A COUPLA SHADES OF TAUPE August 26, 2012

Tauped out, August 26, 2012

Okay folks, I started this blog to talk about the male point of view in romance novels. I try to find the exceptions with all due respect for the rules. I can't keep finding exceptions or even discuss something fresh, but I don't want to stop blogging. So this week, I'm going to plug a fellow author's book which I feel is so important to the direction romance novel writing as to be required reading by anybody anywhere anytime who wants to write. Really—don't write, just feep reading this over and over again.

A COUPLA SHADES OF TAUPE: A PARODY by Court Burback

Summary/Blurb in his/her/ or shemale's words:

Pagan Taupe is the wealthiest man in all of Arkansas. He’s got a home with a working refrigerator, a private rickshaw driver, and a respected empire of taxidermy/fro-yo chain stores. The only thing that’s missing is a whiny young codependent named Alexandra Aluminum. From the moment he sees her tripping over an angry raccoon, it’s clear that Alexandra dills his pickle. Pagan becomes obsessed with Alexandra at a level normally portrayed by Rob Lowe in Lifetime movies. But unlike Rob Lowe, Pagan doesn’t want to beat her with a tire iron and bury her beneath the town bridge—he wants to make her his live-in sex slave.

But if eager young Alexandra wants to feel the caress of Pagan’s ear hair against her cheek, she’s going to have to play by his rules. When Pagan reveals the special room he’s built to live out his sexual proclivities, Alexandra’s natural reaction is to cold cock him and call the police. But the clown chained to the wall assures Alexandra that Pagan is a stand-up guy, and if she gives him a chance he can introduce her to a world of unimaginable pleasure. Alexandra takes the leap and agrees to be Pagan’s unquestioning “submissive,” and the two embark on a sexual journey that would make Gloria Steinem put a loaded gun to her temple.

A COUPLA SHADES OF TAUPE is a romantic, tender tale of blossoming emotions and hardcore schtupping. A Pulitzer is inevitable.

SPAN OF CONTROL August 19, 2012

Story elements, August 19, 2012

I’m not feeling inspired this week to present something about the male point of view in romance. I’d like to talk about writing in general. I’m going to steal an idea I learned from my MBA program and apply it to writing. It’s called span of control. The theory goes, in management, you should have no more than six people working for you directly if you want optimum results. I’ve seen this number in various texts as little as three and as high as ten. This doesn’t mean 100s or 1000s can’t work for you, but that you must establish layers of control. Each of your managers can also have six people directly reporting to them.

In writing, perhaps we should not have more than six main or memorable characters during a normal book, or six main ideas in the book. Perhaps this can apply to chapters and scenes where six elements (including twists) are introduced. Doing this should optimize the number of readers or optimize the chance they ‘get’ your story or won’t put the book down. This probably applies to back cover ideas as well. A cover would be too busy with more than six things going on.

The human mind is most efficient when handling six issues, the mind tends to break down (or spin wheels) when stretched with more than six problems, and isn’t used to its potential when under six.

For reference: This whole idea started in a seat of the pants sort of way during World War 1 when General Sir Ian Hamilton asserted, “the average human brain finds its effective scope in handling three to six other brains.” Since then much research has gone into proving the theory. Many modern books on management and psychology assert a range of six to ten rather than three to six.

So who is your average reader? Isn’t clarity the clarion call of editors everywhere? Perhaps because they know that a mass market is achieved by applying principles an average reader would enjoy and understand.

If you’re in a pitch session with an agent or editor and they worry if you have too many elements, you could spring “span of control” on them OR not mention more than six ideas supporting your manuscript.

What women think of a guy and his dog, 8/12/12

What women think of a guy and his dog. August 12, 2012.

I stumbled across this little bit of lunacy by Mansome on Yahoo. I couldn't embed the video, so if you are interested click on the link and a go to link will appear slightly above it, then click on that. The 'reporter' interviews three ladies while the same guy prances out with different types of dogs to get their impressions of his suitability for romance based on the kind of dog he's with.

First of all, my dog Frankie is famous and on the cover of my first novel. So what kind of a guy am I? Hint, he's half wolf:

Here's Mansome's take on dogs and men, and the women who love them.

http://screen.yahoo.com/episode-11-what-your-dog-says-about-you-30178432.html?pb_list=c743be6d-1be1-40f2-9df5-9842156b1015

So call me, maybe? August 5, 2012

CALL ME MAYBE, August 5, 21012

For those who write YA Romance, there is much to inspire from pop music.

CALL ME MAYBE: The song and the title captures the indelicate imbalance of ego, tease, want, confusion, mixed signals, fantasy, lust, love, and dislike. It has always been a big part of young pop songs. Just to name some, Wake Up Little Susie, Like A Virgin, Put Your Records On, [what's your favorites?], to Rolling In The Deep.

So call me, maybe? Well, her emotions are on display in the lyrics, but the video has a surprise for romance writers and a twist at the end. The girl pictures herself on the cover of a romance novel with her shirtless next door neighbor and the ending, we'll, see for yourself.

Guy's POV: When I was a teenager mixed signals usually turned me off. I was logical (me and Spock). I didn't 'get' mixed signals. I didn't always give up, but it slowed me down. By the time I got through college, I recognized this as charm, passion, and love of life.

CALL ME MAYBE by Carly Rae Jepsen

I've often thought vidoes could be embedded into ebooks to add another sense (after buying the right to use), but don't know how expensive this would be.