Blog Tour Guest Post and Giveaway: Something So Right - Elyse Mady

I'm excited today to have Elyse Mady joining us for a wonderful guest post about what inspires her, but we also have to great giveaways as part of her Elyse's blog tour. 

After having her heart broken, Lily Carver fled north to manage an upscale resort—and back to her longtime friend Sam Denning. Though she’s well aware of how hot Sam’s become, she refuses to risk her heart again. No matter how incredible his kisses make her feel…

Sam’s been in love—and lust—with Lily since the summer they met. When he finally shows her how much he wants her, Lily can’t resist his seduction. But Sam’s a forever kind of a guy and she’s only interested in temporary, painless relationships.

Lily thinks she can protect both their hearts with a short affair to let their passion run its course, something where they both know the rules and can explore the sparks between them without getting burned. But their best laid plans are put to the test by their undeniable attraction—and by a secret Sam’s been keeping from Lily that could ruin everything.

Let me just start off by saying that writer’s block sucks.
I say that with a deep fervour of someone who’s suffered it and come out the other side, a little battered, a lot more humble but wiser for the experience. 
It’s scary.  It’s demoralizing.  And it’s  bewildering, especially if the words have always just happened before.
Whether it comes on you all at once or gradually, as you wrestle with a project that just won’t gel, all too often you’re faced with the 2 a.m. questions  -  the nasty, insidious mental queries that whirl round your brain in the dark of the night and leave you looking like an extra on a low-budget zombie flick day after day.
What did you do wrong?  What aren’t you doing right?  What if you never write again?
Well, I’m here to offer some advice that worked for me, tips that will help you get your writing groove back in gear and the promise that writer’s block doesn’t mean the end of your creative life.   It may not be a simple fix but if you persevere, the words will flow again. 

 Talk It Out.  Writing by its very nature is a solitary endeavour and it’s all too easy to get stuck in a situation whereby you are can’t see the forest for the trees.  You’re too close and you’ve been living with the characters for too long to see their weaknesses, the plot holes or even more surprisingly, the solutions that might allow you to move the story forward.
That’s when talking out your problems can make a world of difference.  “I have a heroine.  She’s suppose to be strong.  Except she’s not. She’s whiny and unpleasant and I want to drop her off a cliff.”  Just by articulating the issue out loud – in my case, it was a heroine who lacked a cohesive motivation – you can sometimes come up with a solution without the listener saying a single word.
Often though, it takes more than that.  Find someone whose judgement you trust and try to
Don’t just moan.  Be specific.  Ask questions.  Listen.
Do a Borrower and a Lender Be
When I was feeling particularly demoralized, I often turned to a variation on a writing excersize that lets me write to another author’s template.  I’d choose a writer and characters I’m familiar with.  The goal here is not word count or even progress on the stalled WIP. 
Fun is the goal here.  You want to write freely.  You don’t need to worry what your critique partner’s going to say or your editor or your agent.  All you’re doing is telling a story with fictional puppets.   Give Mr. Darcy a motorcycle.  Make Max de Winter a werewolf.  It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you’re writing.  Fan fiction does this all the time and often the stories are wildly inventive and fun.  For me, this was vital because it kept alive the notion that writing was a creative process, something that I struggled to remember when I was mechanically plodding through my difficult story.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot.  Have you done a scene by scene list?  I started out writing screenplays (I have a fine arts degree in film production) and shot lists are an invaluable tool for organizing a movie.  I finally clued in that they work really well for my novels, too.
I often discover pacing issues and plot holes when I write out my scenes in summary.
INT.  SAM’S BUILDING SITE.  DAY.
Lily confronts Sam.  They argue.

Doesn’t need to be long – just a quick thumbnail that let’s you look at the overall shape of the story and provide ideas for fixes that might be harder to see in macro view.  I highlight areas that  are lacking, or scenes that are too similar or that would work better earlier or later in the story line.   It’s small and easy to manipulate and when the words won’t come, making any progress feels good.

I hope these suggestions help get you writing again.  The good news is I completed my latest story – it’ll be out in May, 2012 – and if you persevere you will, too.


 Book Trailer

Giveaway
Elyse is offering two give-aways for her tour!

We're giving away an eCopy of either: 

 The contest is open internationally!

What do you need to do to enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter and leave a blog comment.

The second give-away is a grand prize pack of a a gorgeous hardcover photography book about Muskoka history, a beautiful set of Group of Seven mugs, a set of note cards and some Canadian maple syrup!

Comments from each tour stop also act as an entry into this grand prize give-away.  Open US/Canada.  See full contest rules here.

Blog Tour Stops

Monday, October 17th - Kate, I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read

Tuesday, October 18th - Grace, Books Like Breathing

Wednesday, October 19th - Rowena, Book Binge

Thursday, October 20th - Sophia, Fiction Vixen

Friday, October 21st - Cindy, Oodles of Books

Monday, October 24th - Loretta, Between the Pages

Tuesday, October 25th - Evie, Bookish

Wednesday, October 26th - Jodie, Riverina Romantics

Thursday, October 27th - Julie, A Tale of Many Reviews

Friday, October 28th - Alyssa, Hesperia Loves Books

Monday, October 31st - Janie, Colloquium

Tuesday, November 1st - Mandy, The Journey and Musings of a Single Country Girl and Her Cat
Wednesday, November 2nd - Hikari, Imaginary Reads

Thursday, November 3rd - Shannon, Cocktails and Books

Friday, November 4th - Stella, Ex Libris    

Tuesday, November 8th -Grand prize announcement on Elyse MadyÆs blog!

Author Bio:

About Elyse Mady - website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
Elyse Mady is the author of “Learning Curves” and “The Debutante’s Dilemma”, both with Carina Press. Upcoming books include “Something So Right” (September, 2011) and “The White Swan Affair” (2012). She blogs at http://www.elysemady.com. You can also find her on Twitter at @elysemady and Goodreads.

In addition to her writing commitments, Elyse also teaches film and literature at a local community college. In her free time she enjoys (well, enjoys might be too strong a word – perhaps pursues with dogged determination would be better) never ending renovations on their century home with her intrepid husband and two boys.

With her excellent writerly imagination, she one day dreams of topping the NY Times Bestseller’s List and reclaiming her pre-kid body without the bother of either sit-ups or the denunciation of ice-cream.