It's All In The Delivery

Happy Tuesday Everyone,

Well, I'm looking forward to Friday's give away. I'm hosting Kim Lenox as she gives away her Shadow Guards series (pictures to come). Last night she sent me an email saying that she'll sign and personalize the books for the winner however the winner wants. (Which, I thought was really cool).

As many of you know, I have a critique partner (whom I think is just awesome). What you all may not know is I'm also a part of a critique group. So, I emailed out a story that's a side-project (because I was still working on one of my main projects and had nothing else ready for a critique and I wanted to send something). Several people thought some of my lines were really funny. One person said "You have a natural wit." I sat there reading that, with my jaw dropping. I work hard on those funny lines. I think they're hilarious, but since reading and writing is subjective, I don't know (until someone reads it) whether someone else will find them funny. But given that I like to make people laugh anyway, in some ways it is natural.

It's about how you set the line up. If it's something clear out of left field a person is not going to follow you. However, if it's along the lines of what's going on, then it's possible the line could be quite funny.

When I wrote the parody, Because Of The Pie I knew that in a parody I was going to exaggerate real life. In real life Les doesn't go on and on about chocolate chip cookies (in fact, if I remember correctly, that topic hasn't come up in our conversations) he also hasn't gone on and on about cherry pie. The point was, I didn't set out to write anything serious, so everything had to be funny, but also still make sense. You can be funny, but if it doesn't make sense then the punch line isn't really going to make anyone chuckle.

Christie Craig's book, Shut Up And Kiss Me is extremely humorous. But it's not just humorous because someone does or says something that tickles the funny bone, but because of he delivery. The woman is absolutely flawless in her humor delivery (she's also that way in person when she says something funny--it's very funny--she just knows how to shoot out that line for the ultimate laugh).

Another example of excellent humor delivery is Jennifer Crusie's Trust Me On This. I was laughing out loud at some of the lines her characters say. But they also made sense. It wasn't funny just to have comic relief, it was actually funny within the situation itself.

Kerrelyn Sparks makes lines and situations funny, as well. In The Undead Next Door, Jean-Luc is a vampire who puts a mind "whammy" on the heroine's ex-husband. Every time the ex-husband says something bad about the heroine that same ex-husband thinks he's a cockroach. To me, that was extremely funny. (My husband kept looking at me and asking "What's so funny?" I was laughing out loud).

The point is, humor can be an author's ally, but without the right delivery it can backfire. These authors have everything right: situation and delivery.

Two things before I sign off on this post: don't forget Friday's drawing. It's gonna be great! Also, don't forget to pick up a copy of Melissa Ohnoutka's Faithful Deceptions :-)

Question for today: What books do you find funny and why? (be sure to include title and author)

Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

It's Worth A Fortune

Happy Tuesday Everyone, Does anyone remember the song If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies ? I can't remember when or how I was first introduced to this song, but it's a fun song. So, how about if you had a million dollars? What would you do with it? Of course there's the responsible things to do with a million dollars--pay off debts, and such like that. Then there's the question of whether or not you give to charities, and how much. But, suppose you answered all those questions and you still had quite a lot left; what would you do with it? Maybe I'd go to Disney World. I've wanted to go, and I've never been able to. Or, perhaps I'd go to Germany and England, and Belgium (three of the countries my ancestors are from). Travel around seeing family and friends I don't see often. There's all kinds of possibilities. So, what about you? What would you do with a million dollars? Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

Spotlight On Author: Loretta Wheeler

Happy Tuesday Everyone, There's a gem of an author I've had the privilege of coming across...I'm talking about my friend, Loretta Wheeler. She's a sweetheart and very talented author. I enjoyed her YA Paranormal novella, The Pan Man immensely. And, she also writes Romance. So without further ado, come into my parlor and meet Loretta Wheeler: Me: In your YA novelette, The Pan Man , you mention Pan's looking for his long lost soul mate. What made you choose Pan out of all the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses? Loretta: I chose the Greek god Pan, because of the connection with the music. I found later on in the story, (my stories take over and write themselves usually) it applied even more than I realized because of the band's name. I won't mention the name of the band in here, because it's part of the surprise ending. Me: You're mostly known for your Romance stories. How would you describe your writing style? Hot, suspenseful, sensual, sw...

Myths About Writers

Afternoon Folks, I thought we'd do a post to dispel some of the myths people seem to have about writers. I'll put the ones that first come to mind then y'all can chime in. Myth: Writing is a great way to make a lot of money. I'm not sure exactly how this one matriculated. Probably in the wake of some of the big best sellers (i.e. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and the like) but most of the time writers put in more money for their writing than they do get out of it. Generally a writer doesn't make a ton of money unless somehow his/her book is a blockbuster hit and blasts through what the author owes in the advance (which is paid back to publishers through royalties). Most writers I've met and talked to are not millionaires. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it's not one of those things that's automatic. Myth: Writing Is Easy Anybody Can Do It. Okay, granted this isn't entirely a myth, but it's not ent...

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