Today on Romancing The Book, I will discuss The First Scene

The opening scene in a movie can set the pace for the rest of the picture. A great beginning captures the audience. The viewer will remain in place until they find the answers to the questions that the very first scene sets up.

One of best opening scenes is the one for Kill Bill, within one minute and twenty-eight seconds you’re hooked.  A badly beaten woman is breathing hard; her bloody face conveys terror as heavy footsteps move closer. Off-screen a man asks her if she finds him sadistic. Desperation oozes from her with every second that passes.  That's it, we're hooked!

Unlike movies, in a book, the writer cannot begin with music and sounds effects. Instead we have to rely on setting the scene with descriptions and just the right words to set a tone. The first twenty words of a story have the capacity to catapult your book into the stratosphere or to oblivion.

Best Selling Author, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, writes the following unforgettable opening in the book, Call Me Irresistible.

Read this and you will ask these three questions afterwards.

·      Why?

·      How did this come about?

·      What is going to happen next?

It wasn't every day a guy saw a headless beaver marching down the side of a road, not even in Dean Robillard's larger than life world. "Son of a" Dean slammed on the brakes of his brand new Aston Martin Vanquish and pulled over in front of her.

The beaver marched right past, her big flat tail bouncing in the gravel, and her small, sharp nose stuck up in the air. Way up. The beaver looked highly pissed.

When a writer begins to write a story, the opening scene can sometimes take longer to put together than the entire first chapter.  Although one may know how to begin to tell the story, the intro is not always as clear.

Here are some pointers for writing an engaging first scene.

1. Start the story and stop after a couple of paragraphs. Read the first couple of sentences, if they do not set the story up then place your curser at the beginning and start again.

2. Sometimes the first paragraphs are not necessary. Go ahead and write them, if they are telling and not showing action, then save them for back-story.  More often than not, the second scene a writer pens is the important one.

3. Lastly, talk it out with others, narrate the first scene and then ask them how do they see this scene?  (I got an excellent start to a couple of my books this way.)

Here is start to the first book of my Protectors series, Desperate Betrayal. Does it draw you to ask the three questions above?

 Shadows.

Emma Blake always felt at home in the shadows. It was where she lived, always concealing the truth from those around her.

Now as she hid in the doorway of an abandoned building, she couldn’t help but compare the current situation to her life. The dampness of the brick wall behind her seeped through to her skin, as she pushed further into the dark to avoid being noticed. The putrid smell of trash and urine barely registered, as she was mesmerized by the scene unfolding before her.

The scene invoked images of the endless battle forces of dark and light had been waging since the dawn of time.

One of my favorite things to do is to plan parties.  During this time of year, I host the annual "Griswald" Christmas party which is always a blast.

As I prepare for the evening, it occurs to me that perhaps I can provide some party planning ideas for those of you that are challenged in this department.

So here we go:  (Feel free to ask questions in comments)

The first thing I do is set a date.  I never ask people which date works best for them because, I'd end up trying to make accommodations everyone based on when they are available and end up never setting a date.  So pick a date that works best for you and your family.

The second item to do is to decide on a theme.  I have the same theme (Controlled Chaos) every year.  We have a dirty gift swap (steal the gift thing), lots of appetizers, wine and other beverages and a special "improv" game that I surprise guests with.

Another portion of the theme is food.  One year it was Chinese, which is easy and inexpensive, another it was BBQ, yet another European.  This year it will be appetizer-mania, so when I confirm with the guests and they ask what to bring I am prepared with an answer.  "An appetizer dish or a bottle of wine!"

The third thing to do is invite the peeps.  I start with an e-vite at www.evite.com then I follow up with reminders and phone calls.  Remind them to bring a fun gift for the gift exchange.

Good Pointers:

     I always have extra inexpensive gifts for the exchange so that everyone can play.

     Don't over clean your house to the point that it looks sterile, your guests will be too busy worrying about messing it up to relax and have fun.  Southern living homes can stay in the magazine!

     Someone has to be the MC, the person that announces starts of games and controls the drawing etc.  I am a control freak, so I do this at my party.

      Give your guests duties, they will love it!  I ask my guests to assist with the food.  (They will ask you. "What can I do to help." so say the following.  "If you don't mind, can you please keep an eye on the food and beverages just to make sure everything is stocked for me?"  Give that assignment to two or three and they'll be glad to have an assignment.  Others I ask to keep an eye to ensure coats and purses are stashed on my bed or another high surface so my stupid chihuahuas won't pee on them.

     Oh yeah last but not least.  Shop, wrap, straighten up, set up and finish what can be cooked ahead, Get as much done by the day before the party. On the day of the party all you do is reheat food, place plates, utensils, ice buckets, etc, NOTHING ELSE!  You do not want to be too tired to have fun.

So now go forth and do what Hildie says.  Make a list, set a schedule and have a blast!

Merry Christmas!!

Visit my blog if you get a chance, I'm going to be starting a great series' on party planning! So come over and "follow" and "Subscribe"!   www.hildiemcqueen.com

Cheers my friends!

Learning to let go. 

Have we all not heard the cliché phrase, “if you love something let it go, if it returns it’s yours if it doesn’t, I never was?” That my friends, is a lesson I am in the process of learning yet again. 

When you love someone, it’s natural to step in front of him or her and try to protect them from what we see as a mistake or a dangerous situation.  That is what we’re supposed to do is it not?  I’d want someone to let me know how much they love me by doing that for me. 

Yet.

Maybe, it’s not truly what love is about.  Sometimes we need to love someone enough to step aside, to wait on the sideline.  Maybe we prove our love by not stopping them as they walk away, but instead to allow them the space to find the answers for themselves.

I remind myself during times like these, that everyone has a destiny, a path they must embark upon in order to learn whatever lesson God has for them.  It’s not up to me to decide which ‘mistakes’ they should avoid or what decisions they should make.

Then one day I may stand with my arms around them and either comfort them after the fall or congratulate them for their successes.  Either way, my only job is to love.

All of us go through the goodbye process sooner or later.  Whether it is a friend moving, a lover breaking our heart, a child bound for college or an older relative crossing to the other side.  Each time, pain and grief for our loss encompasses us for a time. 

Whether for a long or short time, I am convinced that to hold on to the pain and not allow ourselves to instead concentrate on the good times, the fun experiences with them or the lessons they taught us while in our life we are not being fair to them, or ourselves either.

One day I will perfect the art of letting go, the grace of moving out of the way and maintaining a positive attitude in the knowledge that God is always in control, not them and certainly not me.

Hildie

At the McQueen household, Thanksgivings alway start out great. We have good intentions, each of us promising ourselves that this year we'll make an effort to be good and decent people.

We'll ignore the brother-in-law that brags non-stop and even congratulate him on single-handedly saving a fortune 500 hundred company from imminent collapse. Yes, we know it's unfair he didn't get any type of compensation, or that the CEO doesn't even know he exists, but good job nonetheless!


We promise to ignore that Uncle Frank, is taking way t0o long in the bathroom. It is a lot of work after all to work his way past women's underwear and possibly modeling in front of the mirror as we speak. (Ewww)


When the one sister complains she couldn't possibly eat another bite after her third plate, and insist the aerobics classes have helped maintain her figure, we won't point out that she's bigger than last year.


Yes, so everything other Thanksgiving has ended with at least one argument when someone takes offense at another's remark. Yes I may have accidentally kissed your boyfriend in sixth grade, and so what if I told mom you're the one that burned the countertop.


Pass the damn gravy!

Hildie McQueen's Debut Novel Desperate Betrayal is available on Amazon.com now!


Get to know me better at my blog: http://www.hildiemqueen.com/


"Because sometimes betrayal is the only way to save the ones you love"

Writers have ideas for stories that float around in their head for long periods. Some of these ideas are snippets that will never develop past one small scene.  Still other ideas come in the form of a specific character, who the writer then has to work a story around.  A writer understands what “I let the character talk and tell me his story” means.

Unfortunately, there is no magic charm, or perfect formula for creating and plotting a story for a novel. Every single writer is very different when it comes to story compilation, there’s that little thing called "sequence of events."  No matter how great the premise of a story is, if we only have the beginning, the middle and the ending, it’s not really a novel.  Not yet.

Here are some tips for someone who has parts of a story but needs to come up with the next scene, series of events, characters or is blocked so bad their laptop is floating in the pool. 

First Tip:  Start with something totally obscure that makes no sense and work it into the story.  I will illustrate. Let’s say I’m stuck with my heroine driving in a car down a long road…what should happen next?  I look around the room I'm sitting in and spot a few things that make no sense.  My cat, a cup of tea and my cell phone.  Aha!  Her cell rings, it’s….it’s her best friend giving her bad news. The hero is missing; he’s signed his own a death warrant on himself by running.  The heroine pulls over after spotting a restaurant and orders a cup of tea while she sorts where to head to next, through the window she spots a cat that reminds her of how her friend's cat went somewhere secure when he was scared. Bam!  She’s got it. She knows where to find the hero!  Yeah, it wasn’t that easy, but I swear it really works.  Sometimes, I end up tossing the whole thing, but it gets my juices flowing!

Second Tip: Go for a drive.  I prefer back roads and being that I live in Georgia, there are lots of those. I can let my mind wander and not worry too much about paying attention.  I run away from home on a regular basis.  There are many small towns within an hours drive. So I go and stop to get a snack or check out a cute gift shop that catches my interest and chat up the people.  If I don’t get ideas from spotting things along the way, people will definitely give me some of the most interesting story ideas.  Recently I drove to Washington, Georgia. I stopped to take a picture of an abandoned boiled peanut stand next to a long dirt road.  Besides a good country song, this setting would make an interesting first meeting for a city girl and a cowboy don’t you think?

Third Tip: Freewrite.  I have to admit; I do this even when I don’t realize I’m doing it. What you do is start with a simple idea.  Example: “She walked into the room and instantly realized she was the only female.”  Now for ten or fifteen minutes (yes set a timer) just type what happens next. Don’t worry about misspellings, sentence structure or grammar.  Just write. This is an exercise that is used by many writing coaches, you may end up crying from laughing so hard at the stuff you write, but it will get your brain going.

Last Tip:  Relax and talk.  Yes talk.  Invite a few friends for a glass or two of wine.  Then ask them to brainstorm with you while your sit at your laptop and write their ideas down.  I’ve done this before and not only have I gotten some great ideas, but the thought of their suggestion being published made my girlfriends giddy!

Go on now, get your Write On!  Good luck!

Hildie McQueen's debut novel Desperate Betrayal is available now at Amazon.com!  Visit her blog for musings, interviews and funny stories!  A member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers!

We have a guest today.

Hello, Hildie! I am so pleased you agreed to visit the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers today. Does someone we know have a book sale to announce? Hmmm?

So tell us what you think makes a perfect hero.

What Makes The Perfect Hero?

Magnetism? The curl of his upper lip? Hard, bulging muscles?

All of these things!

I am not only a writer, but also a voracious reader who loves a good hero. The heroes that stand out are the ones I get to know, the dark brooding types capture me.

I firmly believe that what we [the readers] are hungry for, upon cracking open the book, is to get to know these men. What they think, how they feel, and what makes them who they are.

The main thing that sets the standout hero apart is his distinct personality. We want each man to be vastly different, each a unique person.

Every once in a while, I’m saddened to read a story where the hero’s personality is not captured. It’s such a disappointment when the writer misses the mark by focusing too much on his physical attributes and doesn’t take the time to explore his individuality.

I’m sure that as authors write more and more heroes, it becomes harder to keep each one of them distinct. Perhaps it’s a challenge to ensure the hero of each story is a totally different person, rarely sharing a trait or mannerism of another.

It’s a harrowing trail, the art of exploring these fascinating, drool worthy specimens that live in our imaginations—to bring them to life and ensure that the reader gets to know every single wonderful detail of their bodies, minds and souls.

Oh the suffering.

Hildie McQueen

Author of Desperate Betrayal, Coming Sept 2011

www.hildiemcqueen.com