love in Space, Lisa Lane, Ravenous Romance, [link]
21. Hard Fall, James Buchanan, MLR Press, [link]

Congratulations to the winners!  For a full list of all of the categories, go to http://www.critters.org/predpoll/tally.ht
4 Comments
 
 
Join me and Honoria Ravena at Desire from the Darkside, where we discuss writing unconventional horror and my five-star reviewed trilogy, The Darkness and the Night.  Leave a comment for a chance at a free book:

http://honoriaravena.blogspot.com/2009/12/on-writing-unconventional-horror.html
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Happy reading!

Lisa
2 Comments
 
 
Recently, a colleague of mine stated that I should have to choose between being a novelist or being a screenwriter if I wanted to be truly successful.  Having a strong passion for writing both formats, I had to disagree.  Although novels and screenplays are dramatically different, many writers work in multiple formats.  A prolific writer can finish a novel draft in one or two months and a screenplay in just a week or two, so being an avid writer of one does not necessarily have to detract from time spent writing the other.  Moreover, if one knows one’s art, the difference in the two formats merely creates the need to shift gears when switching from one to the other:

·         When writing a novel, prose and dialog are organized by paragraph, while in screenplays they are divided into dialog, character direction, and visible description and action.

·         Novel prose allows for internal dialog and stream of consciousness, while all thoughts and character motivations in a screenplay need to be “shown” through the camera’s audio and visible sensors.  One loophole to this is an intermittent use of “voice-over” in a script, in which an unseen narrator speaks over a scene.

·         Novels are generally written in third person, past tense, while screenplays are always written in present tense.

·         Novels are usually around 300 pages, while the typical “spec” script is around 120 pages.

·         Novels are typically written in Times New Roman, while screenplays are always written in Courier or Courier New.  Both have specific formatting guidelines.

Upon review of my writing portfolio, one will see that I have written as many screenplays as I have novels—and that more than half of my screenplays are adaptations (most of them being adaptations of my own novels, with one being a hired adaptation of a novelette written by another author).  Writing adaptations is just as much of an art as is writing original novels and screenplays; in converting a story from one format to the other, a writer must take into consideration time constraints, the translation compatibility of certain events, budget, and audience.  For example:

·         When converting a novel into a screenplay, one must decide which scenes to cut and mesh, and also if that cutting and meshing will require some reorganization of the storyline.  When converting a screenplay into a novel or novelette, one must add internal dialog or narration, as well as scenes that may have been missing in the script due to time constraints.

·         What works great as prose does not always translate well on screen, and vice-versa.  Sometimes a writer must find an alternate literary or visual device in order to make the same point work in translation.

·         What might be easy to write might take money to reproduce on-screen.  A screen adaptation must always be written with budget in mind, while the sky is the limit when writing novels and similar prose.

·         When adapting prose to screenplay, especially in previously published works, a writer must be careful to cater to any preexisting audience that might have certain expectations about the work.

I believe that it is a great asset for a writer to be well versed in both formats.  It is my opinion that an author the best-suited candidate to adapt his or her work into screenplay form, given that the person understands how to use the screenplay format.  No one will know the ins and outs of a work better than the person who originally wrote it, and no one will be able to capture the essence and soul of a work any clearer.  While there are many great adaptations that have been written by hired screenwriters, few people will argue that most of these adaptations do not capture that which made their predecessors all that they are.  While that which is lacking in many is due to necessary cuts and changes needed to make the story translate better, what most are lacking, in my opinion, is their original writers.

Would I consider giving up writing novels in order to be a successful screenwriter?  Never.  I love writing both too much to choose one format over the other.  God willing, there is enough room for my writing in both industries.
4 Comments
 
 
Bitten by Books just reviewed The Darkness and the Night II: Cosmic Orgasm and The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness, giving Cosmic O 4.5 Tombstones and Twins of Darkness a whopping 5 Tombstones!

You can check out the reviews here.  I'm so excited to share these with you--The Darkness and the Night series was so much fun for me to write, and I'm so honored that all three have now been reviewed by Bitten by Books!
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Thanks so much, Bitten by Books, for the awesome reviews, and thanks to my readers, for joining me in the adventure!

Warm regards and happy reading!

Lisa
7 Comments
 
 
On December 1, 2008, New York literary agent Lori Perkins teamed up with longtime publishers Holly Schmidt and Allan Penn, to embark on a literary venture that promised to be innovative, provocative, and unafraid to take chances.  Ravenous Romance has met all of those goals and then some, and I’m so pleased to be among their list of authors. 

I learned about Ravenous Romance just a few months before the launch.  Being an avid follower of Lori Perkins’ blog, “Agent in the Middle,” I responded to an open call for submissions, for an anthology that would feature creative short stories about Sex and Shoes.  I wrote a chancy piece featuring a married couple who appear at first glance to have a shared shoe fetish ... only at the heartfelt end does the twist reveal itself and the real meaning of the story shine through.  Ms. Perkins accepted it, and then invited me to submit more of my stories for other upcoming anthologies.  I ended up having two stories being accepted in the Men in Shorts anthology, at which time Ms. Perkins requested to see some of my longer works.

My erotic horror vampire trilogy, The Darkness and the Night, had been on the back burner for some time, and decided to add a little romance to the story and see if Ravenous Romance might be interested.  They bought the trilogy, and then commissioned me to work on the most delightful project I have ever had the privilege to write: an erotic space trek, inspired by some of my favorite episodic sci-fi shows (Star Trek, Red Dwarf, Farscape, etc.).  It was a closet-geek’s dream come true, and to this day my tribute, Lust in Space, campy and kinky in all the right places, has been a fan favorite.

I contributed a couple more short stories (my personal favorite is “Blood and Money,” which can be found in the Sex and Taxes Anthology), and had a blast with those, as well, but nothing prepared me for the next proposition I would receive:  Ravenous Romance had teamed up with the Home Shopping Network, planning the first ever television release of an exclusive romance collection.  The owners had hand-picked six books each in three different subgenres: paranormal, historical, and contemporary, and they wanted Lust in Space to be among the paranormal group.  However, they wanted me to rewrite the story and create a sister book, of sorts: whereas Lust in Space is an experimentally kinky erotic work (I had fun seeing how far I might push my limits), Love in Space was to be romantic, sweet, and completely vanilla. 

It turned out to be, in my opinion, my best published work.  Love in Space has it all: action, adventure, space travel, aliens, romance, wit, literary “Easter eggs”—and intergalactic war.  I can’t thank Ravenous Romance enough for challenging me as they did with this story.  Lori Perkins and Holly Schmidt knew how to make a great story even better, and they pushed me to turn a fun and kinky space trek into a heartfelt and fun romantic adventure.  Moreover, they gave me the chance to prove myself as an author—in a market of mass closed doors, stiff competition, and form rejection letters, during a time in the recession when being a no-name writer like me would have been otherwise left sitting cold in the dark.

Writing for Ravenous Romance has been an amazing experience.  I’m delighted to have so many people reading my work, and I’m delighted to be working with such a great group of people.  Happy Birthday, Ravenous Romance—here’s to another great year!
 
 
For those of you who have been waiting for The Darkness and the Night III: Twins of Darkness to become available at Amazon's Kindle store, your wait is finally over.  Twins of Darkness, which readers and reviewers alike agree is the best in the trilogy, is slowly earning the respect of erotic horror and romance readers alike.  I have been delighted with the response, so far:

The author’s style makes for effortless reading; Lane’s novel is interesting, variable and complicated without the heaviness often associated with stories of substance, and she balances her many characters and plot lines like a master.
        --Clayton Bye, The Deepening: http://www.claytonbye.com/

Book III is best experienced if you read its prequels. The characters take some time to understand if you do not know their history, but regardless they are very well written and exciting. This is certainly one of the most unique vampire novels I have come across. It is chock full of imagination and feeling; a totally fresh look at the dark side.
       --Loloty, Coffee Tome Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com

Having read the first twenty-nine pages off and on, I continued straight through to the end. As I’ve already said, the plot is superb, and when such a plot comes along, I always marvel at the human imagination and what it can produce.
       --Fanny, Cerebral Reviews: http://cerebralreviews.com
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Make sure to rate and review Twins of Darkness, should you go through Amazon for your copy--which will make it more accessible to other customers who might also enjoy it's unique and provocative flair.

The story does stand alone--and may be better suited that way for those who do not have the patience to read an entire trilogy before reaching that much-desired "Happily-Ever-After" ending.  However, reading the full trilogy does make for a richer, even more provocative experience, as there are a number of plot twists that do intertwine throughout the different individual story lines.

However you approach the trilogy, all three books are now available through Amazon's Kindle store, and Twins of Darkness should join its predecessors' paperback status soon enough.  I will keep you posted.

Happy reading!
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