Monday, April 11, 2011

Day 9 - Self-Published Covers and Crazy Characters Taking Control

I'll change things up tonight and handle the publishing side first. On your right is the cutesy blueprint of a baby I made in GIMP following a Youtube tutorial. It has dawned on me that putting a baby on the cover is just too difficult. First, babies while cute, are awkward photographs. Second, my story is really about the cancelled wedding because of the baby. But the baby by itself would be no big deal. 


This leaves me with what is the nuts and bolts of my story? A cancelled wedding. And that leads me to what I think will be the final cover design: a glossy, snazzy wedding invitation for Johnathan and Alexis with a big, fat CANCELLED across the front! That is a front cover image that I would pick up. A blue print baby? Upon seeing it, no, honestly, I wouldn't pick it up and read the back. Cancelled wedding invitation? Oh give me the dirt! And that plays into my trainwreck romance brand

Writing


Writing exploded today. First, I finished my first love scene between my two main characters. I feel so bad about it. Not in a naughty sense, but in a failure to deliver what I like...See I read steamy fan fiction, especially Pride and Prejudice for mature audiences. Think Linda Berdoll's continuations. I want the gory details. However, while the subject matter of my books will be adult romantic ethics, and the train wrecks we create with them, I think my audience will include high school readers. I remember when I was 16, 17, I was interested in reading about what comes next in my twenties. I won't say my book is young adult (YA), but it isn't erotica either. So I felt a little guilty that while I enjoy reading some erotica, I can't write it. 


I was also proud to include some awkwardness. After my male character unzips a dress, the female character stops to check is HE's okay (it makes sense for the characters, and no, he isn't a whimp). 
The tight black cocktail dress turned into a billowy, shapeless blob covering her front, but exposing her back.


There's other awkwardness earlier on. Like drinking champagne out of those tacky tumblers next to the coffee pot in the hotel room. LOL. But at any rate, my curtain comes down before things get too out of hand and I think it works. If not, my cold readers will definitely let me know...


Chapter 6 flew out of the brain tonight. I mean FLEW. And my characters were little minxes. Eric, I am starting be so proud of him, showed a vulnerable side to his peter-pan, party-all-night-play-genius-at-work ethics. Did you know when he's nervous, he makes paper clip figures? I had no idea. But as he waited outside of Johnathan's office the Monday after Johnathan hooks up with Alex, and Johnathan is late by the way (which he never is) Eric mangled a paper clip into a star. This little trinket is what influences Johnathan into once again, covering for his friend. I loved it! I just wanted to pat him on the back and say "Don't worry. Sh-t is going to hit the fan, but you, you will be okay." But I can't. Not yet.


And Alexis. That girl. Did you know she scheduled a lunch date with her EX last week, and just happens to take an extended lunch with him the Monday after hooking up with Johnathan? Poor Johnathan finds out about it after the fact, and he is so hurt. The man told her Alexis, I have dreamt of this moment for months. I don't know what I did to cause tonight– I've been wracking my brain for weeks to tell you how much I am in love with you–but yes, I am absolutely sure I want to claim that love in as many ways I can.” Can we say AWWWWWW???? But just as the reader starts to feel bad for Johnathan, here comes another loop-de-loop. Kellie shows up to announce she's pregnant. 


I'm so ready to write Chapter 7, the scene where Kellie and Johnathan work out the necessities, but alas, it's midnight here. Pumpkin time. I will pull my husband from his make shift recording studio and play some Sudoku to shut down my brain for the night. I have a gym workout at 8 AM. I want to lose about 15 pounds before the novel debuts.


"Imperfect Timing" arriving Fall 2011. Johnathan Michaels, a robotics engineer, jeopardizes his engagement with his business partner when a previous one-night stand surfaces, carrying his child.

No comments:

Post a Comment