DONE with UNDONE

So, I wrote a book a month or so ago for a contest. It took me a week and totaled around 45,000 words. I called it UNDONE and it was sloppy, rushed, and 10,000 words shy of where it needed to be but, by golly, I finished it!

I didn't go on to the next tier of the contest but what could be more exciting than finally being able to say I finished a book from beginning to end? An editor contacting me asking for a longer, revised copy of my manuscript. Which is what happened!

Two days ago I resubmitted UNDONE, much happier with the plot, characters, and length (57,000~ words)!

Now I'm back to baby this lovely blog while also working on another manuscript which will be something of a Paranormal Romance > Cozy Mystery type deal. My future posts will revolve around books, writing things, and Pinterest obsessions!

What to expect in the very near future
King Cave by Scarlett Dawn review
Books You Need to Buy with Your Holiday Money
Leading Ladies You Should Love

(This is a teaser cover I made! Photo cred: C. Elizabeth Vescio)

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)
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The back of our books

So, what are these books we've been talking so much about? If they had covers and all, this is what you might find on the back of the books! Both of our titles are very much in progress, but we'd love some feedback on our summaries!

Conner Moon, the son of a Senator and a rising star in the Mobile District Attorney's office, has lived a pretty comfortable life in south Alabama with one exception: the death of his sister.

When an disheveled woman shows up at his front door 13 years later looking for help, Conner discovers his sister, Danni, might not be as dead as he thought.

As Conner seeks out his long-lost sister, he finds himself tangled in a web of lies about his past and comes face to face with a truth he isn't sure he can handle: his greatest enemy is a lot closer than he ever imagined.

With the help of his wife and his best friend, Conner must tackle dangerous territory and countless dead ends to save the one person that will keep his world together before its too late. 

--Holli Anne



Goodwyn knows one thing for certain: telling the truth can be deadly. After a hormone-driven fight leads to her mother’s suicide, she vows to never let her web of lies get tangled again.

Fast-forward eight years later, she's consumed her life in lies and the real Goodwyn has fallen between the cracks. That is, until she meets a man who offers her a job at an interactive PR company—a position that would utilize her lying strengths while paying her the big bucks for it. She would be a part of a team of fellow liars—each with a secret past that may put her own horror to rest.

Before she can officially accept, she is thrown into a job that puts her deep into the throngs of rich socialites, sexist old men, and straight into a world that she has to pretend she’s always belonged to, all in order to uncover the plans of a handsome billionaire…or to be there when the bottom falls out afterward. What was supposed to be a fact-finding job turns into a painful, terrifying, and eye-opening experience that leaves Goodwyn questioning everything.

Now Goodwyn is caught in an underground war between two powerful groups, the desire to finally tell the truth, and the promise she made to herself long ago to uphold her new life of lies at all costs. A struggle made harder by the new reality that the people the company are interested in are a little more extraordinary than she thought.

--Tyler Anne

The summer of victory!

Tyler and I both took on one ambitious goal last month: Writing books.

A month later, and thanks to National Novel Writing Month's Summer Camp (CampNaNoWriMo), we both succeeded in cranking out those first drafts. 

She wrote a synopsis on her book-writing process here, and today I thought I'd share mine. 

The backstory

I actually started my book last November. I had a dream about the opening scene, woke up and wrote it out. I kept going for the next 50 or so pages with only this vague idea of what exactly this book was going to be about. I had to let the story begin to come to life before I could really develop a concrete plot. 

If you're a regular follower of this blog, you know that a few months after November, I was busy getting married (and preparing for that), so the book took a huge spot on the backburner. I would write still, but it was sporadic and random. 

Still, I kept talking the plot over with some trusted writer friends (like Tyler, my rock) and developing the story in my head. 

When I heard about NaNoWriMo's summer camp, I immediately jumped on board. Sure, July is hands down not the easiest month to tackle a huge project, but what really is? 

The writing process

Two things are true about my writing style: Sitting down and doing it every day is a challenge; a mandated word count is hard to meet. 

I had to do both of those things in July, and somedays that was a gigantic hurdle. We went out of town a lot that month (hello, summertime!). I still had to write. 

If I was sick or just tired from working or anything else, I still had to write. 

The discipline got easier for me at the end. Actually I did not start camp off with a bang but rather eased my way into meeting my daily word counts and being anti-social when needed. 

At the beginning of the month, the whole thing was pretty daunting to me. Somewhere in the middle I started to get in a groove and fell in love with writing all over again. And by the end I was just rushing, tired and ready to finish. 

Now what?

I definitely have taken a good week or so to just relish in the whole completing a first draft process. 

Now, it's time to buckle down and write the second draft, get it readable and as Tyler said, beg beta readers to read it for me! 

And definitely lots of blogging. I actually have a super huge announcement coming in a separate post soon, soon, soon! 

—Holli Anne

The Month That Tyler Drank Way Too Much Coffee

Forgive the long post title but as I was sitting here thinking of names, that one was the first to pop up. Plus, it is oh-so-true.

July was the month that Holli Anne and I decided to crack down and finish our books. It was the month that I stayed in front of my computer for an abnormal amount of hours, stressed about daily word counts, and (again) drank way too much coffee. 

But, it was also the month that I finally finished a first draft--an accomplishment I'm extremely proud of and that makes my heart happy.

Camp NaNoWriMo

When I joined Camp at the end of June, I was pretty pumped. First off, I'd never been to any real camp (yeah I was one of those kids who hated being away from home, so sue me) so I was looking forward to the camp feel even if it was online. Secondly, it was thrilling to sign up and fill in all the information about my work in progress. Something about writing the book's title and genre out just made everything seem so real.

Then came the whole word count mess. Easy, right? Just pick a set amount of words for the month and at the end of each day put in how many you'd done. I picked 40,000 words and LET ME TELL YOU THAT'S A LOT!

I channeled my college days and, as you can see by my graph, I waited last minute to do the biggest stretch of writing. Also you can see a standstill three days at the beginning when the holiday spirit took me and didn't let me write.

It's A-OK, though because I FINISHED!

The good, the bad, and the ugly of July

The good part about this experience is, well, obvious. I made a goal and I worked my ass off to meet it. Writing books has always been my biggest dream in life and I finally decided I wanted it enough to work harder and longer (that's what she said) than before. 

I also was surprised at the support from friends, family, and strangers (other Campers and my Twitter cult). I was cheered on daily and had tons of offers from people who wanted to help me meet my goal. For that support, I thank all of you!

Not to mention, there was Holli Anne--my rock. We talked/bitched every day about Camp and our books. She was/is my book sister in arms! Thanks, #twin!

I have to give another shout out to my dear friend Rachel who was also by my side (okay, well on Facebook) every step of the way. From "does this sound okay" to "should I have killed them" to awkward sex scenes and paragraphs riddled with profanity, Rachel read more of the book than anyone else! She even made me celebrate with Cupcake Sangria! Thank you, Rachel!

The bad of July and Camp in general was the stress to produce high word counts and the rush to finish on time. It stands to fact: things that are rushed usually suck ass. If this had been a second draft, I wouldn't have given myself such a concrete deadline. However, since I did, there are some parts of the book that need to be rewritten PRONTO. Plus, there are definitely a few "Write more here, KTHANKS!" reminders throughout the 67,000-word beast.

The ugly of July? Probably the second to the last day where I threw my hands up in defeat, starting crying, then promptly took a long ass nap. I thought the book was horrible, the plot was cliche, the characters boring, and the twists not OMG enough. That was the low, ugly point of July. (Thankfully, Boy Tyler assured me I wasn't shit and neither was the book. Thanks, Boy T!)

What's next?

Second draft, homies! Then I'll start begging beta readers to go through everything! PUMPED!

Until then, I'll be back to blogging!

Here are two post I'll be doing this week: The Wasted Book Club Announcement (you can sign up here) and a synopsis of my book! GET PUMPED, GUYS!

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)

We're Back!

Ahhhh!! We did it and we're back!

For those of you who didn't know, we (the Annes) took a month-long break from blog posting (so sad!) to finish our respective novels! Using Camp NanoWriMo, we spent everyday of July writing towards our goal word counts. I'm not going to lie, it was difficult at some points. For both of us July was one HECK of a busy month!

At the end of it all, though, we met our goals. We finished our first drafts. We conquered writer's block and ignored procrastination.

What does that mean for us now? Well, we're working through our second drafts and the joys of editing (insert a touch of sarcasm here)! However, this post is the first in our return to blogging!

What you can expect next week from us:

• Tyler Anne's Camp NanoWriMo experience
• Holli Anne's Camp NanoWriMo experience
• A post that will contain the synopsis of both Anne books!!!

So, welcome back bloggy friends! We hope your month of July was wonderful!

-The Annes

Above picture can be found and linked back to original owner here.

July Resolution

Normally, we post a structured resolutions post, inspired by She Learns as She Goes. (Her July Resolutions post can be found here.) However, this month we are doing something a bit different.

See, Holli and I are making one huge commitment/goal for the month of July.

Drum roll, please!

We are finishing our books. End. Of. Story. 

If you saw our Monthly Resolutions: June Report Card post then you might be a little wary of our ability to complete such huge tasks, but it's because of our books that last month got hectic! We've been planning, plotting, writing, and getting ready for July for the past few months. 

Why did we decide July was the it month? Well, because of Camp NaNoWriMo! We signed up so that Camp can help get our butts into writing gear. You should too! 

This month our personal goals as well as Almost There's goals are being combined into one giant goal: Finish the first draft of our books.

However, since we have a wonderful steady stream of readers, we will still post here! They won't all be Holli Anne and Tyler Anne but we have some wonderful guest bloggers stepping up to the plate to help us out.

So, be patient with us and send some good writing mojo feelings our way.

If you'd like to be bunk mates or just follow along, our Camp links are bellow. If you want us to follow you put your link in the comments!

Holli Anne

Tyler Anne

Laundromat Fiction: Jett's Dream

Yesterday was laundry day! So that means more laundromat fiction, written from the actual laundromat. This one was really quick, so the story was also really quick, maybe a little weird. Oh well. I'd love some feedback if you have any thoughts. As always this series is very off-the-cuff fiction, with minimal editing. Here are other posts from the series. 

No one intrigued me more than Jett Donovan. He was honestly one of the hottest guys I’d ever seen, with that dark chocolate hair that swooped across his face like a frat boy. Only he countered it with the ruggedness of an actual man. He was so kind to everyone but he also seemed to care about one thing and one thing only: farming.

Perhaps it was his ambition to do something that not many young people, let alone a young person who didn’t have a farmer in the family, wanted to do. Maybe it was his blasé attitude about making actual friendships. Probably it was the fact that he didn’t pay that much attention to me that led to know with all my being that Jett was the guy for me. 

He was a man who knew about a lot of things, but the only way to get his attention was to ask him about the farm. A lot of girls did that, though, so I tried to come up with something a lot more flawless than my predecessors.

One day, I walked right up to Jett, wearing denim jeans cutoff mid-calf. They were tight as hell and made my otherwise small ass look awesome. I accompanied it with a red and black checkered flannel to pull off the most earthly vibe I could come up with, and then I led with this: “Jett, I got this project for my class, where we have to try something new and well, I was wondering if I could come live on your farm for a while?”

His facial expression didn’t do much. He just tilted his head so slightly I hardly would’ve noticed if I wasn’t waiting on such an important response that just flowed out of him as a simple, “OK.”

It wasn’t much of an answer, but his nonchalant tone somehow gave me the impression he meant it.

The next week, I was unloading a small bag of things in Jett’s guest bedroom. He lived in a really simple, pleasant home. It was pretty old, I guess. Hardwood floors, white on the outside with red shutters. Sort of a cookie-cutter, fresh from the farm kind of house. The inside was pretty bachelor—no art, limited furniture—but it was clean.

I was Jett’s sidekick day in, day out that summer. We started our days collecting new chicken eggs, passed the time watering, planting, harvesting summer squash and tomatoes and ended the nights eating simple meals with whatever it was we gathered that day.

It took a few weeks, but I had Jett talking to me, even enjoying my company. About a month later I found myself sleeping in his room at night. Then, I just stayed.

Jett had always wanted to be a farmer. I guess the only thing I really wanted was Jett.

Photo from flickr.

—Holli Anne

Tv Inspiration + Lost: Multiple POVs

TV Inspiration is a Summer blogging series that the Annes came up with to help spread inspiring content based on two popular TV series. Holli Anne's series is Parks and Recreation. Her Intro post can be found here. Tyler Anne's series is Lost. Her Intro post can be found here. 
This post is Tyler Anne's Tv Inspiration. 

When I think of multiple POVs in writing or reading, I think of Lost and its use of a very large ensemble cast. Sure, Jack is arguably the main main character but you also bounce around to more than a handful of other characters. This was a big reason why I was hooked by the first few of episodes.

You have a plane crash and multiple survivors. The hope of rescue is pretty slim to none. Then during the pilot you start to meet these random individuals aside from Jack. I have to admit the first two episodes (technically the Pilot) I started stereotyping everyone.

Kate was just another pretty face.
Sawyer was just another dumb redneck.
Charlie was a just another musician with a drug problem.
Jin was just another overbearing jackass of a husband.
Sun was just another passive and abused wife.
Shannon was just another stuck up rich girl.
Michael was just another struggling dad trying to connect with his son.
Locke was just another creepy old man with a lot of knives.
Jack was just another hero.

These are some of the characters you follow throughout the show--whether following them around the Island or watching some of their flashbacks. The stereotypes you put the characters in start crumbling as you progress through each one of their stories. Some fall away quickly, others take time to undo. For example, by episode two you get to see some of Kate's backstory and realize that she's not your average Jane. However, you definitely don't have her pegged down completely either.

What is the point I'm trying to make?
One of the wonderful reasons I love Lost is because I get to experience it through multiple POVs. By following these different narrators I'm able to appreciate their development and the story more.

Now, let's talk about...

Multiple Points of View in Writing & Books
I have to admit that up until a few years ago I was a one-character type of girl. Whether it was first person or third, I was content with only following one person around the story. Sure, I had read a few books that had more than one person that told the story but the authors had lost my interest with some very common multiple POV snafus. Now, I'm more open to the tactic and even have become fond of certain books because of it.

Common Multiple POV Mistakes
One book I read a while back was written in two parts--one was from the POV of a boy, the other from a girl. The author chose to have two POVs because the characters were on the opposing sides of a political and religious battle. Having two different perspectives throughout the book was a smart choice because it helped enrich the overall story. However, when the narrators were in the same scene the author showed us each perspective every single time. I understand that this technique can work to further the character's development but sometimes readers don't necessarily have to be in the same room twice to understand what happened and what was seen and felt.

Another reason I have disliked the multiple POV style is lousy transitions from one person to the next. I've read books that break POV shifts into different chapters or marked off sections and I've read books that simply pick up during the next paragraph. This is the easiest way to lose me as a reader. You've chosen to have multiple narrators and that's fine but please make sure your transitions are clear and keep the readers from mass confusion. If we are reading Becky's thoughts about Jeff in one paragraph and then suddenly we're in Michael's head thinking about how he wishes he could still play football, chances are we will get annoyed as readers.

The last multiple POV ick that I've come across is switching to a narrator for no reason at all. Sure, I'm a fan of Becky but don't take me out of Michael's intense fight aftermath to only plop me down into her life while she does her mundane routines. Make sure you put me there for a reason and not just because you wanted some filler. I didn't buy your book for filler. I bought it for a good story. If you aren't furthering the character or overall plot, then don't make me read about Becky brushing her teeth.

I've recently found a writing blog that's extremely helpful and well-written. It's called The Other Side of the Story and it's by Janice Hardy. If you're an established author, an aspiring writer, or somewhere in between I suggest you check it out. She has many posts about POVs that can be found here.

Thoughts on Multiple POVs
I decided to ask the members of our Writer Talk group on Facebook (if you want to join go here) about their thoughts on one narrator per story versus multiple narrators. Here's some good points they made on the subject.

Aine Crabtree, a soon-to-be published author of The Thief, praised multiple POVs.

"As someone whose book is from multiple POVs...very much prefer it that way. I tend to get tired of one voice over a long enough time, and I get curious about what's going on in the heads of other characters. Inevitably I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of levels of the story if I'm restricted to one character's head."

Eli Carnley, another writer from the group, agreed.

"I'm starting to prefer or at least enjoy stories with multiple perspectives. My current project is first person from one character's perspective and I'm finding the constraints to be more than I'd originally bargained for."

My personal thoughts on the matter have started to change recently. I love following the one person through a journey and, just like real life, never knowing everything that goes on with the other characters and some parts of the story. However, reading stories like The Thief (you'll be able to read it soon too!) has made me reevaluate my earlier nose-wrinkling at them. I guess, to me, it all boils down to the quality of the characters you have. If they are good then I won't mind being passed around between them.

Pros & Cons
I feel like I'm almost bashing the idea of having multiple narrators in this post but I really am not. This is, as a writer, one of the first things you have to figure out before starting to write your book. Will you have just one POV or multiple? I've wrestled with the idea many times and created the following pros and con list to help.

Pro

• You can add more interest, story, and character development by having more than one narrator.
• You avoid being monotonous if you aren't stuck with the same person for the duration of the story.
• You can explore and control larger settings and situations.
• When the story starts to lag, switching to another narrator can keep the readers entertained.

Con

• You can lose reader interest if you have too many narrators with weak transitions.
• You have to make sure each character is solid so the reader will follow them.
• You may lose a more involved intimacy with your characters that you might have if there was only one. Typically, readers invest a lot in one character. With multiple POVs this could be harder for them.
• You can lose the tension you've spent building up by switching to another narrator. 

Now, there are more of both, but for brevity's sake (because this is already a pretty big post!) I only listed the pros and cons that stick out in my mind. I guess, for me, it all just depends on the story and what I want to accomplish with it on whether or not I break out multiple POVs.

Which do you prefer?

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)

TV Inspiration: Tyler's Summer Series

There are only three types of people in this world: those who loved the ending of Lost, those who hated it, and those who have never seen the show at all. Let me go ahead say that I'm one of those people who loved the ending and, more importantly, the road that got me there.

Over here at Almost There we have decided to do a Summer blog series that focuses on TV Inspiration. 

We are picking one show each and pulling writing inspiration, DIY ideas, advice, and just a lot of fun from each show.

What does that mean? 

I will re-watch Lost every day and once a week will make a post about the episodes I just watched. Don't worry, it won't be a play by play or anything. Each post I do will either have a Lost-inspired DIY, a fun bit of advice, or a writer/reader/viewer look at the show. Not to mention fun beachy things because, well, I live at the beach!

Why am I doing Lost?

Well, because it's one of my favorite shows. I was lucky enough to be hipster during college and thought it was "uncool" to watch something so popular. So when everyone had to wait until the next week to find out what the junk happened, I wasn't subjected to that torture. After graduation, I randomly watched the first episode on Netflix. I became hooked and watched all seasons in less than a month. (Using #addicted was and is appropriate here.)

If you want to play along and talk about the show/have a better understanding of the humor I'll try to employ in each post, Lost is a great show because all episodes are on Netflix.

Easy enough, no?

Next week will be the first blog post in my TV Inspiration: Lost series! I hope you'll join me! 

Holli Anne will be announcing her Summer Series this week also!

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)

Interview: Story Cartel's Joe Bunting talks free books, writing and new Website

I'm pretty excited about this interview today with Joe Bunting. If you like reading FREE books and/or writing, chances are you'll be excited, too. 

Joe Bunting is the founder of The Write Practice and co-founder of Story Cartel. The first is a blog all about writing and practicing your writing (imagine that!). Story Cartel is a wonderful site where authors give away books in exchange for reviews. WIN-WIN! Seriously, they are two of my favorite places on the Internet, and I think you might like them, too! 

Here's my Q&A with Joe:

For our readers who don't know, could you tell us a little about The Write Practice and Story Cartel?

Story Cartel is a new way for readers to connect with authors. We help authors build their email lists and get reviews on their books by giving away free books to readers. The amazing part is the conversations that happen between readers and authors. Authors tell us all the time that it's one of the most rewarding experiences of their life.

The Write Practice is an online writing workbook sneakily posing as a blog. We post daily instruction on the craft of writing and then ask people to practice with us in the comments section. Daily practice is the best way you become good enough to get published, and we help people practice every day. Also, it's pretty fun. :)

How did you come up with the idea for Story Cartel? Is the concept something you used for your own books?

Exactly. When I launched my first book, I followed a set of steps to build a review team of hundreds of readers, and these readers ended up leaving over 100 Amazon reviews on the book in the first week. It was incredible. We built Story Cartel to help other authors follow the same steps but with a lot less work.

What types of books are typically available through Story Cartel?

It depends on what authors are sharing their books! Right now we have a lot of non-fiction, but in the past we've had quite a few thrillers, we went through a memoir phase, and a stretch with mostly YA books. Books are only available for three weeks, so you have to snap up the ones you like quickly! 

Are the authors who submit books typically independent authors?

Nope. We actually work with traditional publishers to share their books on Story Cartel, too. We want to create a place where independent authors and traditionally published authors can both create meaningful connections with readers.

 

What are the requirements for submitting your book to Story Cartel?

We don't take books with bad covers. The unfortunate truth is that readers judge books by their covers, and they can spot a poorly made, self-published cover a mile away. We want to make our readers happy, so we sometimes have to say no to books with poorly made covers.

As long as you have a nice cover, an Amazon page, a Kindle file, and a PDF of your book, you're set, though.

If I'm a reader, do I have to give a good review of the book to get it for free?

Heck no! If you don't like it, say so. No one benefits with fake positive reviews, not the author and not the reader. 

That being said, the best reviewers know the difference between a book they don't like and a bad book. Hopefully, reviewers can separate their own personal preferences from their critical appreciation of the book. I think that's the best way to create interesting conversations about art.

Tell us what's different about your new Website for Story Cartel?

Since we launched our new website on May 13, we've been blown away by the response. We already have more books available than we had the first three months we started. So the big benefit is more books! The site is much cleaner and clearer, and it's a lot easier for readers to find the perfect book for them. You can sort by your favorite genre, browse our most popular titles, and even book-hop from book to book until you find the perfect book for you.

 

I feel I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the Write Practice. It's one of my favorite writer blogs on the Internet!

Thanks! We like it, too. :) 

 

For our readers who don't know, can you tell us about the daily writing prompts. What should someone expect if they sign up for these?

I think that daily writing prompts, while fun, can be an incredible waste of time. We try to help writers practice a specific skill every day, and the writing prompts are exercises to help you practice that skill. That being said, we occasionally throw in a lone prompt from time to time, just to keep it interesting. :) 

How many different writers contribute to The Write Practice Blog?

We have six right now, including me. It's a pretty amazing team.

Can you tell us a little about your own writing? What are some of the things you've published and your favorite genre to write?

Sure! I like to write literary fiction. My latest published piece is a short story, "Hands," about a dying musician who reconnects with his favorite, former student. It sounds depressing, but it's really about the music, the jazz that bonds these two men. I had a lot of fun writing it.

Any advice for any aspiring authors?

So much. But you'll have to subscribe to The Write Practice to get it. :)

-Holli Anne
 

The Dark Side of Writing: 35 Writing Prompts

I did it! I finally did it! I finished the writing prompt workbook that I've been...well, writing!

It's called The Dark Side of Writing: 35 Writing Prompts and I have to say it was a blast to make.

So, what exactly is the "dark side" you may ask?

Well it's all of those topics that are a bit harder to write--the nastier, grittier side of life. In this workbook I touch on the topics of dead bodies, murder, sex, drugs, and a few more interesting issues that you may have lurking in your book.

You aren't writing a book? The Dark Side of Writing can be used to just exercise your writing technique. The 35 prompts are made to push you to get out of your writer's comfort zone and address real life situations with a few different perspectives.

Here are the 11 sections:

Let the bodies hit...well, wherever
Act of Killing
FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!
Drop that F-Bomb
WHAM BAM, thank you ma'am (and sir)
GO BIG OR GO a little less big
Sweet Jesus, it's a scar!
I can get sexual too!
Drugland (Alcohol not included)
Go Home, You're Drunk
Hate is a strong word

I admit, I had some fun coming up with the names of each section but I had even more fun writing each. Some of the content may seem offensive but I promise it's justified!

To give you a little taste of The Dark Side, here's the copy from Section Eight (I can get sexual too!):

Section Eight
I can get sexual too!

Yes, yes, yes. This section is about sex. Why is writing about sex in The Dark Side of Writing? Well, not all sex scenes in books should be lovemaking, cute and cuddly reads. Sometimes you can’t (shouldn’t) just rush over an important sex scene or skip it altogether because you don’t want to be 50 shades of embarrassed.

Sex is natural. Writing a sex scene that’s needed to further your plot or character growth should be too. The following three writing prompts are to help you get out of your comfort zone and more comfortable with sensual scenes and horny characters.

Get sexy!

Prompt One

Your main character and this other person have known each other a while now and something suddenly changes between them—there’s this explosion of sexual tension. Ease this by having them do the big YOU KNOW WHAT!

Remember, these characters need to know each other and have some sort of pre-existing relationship. (I.e. casual friends, best friends, work colleagues, etc.)

Prompt Two

Your main character needs to basically have a one-night stand. Before you complain, remember—this is a writing prompt. It’s meant to exercise your writing.

Take your main character and put them in a place where they meet someone. It can be a drunken meeting, a heat of the moment situation, or just an I’m-really-sad-about- something-so-help-me-be-less-sad-and-lonely deal.

Bottom line: Write a sex scene in which your main character isn’t that familiar with the person in the scene with them. This will make you address a different side of your main character as they navigate uncharted territory—physically and emotionally.

Prompt Three

Your main character is about to have sex with his/her nemesis. This is by far my favorite situation to write about.

Write a scene in which your main character is fighting with the nemesis but then, something changes and well...they have sex. This also will address the way your main character thinks and acts towards the nemesis during and after.

I hope you enjoyed the sex portion of The Dark Side! Want to see the rest of the sections? Go here to purchase The Dark Side! Only $10!

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)

Writer Talk: Mom, I promise I'm not crazy

Tyler Anne's Take
I write about death--grizzly, gritty death. Murder with all the dirty details in tow. My characters go through the ringer and, sometimes, never come back.

I write depressing, deranged, and dark things on a daily basis.

Does that make me depressed, deranged, and murderous?

This post is an intervention to all of those people who read books that aren't all puppies and butterflies and think OH MY GOD, THESE PEOPLE ARE DEMENTED. They aren't. We aren't.

You need to separate the writer from the book and realize they may write murder but they don't actually commit it. (Or at least some of them don't.) Now, I've said it before and I still stand by it--every story you write is an extension of you in some manner. However, when I'm torturing a character in a dark, damp basement I personally don't want to go out, grab a person, drag them to the basement, and water-log them.

The novel I've been working on gets pretty dicey early on. I was afraid I rushed some things so I let my mom have a few chapters to read at her connivence. A week later I got a call from her. She was unusually quiet. Finally, after a few "are you sure you're okay?" she got to what was bothering her.

"Are you okay? I mean, are you happy?"

I had no clue where she'd jumped on that line of thought...until she told me she had read those chapters.  She said that the torture scene was a little too real and the main character's seems a little unbalanced.

I'll tell you what I told her: Mom, I promise I'm not crazy. I just write crazy.

Sure, there may be some dark little jewel inside of me that is morbidly curious about the world but isn't there something like that in all of us? If I judged all of the books' plots I've read against the author, then hot damn there would be a lot of writers out there that are beyond reproach.

So next time you read a book with content that at times makes you squirm, don't jump to conclusions about the author. Instead, turn your focus to how you feel about all the murder and crass.

Holli Anne's Take
My mom is kind of a crime show/novel junky, so when she reads my dark, gritty tales, she always wants more.

My husband, is a different story. His reactions are similar to Tyler's mom: Um, why is this so dark? You aren't going to kill me, are you?

No, honey, I'm not. 

But, will my characters get raped and murdered (or murder and rape others)? Yes, without a doubt. 

Tyler pretty much covered this topic well: Writers who write dark things aren't all crazy. We're just not.

First things first, don't we all have a little darkness in us all? When I write dark twisted things, I don't do it with the intent of committing crimes or even the desire to. I take the deepest darkest part of myself, magnify it by 100 and write a damn good story about humanity.

Second of all, if people didn't enjoy these types of tales, there probably wouldn't be so many crime shows and novels out there. 

So sit back, relax and just enjoy yourself a good piece of twisted fiction!

For more Writer Talk go here.

Writer Talk: So you want to write a book

Holli Anne made a good point yesterday. When you tell someone you're writing a book they either respond with a.) what's it about? and b.) I want to write a book someday too.

I've run into both reactions before and couldn't help but wonder how many of my friends are actually trying to write and finish a book. So, I made the whole "Like this status if you're writing a book" and was surprised at how many people Liked it and messaged me about it.

See, Holli and I have been making Writer Talk plans and were going to wait to unleash later next month but I don't see why we can't do it earlier!

What we did
We created an open group on Facebook called Writer Talk. Go here to see it.

Its purpose is to first and foremost create a sense of camaraderie among aspiring writers. Anyone can be a writer and that makes for an interesting variety of talents. Writer Talk is a place on the internet where you can talk with The Annes and others about what inspires you, what problems you're having, your success stories, and so much more!

What we will do
We will start daily discussions within the group. We will ask questions that are writing-related and offer writing resources on the web.

Another big part of this group will be our prompts! Every now and again we will give you a writing prompt for you to address within the group. We will then pick our personal favorite response (or all of them, depending) and post it as a Writer Talk post on this site! (That is if you are okay with it. We will not post anything by you without your permission!)

What we hope to accomplish
Basically, we love to network and we love to write. This group is mashing those two things together! Writers face very normal and very weird problems from time to time. This group will allow us (and you!) to talk it out with fellow writers who are just trying to realize a very awesome dream--writing a book!

We hope you'll join our group! Remember, go here to join!

Writer Talk: Over-sharing & Under-sharing

Over-sharing, under-sharing and letting you know about the apple on the table 

Hello, my name is Tyler and I’m an over-sharer. Don’t want to know what I had for lunch, how it made me feel, and what I thought about while I ate it? Then don’t talk to me after lunch. I am a bottomless pit of talk and I’m not afraid to let my words fly.

I’m not ashamed of this particular personality trait, however, when it comes to writing it can be a bit of a problem.

I have read hundreds of books that walk the line of over-sharing and under-sharing details and books that have fallen in between. I know that giving too much information can be as bad as not giving enough. I want to know what the main character is thinking as he sees the city for the first time but I don’t need to know every single detail in the building to his left or the storm drain next to his feet. On the flip side, you can’t tell me that this is his first time to the city and then let him just walk down the street and into a nondescript house without a new thought in his head.

Getting the details just right is a balancing act in any story you write. At times, it’s a struggle for me to pull in my description reigns because I want need the reader to not only understand my story and characters but to see them as well. As the author I will always know 110 percent more than the reader about my story. I know why she bounces her leg whenever it storms. I know that the police station has a leaky basement causing the captain to have a series of hellish allergies. I know that, after the book ends, Mary is going to have a daughter and name her after her estranged sister.

Some of these details enhance the story; others just distract from it and enable over-sharing tendencies. Unless a detail furthers the readers’ understanding of a plot or character, really think about if it should be in there at all.

I’m going to use a very obscure book as an example of over-sharing.

Jude the Obscure (by Thomas Hardy) made me want to become a character in that book just so I could punch Jude and tell him to stop thinking about nonsense all of the time. You don’t have to know about the plot to know that dear ole Jude couldn’t walk a damned step without analyzing everything around him, how it all made him feel, and at least two flashbacks into his past. If I hadn’t been forced to read it for school I would have put it down within the first chapter (and I normally ALWAYS read past the first chapter).

Sure, some thoughts were relevant to the story. He questioned the love of his life, the way the city made him feel, and a bunch of other important who-am-I issues. However, he also described a ton of things that wasn’t worth a damn to him, me, or the story. Now, I know for a fact that some people insanely love this book (awkward moment: trashing this book to your professor before realizing she did her dissertation on it) and that’s good and all but they can’t deny it is, at best, long-winded.

You don’t need to write out everything that your character feels and sees and smells and touches because you love your story. You automatically know more than anyone about your story and you should keep it just like that. Your story, no matter the plot, is an extension of you and you need your secrets. Sometimes I tell you more than you need to know about my main, sometimes I don’t tell you enough to put together who-done-it, and sometimes I just want you to know there’s an apple sitting on the table.

At the end of the day it’s still your story. You can over- and under-share all you want, just remember that there are people who will put down your book in a heartbeat if you abuse either option. Don’t make them compare your story to Jude the Obscure.

-Tyler Anne (aka Chick Tyler)

Laundromat Fiction: Chasing a Weird Dream

I've mentioned before how a change of environment can do wonders for some creative inspiration. Normally, when I'm feeling this way, I make my way over to a coffee shop or a park if it's a nice day. 

But sometime while in college, I first got the insane urge to go to a laundromat and write fiction. I never actually did it because I lived in a house with a washer and dryer, and well, I never got up the nerve to be that creepy laundromat loiter. The insane urge never went away, to the point that this became a legit dream of mine. 

Well, now, I'm proud to say our new home doesn't have a washer and dryer, and we have to go to the laundromat to wash our clothes. Dream. Come. True.

It may seem silly, but it actually makes me pretty pleased. 

Another big dream I have is to publish a book, but I have to be real about something: I'm scared to show people my fiction. 

Since Almost There is all about living your dreams and overcoming fears, I decided to start this here Laundromat Fiction series. The concept is simple: I'll publish short stories I write while doing my laundry (most likely in a laundromat). 

These short stories will be pieces, unlike my book, that I don't spend much time proofreading, polishing or over thinking in anyway. Honest feedback is most welcomed!

The subjects won't always revolve around the literal laundromat, but since this is the first one, it seemed fitting. 

Hope to hear what you think!

—Holli Anne

I can’t seem to break my stare away from that gaudy neon sign flashing, one letter at a time, “O-P-E-N.”
There are probably 100 washers and dryers at this Coin Star Laundromat, and part of me wonders if there’s ever a time of day that even half of them are in use. Its seclusion is what attracted me to this particular place.I have actually never stepped foot in a laundromat before, and might I mention, I’m slightly impressed with the way a building as old, dirty, ugly and rundown can smell so damn good. Especially considering there are a total of four people in here now, one really old attendant working on a crossword puzzle or something like that. And three Hispanics, only one of whom I think is actually doing laundry.
I scan the place for a washer as far away from the crowd as possible, which isn’t exactly difficult to do. I find a nice dark corner that looks like the perfect place to wash these blasted clothes.
I’m not exactly looking to make friends while I’m here, especially considering my outfit of choice: my boyfriends button up shirt and a pair of sweatpants, both of which I found in my car. I make a mental note to carry better outfit selections in my car, as I receive a few awkward stares from the big crowd.
When I remember why I’m here, though, I cut myself a little slack. I mean I didn’t exactly plan on killing a man tonight. If I had prepared for such an occasion, maybe I wouldn’t have worn my favorite pair of jeans and that purple sweater mom gave me. In fact, not having planned for this occasion might make me less of a villain than if I had.Either way, I had one mission here tonight: wash my outfit so I can return home in the same clothes I had on when I left tonight, hopefully blood free. I drop my clothes in one of the commercial washers, praying to God no one notices how few of them there are, then have to walk across the joint to purchase soap and make change. I hear snickers from the peanut gallery, but I pretend to not notice.They probably wouldn’t be laughing if they had known what I had just done.
“Hi, can I make some change with you?”
“Machine’s over there in the corner,” the attendant lashes back at me from behind her godawful coffee breath, without even looking away once from her puzzle.
Well, excuse me. I was slightly offended before realizing it might be a good thing if she doesn’t look too closely at my face. If anyone does catch on, well, I don’t know how they would end up here questioning people, but you never really know I guess.
I don’t think I’ll be caught, though. While this may have been my first kill, I’d often contemplated murder—how I’d do it, you know, if I ever needed to. Everyone does, right?Anyway, tonight, when my little sister told me what that bastard had done to her, there was really no other choice. The police didn’t believe her, but I knew my sister, and well, that douche had to go.
I didn’t intend on killing him at first. I was planning to just corner him outside that pizza shop and kick his ass a little. You know, just scare him off. It’s not that I was bigger, but I knew if he didn’t see me coming, and I hit him with just the right amount of force, overpowering him in the beginning, I’d have him where I’d need him. When I saw him, though, well, I guess I got carried away. I snuck up right behind him, stabbed him in just the right spot, pulled the knife out and ran. His blood splattered all over me, but no one was around to hear or see anything. I left him there for someone to find, probably some poor jogger on his morning run tomorrow.Maybe its just adrenaline, but I don’t feel sad about what I’ve done. I keep picturing that arrogant smirk he had seemingly painted across his face in the ally. Before he knew what was coming, anyway. As I watch my clothes spin, I imagine the blood on my hands washing right away with it. If only I could stop staring at that damned blinking sign, maybe this wouldn’t be such a bad place to spend an hour.  

Books: Organizing, Reading and Writing!

I have a lot of goals involving books this coming year. You may have seen some of them in our New Year goals post.

Specifically, I want to read more books, continue writing my book and here's a new one: find a way to organize my books.

I currently don't have a bookshelf, but I have TONS of books. I found a creative way to display them around my house in decorative form. Some of them are a little practical, being end tables holding lamps. Seriously, they are everywhere: in the kitchen, in my office, in my room and in my living room. 

I like that I at least have something to do with them other than sit in ugly boxes, but my new house is a tiny, tiny cottage.

I'm going to want to control these a little better. 

Since the house is so small, I'm hoping to just find a simple, small bookshelf at a thrift store—no big fancy plans for this storage, but I do think it's a pretty important goal for the order of our future home. 

Other book goals:

I've been thinking about my "read more books" goal a lot, specifically how non-specific it is. 

I'm not ready to just out and claim a number of books I want to read, but I do know that tangible goals are much easier to obtain. So here's a few ways I want to narrow it down.

1. Read every day. Right now, I start reading a book, plow about half-way to three-quarters of the way through it and then stop for a while. I think subconsciously I just don't want it to end. If I make myself read everyday, maybe I can curb this habit.

2. Read and review books from Story Cartel, this super cool Website I found. It's a place where authors give away copies of their book in exchange for Amazon reviews. I loved everything I read on there last year. You can get free books, too, if you click on that link!

3. Read more classics. This is self-explanatory. I just want to read some of the ones I didn't already read in school. 

Do you have any goals involving books this year?

—Holli Anne