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Blogs by Pamela C Labud
Confessions of an Emotion Junkie 10/19/2005 1:14:36 AM
Caution: words of writerly wisdom ahead... Welcome once again, gentle readers! I'm so glad you stopped by my little blogosphere. Get comfortable and put your feet up.
Weekly update: I've finished the major plotting for book #3, the working title: The Laird, which is aka Ethan's story. It's actually going easier than I thought, escept for mega amounts of research of not one but two historical time periods.
Book number two, If You Could Read My Mind, is at the copy editors. I'm on pins and needles waiting for it to come back to me. It should be any day now.
I finished the storyboard for Ethan's story, and I'm getting ready to work up boards for two new books: Devon's story, (working title, Dangerous Passion) and Etienne's story, (working title: Heart of Stone).
Now, on to the subject of today's blog. I was lucky enough to listen to one of my favorite authors speak in person a few months ago. His words give me inspiration every day. He said, (and I'm paraphrasing here, so please forgive me) that writing is about emotion. He believes that the reason we write is to touch the hearts of our readers and that is why he loves romance authors so much. In his words, nobody does it better.
It's true. When I read a book, (and when I write a book), I'm in it for the pure rush of bone shaking emotion. I crave the belly laughs and the tear jerking. If I can experience both in the same scene, I have reached nirvana. (If you haven't seen it already, check out the movie: Steel Magnolias, perfect example in the scene at the graveside.)
The best books grab your heart and keep you enthralled until the end. They do it with dynamic tension and conflict and wonderful characters, but the glue that holds all those elements together is pure emotion.
When I finish a good book, (i.e. an emotion explosion) I'm like that cartoon dog from back in those 1960's cartoons. I'm propelled into the clouds and then float luxuriously back to earth making those 'yummy' sounds that cannot be reproduced on paper. Then, when reality returns, I'm diggin through piles of books trying to find the next 'emotion fix.' Like Scooby Doo, I'm salivating for my next scooby-snack.
I remember being chastised by my parents when I was growing up about 'always having my head in a book.' They said I'd throw my life away reading and not experiencing things. The opposite has occurred.
(Contrary to popular belief, I do have a life. I'm married, have children, work full time as a nurse, and manage to write romance novels.)
I think life is enhanced by reading great fiction. Not only does it give you hope, but also helps you to recognize the best things about life while you're experiencing it. It shows us that things like 'true love,' and 'justice' really do exist and make us strive to make it so in our own lives.
So, big, huge important lesson to new writers. Write with all of your emotions. Let go. Editors, agents, and readers love it. Anger, fear, love, angst, and humor, to name a few, work wonders. Add a hunky hero and a courageous heroine into the mix and you've got one heck of a story to tell!
Now, back to my regularly scheduled writing. Like that old commercial says, "It's time to make the donuts!) Happy reading, Pam.
