When in doubt, Figure it out. #amwriting #scifi #romance

When writers should trust their gut.

In the process of writing my latest project, a sci-fi novella, I came across a problem I’ve never encountered before. I flew through the first part of the story, giving life to my characters and manipulating them into the situation that would become the climax of the adventure story. Then I came to the final chapter. The work was nearly done, the story ready to be wrapped up. The story, however, refused to cooperate with my vision. After three distinct revisions of the final chapter my beta reader put her foot down. She said, “No! This is not the way this story should go, and you know it!”

Of course, I pretended to be shocked, but I did understand what she meant. I knew deep down, even as I was writing the chapter, that everything I was writing was wrong. So why was I writing it? It would be easy to tell you that I felt pressured to make the story end a certain way. The truth is, the only person putting pressure on me to finish this story in a certain way was me. Why would I feel the need to make my story into something it truly wasn’t? 

Well, the answer to that question is three fold.

#1. Industry expectations. I come from a world of romance readers. I am a voracious romance reader. I have written romance novels since my hands could form words into sentences. When I sit at my computer to write a story my brain naturally goes to the question: “Where does the romance fit in?” So, even though I knew starting off that this novella would have faint, if any, romance, I also knew that there would end up being some romance in it. With that in mind I began to worry about how my HEA would fit into the story. Subconsciously, I began to manipulate the story to fit into the romance reader expectation of a happily-ever-after scenario.

#2. Personal expectation. As a reader there are certain types of stories that touch my heart more than others. When I have emotional connections with characters and their journey I have a better connection to the story as a whole. When I write my own stories I expect them to have that character development that will allow my readers to connect with my characters. Even though this story was character-centric, it was also about the galaxy and the state of the empires within in. By trying to manipulate the story to my own preferences I actually lost some of the powerful world-building opportunities that would have made my story better.

#3. I want what I want. I am the author. I can make this story do whatever I want it to do. Right? In the norm, I’d answer yes. But with this story, when I began on one path and later diverged toward another, I actually wrote myself directly into a corner. I had created a conflict with a high-action, character-driven conclusion, but I pulled away from the natural evolution of the story to try to make it fit into a pre-conceived mold rather than allowing it to evolve naturally and end organically.

So what does this mean? As authors we are motivated by a need to create. We want to bring our worlds to life and allow readers to visit every time they open the cover. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies. The pressure to create a story that fits inside the industry expectation, our own preconceived notions of what the story “should be”, and the idea that we are the supreme being who makes the story do what we want sometimes ends up landing us in a tangle at the end of the story. It landed me there! My last and (hopefully) final revision of the story will erase all those convoluted ideas of how the story “should” end, and allow it to come naturally to a close. I could* have gone back to the beginning of the story and re-worked it to match the ending, but it seemed like I had created the story that way for a reason. By trying to manipulate the ending to fit my (sometimes limiting) need for romance and twists, I actually ended up undermining all the hard word I’d done in the beginning of the story.

The take away from my struggle? Trust your gut! Don’t let your head tell you a story “should” end this way, when all along it’s been speeding naturally toward a different conclusion. Being clever is great, but sometimes it gets us in more trouble than we bargained for!

Amy’s Links:

www.facebook.com/authoramydeclerck

www.Twitter.com/@ARDeClerck

www.amyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com

www.amazon.com/author/ardeclerck

Author’s Bio:

AR DeClerck grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, USA. She currently resides in the Quad Cities, IL with her husband and two daughters. She writes adventure romance in many sub-genres including fantasy, scifi, and steampunk.

Meet the #Author Monday - AR DeClerck #scifi #romance

Please tell us a bit about yourself: Hello, all! My name is AR DeClerck. I’m an adventure romance author. I write books set in scifi, fantasy and steampunk worlds, and my characters ALWAYS get themselves into some kind of trouble. In my day-to-day life I’m a mother, wife and dialysis technician. I have two dogs and a lazy cat to sit near my feet when I write my books.

Tell us about Bound to You:

What inspired you to write this particular story?: I saw a music video by a favorite band, and I started thinking about the people in the video. How did they get to that point? What brought them all to this place? The story grew from there.

Please share a favourite snippet from your book:

Jacks leaned against the door and tried to control himself. He was a fucking mess, and this was not the way to try to power an alien machine. He needed to be focused and sure of what he was doing.

That was the problem. He wasn't sure. The minute he'd realized what the reinforced room meant, every promise he'd made to Lia went out the window. They were not doing this together, no fucking way. He'd seen the results of radiation poisoning in his classes at the IGU, and he knew that the Illaran machine must put out massive amounts to warrant such a remote, closed room.

He looked up, and saw that above the machine there were doors, like hangar doors that must open to the surface. Surely, if the energy the machine created was to destroy the wormhole, the doors opened up to allow the energy out.

He looked up and saw that Lia was pressed against the window, her palms flat on the glass as her eyes followed his every move. He tried to ignore her, but knew it was impossible. He went to her, and placed his palms on the glass, mirroring hers.

"Don't die." she mouthed to him, her voice carried away by the thick glass.

He tried to think of something reassuring to say, but found nothing, so he nodded. She was torn up, the gamut of emotions coming off her end of the bond physically painful. He winced, and rubbed his chest, and she stepped back, lessening the flow. They were learning to control the flow between them with every day that passed, and he knew that, if he tried, he could completely shut her out. He held on to that knowledge, praying he wouldn't need to use it.

He backed away and looked around the room. He was here, but he had no idea what to do next.

"I'm here." he said aloud, hoping Layl was nearby. "What now?"

A moment passed, then two, but nothing happened. He looked at Lia and raised a shoulder. She pointed, and he turned as the terminals inside the room suddenly came on. The same scrolling Illaran letters were running, and he leaned closer. They made no sense to him at all, the figures completely different than any language he'd ever seen.

"Uh, okay." he called out to Layl. "Still no idea what to do."

He could almost picture Layl's frustrated growl, as the computer nearest him stopped scrolling, and the screen froze. He leaned an elbow on the table and studied it. It was a diagram of the machine, complete with pictures showing him how to open the domed lid.

He moved to the machine, looking for the same buttons on the machine that he saw on the screen. He pressed it, and the dome slid back. He grinned and looked at Lia, who'd covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at the machine. He went back to the computer and the picture flipped, showing the person climbing bodily inside the machine as the dome slid closed over them.

"Illaran death machine for dummies." he murmured, going back to the machine. He looked up at Lia, and tried to send her reassurance through the bond.

She didn't move, but her fingers curled against the glass as he sat on the bed of the machine and swung his legs up. He laid back and as his head touched the pillowed rest the dome slid closed over him.

No fan of enclosed spaces he found that breathing was easy inside the machine, but he could smell the engine oil and grease the Illarans had used. It was as if the machine had been constructed yesterday as opposed to three thousand years ago. He wiggled his fingers and toes, hoping that Layl could turn the thing on himself.

He waited, but after a minute nothing had happened. He sighed and tried to sit up, and the dome slid back as if understanding him. He went back to the computer, waving at Lia as she paced outside of the window. She didn't wave back, but she stopped to watch him, her eyes big in her pale face. He watched as the image on the screen changed, showing the machine drawing energy from the person inside. Some writing narrated, but it made no sense. The image changed again, showing a brain scan with massive electrical impulse. He knew his own scans looked similar. He realized then that he knew what to do.

He climbed back inside the machine and lay down, the dome sliding closed over him. He closed his eyes and thought about what he wanted the machine to do. As he'd expected, the machine was in tune with his mental wiring. He felt it hum to life under his back, the vibrations deep in his muscles. Lights came on over his body, and there was a steady humming that grew louder as he waited. It was powering up, and soon it would be ready to pull the energy from his body and direct it at the wormhole, hopefully permanently closing the spacial anomaly that anchored Verhagnis to the planet.

Which comes first for you – a character's looks, personality or name?:  A combination of name and personality. The looks get filled in as I’m writing the story, usually pulled from the other character’s thoughts.

Any tips for aspiring authors?: Don’t give up. Don’t give in. There is a lot of pressure in the industry to write what “readers want”, and sometimes that can skew your own creativity. It’s hard to find a niche, but following the crowd and being like “everyone else” leaves books flat and uninteresting. Forge your own path, blaze your own trails. Write for you and for your readers and your authenticity will pay off.

Questions for fun:

If you had the power of time travel, is there anything you would go back and change? Why/why not?: No. I am a firm believer that messing with the past is far too tricky a business for anyone, especially me. One wrong step and Napolean’s grandson is the King of England.

What super-power would you choose?: Healing. Definitely. Myself and others.

If you could have three wishes, what would they be?: 1) happiness for my kids and family 2)no one goes hungry again 3)free sustainable energy that doesn’t destroy the planet

Coffee, tea or wine?: I’m from the Southern USA, so it’s cold sweet tea. The sweeter the better. Dark brewed!

What is your favourite book? (aside from one of your own!): A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeline L’Engle. The book changed my life, opened my eyes to the magic of the world and the written word.

Favourite genre and why?: Steampunk! I love the idea that one little adjustment to historical fact can create so many possibilities. I love the adventure and the science all the what-ifs!

Favourite colour?: Green.

Upcoming news and plans for the future?: I will be releasing a 3 novel/1novella bundle as a sample for my readers, so they can get a taste of my writing style on March 1^st. April 29^th I will release my second magical steampunk adventure novel, The Enchanter’s Embrace. (followup to The Alchemist’s Kiss)

Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us!

Amy’s Links:

www.facebook.com/authoramydeclerck

www.twitter.com/@ARDeClerck

www.amyreadsandwrites.blogspot.com

www.amazon.com/author/ardeclerck

Find all my books at www.amazon.com/author/ardeclerck

Bio:

AR DeClerck is a harried madwoman with nineteen kids, one good eye and a limp. Ok, ok. She squints often, limps sometimes, and she has two kids. But the ‘harried madwoman’ part stands! She was born in North Carolina, USA but currently lives with her husband and kids in the Quad Cities. When she’s not working as a mom or dialysis technician she is writing adventure romance novels. AR believes that LOVE is the greatest adventure.

#Cover Reveal - Bound To You by @ARDeClerck #scifi #romance

Title: Bound to You                                              

By: AR DeClerck

PRE ORDER AVAILABLE!

Blurb:

Jackson Baine is a man with a gift, and he has never had a problem with selling it to the highest bidder. His newest job is with one of the biggest terraforming companies in the universe, and the money he stands to make will allow him and his crew to retire on any planet in any galaxy they choose. His biggest problem: Ferrell Terraforming has assigned him a company liason to see to his needs and protect their interests. But that’s not his only problem. Lia Bernardi is smart, beautiful and strong, and she entices Jacks in a way no other woman ever has. She is a distraction he cannot afford on the surface.

Anatolia Bernardi is ready to climb the corporate ladder, get out from under her egotistical boss, and impress her overbearing father. All she has to do is turn one dead, empty planet into an oasis. Her company says Jacks Baine is the key, and it’s her job to make sure he’s productive and happy. Both of which, she soon learns, are harder than she’d thought they’d be. For some reason Jacks can get under her skin and break down every wall she’s constructed between herself and the world.

On the surface of a long-dead planet Jacks and Lia will be forced to face the startling realization that the past never really goes away.

Author Bio:

AR DeClerck lives in the Quad Cities, IL. She is a wife and mother of two daughters. She has two dogs and a cat, and always has her nose in a book. She’s either reading one, or writing one. She writes romance in many sub-genres, and has always had a soft spot for sci-fi romance. She credits her love of reading and writing to her mother, who always keeps a book handy.

Links:

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/authoramydeclerck

Twitter:

www.twitter.com/@ARDeClerck

Goodreads:

www.goodreads.com/ardeclerck