Running With Quills: We're Listening . . .

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

We're Listening . . .

Or, Now it’s Your Turn!

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my sister Quills and I have been planning a special, "Because you asked," session.

This is it!

Throughout this week we’d like you to drop your questions in as comments--there will be regular blogs, of course. But for the following two weeks we intend to give you our complete attention (this may be less of an honor than you think...) and tell you everything you want to know about anything we know something about.

Nice sentence, that.

Roll up your sleeves. Spit on your palms. Give ‘em a good rub. Stretch. Flex. And give us your best shots:)

Cheers, Stella

33 Comments:

Pia said...: One question I am kinda curious about, this goes to all the quills EL, EG, Susan, Stella, Lori, Jayne, if there was a book you read of your fellow quills which one would you like to see made to a movie and who would your dream be?

Thanks.

Pia; 8:01 PM
Kate said...: This is for all the authors here ... I'm curious ... do you think that most romance novelists marry their ideals?

As cheesy as this will sound, I read "The Diamond Tiger" at a fairly young age (13) and from then on got stuck on this heroic ideal that I wanted as a partner. EVERYONE told me "Kate, men like that don't exist. They're just in books" Well ... I waited, and I waited, and I waited some more. And then I met him - just like that, out of the blue. We'll be getting married next year. And, now, I like to rub it in to everyone who said to me that men like that don't exist ... because he does.

So, I was wondering if all romance novelists have this experience of having a certain ideal or standard, and then not wavering from that until they meet him. Like I said, it might be cheesy ... but reading these books made me avoid a lot of bad relationships, and stick to my standard of what I wanted.

So, I always wondered if the novelists themselves had a similar experience.

Thanks!; 8:41 PM
karende said...: Okay, I have a question.

How does one go about finding an agent? I’ve been to workshops [longer ago than I care to admit] and read all the ‘how to’ manuals I could find, and they all boil down to the following:

1. Check the dedications by your favorite authors. Many of them include an agent.

And this does what? Give one a name so one can write a letter to Jane Doe, Somewhere, USA?

2. Check the various writer’s markets.

Those give addresses of publications, not agents. Every one I’ve written to, and there have been a lot over the years, either say ‘You don’t meet our current guidelines’ or ‘We aren’t accepting unsolicited manuscripts. Get an agent.’

3. Go to the local library and look at The Literary Marketplace.

I could do that, but all I’d see would be a gray blur. Certainly no words.

4. Get a subscription to LMP on line.

Not in my budget, not at around 350.00/year.

5. Get a subscription to Poets & Writers, they have ads for agencies.

I had one for a number of years, and I’d like to again, but what’s the use of having it when I can’t read it? It’s not one of the recorded magazines [either free or by paid subscription], and judging by The Writer, which is, it would include only the articles and no ads. I called P&W to see if they had any plans for a recorded version or an on line version, and the answer was a resounding NO. I even had a subscription long ago to the New York Review of Books, which was marginally helpful, but again, why bother now when I can’t read it?

6. Talk to any of one’s friends who write.

BTDT. All the answers I’ve gotten reiterate the preceding, with the exception of those who did vanity publications.

7. Go to conferences.

Much as I'd like to, I can't, and money - while important - isn't the main reason.

Any suggestions?

karibear; 8:50 PM
Ranurgis said...: Since I don't intend to write a book, I have a different sort of question.

Is there someone in your family background who was a writer or otherwise more "creative" type of person? That includes other family members like uncles, aunts or cousins.

For those who have children, what about them? Did they get a creative gene or are you the writer blogging here the only one in your whole family bitten by the creative bug?; 9:34 PM
DFender said...: Oooohhhhh... I have so many things I'd love to ask and as I have no idea where to start I'll just say thank you so much, all of you, for taking the time to do this. Whatta great treat!

*walks off mumbling and thinking*

Happy Monday!

Deb; 3:17 AM
dee from Australia said...: do you feel that you have grown as a author?; 6:10 AM
Marcie said...: Do your non-writing friends understand your frustrations or joy when you talk about your stories? Or do they give you the vacant stares and polite smiles?; 8:40 AM
Michelle said...: How do you keep yourself from doing too much research - particularly if you're working on a historical? I really enjoy that aspect and sometimes fear I use it as a form of procrastination.

-Michelle; 8:52 AM
DFender said...: Okay, since I'm not an author, nor aspiring to be one, my question is more general interest:

For each of the lovely Quills, Which three people (currently living or deceased) would you love to have to a dinner party?

Famous, infamous, celebrity, icon, regular Joe... your choice.

Deb; 9:24 AM
Darla said...: For all the Quills...If there was one thing you could go back and change in your writing career, what would it be and why?; 9:37 AM
Brandy said...: I have a question about y'alls books. Has there ever been a book you've written, that you wish now you hadn't?; 9:58 AM
Anonymous said...: For all the Quills...if you weren't writers, what would be your dream job?

Karen (who cannot remember her pswrd and user name); 10:32 AM
Anonymous said...: Hello All! Thanks for this great forum to ask insatiably curious readers to let out their inner question!

Mine is: Do you reread your own work ??

And, if you are doing a series with followup from previous books, do you reread differently?

I find as a reader that if a book is good, but not a "reread" then I am not as happy!

SusanB; 10:36 AM
Ms. Owen & Ms. Kinder said...: Has turning your art into your "job" in anyway detracted from the joy you take in writing? Have you ever felt like you had to do less than your best to meet a deadline?

Ms. K; 10:37 AM
Tammy said...: This is similiar to Brandy's question.

Is there one book you've written, that you wish now you could have changed something major?

Hopefully that makes sense.; 10:57 AM
Pia said...: Sorry I missed a word on my follow up question, it was supposed to be "who would your dream cast be"?
Thanks again.
Pia; 11:26 AM
Cbell said...: I would love to have each of you list your top ten romance novels you would take to the beach.; 12:09 PM
everscoi said...: What comes first, characters or plot?

What happens when it's characters first? Does the plot just flow naturally from a discovery of those characters, or do you find it difficult to weave a story together to fit the characters you want to write?; 12:36 PM
Anonymous said...: After reading this blog for a while now and learning what hectic schedules you all keep between your writing and other activities, how do you find time to read other authors books?

Is there one particular author that you ALWAYS read no matter what?

What is your favorite book of all time?

Thanks for the ability to ask.
Kathy H; 12:49 PM
Anonymous said...: I really want to know how to make a green ghost martini.

:)

When you don't want to sit in the chair and write..what do you do to make yourself sit there? Duct tape? Crazy glue?

Rebecca; 12:57 PM
mec said...: If a person had never read any of your books (unthinkable!), which one would you want them to read
first and why?; 1:22 PM
Anonymous said...: Jayne, this is specific to you. Since you write in several different genres, historical, contempory, and paranormal, do you take turns when deciding which genry to write next? Or, to you have a kernel of an idea that came from somewhere (do you know where?)that decides which style you will write next?

Thanks,
Kathy H; 2:39 PM
Jules Bennett said...: Do any of you work on more than one project at a time? I find myself doing this more and more lately and it's about ready to drive me insane. All these people just keep bumping around inside my head.

Thanks in advance!; 6:32 PM
Anonymous said...: I guess this is a question for you all: Is there a novel (famous or otherwise) which you wish you had written?

Sian (Palmerston North, New Zealand.); 8:03 PM
Shoshana said...: How do you organize research?
Do you try to do it all ahead of time?
What happens when you run into something that you need to look up before you can finish the scene? Do you just type {research blah} and keep going, or stop then and look it up, or some other option I haven't thought of?
Thanks for letting us do this, by the by!
Oh, yes -and one more thing: do any of you find that having a clear notion (such as a map) of the area you're setting the story in is worth the time it would take to set it up?
The sad part is, I'm not a writer and have no intention of becoming one. I'm simply curious: the more I learn about what goes into creating a book, the more I appreciate what I read!; 2:13 AM
Stella said...: Wow, what fabulous questions--thank you.

Keep em coming,
Stella; 3:07 AM
Lizelle said...: I have a couple:
For all of you ladies, id you had to pick one of your books to be made into a movie, which one would it be, and who would play the lead roles?
I know Jayne had a book made into a movie, Diamond Man, but I still have to watch it. Alos, would you insist that the storyline stays as close as possible to the book?
Do you think that you might become a stalker in the next life:); 12:48 PM
Anonymous said...: Many people who read yout books would recognise you if they come face to face with you.

1. What is their normal reaction?
2. What is usualy your reaction?
3. Do you sometimes wish they would just pass by and not acknowledge the recognition?

Thanks.; 1:39 PM
AgTigress said...: Writing novels for a living involves not only dreaming up the ideas, doing the research, and organising and writing them up into an integrated story - the hours of tapping away at the keyboard: it involves things like dealing with agents and publishers, checking proofs, bracing yourself for reviews, attending conferences, doing book tours or other promotional events, and even - shock! horror! - keeping in contact with your readers by writing BLOGS!
My question to all of you is, do you find the ancillary activities inseparable from being a professional writer a welcome balance and counterpart to the intense concentration of actually writing, or just a distracting pain in the neck?

;-); 3:02 PM
Anonymous said...: This is for Elizabeth II. EG,
You're musical background is intriguing and I want to know more about how you "use" music to write. Do certain songs go with certain scenes - do you see it as movie and soundtrack in your head before you write it? Would you give specific examples from Night Life?

Thanks,
Zeus; 4:42 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Hi Zeus, since I won't have a chance to answer the group Q&A for a few weeks (due to a deadline and a conference), I thought I'd respond to your individual question now. :-)

I listen to a particular song or piece of music to evoke an emotion in myself before I sit down to write. There is a list of the music I used for NIGHT LIFE on my web site if you want to click the link under my photo and then go to MUSIC.

For NIGHT LIFE, one of my favorite songs to listen to before writing a love scene was Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." For a dramatic scene with really heightened emotions, I would listen to the hard rock sound of Bonnie Tyler or one of the classical pieces that really hit the high notes, quite literally.

I don't usually see book scenes as movies scenes until very late in the story--like the big climatic stuff at the end. (I wish I could see them earlier in the writing process!)

I hope I've answered your questions. :-)
~EG; 8:02 AM
Anonymous said...: Yes, you did.

Thank You,
Zeus; 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...: You ladies have written many books, especially Jayne and Elizabeth.

How easy or how difficult is it to recall the content in a particular book if someone asks you a question about said book?

Also, do you reread any of your books?

Thank you.

Joy; 11:54 AM

Previous Posts

Sunday, June 17, 2007

We're Listening . . .

33 Comments: