tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post554796902556195487..comments2023-11-02T10:18:41.209-05:00Comments on Spinsters and Lunatics: Book Launch: One Tough Marine! UPDATEDPaulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-56677331606805505022010-08-12T09:39:38.630-05:002010-08-12T09:39:38.630-05:00Nicole, I know what you mean. I'm pretty prot...Nicole, I know what you mean. I'm pretty protective of the babies, although I've sometimes had to have scary things happen to the children in my books. That's the nature of writing suspense.Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-34586330975585383552010-08-12T09:38:48.171-05:002010-08-12T09:38:48.171-05:00Lisa G, I hope you'll let me know how you thin...Lisa G, I hope you'll let me know how you think I handled it. It's okay if it didn't work for you--I like to hear what I do wrong so I can learn from it and become a better writer.Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-52401143244872303302010-08-12T09:37:58.112-05:002010-08-12T09:37:58.112-05:00Thanks, Ellen. I do think the key to any story el...Thanks, Ellen. I do think the key to any story element, like a secret baby, that can make the character unsympathetic is to give your characters really strong, understandable motives for their actions. I mean, normally I'd think theft is bad, but if a desperate mother in a dystopian future steals bread to feed her starving child, that's an understandable motive.Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-78895627638754189652010-08-12T09:36:01.912-05:002010-08-12T09:36:01.912-05:00Mary, I love reunion stories, too. Both this one ...Mary, I love reunion stories, too. Both this one and the September book, BACHELOR SHERIFF, are reunion stories. Of a sort. ;)Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-54662539288741669812010-08-12T09:35:00.490-05:002010-08-12T09:35:00.490-05:00Thanks, Laryssa (beautiful name!).
The reason I...Thanks, Laryssa (beautiful name!). <br /><br />The reason I let my characters talk me into the secret baby story was for exactly the reason you talk about--it made all the emotional (and plot-oriented) stakes exponentially higher for the story. And I don't think that writers should pull their punches. If you know something will make a story bigger and stronger, even if it makes things a Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-7428064690574346632010-08-12T09:32:56.766-05:002010-08-12T09:32:56.766-05:00Carla, I think the popularity of secret babies as ...Carla, I think the popularity of secret babies as a hook has created the problem--some writers know it's a hook that sells, so they jump on the bandwagon without stopping to consider how hard it is to write a secret baby story well. <br /><br />I hope I've done the secret baby convention justice. I can promise you, I didn't jump on any bandwagon. My character dragged me there Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-87859624129281780662010-08-12T09:03:15.320-05:002010-08-12T09:03:15.320-05:00It reall depends on if the writing is done well, a...It reall depends on if the writing is done well, and how the story plays out. I can be very picky once babies get involved...Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07244133065991212745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-63454328606273496112010-08-12T07:37:55.854-05:002010-08-12T07:37:55.854-05:00It depends on the story and the writing for me. I...It depends on the story and the writing for me. If I can't accept and like both of the key characters then I'm not going to enjoy the story. That said, I tend to avoid the secret baby stories for all the reasons you listed. I am looking forward to seeing how you handle it though.Lisa Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07598979639325922061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-30416088067529157252010-08-11T20:52:02.080-05:002010-08-11T20:52:02.080-05:00There are secret baby stories I like and some I do...There are secret baby stories I like and some I don't~~it all depends on the reason for the secret. I think in your story there was a reasonable excuse to keep the baby a secret.He's the one that disappeared on her so why would she tell him? In the book I just finished reading there was a secret baby and again the excuse was reasonable so I enjoyed it.EllenToohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06114930219445131840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-70000073132771712402010-08-11T16:39:12.233-05:002010-08-11T16:39:12.233-05:00While I don't love secret babies, I do LOVE re...While I don't love secret babies, I do LOVE reunion stories! Can't wait to read this one.MJFredrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881706931355203700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-22794400286408468642010-08-11T14:18:00.126-05:002010-08-11T14:18:00.126-05:00I'm always a big fan of the tragic separation ...I'm always a big fan of the tragic separation and then triumphant reunion plot line and I think that secret babies, if done right, can make a story more poignant. <br /><br />I look forward to reading what you wrote.<br /><br />Good luck with your launch!<br /><br />LaryssaUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01043955341760379889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-74588495224343025342010-08-10T16:48:27.486-05:002010-08-10T16:48:27.486-05:00Congratulations, Paula. I'm actually one of th...Congratulations, Paula. I'm actually one of those people who likes secret babies, but for the last few years, they've been done horribly. Knowing how talented you are, I'm looking forward to reading how you handled it. Hugs.Carla Swaffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01711161447004839163noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-21506857961055652332010-08-10T11:39:58.432-05:002010-08-10T11:39:58.432-05:00What genre are you writing in these days, Genia? ...What genre are you writing in these days, Genia? I know you were doing short stories the last time we really talked about it, but now you're taking shots at a novel? That's great!Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-89597179190018651492010-08-10T11:20:53.030-05:002010-08-10T11:20:53.030-05:00I'm not a fan of secret babies either, for the...I'm not a fan of secret babies either, for the same reasons as you, Paula. I do (kinda) like babies and little kids, though. One of my failed Nanowrimo novels is about a toddler. I may pick that one up again in November.<br /><br />Can't wait to read your new book, hon!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-73843473424097964192010-08-10T10:43:33.529-05:002010-08-10T10:43:33.529-05:00Please do tell me what you think! I hashed the pl...Please do tell me what you think! I hashed the plot out with a friend of mine who is downright allergic to the secret baby hook, and we finally got to a place where she felt that I'd addressed everything, but I'll be interested to hear other opinions.<br /><br />I don't see myself doing many secret baby stories in the future, though. That was hard!Paulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06618247976093599287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10961511.post-31443788759233919522010-08-10T06:50:20.216-05:002010-08-10T06:50:20.216-05:00Your book is finally wending it's way to me as...Your book is finally wending it's way to me as I type. I have September's release on order too.<br /><br />I'm actually not a fan of secret babies. Okay, I'm not a fan of babies in general, but secret babies in particular, for all the reasons you've already stated.<br /><br />So I'll be very interested to see how you handled this one. I haven't been disappointed in anyKeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06809655107065918944noreply@blogger.com