When Movies Influence Writing

Flora and the Zephyrs

Remember in Sleepless in Seattle where they're watching An Affair to Remember? Art imitating art. And it isn't always movies imitating movies. While I was researching HEART FOR RENT, WITH AN OPTION, my art-loving character was inspired by a painting (Flora and the Zephyrs) I stumbled across. But I digress.

I was talking with a friend who'd recently started reading my books. As she put it, she "finally has time to read." She reminded me of a scene I wrote inspired by Breakfast at Tiffanys. "Cat!" (THE MIRROR).

I wrote a séance into EPITAPH, which prompted me to go back and find an old, old, made-for-tv movie I'd loved when I was a kid - The House That Would Not Die. That movie, incidentally, is how I found Barbara Michaels' books (Ammie, Come Home). She would later become one of my inspirations, that very subtle ghostly touch. 

While I was writing THE SCULPTOR, I thought about Wuthering Heights, which I recently re-read. In retrospect, Heathcliff might not have been a good model for a hero, although it was the romantic tragedy that the heroine projected onto him. 

And my Christmas book? WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING? Think every Hallmark movie - although there was one in particular where the plot was about a writer who was tasked with writing a "Hallmark" book and given plot points he had to incorporate... I don't remember the title, because... well, if you've watched more than one Hallmark movie, you'll understand. 

The reason for the post today is that I am again drawing inspiration from a movie for a book. Keep in mind I pick and choose a particular scene from the movie that inspires me. For my current work in progress (a new installment in the Hoffman Grove series), I have a heroine who originally wanted to show a former fiancé who she was "today," years after they'd broken up. The movie that came to mind? French Kiss. The scene was when she wore that little blue dress (which looked fabulous on her) and tells him, essentially, "the new me doesn't want the old you." (You go, girl!)

Oftentimes, you'll hear authors talk about how writing a book is transcribing the movie playing in their head. And sometimes, our movie is inspired by the other movies that have impacted us in one way or another. 

What movies stick with you? And why? 

Who wants a book?

I’m giving away a book, but you’ll have to keep reading. 😉

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The reason authors write is because it's who they are more than it's what they do.

Some days, writing is a tedious job and drags you down. Then you get a review (authors should never read their reviews) from someone who says something "inconceivable" (channeling my Princess Bride here - "I do not think that means what you think it does") that makes no sense, cites no examples. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. She did say she'd read another one of my books if she didn't have to pay for it, so it wasn't ALL bad. 

When I'm writing something new and I hit my stride, it's like a fire that rages out of control. I'm in the "hot zone" right now with my next book, writing a story that is taking me right along with it. I'm still in first draft, so I'm letting it burn, but at some point I'm going to have to go back to assess the damage. My characters will need more depth (they have it, but in the rush to get words down, a reader might not see it), and my settings will need more description (again, it's there, but not transcribed appropriately). My imagination is ablaze and I can hardly keep up with it. My daily word count is doubling and trebling. At some point, the fire will bank and I'll be struggling to light my path forward, but for now, I feel like an arsonist must, excited and in awe of the blaze. 

Does that sound creepy?

But I promised you a giveaway.

I often snap pictures of the things I see/find when I’m “Out and About.” The other day, I came across this gladiolus. If you can tell me what Brynn and Nora use one for in INTERRUPTED MAGIC, I’ll send 2 lucky winners a copy of ENCHANTED MEMORIES. Who wants to play? I have paperback (1 copy up for grabs) or e-book (2 copies to lucky contestants). Shoot me your answer in the contact form on the right side of the page, or just ask me how the flower was used if you want to be entered to win. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on next week’s blog.

Or, you know, you could always buy a copy to be sure you don't miss out. 😉

Buy it at   Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Apple | Kobo

 

Buy it at
  Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Apple | Kobo  

Clean, Dirty, Sweet or Steamy

In these days of political correctness, I'm going to share one of my pet peeves as an author. 

I've begun work on my next book, which will again be a romance. I'm adding to the Hoffman Grove series, which begs the question, what kind of romance will it be? Fun fact about COOKIE THERAPY, which is part of this series. When I wrote it, I wrote it with "the door closed." The intimate scenes were off the page. My editor said readers would feel cheated. I didn't ask her if that was because my previous books had left the door open or if she considered it industry standard but deferred to her wisdom as an editor and "opened the door." Does that make it dirty--or steamy?

I did a Christmas novel that I'd hoped to market to Hallmark, WHILE WE WERE SHOPPING, that fell into the "sweet" category (i.e., no sex). Does that make it "clean?"

When I first started writing the Hillendale novels, I'd considered writing to a different market and attended a writers group in that market to learn. FAMILY ALCHEMY was always meant to be more women's fiction than romance, showing Brynn's journey, so the "heat level" was never at issue. However, in that writing group, they talked about "clean romance," which immediately set my teeth on edge. I don't view intimacy as "dirty."

Bottom line, I left the writers group. I didn't pursue the avenue I was considering. Well, I did, but I ended up changing my mind after consulting with someone who writes the genre I was aiming for and she gave me some pointers. I realized I didn't have the right skill set to get it there, and although the group invited me to stick around, I had a hard time aligning what I wrote as "clean" or "dirty."

I'm a big proponent of "sweet" or "steamy." I do recognize that there are people out there who have a problem with reading about intimacy on the page, and I'm well aware of the boundaries some people set. I love reading Kristan Higgins romances, where she takes you right to the bedroom door, and then closes it. I also love reading Jill Shalvis novels that invite you right into the bedroom. I've heard from readers who don't want to "see that stuff in a book," say they skip over the "hot" sections, and other readers who savor them. 

Romance novels include intimacy of varying levels. Readers expect that. Whether its emotional intimacy, and that should be there regardless, and/or physical intimacy. Because some readers don't want to "see" the physical side of things, labels get applied to prepare them. Me? I use "steamy." If my readers expect me to call it "dirty," I'm going to say they probably shouldn't be reading romance unless they refer to it as a "guilty pleasure." Now, I'm not talking about erotica, where physical intimacy is the main focus. I'm talking about books that take the time to develop an emotional bond between the characters. Erotica is it's own label. I don't think "dirty" needs to be applied in any event, unless they're wallowing in a mudpit.

With all that being said, there are industry standards to physical intimacy. Different people like different things, or don't like certain things. One of my first exposures to physical intimacy in a book was a novel by Julie Garwood. She wrote scenes including things that I, personally, didn't like, so I tended to wrinkle my nose and skip over them. We all have our tipping points. Most romance novels you read will stick to "typical interaction" and leave the fetishism or extreme behavior to the erotic category. Do authors write about what happens in their own bedrooms? Heck, no! Most of what you see in a steamy novel is standard fare, adapted by a particular author to suit their characters. 

So here I go writing another in a series of "steamy" novels. Yes, I anticipate some foggy windows  ahead--Foggy, but not dirty. 😉

Do you have strong feelings on how you label romance? Or preferences on the heat level?

Release Day!

 Anyone else excited for the new Hillendale novel? Here's another sneak peek at ENCHANTED MEMORIES.

“I’m not going in there,” she repeated.

“Claustrophobic?” Becker asked.

Madeleine folded her arms. She didn’t need some cop she didn’t know psychoanalyzing her, and after the disaster with her brother, she’d developed a healthy skepticism where police officers were concerned. If he had a hidden agenda, she didn’t want to be part of it. “Deputy Jakes was right. I don’t want to help. I’ll just see myself out.”

His eyes flickered with surprise and his posture softened. “Wait.”

She raised her eyebrows, allowing him to continue.

“There’s a coffee shop a couple doors down. We could go there.”

She gave him a nod and followed him out, away from the memories, to the task at hand.

“Why did you decide to track me down?” she asked.

“You were recommended by the Woodrow PD.”

Pat answer. Too pat. “What did you think when the Woodrow PD suggested a psychic?”

He assessed her a moment longer, his eyes taking everything in from her half-moon earrings to her barely concealed tattoos to her ankle boots. Want a closer look? She took a step closer to judge his response.

No one was going to take what she wasn’t willing to give ever again. She’d learned how to deal with sleazeballs. Better to know where Becker stood before this went any further.

Buy it today, in e-book and paperback: https://books2read.com/u/brPr1z

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo

 

         Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo