28
Jan
If you’re going to be a writer, you’ll need to get used to waiting. We wait to hear back on queries. We wait to hear back on partials. We wait to hear back on fulls. We wait to hear back from beta readers, agents, editors…
It’s all part of the process, I know, but it doesn’t get any easier–even when you know what’s coming is going to be good!
Thanks for waiting with me! 
3
Jan
Happy New Year! (Yeah, okay, so I’m a bit late, but it’s been a crazy couple of weeks…)
As I’ve been promising some book recommendations for a while now, I thought I’d put together a list of a few fun reads to kick off the new year. (Click on the hyperlinks to read more about the books on Amazon.com.)
1) Seeing Red by Susan Crandall – This is a fast-paced romantic suspense that will suck you in quickly and keep you turning the pages until late at night. The threat that drives the story–a man convicted of murder is mistakenly released from prison and comes after the woman who put him there–is like something you’d see on one of those true crime series that make you paranoid to go out at night alone, but there’s a plot twist that I didn’t see coming (at least not in the way it unfolded). I started this one on the way to Chicago during my infamous train adventure and was irritated as hell when I actually had to put it down to attend the conference sessions.
2) Magic Kingdom for Sale–Sold! by Terry Brooks – This is the first book in The Magic Kingdom of Landover series. Although it starts out as a little bit of a downer (the main character, Ben, is a widower/high-powered attorney whose life is falling apart), the humor soon kicks in and makes for a fun bit of fantasy. The story is definitely a journey tale, so there’s lots of going from this place to that, but the characters Ben meets along the way make the wandering worthwhile.
3) A Taste of Midnight by Lara Adrian – Part of Adrian’s Midnight Breed series, this novella is the story of Danika, one of the breedmates we met in the first book but haven’t seen much of since. It’s no secret that I’m a total junkie when it comes to Lara Adrian’s novels, but I honestly wasn’t sure how a novella would go–if it would lose some of the fabulous character development, sizzling romance, heart-pounding suspense, and engaging plot that I so admire in Adrian’s work. Well, I humbly apologize for having any doubts–it was fantastic! This is a digital-first book that can only be bought in various e-book formats at the moment, but (if I remember correctly) it will be appearing as extra material in the mass market paperback version of her upcoming release, Darker After Midnight (which comes out in hardback in a couple of weeks).
Well, folks, there are just a few books to get you started this year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Happy reading!
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
24
Dec
I’m extremely excited to report that I am now represented by the absolutely fabulous Nicole Resciniti, Associate Agent with the Seymour Agency!
For newcomers (or for those who haven’t been paying attention), “Maura Bishop” is my blogging pseudonym, so you’ll have to do a little digging to find out which one I am on the agency’s pre-published authors webpage: http://www.theseymouragency.com/Pre-Published-Page.html
Talk about a great way to end the year, eh? Happy holidays, everyone!
3
Dec
Sorry, guys, I know I promised a book recommendation, but I received some news this week that I’m anxious to share.
My A&D project, The Vessel, is a finalist in the 2012 Emily Contest!
This was a hard-fought victory for The Vessel. I’d entered it in three other contests since 2009 (including the Fire & Ice last year where it was up against–and lost to–Red), but it had never gone beyond the first round. After receiving essentially the same feedback from the judges in all three contests, I finally swallowed my pride and revised the beginning. It was tough, but it really was a lot more powerful once I’d jettisoned about 20 pages of the original opening. I guess it paid off.
(Note: This is the same project that I’ve spent quite a lot of time editing in between other projects, eventually cutting about 30,000 words from the entire manuscript to make it a lot tighter. Here’s hoping all this time and effort will eventually pay off as well!)
So, now the waiting begins anew. The final results will be announced in February. I’ll keep you all posted!
Recently, I traveled up to Chicago for a conference. In retrospect, there are three big regrets I have about my trip:
1) I wasn’t able to work it out so HH could go with me. Chicago is a town best enjoyed with someone else and my visit just wasn’t nearly as fun as it could have been had HH been there to share it.
2) I didn’t think to get in touch with my pal Amy (who lives up Chicago-way) in time to try to get together for lunch or dinner while I was there. Totally bummed about this one. 
3) I decided to take the train.
Now, nothing against the fine folks who work all day every day keeping the trains going, but Indiana isn’t exactly known for its stellar mass-transit system. There is exactly one train each day that goes from Indy to Chicago, and exactly one train that goes from Chicago back to Indy.
Even though I had a twinge of apprehension about my lack of options should something go wrong, I decide–eh, what the hell. I’d never ridden on a passenger train and thought it might be an adventure. Of course, considering my track record of travel disasters, an adventure of some sort was pretty much guaranteed. I even joked with Professor that if anything crazy happened, I’d write about it.
So, here ya go:
The way up was fine. I was on a very nice, comfy train with lots of leg room, a dining car where I could buy snacks and water, a decent restroom that was passably clean (all things considered), and a seat-mate who slept most of the way and was pretty innocuous when he was awake. And, as a bonus, I didn’t have to deal with crowded airports or the crazy traffic trying to get to my destination. Sweet!
The way back, on the other hand, was my typical travel nightmare. I don’t know who I pissed off in a previous life, but the travel gods have it out for me.
I should have known my luck wasn’t going to hold when I sat down in the waiting area to board the train and immediately started tensing up between my shoulder blades. There’s this one spot, just to the left of my spine, that tips me off to trouble every time. The next clue was probably the woman with no front teeth who sat down next to me and proceeded to hack and cough in my general direction. (Travel Tip: If you’re ever in Chicago’s train station, hang out upstairs in the food court until you have to head downstairs to catch your train. Trust me.)
Anyway, the the waiting area was teeming with people and mired in confusion about gates and delays and departure times, etc., but we somehow managed to get on the train around 6:00 p.m., which was only about 10 minutes behind schedule. Not too bad, really. I defy you to get out of any major city on time, regardless of your mode of transportation. And, although the train was considerably more cramped and lacked the amenities of my previous train, it was just a five hour ride at night–what could anyone possibly need? Right?
So, off we go. We made it all of about 1/4 of a mile and came to a stop in the middle of the train yard. No big deal–it was busy, so my fellow passengers and I just figured we were in a holding pattern of sorts like you’d experience at an airport. But when we still hadn’t moved a half an hour later, we started to get a little curious. Finally, the conductor comes through to tell us that we have a malfunctioning horn and it’ll be about another 15 to 20 minutes before we’re on our way.
An hour later, he came through again. “Sorry for the delay, folks! They’ve identified the problem and we’re waiting for the part they need to fix it. About 15 to 20 minutes and we’ll be on our way.”
Around 9:30 p.m. (yes, that’s 3 1/2 hours of sitting in the train yard close enough to the train station we could actually see it behind us), they finally just decided to switch out the engine cars. This whole process took about a half hour. Nothing quite like sitting in the middle of a train yard on a decrepit train for four hours with no food or water, waiting for them to fix a freaking horn. It’s a little creepy at night, too, let me tell you…
But that creepiness was topped by our unexpected stop in the middle of a wooded area in Northern Indiana where we had to sit for 30 minutes to wait for a freight train to pass. I kept expecting some urban legend-type hook-handed psychopath to board the train and start taking out passengers in increasingly gruesome ways.
The two ditsy blonde college students and the kinda funny redneck from South Dakota would have been the first to go, as that’s typically the way it works out in these kinds of story arcs. But, lucky for me, the level-headed, bookish brunettes tend to last a little longer–maybe even until the end.
Plus, as I sat there reading on my Kindle, I was surreptitiously surveying the other passengers and making mental notes as to who would be the best allies if others started mysteriously vanishing. Let’s just say I was planning to make friends with the 6-year-old girl across the aisle (whose colossally annoying parents most likely would have been picked off about half-way through) and the retired marine behind me.
Think about it–in horror movies the former military guys generally tend to last until the very end at which time they heroically sacrifice themselves to save the lives of aforementioned bookish brunette and token kid. All in all, and considering what I had to work with, I think my chances were pretty good. But, alas, the train eventually moved on without further incident.
Even so, I was supposed to get in around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday but didn’t get back until 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning. To say I was exhausted, doesn’t even cover it. Not exactly the great train adventure I’d envisioned, but an adventure nonetheless. And not one I’m planning to repeat. Ever.
On the bright side, the travel time allowed me the opportunity to read two fantastic books that I’ll be telling you about in my next couple of posts. Stay tuned! And, in the meantime, may your own travels be less eventful than mine–or, if not, at least be worth writing about. 
6
Sep
Inspiration – Assignment #2
I love writing dialogue. In fact, it’s probably one of the things I do best. But there are still days I want to pull my hair out because everything my characters are saying seems trite or stilted. (Helpful hint: When your own characters’ conversations make you yawn, you have a problem.)
So, when I get stuck, how do I get those creative juices flowing again?
I listen.
One of the best ways to figure out how to write dialogue is to pay attention to how people talk–not just what they’re talking about, but also how they’re saying it. When you’re chatting with your co-workers, pay attention to how their style of conversation is a reflection of their various personalities. If you’re sitting in a coffee shop, listen to conversations going on around you–especially if those present represent a segment of the population about which you are writing (spoiled suburban teens, high-powered executives, firefighters on a coffee break, etc.). The more often you do this, the better you’ll get at writing dialogue that reflects your characters’ personalities and circumstances.
If you’re uncomfortable eavesdropping in a coffee shop or dissecting everything your friends say, try watching a few really well-made movies with snappy dialogue and make notes as you’re watching. A few of my favorites for aural voyeurism:
1) Gosford Park
2) Jaws
3) Orange County
4) Serenity
5) Tombstone
6) The Godfather
7) Steel Magnolias
8 ) Henry V (or really any fabulous adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s plays)
9) Fargo
10) Pretty much anything by comedy legends, Monty Python.
I read.
This seems like it should be a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many writers don’t bother reading much. I don’t know how someone trying to perfect his/her craft can get a feel for dialogue that works (or doesn’t) without reading what other people have written. There are certain writers who are masters at incorporating believable, engaging, and necessary conversations in their works.
Also, keep in mind that not everyone carries on a conversation in the same way. Some people are very direct and stay on topic; others live in Tangent Land. Do you have fave author whose dialogue leaves you in stitches or who seems to be able to show you everything you need to know about a character simply by how he talks to those around him? Next time you read this fave of yours, pay attention to how she pulls it off–you just might learn something!
I write.
Again, this should be a big “Duh,” but you’d be surprised…
When I was in grad school I didn’t have much time to write anything particularly long and involved (such as a novel), so instead I tried writing what I called “snippets.” Essentially, these were just short vignettes that told a story using nothing but dialogue. And I mean nothing–no speech tags, no narration, no description. The point was to use only what the characters were saying to tell the reader absolutely everything s/he needed to know about the characters, the setting, the action taking place–and to do so in a way that seemed naturally-occurring in the course of the conversation.
It’s harder than it seems, but it’s a great way to hone your craft.
So, here’s your assignment:
Write your own snippet of 3-5 pages that tells your readers everything they want to know about characters, setting, and the conflict between them. Then give it to a few beta readers and ask them to describe what’s happening in the snippet. If you’ve done well, they won’t even notice that dialogue is all that’s on the page. And if they aren’t able to sort it all out, get some feedback to figure out why. Revise the snippet incorporating any feedback you find valuable and give it to them again until they “get it.”
Good luck and happy writing!
25
Jul
Wow. Sorry, guys! Kinda dropped off the grid there for a while. Back in June my lovable little Moose crashed our server — or, more accurately, crashed into our server, thereby sending it tumbling and knocking something loose. Whatever it was ended up causing us all kinds of wacky tech problems.
Luckily, the HH (hunky geek that he is) finally was able to get things up and running again with minimal glitchiness. That being said, if you have any trouble with the website, definitely let me know!
Now that I’m able to get back in and do my thing, I promise to get busy on those additional posts on inspiration. I’ve got a couple of drafts brewing and hope to have those out soon!
In the meantime, just a couple of quick updates:
- Still shopping Red. Lots of interest (yay!) but no takers yet (damn).
- Just received a request to help judge a writing contest. Very excited to help out!
- Almost finished (finally) with first draft of my futuristic fantasy romance. I’ve departed from my normal writing routine with this one, editing the first draft a lot more as I go, so it’s taking longer than usual to write. But it’s been a blast and I’ll be anxious to see what my Beta readers think.
- Salivating to read the latest Lara Adrian novel. I bought it the day it came out but have been saving it as a reward for finishing my current project. Almost there!
Well, that’s about all for now. I’ll do my best not to be off-line for so long again!
31
May
Inspiration – Assignment #1
Walk among the dead.
No, I’m not talking about hanging out with your local zombies. I’m talking about taking a stroll through a cemetery–preferably one that’s old and full of history.
As you walk, read the names on the tombstones, the dates that defined their lives, the inscriptions of hope and faith that their loved ones carved in stone. The minute one of them really grabs hold of your imagination, start writing.
Write anything. Jot down your impressions in a 15 minute free writing session, write a poem, start a character sketch for a short story, write a back-story for the person buried at your feet. Just go with whatever form your creativity takes at that very moment. You might be surprised at the result.
Several years ago, I did this exercise in a secluded, nearly forgotten cemetery in rural Southern Indiana. I walked for probably half an hour before one of the tombstones really caught my attention. It was small and simple, a tiny marker for the grave of a six-month-old girl who had lived and died in the late 1800s.
So, what about this particular tombstone inspired me? Two things. The first was that the little girl shared the same unusual first name as my sister. Second was the inscription on the headstone, which I found utterly heartbreaking.
It was such a visceral reaction, I grabbed my notebook and let my thoughts and feelings flow. In the end, I captured my intense emotional response in a poem narrated from the mother’s point of view.
The poem was published a few months later.
So, go ahead and give it a try. Walk among the dead for a little while and see what they have to say. You never know where your stroll through the past could eventually lead.
Happy writing!
25
Apr
When people find out I’m a writer, one of the first questions that inevitably comes up is where I get all of the ideas for my stories.
Well, the truth is, I get inspiration from pretty much anywhere and everywhere–a news story, the lyrics of a song, a dream, a photograph, a snippet of dialogue between two people in front of me in line at the coffee shop, and–every now and then–from nowhere at all. I honestly don’t remember what was behind every single thing I’ve ever written, but there are a few AH-HA! moments that stand out in my memory for whatever reason, so I thought I’d share those with all of you.
1) My very first novel, way back when I was 14-years-old, was inspired by a series of dreams I had. And, as I recall, I was reading a lot of fantasy novels around then, which probably played a large part in what was on my mind. In particular, I remember two novels/series that were absolutely fabulous and had me hooked on the genre – The Oval Amulet by Lucy Cullyford Babbit and The Song of the Lioness series by Tamora Pierce. I’m generally not all that into YA novels, but I would definitely read these again.
2) A short story I wrote in high school called “The Weed,” which won something-or-other in my creative writing class, came about because of a particularly awful dandelion infestation in our yard that was choking out all the little violet wildflowers I liked to pick and put in a tiny vase on my desk. I remember sitting at my desk looking out the window (instead of doing homework) and fuming about the dandelions, and the idea for the story hit me. When all was said and done, I ended up writing a very dark short story about a precocious little boy battling to save his mother from nefarious forces. The weed was a metaphor. I came across the story again recently and was more than a little shocked by how much the main character I created twenty years ago resembles my eldest son. Adding to the weirdness–they share the same first name. (For the record, that’s where the similarities end. )
3) A contemporary romance I’ve been working on on-and-off for several years now was inspired by a single line from a song that I really loved in college. I’ve written loads of scenes for this story, but it keeps wanting to morph into a romantic suspense. I’ve set it aside to return to at some later date when I figure out which way I want it to go.
4) My vampire-like-creature project — Well, I honestly don’t recall where this one came from. I’ve loved vampire movies and books and have since I was a kid, so this was probably just a culmination of decades of watching horror movies that frustrated me because they weren’t love stories. I was also reading a lot by Lara Adrian, J.R. Ward, Lynn Viehl, and Alexandra Ivy, which I’m sure played a role in what I ultimately decided to write. Once again, what I started out writing and what I ended up writing are vastly different.
5) My angels and demons project came about after I watched a documentary on the Black Death. Incidentally, the story has absolutely nothing to do with the plague (although it is mentioned).
6) Red is the result of my eldest son asking, “Hey, Mom, what if….?”
7) A ghost story I’ve been planning draws upon personal experiences. The plot is fictional; some of the incidents depicted are not.
8) The idea for a paranormal romantic comedy that was this close to being my next project back in February came to me while reading Greek mythology with Professor. In keeping with my pattern, by the time I actually sat down and plotted out the story and did all my preliminary character sketches, Greek mythology didn’t play into it at all.
9) An epic fantasy novel that I’ve been writing in fits and starts since my late teens was inspired by Orson Scott Card’s novel, Ender’s Game. My story has absolutely nothing in common with Ender’s Game except that the main character starts out as a little boy who ends up being part of something much bigger than he’d ever anticipated.
10) My current project, which happens to be a futuristic fantasy romance, came about when I read a scientific article about the future of space exploration. I briefly toyed with the idea of writing this one as a sci-fi (a genre I really enjoy), but I quickly realized I needed to stick with planet Earth, and (of course) ended up going in a totally different direction.
Well, there you have it–a little glimpse inside my head. The thing is, what inspires me might not inspire you, and vice versa. The most important thing to remember is that inspiration is all around you. You just have to be open to it.
All that being said, there are going to be times when it seems like the Inspiration Fairy has gone AWOL and is nowhere to be found. In my next couple of posts I’ll share some of my favorite exercises for dragging that good-for-nothing beyotch back kicking and screaming. Stay tuned!
5
Apr
When you mention “organized crime,” most people think of such well-known names as Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, or Lucky Luciano. Or maybe “organized crime” calls to mind such iconic films as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino. But what about pirates? Smuggling rings? Outlaw motorcycle gangs? In his book, Organized Crime: An Inside Guide to the World’s Most Successful Industry, Paul Lunde touches on all of these groups and then some.
If you’re curious at all about the history of organized crime, this is a great overview that hits on crime organizations all over the world, from ancient times to the present. I found it fascinating and something of an eye-opener when it comes to the complicated culture often involved in crime organizations. Whether you’re considering writing about the Triads or La Cosa Nostra, the Yakuza or Tammany Hall, this is a great little book to help you get started.
*Disclaimer: In accordance with FTC Guidelines for reviews and endorsements, you should assume that every book recommended on maurabishop.com was submitted by the author/publisher or purchased via an authorized retailer. We do not accept money or favors in exchange for a good review.
