Kay Springsteen Tate

Lingo Logistical Limbo:

Using the Contraction in Historical Fiction

I love reading historical romance. It’s comforting to think about the timelessness of love and how the era might be different but the emotions remain the same across the ages. Writing an historical novel sounded interesting but the amount of research involved was always daunting. Then I wrote a Christmas story, part of which was set in present day Afghanistan in a war zone, a place I’ve never been, and I realized I do a fair amount of research no matter what I write. So, together with my co-author, Kim Bowman, I set on the journey that would take me back in time.

Finding information on nobility lineage, customs, geographic locale and street names, foods and meals, carriages and horses, and basically everything from furniture, carpets, and draperies…We had fun sailing along in our research and it’s all right at a fingertip and a mouse click.

And then it happened. Our first real snag. Our heroine simply could not get on our hero’s last nerve. Why? Because our story is set in 1813. The word “nerve,” as in someone getting on one’s nerves, was not used in such a context until the early 1900s. Did you know that a heroine cannot subject a hero to a “tirade” (a volley of words) – or at least it couldn’t be called that – before 1801? Because the word didn’t exist in common language. Enter our dilemma. How to figure out which of our wonderful story-telling words could be used to tell A Lot Like a Lady without leaving the period and making the language too modern.

Enter the most wonderful subject of study in the world. Etymology. Etymology is the study of historical linguistics, which is basically studying language for signs of changing as it evolves through the centuries. This includes things like grammar usage and variations of words and different usages for the same words. A good etymology dictionary will give the verified, also known as the attested, use of a word when it made it to common language, and will expand about when the word was used in certain contexts. This reference should be the best friend of every historical author. How else would you know that when someone falls in 1810, you wouldn’t ask her if she’s “all right”? You would ask if she has injured herself. Now, it can be painstaking to look up all the important words, but I promise you it’s worth it in terms of developing a believable story.

And I must admit that a good etymology dictionary can be the historical author’s best friend for another reason. At one point, Kim and I found we had limited ourselves and our work sounded extremely stuffy and stilted. We had fallen into the trap of thinking an historical fiction must have limited use of contractions.

Indeed, we were very much in error.

When we looked up certain contractions in the etymology dictionary, we were quite astonished to learn they had been about since around the 17th Century. In fact, contractions were around much earlier than that but the apostrophe was not invented until the middle of the 17th Century. So sometimes the lack of contractions in the written word had more to do with the printers having no sign or symbol to notate them than the fact that they didn’t exist. But if you’ve read Shakespeare, then you know it’s full of contractions—even ones from words we no longer use today. Having said that, Beowulf comes to mind. It is one of the oldest pieces of written history around (dated between the 8^th and 11^th centuries), thankfully having survived being damaged in a fire in the 1700s. And it is FULL of the contraction o’er (over). For example:

High o’er his head they hoist the standard, a gold-wove banner; let billows take him, gave him to ocean. …swiftly thus the lifeless corpse was clear devoured, e’en feet and hands.

Even in such classics as Don Quixote and Wuthering Heights, contractions were used.

“You’d better let the dog alone,” growled Mr. Heathcliff in unison, checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot.  ~Brontë, Emily: Wuthering Heights Published 1847

“Didn't I say so? worse luck to my line!” said Sancho.  ~Miguel de Cervantes: Don Quixote Published in English 1612/1620.

 

“What’s gone with that boy, I wonder? You Tom!”

“Well, I know. It’s jam—that’s what it is. Forty times I’ve said if you didn’t let that jam alone I’d skin you. Hand me that switch.”  ~Mark Twain: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Published 1876

“Wo-ho!” said the coachman. “So, then! One more pull and you’re at the top…”

Charles Dickens: A Tale of Two Cities Published 1859

Hallelujah! We were back in business and our characters wouldn’t have to sound like they were constipated.

Granted, contractions were not used as much as we see it in today’s fiction, but there is no reason to omit them when writing an historical just because it feels too modern. In doing our research we conducted a test of sorts by picking a few historical and reading through them. One in particular had no contractions. Kim and I couldn’t read past five pages. The language was stilted and choppy and it didn’t feel natural. One thing about human nature is that the easiest path is most often the one taken, and it truly is easier to say can’t as opposed to cannot.

And, while we agree that the nobility may have tended to use more formal speech, especially in public, I know of no 200-year-old people with whom I might confer to determine the truth of this, and the only record of speeches from those times was…the formally written one. As an author, it’s really a matter of preference and characterization how any of the people in an historical novel are depicted. If the story is historically accurate, and a writer prefers to use more contractions than not, that would be his/her choice. The most important thing is to make sure that a particular word existed and in what context it was used during the era being written about.

Kay Springsteen is the author of five full length contemporary romance novels: Heartsight, Operation: Christmas Hearts, Lifeline Echoes, Elusive Echoes, and Heartsent. She collaborated with Kim Bowman to write her first historical fiction work, A Lot Like a Lady, which is scheduled for release in March 2012.

Find out more about Kay at http://kayspringsteen.wordpress.com/  and on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kay-Springsteen-Author-of-Romance/143469035711422

J. Gunnar Grey

I’ve recently learned something disturbing about myself, or maybe it’s about my writing. Ya ready? Here it is, the Big Reveal.

I have trouble writing anything that doesn’t include at least one gun going off.

*crickets*

Nobody’s surprised but me, huh? Okay, let’s back up and try this again.

I love paramilitary adventures. The realistic military stories are good, too, but there are just so many confining regs. For me, it’s more fun to play around the rules and let the good guys and gals do things their own way. Paramilitary invites more twists and turns, more adventures going off half-cocked, and humor that isn’t black comedy or anti-military. (I admire the real military too much for mockery.)

But paramilitary stories need guns. And not just little bitty guns that fit in someone’s pocket or down a corset. Spy adventure guns just don’t cut it for me. When discussing caliber, size matters. I want big guns, nasty guns, guns with bullets that rip through armor plating and smash out the other side. I wanna see the hero go diving behind a desk that won’t stop the bullet and roll to get away, you know what I mean?

Oh, yeah, baby. Size matters. First Cav artillerymen in Korea, admiring bazookas.

*crickets*

Okay. Once more, with feeling.

I love World War II adventures set in Europe. Yeah, I know. The Nazis were evil, utterly and despicably evil, and the German Army, the Wehrmacht, was ferocious. That’s what makes them such wonderful bad guys — and such interesting good guys. The ones who weren’t despicable, evil, and ferocious had to battle themselves, their consciences and beliefs and honor, from the first bullet to the last. The choices they made had the potential to change the face of the world. And if they made a mistake, that last bullet was their own. These adventures were real. They meant something.

German paratroopers, the Fallschirmjager, with a Tiger II during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes. Drool.

And they always included guns. Give the German Army credit, they had some of the best guns. Their 88mm field artillery was feared by every army that went against them. When fired at a distance of two thousand yards, over a mile away, their high-explosive rounds could still penetrate most armor plating before exploding. And when mounted on a Tiger II, the tank weighed sixty-eight tons.

*crickets*

Listen, you’re not going to convince me. Every book needs a firing gun. Well, maybe not Jane Austen, although some Brown Bess muskets might liven up a ball or two, masquerade or otherwise. Rewriting Emma with a hostage situation, now there’s a challenge. Mr. Knightley coming to the rescue with a fowling piece. Oh, yeah.

Honestly, how would we get by without the smell of gunpowder in the morning? It’s as necessary as coffee, right?

*STOMP*

Got that bugger. He was getting awfully noisy.

Anyways, all this is to explain my problem. See, I’m writing a Regency. I’m putting the heroine aboard a Royal Navy frigate, without telling the captain, and sending them out against a French Navy marauder.

It’s a Regency.

Battle of the Nile by Thomas Luny.                                                                   Can’t you just smell the gunpowder?

But, me being me, it’s got guns.

A lot of guns. Big guns, too.

You’ll love it. Trust me.

Wehrmacht Major Faust has a dangerous secret: he likes England. But it’s May 1940 and his Panzers are blasting the British Army off Dunkirk’s beach, so he keeps his mouth shut even though it hurts. When the Waffen SS try to murder their English prisoners of war, Faust helps the POWs escape. Now it’s treason, with his neck on the line.

Then a friend gets him drunk, straps him into a parachute, and throws him out over Oxford during a bombing run. He’s quickly caught. Because he helped type the battle plan for the invasion of England, Faust cannot allow himself to be broken in interrogation. Two German armies depend on it. But every time he escapes, someone rapes and murders a woman and the English are looking for someone to hang. He’s risking disaster if he stays, someone else’s life if he runs, and execution by the Gestapo if he makes it home.

Major Stoner, professor turned British intelligence officer, sees three possibilities. Faust perhaps was joyriding in that bomber, as he claims. Or he’s on a reconnaissance mission for the German invasion. Or he’s a spy. Stoner must break Faust to learn the truth, no matter how it strains his old heart. He must save England, and his granddaughter.

Their battlefield is confined to a desktop. Only one of them can win. Someone must break. Someone must make a Deal with the Devil.

http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662249&mode=product&product=3465734

Jennifer Comeaux

Forbidden love is one of my favorite types of love stories–the hero and heroine fighting their feelings because they know they shouldn’t have them. I love the stolen glances, the awkward pauses, the fleeting touches that linger in the characters’ minds and hearts. These moments have such tension and can pull the reader right into the scene. What are some of your favorite stories of forbidden love? Let me know in the comment section below!

In my novel LIFE ON THE EDGE, the heroine Emily is a pairs skater, an Olympic hopeful with her partner Chris. Emily and her young coach Sergei develop feelings for each other, a big no-no in their sport. The U.S. skating federation does not approve of a relationship between a skater and coach because of the professional and ethical issues that could arise. But Emily and Sergei continue to be drawn toward each other. How long can they deny their feelings?

Following is an excerpt from LIFE ON THE EDGE. Sergei is attending a dinner party at Emily’s house, and they’ve spent the last few hours talking alone on the terrace.

The wind picked up, rustling the trees and sending my empty cup skittering over the table. Sergei snatched it and noticed the time on his watch.

“Oh, wow, it’s two thirty. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stay this late.”

“No worries. I can sleep till noon tomorrow.”

He rose from his chair, stretching his arms. “Do you think they all killed each other downstairs?”

“My guess is they played so hard they passed out at some point. That’s been known to happen.”

I got up and smoothed my skirt. I’d kicked off my sandals hours ago, and the weathered wood of the patio was cool under my bare feet.

Sergei took a step toward me. “Thanks again for the great meal. And the even better company.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you came.”

I stood on tippy-toes to give him a quick hug, but Sergei’s strong arms held me against him, enveloping my small frame. His body exuded warmth. I closed my eyes and breathed in the woody scent of his cologne. We’d shared plenty of hugs at competitions, but this felt so different, like we belonged nowhere else but in this embrace.

After what seemed like both an eternity and a split second, Sergei pulled away, his hands brushing down my back. He glanced downward and gestured to the door.

“I can let myself out.”

My head bobbed weakly. “Okay. I’ll see you Monday.”

“See you.” He held my gaze a moment longer than necessary. Then he was gone.

I stood paralyzed, listening to the blood pulse in my ears. My heart beat so fast I thought it might pound out of my chest. I couldn’t have imagined the electricity I’d felt in Sergei’s arms. It was too real. And I had no idea how I could ever forget it.

LIFE ON THE EDGE is available on:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Life-on-the-Edge-ebook/dp/B006T89A4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325724001&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-on-the-edge-jennifer-comeaux/1108128017?ean=2940013689534&itm=1&usri=jennifer+comeaux

Astraea Press: http://www.astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662245&mode=product&product=8347323

You can find me on the web here:

Author Website: http://jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5368434.Jennifer_Comeaux

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor.com

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/#!/LadyWave4

Lisa Orchard

Hello, my name is Lisa Orchard and I’m guest-blogging today for Seriously Reviewed. I would like to thank them for giving me the opportunity to introduce my debut novel, “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer.” It’s a Young Adult Mystery and will be available from Amazon in March.

I have been asked what motivated me to write this story. First of all, I love mysteries, and as a young girl couldn’t put them down. I wanted to bring that same feeling of anticipation and joy to other young girls.

I also wanted to write a story about a strong female lead. A girl who is a nonconformist and thinks for herself. One that bases her decisions on her own set of values and her own inner moral code. A character so strong, that when the odds are stacked against her she perseveres and wins in the end.

My lead character, Sarah, is not perfect, but she is a strong girl who strives to right the injustices she sees and help victims who cannot help themselves. She is virtuous, even though she’s rebellious and mischievous at the same time.

As a young girl, the stories I seemed to remember the most are the ones that taught me a lesson. I wanted to write a story like that. One that teaches a lesson the reader can learn right along with the characters. The lesson embedded in this story is a basic one; “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” However, I feel it’s one that needs to be emphasized. I’ve written this story, so the young teen can come to this conclusion on her own, because we all know—you can’t “tell” a teenager anything.

Please read the blurb below describing the story and an excerpt from my first chapter. The book “The Super Spies and the Cat Lady Killer” will be available from Amazon in March.

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission.  The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer.

            Below is an excerpt from my book.

Alarm bells rang in Sarah’s head—this has to be out of character for someone who never leaves their home. She turned back and whispered to the other girls. “Hey!”

Jackie poked her head out. “What?”

“The storm door’s open.”

“So?”

“So…what do I do?”

“Duh…Ring the door bell.”

Sarah shrugged and pushed the doorbell. It let out an irritating buzz and she had the feeling it had been broken long ago and never fixed. She dashed down the stairs.  The cats scattered, alarmed by the sudden activity. Reaching the shrubs, Sarah hid with her sister and Jackie.

            Gasping for breath, Sarah waited for a reaction from the old woman. Her heart pummeled her ribs and she pressed her hand to her chest to calm it.

After a few minutes, Sarah started to pace. “Well…nothing’s happened.” She peeked out from behind the shrub and saw the screen door hanging ajar. “I bet she’s not even home. I’m going to try again.”

Jackie shrugged. “Be careful, remember she’s a witch.”

Sarah shook her head, and then peered out from behind the shrubs. Once again, she climbed the stairs. She was braver this time and it didn’t take her as long to make it to the door.

She looked inside, her heart lurching in her chest. She tiptoed to the picture window and peered through it. Gasping, she ran back to the entryway. Pulling it open, she lunged inside.

Sarah stared, unable to tear herself away.  Shock ran through her body like an electrical current as she eyed the scene before her. The crumpled form of the Cat Lady lay on the living room floor, just inside the door. No life flickered in the old woman’s staring eyes. Her mouth gaped open in a silent scream and her hands were up around her head as if she were warding off blows. Turning away from the Cat Lady’s body, Sarah gagged as the coppery scent of blood assaulted her. There was blood splattered everywhere, on the wall, on the carpet and under the Cat Lady’s body.

Suddenly, Sarah’s throat constricted and she gasped for breath. Fearing she would faint, she stumbled back out the door and collided with Jackie and Lacey on the porch.

Jackie grabbed Sarah’s arm and shook her. “What are you doing? Are you crazy? I never said to go inside!”

Sarah didn’t speak—she just stared blankly at the porch.

Jackie shook her again. “Are you under the Cat Lady’s spell?”

Lacey whimpered. “Hey, Sarah…can you hear me? Sarah?”

“She’s under the Cat Lady’s spell,” Jackie said waving her hand in front of Sarah’s eyes.

“Oh my---,” Sarah moaned and clutched Jackie’s arm.

“What is it?” Jackie shook her again. “Speak…say something!”

“Th-th-the C-C-Cat Lady, sh-sh-she’s,” Sarah stuttered.

“She’s what?” Jackie demanded.

“Sh-she’s dead.

Again, my book will be available in March. It can be found on Amazon.com. If you’re interested in following me, my website can be found at www.lisaorchard.com. You can also find me on Twitter—my twitter identity is lisarochard1.

Patricia Kiyono

Most of the time I'm quite self-motivated. I get up every day and write a "to do" list and manage to get most of the items checked off by the end of the day. But like most women, there are not enough hours in a day to get all the things done that I would like to do. Some things, like exercise, need a push from outside sources in order to make them a priority. Last summer it took a facebook post from a high school friend wanting to form a walking group that finally spurred me to make exercise a regular part of my routine.

I decided to examine the challenges that motivate me to get other things done to exercise my brain. Goodreads has now become part of my life through my association with writers. I spotted the reading challenge there. I realized that as I've begun writing more, I've read less and less. And that bothers me because I need to keep up on what's out there. Besides, I want to support my fellow writers. So I signed on to assure that I read on a regular basis. It's easy now with ebooks. I have some on my laptop, some on my ipad, and some on my iphone. There is absolutely no excuse to "just sit there". I can read anywhere, at any time.

In my writing life, other challenges motivate me. I use a website called 750 Words to make myself write every day. If I don't get 750 words written by 9 am Eastern time, I get an email reminder. And if I skip a day, my calendar on the website has a "hole", or a square with no X in it. That bothers me enough to start writing again, wanting to get that uninterrupted writing streak longer and longer.

Both of my writing groups issue a yearly challenge that urges us to "get that book done". We pay money to the treasury for each book we want to finish in that calendar year and then when the book is finished, we send a copy of the last page to the coordinator. At the Christmas party, the names of all who completed the challenge are put in a hat and a name is drawn. The winner gets half the pot, and the treasury gets the other half. Last year the winner of one writing group got over $100!

Another writing challenge that just began this month is Winter NaNo. Modeled after the National Novel Writing Month (NaNo) challenge in November, this puts the contest in a month in which women are not as stressed about family holidays. We pay $5 to accept the challenge to write 32K in 28 days. It's a doable challenge and I've accepted it three years in a row. The first year of Winter Nano, I wrote a story taking place in Greece, where I had vacationed the previous year. Prior to the challenge, I did a little plotting and a few character sketches, and on the first day I went to work. After the month was over I had a good start on the story. I worked on it some more and then put it away. Other projects called me!

Then last year I got my foot in the door with Astraea Press. I had such a great experience with my first novella, The Legacy, that I decided to take out my Greek Island story and dust it off. Instead of the full length novel I had planned, I tightened it up to novella length and submitted it. Aegean Intrigue, released on February 2, is the result.

Blurb:

Someone has been stealing priceless Greek artifacts and it's Alex Leonidis' job to uncover the thief. His prime suspect is beautiful archaeological graduate student, Francie Vasileiou. His plan is to join in an archaeological dig and catch her in the act. All he has to do is keep his mind on his job, and not on the way his lovely suspect warms his heart. He's learned the hard way not to trust fragile-looking women who seem to need his help.

Francie wants to get her PhD and become an archaeologist, like her famous father. The sudden invitation to participate in a dig on the beautiful Greek island of Paros is a wonderful opportunity. She has no time for distractions like Alex, the handsome Project Director. Experience has taught her to stay clear of handsome, charismatic Greek men.

On the shores of the Aegean Sea, Alex and Francie work together, searching for treasures from Greece's past. While pursuing their goals, they discover some of the truths they had believed to be carved in stone may have been flawed.

Iris Blobel

I assume when people hear of Australia their minds wander off to beautiful beaches, sunshine, surfing and maybe even the Great Barrier Reef! Yes, I understand, that was what I always dreamt of before moving here ... only to find out there's a different side to this vast country.
I live near Melbourne, and yes we have beaches, and yes we have the surf and the sunshine, but mainly during summer to enjoy. It's more like the European climate here. And yes it can get cold in Winter. Our Winter! And then one year I went even further south, even colder: Tasmania - the tiny isle just south of Australia. Okay, fair enough, it's a large island and comparable to the size of Scotland or West Virginia. Tassie’s got beaches, mountains, history, adventure AND ghosts! As they say, the rest is history - I wanted to include this beautiful spot in my next story. And what goes along better with dreams than Ireland? It was the obvious choice for the other side of the world, because most of all I love it. Anything Irish! But it also made sense, because the Irish have Shamrocks, Leprechauns, Lucky Charms, Fairies and so much more.

 So I would like to take you on this journey. This journey about a dream, which takes a young Tassie girl to Ireland. Yet it's not only about Hollie's literal dream, but also about the dreams we all have in life, the dream we're living or we would like to live. It's about the dreams we talk about, but we won't do anything about, because life seems to be too demanding. Or sometimes just the "daydreaming" after reading a really nice story! That's what I like most. And the dream to meet "Mr Perfect", apologies, of course "Mrs Perfect" as well. Only sometimes to let go of the dream that "Mr Perfect" is indeed perfect, but doesn't quite look like the "man of our dreams", you know, the don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover idea.

 So do you fancy some dreaming?

Would you travel around the world to uncover the reason for your dreams?
Hollie Anderson does.


A young woman from Tasmania who lives on a farm just outside Launceston, she has got good looks, likes her job and loves to hang out with her friends. She should be happy, right?



But it’s a recurrent dream that throws her daily life into chaos and takes her on a journey to Ireland. While on her quest for answers she meets Sam in Dublin under unusual circumstances and both women, so different in many ways, find out they have one thing in common - and it changes their lives forever.

Iris Blobel

I assume when people hear of Australia their minds wander off to beautiful beaches, sunshine, surfing and maybe even the Great Barrier Reef! Yes, I understand, that was what I always dreamt of before moving here ... only to find out there's a different side to this vast country.

I live near Melbourne, and yes we have beaches, and yes we have the surf and the sunshine, but mainly during summer to enjoy. It's more like the European climate here. And yes it can get cold in Winter. Our Winter! And then one year I went even further south, even colder: Tasmania - the tiny isle just south of Australia. Okay, fair enough, it's a large island and comparable to the size of Scotland or West Virginia. Tassie’s got beaches, mountains, history, adventure AND ghosts! As they say, the rest is history - I wanted to include this beautiful spot in my next story. And what goes along better with dreams than Ireland? It was the obvious choice for the other side of the world, because most of all I love it. Anything Irish! But it also made sense, because the Irish have Shamrocks, Leprechauns, Lucky Charms, Fairies and so much more.

So I would like to take you on this journey. This journey about a dream, which takes a young Tassie girl to Ireland. Yet it's not only about Hollie's literal dream, but also about the dreams we all have in life, the dream we're living or we would like to live. It's about the dreams we talk about, but we won't do anything about, because life seems to be too demanding. Or sometimes just the "daydreaming" after reading a really nice story! That's what I like most. And the dream to meet "Mr Perfect", apologies, of course "Mrs Perfect" as well. Only sometimes to let go of the dream that "Mr Perfect" is indeed perfect, but doesn't quite look like the "man of our dreams", you know, the don't-judge-a-book-by-its-cover idea.

So do you fancy some dreaming?

Would you travel around the world to uncover the reason for your dreams?
Hollie Anderson does.

A young woman from Tasmania who lives on a farm just outside Launceston, she has got good looks, likes her job and loves to hang out with her friends. She should be happy, right?

But it’s a recurrent dream that throws her daily life into chaos and takes her on a journey to Ireland. While on her quest for answers she meets Sam in Dublin under unusual circumstances and both women, so different in many ways, find out they have one thing in common - and it changes their lives forever.

Kim Bowman

Who’s on First—Writing with a Partner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfmvkO5x6Ng

Do you know why Abbott and Costello were such a hit? And why, even now, some seventy-plus years later, their “Who’s on First?” routine is still so popular?

Simple—it played on their individual strengths. Abbott’s character tended to be carefree, happy-go-lucky, “easy to get confused,” while Costello’s alter-ego, was level-headed, tried to sooth Abbott’s every-growing frustration, and, secretly, loved to push Abbott’s buttons to get a rise out of him. When the two combined, those around them were entertained.

And that’s what you should strive for when you write with a partner. Find someone whose strengths are your weaknesses and vice versa. Then, let the magic begin. Although, I will warn you, there will be a few bumps along the way even in the best of circumstances. As is evident by the following “skit” Kay composed.

I will say that while what you are about to read isn’t far from the truth, we still had A LOT of fun and wrote an AMAZING story! But, I do believe Kay was ready to take a bat to me before we were finished! And…it might have something to do with things like…this:

Kay: Okay, we need an outline.

Kim: I just wrote the end.

Kay: We haven't even started the beginning yet.

Kim: Can you handle the scene where—

Kay: Wait, wait, WAIT! What scene? Where? They have no chemistry for that yet. Chemistry has to build.

Kim: The chemistry is building.

Kay: WHERE?

Kim: In the scene before this one.

Kay: What scene is that?

Kim: The one you have to write still.

Kay: Why can't YOU write it?

Kim: I'm working on the beginning now. They don't have chemistry in the beginning.

Kay: WHAT beginning?

Kim: Exactly.

Kay: Exactly what? We need an outline.

Kim (heavy sigh): Fine. (scribbles furiously). Here.

Kay: There's nothing here but numbers and letters.

Kim: We'll fill it in as we go.

Kay (picks up a gun): O-U-T-L-I-N-E.

(He He He – I do have to admit, it was fun driving Kay nuts…until she threatened bodily harm;)

Yes, Kay the plotter had to have nightmares every night because of Kim the pantser. And yet, we muddled through to finish A Lot Like a Lady and I am so proud of it and honored to have worked with Kay on it. But, collaborating is difficult in the best situations, let alone when you combine a plotter with a pantser. Finding a happy medium was difficult at times, but when we hit our stride – we both wrote some of our best lines.

So, the big money question is – would we do it again? HECK YES! And, we are doing it again, have already starting working on the sequel to A Lot Like a Lady. I for one would recommend teaming up with a writing partner, but it is a more difficult way to write. Kay and I thought we’d list our personal pros and cons of our experience (and that’s a biggie – being able to be totally honest with your partner!)

Kim’s pros for collaborating:

·         Besides getting to work with an extremely talented writer (who taught me A LOT!), it motivated me to write because someone depended on me to pull my weight and to write my part.

·         Kay and I combined our individual strengths to build believable characters, scenes that dropped you right into the location, and emotion that had us laughing, crying, sad, and mad!

Kay’s pro for collaborating:

·         I ADORE brainstorming stories and when you collaborate, you have a ready-made brainstorming partner. Writer's block quails in the face of two strong collaborators. Anyone who has lost momentum to the clutches of writer's block will surely understand the frustration of having this happen. But when you collaborate, you have someone who is always ready to say "What if..." And that often sparks the flame back up again. The pace is faster working with a partner because the work is cut in half.

Kim’s cons for collaborating:

·         While I am a pantser and I HAVE to write the scene that comes to mind or I’ll lose it, this was a problem for Kay because she is A LOT more organized and outlines her stories, and then goes from the start to the finish. And honestly, I’m not sure this is as much a con for me as Kay because I definitely would like my writing partner to always be a plotter.

·         Kay worked with me (as best as she could given her partner was a pantser) and we pulled it off, BUT, then we had created plot holes, conflicts, repeated information, etc. because we didn’t make an outline so it wasn’t clear “who was on first” and this was frustrating to both of us. Case in point, Kay wrote a lovely descriptive scene of the library/study in the townhouse. Then comes Kim the pantser who added a scene BEFORE Kay’s. So, as we were reading through, editing, etc. we discovered that Kay’s description wouldn’t work anymore where it was because the girl had already SEEN the study, so we had to rearrange, reword, and move the setting detail to my scene. Which might not seem like a big deal, but it took time and back- tracking to fix it. (BTW, I did not know Kay was using this as an example in her list of pros/cons/advise until AFTER I wrote this.)

Kay’s con for collaborating:

·         Kim is a pantserish personality who write scenes out of order, and I am the outliner who writes in order - for me the story builds the chemistry not the other way around. We had a rough patch when I realized something I'd spent an afternoon writing no longer fit with the story. But on taking a step back, we actually found we could keep the majority of what was written - it just needed to be moved to an earlier section of the book.

Kim’s advice for having a successful partnership:

·         OUTLINE! (I know Kay nearly fell over when she saw that). Yes, the pantser is telling you to outline. Brainstorm your ideas and come up with at least a general direction the story will take and try to list the scenes you foresee developing. Then divide those scenes evenly between the two of you. Now, this isn’t to say you might not have to tweak or change parts of the outline, but you have to have at least a general idea of WHO WHAT WHEN WHERE to be successful and not come to the end only to learn your work has just begun!

·         COMMUNICATION! You HAVE to discuss/decide everything together from the major conflict in the story to the hero’s eye color. It’s a MUST or one partner will feel left out. Pick someone you can spend a great deal of time with (even if only via email). By the time Kay and I finished, I had almost 2000 emails in my inbox (and mind you I had deleted a lot at this point), and 95% of those were between the two of us.

·         LISTEN! This is a combined effort, so you have to take your partners ideas, problems, and feelings into consideration. There is no room for hurt feelings, anger, or resentment in a collaboration. It will only succeed if you work together. And listening is the biggest consideration you can give to your partner.

·         PARTNERS! You are going to disagree – two different people with different styles is going to cause problems at times, but in the end remember you both want the same thing-to write the best darn story you can.

·         HAVE FUN! If you aren’t having fun, don’t do it. Period.

Kay’s advice for having a successful partnership:

·         You have to realize that this story is not yours personally. You can't fall in love with a plot twist unless the writing partner also falls for it. You have to be prepared for your partner to change sections you've written, and to change sections she's written. And just as it's important to accept what the other person says, it's equally important to stand up for yourself when you believe you're right about something. There was a point in the story where I took hostages. And there was another part where after about 50 emails, Kim proved HER point. We both were correct because those sections turned out to be pivotal points in the story.

Thank you for stopping by. And, we hope you will check out A Lot Like a Lady!

Happy reading (and writing!)

~Kim Bowman

~Kay Springsteen