Archive for September 9th, 2010



Thursday, September 9th, 2010
September Sizzles Winner!

Using Random.org, I picked the September Sizzles winner of the book from Shiloh Walker’s backlist, and that winner is Lillie (AliseOnLife), comment #127. Lillie, please contact Shiloh Walker using the details on her contact page to arrange for your prize!

The winner of the $150 bookstore gift card winner will be posted soon!

Update: The above winner has been posted at Shiloh Walker’s blog at this link.

Winner of the September Sizzles Contest-$150 to the Online Bookseller of their Choice…

We couldn’t have made this much more random if we tried.

Courtesy of Random.org…the winner’s name came from Anya’s blog…

Ok loving this contest it not only has awesome experts. Its bringing me in contact with some authors i havent read and love find new authors to read

by Heather Hann

Posted in Announcements | 2 Comments »

Thursday, September 9th, 2010
Changing Names Mid-Stream

I’ve been writing on a new project, and it’s going well enough, but something about it has always felt a little . . . distant, I guess. Like I was outside looking in instead of telling the story through the eyes of the characters. Though, really, it was just one character giving me trouble. The other two viewpoints zinged. I loved writing their scenes. And I loved writing most of the third character’s scenes, too, but they didn’t feel right. Which, in a way, is okay. This character is the one with the most at stake, the most to come to terms with, so she’s not exactly comfortable in her own skin as the story opens.

Then I got to a scene where her shell cracks a bit, and I still wasn’t warming up to her. And after about four days spent writing around this scene, rather than diving in – and it’s not even a particularly emotionally draining scene – I realized her name was all wrong. It was too stiff and formal and old-fashioned. Or something. I thought it was perfect when I started. I did see her as someone who set herself apart. Not because she thinks herself better than others, but because she doesn’t know how to fit in. Part of me says I should leave the name and show how she can . . . not grow into it exactly, but not let it define her either. She needs to own it and mold it to fit who she is. Except the minute I changed it, she warmed up.

Giving my characters their names is the first thing I do when I start a project. Naming them opens their personality. They’re no longer blank slates. They have a history. Someone in their past gave birth to them and thought this name would see them through their lives. (Yes, I know they’re imaginary, but it’s what I do.) So to change a character’s name 15K words into a project . . . it’s not like me, and yet, it’s the only thing I could do in this case. I can see her and understand her now that she’s more approachable. I want to tell her story. I get her now and am excited to finish this scene.

If you write, how do you feel about character names? I had to change the name of Trey Davis in A LONG, HARD RIDE and that was tough. Obviously, I got through it, but it wasn’t easy. This one was more so. And it’s been an interesting lesson!

Posted in Craft, Creativity | 4 Comments »