#ROSACon2015: Storylining

This report on Jo Watson's talk on Storylining is by Jana van Niekerk, who writes under the name Eden Walker.

First off, you need to know that I am a HUGE Jo Watson fan. Read her book Burning Moon which won her a book deal with Harlequin via their So You Think You Can Write Contest in 2013. It will keep you awake. So I was delighted to hear what she had to tell us about Storylining: what we can learn from TV. Jo is humble but dynamic and passionate about her work and the presentation was amazing! She has worked in TV and wrote a WHOLE TV SHOW about our conference – “Blood ROSA” – just to demonstrate some pertinent points! The amount of work that went into this (plus video clips!) was mind-boggling. And it was tremendously useful. This is what I, as a romance writer, took away from it:

• “The character Bible”: What do your characters

Want?
Need?
Fear?
Their strengths?
Weaknesses/flaws?
Major turning points?

• “You can back anything up with a back-story”
• Multiple story-lines for complexity (ABCD)
• “The mechanics of story are precise, purposeful, mathematical”
• See Robert McKee on story:

Set-up leads to Confrontation leads to Resolution.

It goes like this:
Inciting incident – rising action – Climax 1 – Mid-point (a big twist) – Climax 2 – falling action.

First establish an ordinary world (the status quo) (So you can f*** it up big-time). The inciting incident is a call to action; the world goes into disarray. In order to fix or change it, to return to the ordinary world, the character realises s/he will have to move through and it will be painful. But first there is a Refusal of the Call (reluctance). The character lacks the skills to deal with the inciting incident. But then there is increased awareness, commitment, a big change, rededication and then mastery of an issue. This is the character arc!
Along the way: Progressive complications, stumbling blocks, conflicts (watching/reading it, you go “What the f***??”)
The equilibrium is disrupted, the character recognises this and attempts repair so that a new equilibrium is established.
Climax and a return to the altered world.
And it’s conflict that makes it happen!
• Conflict between the character and the world
• Conflict between the character and her/himself
• Conflict between characters (interpersonal)

Also, we left with a list of “the best ever” TV series that, “If you haven’t seen this, I’m sorry, you haven’t lived”. When Jo Watson says it, I believe it. So check them out and enjoy (and live!):
• Battlestar Galactica
• Deadwood
• Dexter
• The Wire
• Arrested Development
• True Detective
• Breaking Bad
• Gray’s Anatomy (to understand The Cliffhanger)
• Damages
• The Killing
• Shield

Thank you Jo for sharing your enthusiasm and talent with us. What a pleasure.

#ROSACon2015: Kristel Loots on 'Moet jou skrywer of karakters gemuilband word?'

Thank you so much to Carolyn Meads, editor at NB-Uitgewers for this report on Kristel's talk.

Hoe besluit jy hoe jou karakters moet klink? En wanneer jy hulle stem gevind het, gee jy aan hulle vrye teuels om voort te babbel of moet hulle soms gemuilband word?

Dis nie altyd so eenvoudig om dié vrae te beantwoord nie, het Kristel Loots by die onlangse ROSA-konferensie gesê.
“It’s complicated. En daarom is skryf nie vir sissies nie.”

Kristel het ’n foto van ’n uiters konserwatiewe dame en een van ’n kroegmeisie in ’n laehalstoppie op die skerm vertoon en dié twee karakters as “mevrou doktor Hoogenboesem” en “die kroegmeisie met die cleavage” voorgestel. Hoe sou dié twee se dialoog klink?

“Daar is die stereotipes,” het Kristel gesê. “Mevrou doktor Hoogenboesem, madame die burgemeestersvrou, ’n onderwyseres en ’n bibliotekaresse sal almal min of meer so naastenby dieselfde klink. Redelike sedig, vroom en vroed. Miskien ’n bietjie pretensieus en lief vir woorde soos huidiglik, basies en fundamenteel.”

Maar toe daag Kristel die gehoor uit: “Sê wíé?” Sy het ons daaraan herinner dat skrywers juis stereotipes nekomdraai. “Selfs mevrou dominees is nie meer wat hulle was nie . . . En die rondborstige kroegmeisie werk moontlik aan ’n tesis vir ’n sosiologiese-teologiese doktorsgraad oor die waarde-konsep van een of ander sosiale verskynsel en is net daar as deel van haar navorsing!”

Om uiteindelik jou karakters se ware stem te vind, moet jy hulle “as mense leer ken”, het Kristel verduidelik. Dit sluit in hul geskiedenis, familie, persoonlikheid, politieke oortuigings – selfs watter grootte bra sy dra. “Elke mens het ’n unieke, anderste manier van praat wat eie is aan jou menswees . . . Elke karakter het ook gunstelingwoorde wat gereeld gebruik word.”

Die volgende vraag wat Kristel aan die gehoor gestel het, was of ’n karakter mag “twak praat”. Sy het daarop gewys dat ons in die werklikheid dikwels oor alledaagse en vervelige onderwerpe praat net om iets te sê, en vriendelik en hartlik voor te kom. Jy kan dit egter nie so in jou dialoog gebruik as dit nie funksioneel is nie.

Kristel het ook die onderwerp van kragwoorde en spesifiek die gebruik van die f-woord getakel. Sy meen skrywers van romantiese fiksie moet versigtig daarmee omgaan, maar dit beteken ook nie dat dit glad nie gebruik mag word nie. Die mate waartoe kragwoorde gebruik word hang dikwels af van wie die teikenleser is en ook soms van die skrywer se persoonlike gevoel daaroor. Kristel verkies self die versagte vorm “frieken” omdat dit steeds ’n mate van die ware f-woord se krag oordra, sonder dat dit direk gesê word. Maar as ’n sekere karakter wel iemand is wat in ’n bepaalde situasie ’n kragwoord sou gebruik, kan jy waarskynlik nie anders as om dit in span nie.

Om haar punt te illustreer, en haar praatjie af te sluit, het Kristel die Suzelle DIY-video “How to Make a Braai Pie” gewys. Die f-woord aan die einde van dié toneeltjie is volgens haar uiters geskik: “Mapstieks sou nie daar gewerk het nie!”

Kristel's latest novel, 'n Ander vrou se rok, is available now.

#ROSACon2015: Madri Victor on 'Hoe lyk die allerdaagse held?'

Thank you Elsa Winckler for this report on Madri Victor's presentation at #ROSACon2015.

ROSA konferensie: Hoe lyk die hedendaagse held: macho- of metroman?

Madri se vraag is, hoekom skep ’n skrywer ’n spesifieke tipe held? Gaan ons terug na die beeld van ons eerste liefde? Die neef/akteur/celeb op wie ons verlief geraak het, die macho-man wat duidelik in beheer van sake is en grense verskuif? Of is dit die metroman wat na jou luister en jou as sy eweknie beskou? Hoe lyk die hedendaagse held? Die een waarop lesers verlief raak?

Sy verwys na twee uiteenlopende bronne wat sy geraadpleeg het vir antwoorde: ʼn artikel deur “matchmaker” Carly Spindel en die twee sielkundiges (een klinies en een evolusionêr) Cindy Meston en David Buss se boek, Why Women Have Sex. Romanses gaan uiteindelik oor seks en die oploop na die oomblik. Self as is die romanse spierwit rein en skoon, weet die leser wat gebeur wanneer die karakters toegelaat word om verder te leef nadat jy die boek neersit. Meston en Buss het onderhoude gevoer met ʼn 1000 vroue van regoor die wêreld en in die proses 237 verskillende redes ge-identifiseer waarom vrouens seks het. Met hierdie navorsing kan hulle ook verduidelik wat dit is wat ons vroue aantreklik vind en hoekom dit so is:

Die lysie:
Grootte, oftewel lengte, maak saak
Atleties, fiks en reg vir aksie
Die reuk van verleiding
Die diep, sexy stem
Daar is iets in die manier waarop hy dans
Meer as ʼn mooi gesig

Slotsom:
So wat beteken al hierdie dinge vir die skrywer van romanses? Daardie stereotipiese held met die breë skouers, dun heupe, atletiese bou, sterk gesig wat so lekker na muskus ruik, is nie verniet ʼn stereotipe nie. Daardie held is in ons DNA, ons sal altyd hunker na hom. Maar vandag maak ons ander keuses, so in ʼn fiktiewe wêreld, die een wat ons as skrywers skep, kan ons “bad boy”, wat in realiteit jou dalk gaan verneuk, al die persoonlikheidseienskappe hê van die minder macho man. Ons breëbors man, sal dus integriteit hê. Ons sal op hom kan staatmaak. Hy sal leiding neem sonder om te oordonder. Meer as alles: hy sal ook weerloosheid kan wys. Omdat hy intelligent en selfversekerd is, omdat hy weet wie hy is en jou as sy gelyke sien. Omdat hy jou vertrou. En daar is bitter min dinge wat ʼn vrou se knieë presies so lam maak soos ʼn macho man wat ook weerloos kan wees.

Madri kom tot die slotsom, die hedendaagse held in romanses, is ʼn kombinasie van macho en metro – jy het albei, die wetenskap en die sielkunde, die fisiese en die persoonlikheid, nodig om jou leser te oorrompel.

#ROSACon2015: Malene Breytenbach on Research

Dr Malene Breytenbach, author of over 20 books, including historical as well as contemporary stories, spoke on Hoe om navorsing in jou roman te inkorporeer. Thank you to editor Carolyn Meads of NB-Uitgewers for this report on Malene's talk.

Vir doktor Malene Breytenbach is navorsing een van die lekkerste dele van die skryfproses. Dít het duidelik geblyk toe sy by ROSACon2015 haar navorsingsgeheime met liefdesverhaal- skrywers gedeel het.

“By alle boeke is ’n mate van navorsing noodsaaklik,” het Malene gesê. Dit is iets wat sy by al haar boeke – van moderne tot historiese liefdesverhale en romanses met ’n mediese agtergrond – van groot waarde ag. Sy het daarop gewys dat navorsing die basis vorm vir die ontwikkeling van karakters en ruimte, waaruit die storie voortvloei.

“Moenie jou lesers onderskat nie. Gee vir hulle iets wat hulle nuut kan leer,” het Malene gesê. “Dis intelligente mense wat romanses lees.”

En sy sal weet, want Malene beskik oor meestersgrade in Ou Nabye Oosterse Studie en Antieke Studie en ’n doktorsgraad in Joernalistiek. Dit is juis haar navorsing oor die antieke wêreld wat gedien het as inspirasie vir haar eerste gepubliseerde romanse, Palmyra herleef.

Malene steun dikwels op haar eie kennis van argeologie en joernalistiek en haar eie ervarings van byvoorbeeld reise om haar verhale te skryf. Maar sy weet ook hoe om bronne effektief in te span. Sy gesels graag met kundiges, veral vir die mediese liefdesverhale wat sy onder die Hartklop-druknaam publiseer. “Die insigte in ’n beroep en lewe wat jy van só iemand kry, is meer prakties as wat jy in ’n boek of met Google kan navors.” Maar sy voeg by dat Google en boeke beslis hul plek in die navorsingsproses het. Malene stel ook voor dat skrywers ’n kaart raadpleeg wanneer hulle oor ’n bepaalde gebied skryf en dat hulle dan oor die geskiedenis van dié plek oplees.

Vir haar mees onlangse boek, My redder, my beminde, waar ’n aktrise in ’n ongeluk ’n diep sny oor haar gesig kry en by ’n eksklusiewe kliniek deur ’n plastiese chirurg behandel word, moes Malene plastiese chirurgie navors. TV-programme soos Botched het handig te pas gekom toe sy skryf oor ander pasiënte wie se gesigsontrimpelings en borsvergrotings elders geflop het en wat by die kliniek opdaag sodat die bekwame en baie aantreklike dokter dit kan regstel.

Hoewel navorsing vir Malene baie plesier besorg, is dit ook vir haar ’n saak van erns. Sy het die skrywers by die praatjie gemaan om navorsing nie ligtelik op te neem nie. "Daar is altyd lesers wat iets meer van ’n ding weet as jy en as dit nie outentiek en geloofbaar klink nie, kry jy kritiek of hulle skryf jou af.” Moet dus nooit die belangrikheid van goeie navorsing onderskat nie.

#ROSACon2015: Strength2Strength Workshop

Thank you to Angele Wells for this post on Phoenix Kelly's Strength2Strength workshop on Day 1 of #ROSACon2015. This workshop is usually a 6 hour seminar, but we persuaded Phoenix to give us the abbreviated version. We hope she'll be back at future events so we can experience the full length version!

ROSAcon2015, oh my word! I don’t even know where to start. So many wonderful workshops to attend, all designed to improve your craft.

One I attended that really stuck out for me was Phoenix Kelly’s Strength to Strength workshop. I,feel at this point, I should probably confess though that I have actually attended this one before BUT no two workshops are ever the same and I learn something new every time I go.

What I mean is ... wait. Let me start at the beginning.

The concept of the Strength to Strength workshop is to teach you not only about yourself but about others too. Why it is you do many of the things you do, why you interact a certain way with one person and a completely different way with someone else. What drives everyday interaction between people.

Simply, the programme revolves around four distinct personality types; represented by colours: red, green, blue and yellow. Everyone is representative of all four colours in varying degrees but, generally, most people present two colours more strongly than the other two, for example, Yellow/Blue or Red/Green. The colours have been broken down as Do’ers (red), Thinkers (green), Networkers (yellow) and Relaters (blue). Each colour/personality type has characteristics indicative of its category, both positive and perceived negatives. Reds can be logical but impatient, greens can be objective but non-emotional, yellows see the wider picture but are talkative and blues tends to be accurate but slow to make a decision.

Phoenix covered the various colour combinations and how they work together. Then she took us through the various positive characteristics of each colour/personality type as well as their possible limiters, or in laymen speak what could be perceived as a negative personality trait. However, she was quick to point out that the reason it’s termed a “possible limiter” is because if you’re aware of it, you can take steps to be more pro-active when it comes to these traits.

This workshop was condensed down from the full six-hour workshop into two hours that were insightful and informative. And I have to tell you, every time you attend this workshop you’ll learn a little more about human interaction.

If you ever get a chance to attend one of these workshops and learning about what makes people tick, don’t hesitate. You won’t be sorry.

Alternately, if you’re interested in hosting one of these workshops, contact Phoenix Kelly at phoenixkellywrites@gmail.com for more information. Tell her I sent you. ;)

#ROSACon2015 Report: Writing Compelling Dialogue

Thank you to Clare Loffler for today's report on Joss Wood's talk on Writing Compelling Dialogue. Joss is a multi-published (17 books and counting!) author for Harlequin and Tule Publishing. Her latest book, Claimed by the Warrior, is out now.


Joss Wood spoke on the art of “Writing Compelling Dialogue” at ROSACon 2015. She said that dialogue reveals characters’ relationships to one another, moves the plot forward and increases tension.

She said it is important to keep the following questions in mind when writing dialogue:

Will the story still make sense if the dialogue is removed?
Does the dialogue increase the suspense for what is to come?
Does it change the character’s situation for better or worse?
Does the dialogue shed some light on what the character wants?
Does it serve to strengthen the character’s resolve or perhaps weaken it?

Joss Wood

Joss stated that it is important to listen to conversations happening around you and to take note of the gestures and tones used as these will help you to write compelling dialogue. Be aware that men and women talk differently, and remember to keep your character’s dialogue consistent and realistic. Dialogue is not just quotations she said, it is also grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouses and so on… Including physical reactions also helps the reader to identify which character is talking. Action, she said, was a good way to break up dialogue, while simple descriptions are a good way to slow dialogue down. She warned against writing dialogue that serves no purpose, and advised writers to be on the alert for characters telling each other things that they already know.

#ROSACon2015 Report: A Year In Romance with Rebecca Crowley

Over the next few weeks we'll be bringing you reports on the various sessions at #ROSACon2015. 

Today we kick off with a report by Mandy Verbaan on the opening session of the conference, A Year in Romance by guest speaker Rebecca Crowley, author with Carina Press and Samhain Publishing.

Rebecca Crowley

Rebecca kicked off the ROSA conference of 2015 with an overview of what’s been happening in our world for the past twelve months. Going down this particular memory lane is like watching an old Colombo whodunit. Authors stalking bloggers, a one week blogger black out, the demise of Ellora’s Cave, Dear Author revelations, law suits and tension in general between bloggers and authors.


Then along came #weneeddiverseromance off the back of #weneeddiversebooks which prompted a RITA nomination of a romance between a Nazi hero and a Jewish concentration camp heroine. A bizarre book nomination which got shortlisted and opened up numerous heated discussions. Although book publishers are looking for diversity, they surely cannot accept storytelling without respect and honour?

So where does that leave us? With constantly changing opportunities!

• Publishers are going down or thriving. We will soon have a core group of publishers to pitch to.
• Marketing needs to change. Blog tours and book reviews are not selling books like they used to so we need to find innovative ways to sell our books.
• New voices and innovative stories are more popular than ever.
• Rise of the hybrid author where we can publish across multiple channels – various known publishers as well as self-publishing is no longer an anomaly.

As we move forward in time we see more authors going the hybrid route. This new author is savvy and is building a repertoire of books that are publisher backed, self-published, sold through or without agents and are able to have complete control over their pipeline alongside receiving the support of publishers. And if this sounds like it’s the best of all worlds – that’s because it is!

So what will we need to produce next year? What’s the next big thing?

The great thing about being in a writing industry going through a progressive phase is that it’s a perfect time to be bold, different and innovative. But most of all … it’s time to be you!

Rebecca’s talk was informative, funny and entirely uplifting. Now that we know we can get the ins and outs of the industry again next year we can all go back into our writing caves to produce that best seller that is clamouring to be written.

Happy writing!