In the chair is Danny Wynn author of Lucien and I

Confessions from

Danny Wynn

1.  I think the sensation of feeling you are living life to the full can be powerfully euphoria-inducing in much the same way, and in some ways more so, as pleasure-inducing drugs.

2.  I think it is fascinating and baffling that intelligent, self-interested people who have worked hard and long to build satisfactory lives very often behave self-destructively so as to harm themselves.

3.  For me, charisma is an abstract quality that draws people to you that is separate from any specific appeal that the person has, such as good looks, intelligence, wittiness, or social cachet, et cetera.  It is a pure magnetism unconnected to any specific appeal, and it must be a wonderful quality to possess and experience.  I myself do not have it.

4.  Ultimately the most important things in life are the quality of the people you are close to, and the quality of your relationships with them.  Other people may be hell, but they still are the best means by which to achieve true happiness.

5.  I have had a rich, satisfying life, and would not feel shortchanged if it ended tomorrow.

6.  I have truly great friendships with people I great rapport with and who provide my spirit with a lot of nourishment and sustenance, and that is one of the most valuable things I have.

7.  I love my wife, and she is the best decision I ever made.

8.  I had a miserably unhappy childhood, and strongly negative feelings toward both my parents, and it is astonishing that I avoided where that was naturally taking me, and got to the vital, satisfying state of being that I have now.  

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 I n t r o d u c i n g . . .

 Lucien and I

 

 What if you had the chance to relive your twenties the way you really wanted them to be?

 Thirty-nine-year-old David is presented with that opportunity by Lucien, a charismatic young Englishman.

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 Ranging from downtown Manhattan to Istanbul, Majorca, and the Hamptons, the two of them live a life of excess—drugs, beautiful women, and adventure—and forge a strange but great friendship. 

But with every journey, there comes a price; and in every paradise there lurks a temptress. For David, will his quest for excitement lead him to betrayal and loss?

Danny Wynn is a full-time fiction writer, and before that, he was an executive in the record industry and part-time fiction writer. He has lived in New York City, Los Angeles, and London, and now makes his home in the West Village with his wife and two children. His other favorite place in the world (after the West Village) is the island of Mallorca, Spain

He is currently finishing two novels.

Danny describes himself as a creature in search of exaltation. In addition to attending the original Woodstock Music Festival, some of the other great concerts he’s been to include: Roxy Music on the Avalon Tour at Radio City, Bon Iver at Town Hall and subsequently at Radio City, The National at BAM and later at The Beacon, and The Waterboys at the Hammersmith Palais, Bruce on his solo tour, U2 on Zooropa and later tours, Dylan on the right night, and Van on the right night.

Get the bad guy right

by 
Clive West

Enter the cafe: VBT

Have I missed a comma out in my title? I think not.

Ask yourself what the following have in common:

• A fairy tale
• A romance
• A horror story
• A police procedural
• A Victorian melodrama
• A children's play
• A spaghetti western

... and so on.

The answer is that such stories, disparate as they may be in content, style and demographics, will almost certainly possess a truly despicable villain. The only question is whether that villain lives in a house in the forest and gobbles up lost children or whether they've seduced our beautiful and headstrong heroine at the time of her greatest vulnerability.

But what really makes a good villain?

Naturally the specifics relate to the book itself but there are many lessons to be learned from popular culture - not just of our generation but also of our recent ancestors. Look at the logic behind what was possible not so many years ago because, as a species, we haven't significantly changed in the meantime. In bygone days, theatre audiences weren’t able to see much of the stage, by-and-large wouldn't be particularly well educated, and would universally want something that they could let off steam over. To coin a phrase, they wanted someone to boo and the louder the better.

From a modern writer’s perspective, the first decision to be taken is whether to have multiple villains or a single one. If the answer's 'a number' then the next question is from the book's perspective - are you going to see things from the point-of-view of the heroes or the villains? If it's the former then the villains should possess minimal individual characteristics as giving them too much personality will reduce their effectiveness; the reader will begin to identify with them.

If you’re going to write from the point of view of the bad guys then, yes, you do need to develop their characters and this is where you can have some fun. As with the principle of theatre, it's perfectly permissible to go a little bit over the top. The reader isn't likely to want someone who's a 'bit on the bad side' doing things which 'aren't very nice'. They want someone really evil doing mind-bogglingly horrible stuff. NB this doesn't mean a splatter-fest - there needn't be an ounce of gore in the storyline for this criterion to be fully satisfied. Your truly bad guy can be the evil seducer or the wicked witch just as easily as they can be the mad psychopath or the bandito with the bad teeth and an even worse attitude.

With a group of bad guys try hard to think of something which links them. Don't forget that altruism won't figure highly on their agenda so come up with a good reason why they stick together - e.g. through fear, greed, power etc. The higher the level of 'bad-ness', the stronger the glue you're going to need to hold them together so work on this before you start putting 'pen to paper'.

A book without a solitary bad guy is likely to be insipid yet a book without a good guy isn’t of necessity a bad read. This is because we still like to be able to boo our villains – good and loud.

Now, there's a message there somewhere.

Storytelling and Editing: navigating the tricky waters

by 

Shelly Frome

Years ago, in order to earn some extra credit, I took a course in creative writing at a little college in Miami. There I discovered women who were working on a novel and had signed up for the same course over and over again. Not only that, but they were still working on their first chapter. As encouragement, the instructor and fellow classmates would make comments like, “I see so much improvement. Those hibiscus bushes are becoming more and more vivid with each draft.” At that juncture I promised myself if I myself ever tackled a novel, I would never get stuck in the hibiscus bushes. Nor would I try to please a group of very pleasant well-wishers. I wasn’t sure I’d try to please any group at all.

Visit the VBT Cafe

But even on your own, there’s the left part of the brain that monitors and judges and the right hemisphere that just wants to carry on and be given free rein. Moreover, how on earth do you bridge the gap between what you think or hope you’re creating and the needs and responses of the publishing world?

And so, on my first pass, trying my darnedest to cram in as much information as possible so the reader would see there’s really a lot going on here, Scott Meredith, the noted New York agent, told me you can’t do that. No reader could possibly take it all in. Later on, I read the advice of the late novelist and college instructor John Gardner. He noted that you should always think of it as carefully feeding a hammer mill. At the same time, a popular author wrote a guide revealing his secret: you spring forward and then fall back to gradually let the reader in on what’s going on. In Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott claims you should keep going until the very end. Accept the fact you’re going to wind up with a lousy first draft which the editor inside you can tackle and fix. One best selling writer believes it’s like taking a car trip in the dark: using the headlights, knowing more or less where you’re headed but allowing yourself to turn off at any time to find what’s really out there.

There are, of course, no hard and fast rules. For what it’s worth, I myself use a variation. Though I more or less know where I’m going, I can’t seem to take another step until I’ve polished the chapter I’m on. All the while I leave myself open to discover things—what this character’s really like, some twist in direction I wasn’t expecting that’ll necessitate major or minor adjustments. Then I’ll go back and read, say, all the beginning chapters to see if the story really hangs together with a compelling through-line.

In any case, I try not to get stuck in the hibiscus bushes, self-editing so much that I’ll never finish the journey. Never self-edit to the point where I’ll avoid diving into some dicey scene and allowing it to “catch fire” as the playwright Tennessee Williams used to say.

Unfortunately, because of the ease of self-publishing and e-publishing there are countless dilettantes out there skipping over structure and the editing process altogether. Why bother, they say, when you can announce your latest and do a give-away every few months? It reminds me of the heiress Paris Hilton who arranged to get on a series of mindless so-called reality shows and then announced she was retiring. When asked on network TV, From what, Paris? she couldn’t think of a thing.

In real terms, when you’ve done your very best, you send it out there and hopefully find a match with an agent or publisher. Or, just to make doubly sure, you latch on to a reputable, professional editor who has a track record handling your particular material. After he or she gives you the green light, you send it out. Once you’ve finally placed it, more editing will be asked of you.

However, if nothing pans out, you can look into a decent e-publisher, safe in the conviction you have something worthwhile to offer.

In my own case, I spend so much time striving for a solid foundation and trying to satisfy both parts of my brain, more often than not, my independent publisher will accept the final draft. At that point, he’ll assign someone like the wonderful Allyson Gard who, in turn, will make suggestions. Only then will the final draft be truly final and ready to reach readers’ hands.

EDITING – SELF OR OTHERWISE

by

Larry Ivkovich

Editing one’s work, whether it’s for flash fiction, a short story, a novella, or a novel, can be frustrating and time-consuming. But, it’s a necessary evil for all those who want to get their work as polished and professional as possible. And, oftentimes, a much better story will be the result of it.

During my thirty years of serious fiction writing and my tenures in a number of writing/critique groups, an old discussion often comes up. It’s one which I believe has no really right answer although the two schools of thought often clash. That is, should a writer finish whatever he or she is writing and edit afterwards or self-edit as he or she writes?

It seems most writers I talk to and most writing “how-tos” I’ve read favor the former--edit after completing the work. I subscribe to the latter--I edit while I’m writing. The advice I give to beginning writers is to do whatever is comfortable and natural for them. Everyone’s different and has different methods and styles of working. There’s really no right or wrong way to self-edit.

I’ve tried to finish a work and then go back and edit but I just can’t do it. It’s not that I’m compulsive about it or a Type A personality in that regard. I just like to play with what I’ve written previously, to try and improve it or completely change it based on ideas I come up with after I’ve finished writing a particular passage. I don’t outline but I do take notes and jot things down when I think of them but it’s just more fun for me to try an idea out on what I’ve written right away. Writer and editor Anne Lesley Groell remarked at a writers’ conference I attended that this was how she also worked on her writing. So I feel like I’m in good company!

Of course, this is more involved than just line-editing although that, too, is important. Spellcheck and grammar-check are good tools in your word processing software but aren’t always completely successful. My wife told me a story about an old boss of hers who was looking for another job. His office assistant typed up his resume for him on her PC and ran the spellcheck. Now, sometimes, you can misspell a word into a different word that’s completely legitimate. This particular incident happened in the eighties where a style of resume writing allowed you to put down what you did in your spare time. My wife’s boss told his assistant to put down “white water rafting,” as a hobby, which he’d done only once or twice. The assistant transposed the “r” and “f” in the word “rafting,” which the spell check didn’t catch because “farting” is a real word. Well, needless to say, the guy didn’t get the job! But everyone in my wife’s office, after hearing about this through the grapevine, had a good laugh.

So, it’s important for someone else to take a look at your work, whether that person is a professional editor or a fellow writer or a friend. A fresh set of eyes always helps. This is where a writing/critique group comes in handy or someone you trust to be honest with you about the work.

Still--mistakes can happen. An example from my début novel, THE SIXTH PRECEPT, is a pretty glaring one. Despite my own editing and that of my publisher’s editor, we both let a few misspelled words and phrases slip through the cracks, which I discovered after the book had come out. One of my characters is talking about “cruisin’ the Wet.” Say what? It should have been “cruisin’ the net (small case also)”. I still don’t know how that one got by. The mistakes have been corrected in subsequent printings and downloads but it was pretty embarrassing.

One thing that’s helpful to do (whether you self-edit while you write or after) is to put the story, book, article aside for a couple of months (depending on your submission deadline, if any) and then come back to it after you’ve gained some distance. It’s easier to pick out mistakes in both line-editing, plot, structure, etc. once you’re not so close to it.

I recently heard a story of an author who had left the small publishing company who had published his first book because he didn’t like to be edited. That’s a pretty extreme and, ultimately, self-defeating reaction. Writers have to develop a thick skin and be prepared to take criticism. Such comments, no matter how much you may disagree with them, will help your work to become that much better (although, if you feel very strongly the proffered advice isn’t right, then it’s absolutely your prerogative to ignore it). Though writing is often referred to as a “solitary profession,” working with other writers and editors can be a very positive experience and one necessary for future growth.

So, edit yourself any way you want! It’s important but remember you may not catch everything that can drag your work down. Trust in yourself but also in other people to help you in bringing your creative vision to life.

Use past experiences when writing romance says

Adrianna Morgan

Romance is all about finding that special someone and discovering why they are that special someone.  It takes quite a bit to write about romance.  When writing “Once upon a Fairytale Princess,” I found myself recalling the worst relationships I ever had, trudging through the worst dates, and even reliving (gasp) the worst lovers I’d been with.  This makes writing romance more than researching affairs of the heart.  It’s a retelling how you reacted in a similar situation and how your character would react now.

One of the sad things about many romance novels is that the heroines are always simpering willows who cry on every other page or the man-hating, never-fall-in-love-again characters who are so acerbic that, as a reader, you have no interest in hearing her side of the story.  It is hard to find that balance when it comes to emotions but it is best to use yourself as an example.  We have all been heart-broken before; sitting on your bed with a large pizza, bag of chocolates and a box of Kleenex next to you as you cry.  Fast forward ten minutes and you are no longer crying instead, you are wishing death upon the man who hurt you.  An hour later, you are watching TV or perhaps have fallen asleep or you may be out on the town with friends.

Strong emotions in romance involve that ping-ponging back and forth, and while it can be the most devastating thing at the time, using that personal experience is what makes a good romance even better. 

Sex scenes are the hardest for me to write.  It’s not that I’m shy, but once again, balance is the key.  My erotic fairytales collection, “Fairytale Flirtations” ranges from sex in a crowded ballroom, to a private bedroom, and a nightclub bathroom.  The sex scenes should complement not only the book, but also the characters and their personalities.  A librarian should not become a dominatrix unless that is a part of the story.  And that can work—in the right kind of story. 

Sex does not have to be dry or boring, but to make it romantic, it has to be more than just sex; there has to be that element of the heart in the scene to make it romantic and believable.  It might be easier for a woman to write in this genre because we know what appeals to other women, but men can be just as successful.  Weaving a good story filled with romance, drama, conflict and the requisite happy ending can make for an excellent novel regardless of the gender of the author. 

Once Upon A Fairytale Princess 

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In a matter of moments, Ella Fitzpatrick’s life went from bad to worse. Her father’s boast pits her against every seamstress in the village all vying for the ultimate prize—guest of honor at the Prince’s ball. Once there, Ella catches the eye of the charming prince and manages to make a powerful enemy; one who is not above using magic to aid her quest. Now Ella is on the run, chasing the very villain who killed her mother ten years ago and who may be trying to kill her now. The only thing stopping Ella is her lack of knowledge about her own magical background—and Hunter, the Prince’s brooding bodyguard. Hunter Kirk has been in love with Ella since she promised to marry him when they were children. Now she is pledged to his Prince and someone might be trying to kill her. He has to get to her before the last Fitzpatrick sorceress is killed—and he loses his chance to tell her how much he loves her.