All posts by Jordan

Third time’s the charm

23 September 2013 Jordan 2 Comments

This entry is part 4 of 13 in the series All my novels

I kept on writing in spite of my too-short and too-broken first novels. And as it turned out, the third time was the charm. This new project completely changed my writing career.

QUICK REMINDER: to receive your bonus reads for the book blast, you must email me your receipt! jordan at jordanmccollum.com

Anyway. My best friend and I were chatting one day about a friend of hers who became a priest after college, and what it would be like to choose a celibate life at a young age. The conversation wandered off into paths of foreign soaps with Catholic priests pursued by young women (namely Ballykissangel and Abrázame muy fuerte). Sometimes these fictional priests would fall in love and leave the ministry, and my friend and I speculated what would happen if a priest fell in love.

That night, my mind returned to that theme. What if, I wondered, he wasn’t really a priest? For the first time, my mind went to what would later become my favorite fictional question: what if he were a spy?

I emailed my friend and within a day or two, we’d sketched out our stories and begun parallel novels: mine following the adventures of Father Undercover and the parish secretary, and my friend’s following the story of a teacher at the parish school (who happened to be Father Undercover’s sister) and a seminary candidate.

The book stats

Title: Finally settled on Saints & Spies
Genre: Romantic suspense (my first contemporary-set novel!)
Inspiration: a conversation with my best friend
Writing dates: 22 October 2008 – early December 2008. And then editing until February 2010. Seriously.
Length: Maxed out at 101,000, but submitted at around 90,000
Elevator pitch: An LDS FBI agent must go undercover as a Catholic priest to root out the mob in the parish—if he doesn’t fall for the parish secretary first.

What I learned from writing this book

Man. What didn’t I learn from this book?

From the initial writing, I was reminded what it was like to fall in love with a story. It had been nearly a year since I’d started a new project, and my enthusiasm for my previous books was as mired down as their plots. I realized I could write a book in a contemporary setting, and I learned how much fun it was to co-author. The best part was always writing the scenes with all four of our main characters interacting. My friend and I still squabble like our sibling characters when talking about a scene where they have opposite agendas 😉 .

But probably the farthest-reaching lesson I learned was how useful plotting really is. With four MCs, two main plots, intersecting subplots, shared scenes, etc., planning out our stories in advance was a must. The actual plotting took me less than a day and I was still very excited about the story. The actual book was very different from the original plot—we cut the rival mob that was the main plot entirely—but having a guideline in place was an amazing revelation. It didn’t stifle my creativity; the outline enabled it.

This book became my first submission, and thus my first rejection. That, right there, says a lot.

I would not give up. Editing the book again taught me more than I’d ever learned about writing. I went through each scene to perform a tension check, ensuring there was some source of tension in the scene, striving to weave in more interactions with antagonists, bringing out the suspense. I took my heroine from a crying waif to a proactive former policewoman. I learned how to better write character emotions from the inimitable Margie Lawson.

sandsnotes

I learned how much real work it would take to get that book from first draft to publishable (my secret sauce of writing). It took more than a year of work after the rejection to get it that way.

After I finally learned what editing was, this book became my first contest win. Then it became my first acceptance from a publisher. And one day, it will definitely be available. Once upon a time, that day was going to be last month, but it isn’t now. Which is okay, too—because if you saw the dates above, I started this book five years ago and often I’m not sure I want to look back at where my writing was back then!

But, hey, if you do, you can read that prizewinning chapter right here on my website.

What do you think? How did you learn about the importance of planning, or editing? How many novels did you write before you had one ready to submit?

Photo credit: el Padre y la Viuda (the Father and the Widow)—Carlos MuLec

Works, News & Contests

The I, Spy Book Blast is here!

19 September 2013 Jordan

To save her country and her secrets, CIA operative Talia Reynolds must sacrifice the man she loves—but your choice is much easier! Just buy a copy of I, Spy during the book blast AND receive awesome prizes!

UPDATE: You know what would be cool? If I included, you know, purchase links. Here you go! Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords, and here on JordanMcCollum.com!

What you have to do

Step 1: Buy the book any day from September 19 to September 22. Any retailer will do! Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble & Smashwords, and here on JordanMcCollum.com!

Step 2: Email Jordan a copy of the receipt (jordan at jordanmccollum.com). Yes, even if you buy the book from Jordan’s site, we need to know you want to receive the freebies.

Step 3: Wait with bated breath.

What you’re going to get

EVERYONE who participates gets fabulous prizes, including 13 free books and samples from wonderful authors!

The fabulous prizes!

a free copy of A Body in the Backyard (A Myrtle Clover Mystery) by Elizabeth Spann Craig	a free copy of Rose, Undercover (Dead Roses #1.1) by RaShelle Workman	a free copy of Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans by Linda Weaver Clarke
a free copy of Writing Your Family Legacy by Linda Weaver Clarke (Isn’t she awesome?!)	a free copy of Secret Sisters by Tristi Pinkston	a free copy of Dead Running by Cami Checketts
a free copy of First Kiss (Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips 1) by Cindy Hogan	a preview of A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver	a sneak preview of The Witnesses by Stephanie Black, out next month!
a sneak preview of Pocket Full of Posies (Hostage Negotiation Team #3) by Julie Coulter Bellon, out next month!	an exclusive look at “I’ll Cry for Christmas,” a short story by Rachelle J. Christensen	a free copy of Mr. Nice Spy (I, Spy Prequels) by Jordan McCollum

PLUS!

An exclusive sneak preview of Spy for a Spy (Spy Another Day #2) by Jordan McCollum

Note that all freebies will be in electronic format. I will try to match the format to the format you bought if you purchased an e-book; if you purchased a print copy, I’ll send the freebies in PDF (unless you specify otherwise).

What if I’ve already bought I, Spy?

First of all, THANK YOU!! If you take a picture of you with your copy of I, Spy (or the cover on your reading device) and post it somewhere public on the Internet— Facebook (or maybe on Jordan’s Facebook page), a Tweet, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram, sky’s the limit—send Jordan the link and you can have these fabulous prizes too!

So spread the word! The more, the merrier!

As always, many thanks to my wonderful friends helping to spread the word: Cindy M. Hogan, Stephanie Black, Kathleen Brebes, JoLyn Brown, Rachelle J. Christensen, Julie Coulter Bellon, Cami Checketts, Tristi Pinkston, Nichole Giles!

Technique

Balancing the subplot and the main plot

18 September 2013 Jordan

This entry is part 3 of 7 in the series Subplots

The biggest difference between a subplot and a main plot is that whole “sub” thing. How can we make sure our subplots don’t overtake the main plot? A fine sense of balance and a lot of analysis.

subplots series. Photo by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Identifying your main plot

This might seem obvious, but if you’re struggling to balance your subplots and your main plot, maybe your main plot . . . isn’t.
fitshelf

Describe your book in 20 words or less—one, maybe two sentences. (Check out edittorrent for some help writing a logline)
Think about where your book would go on the shelves. What’s it next to? What genre does it fall into?
Look at your character’s arc. What plot line most affects (or effects!) your character’s internal growth?
Examine the opening. What problem is presented first? What’s biggest? What has the highest stakes?
Examine the turning points. What changes at Plot Point I, the Midpoint and Plot Point II?
Examine the climax. What problem is resolved last? What problem forms the crux of the whole book?
Ask your antagonist. Who or what is the strongest external force working against your character?

Naturally, several subplots will be intertwined with each of these elements. But if you’re writing a mystery, for instance, and all your turning points are set pieces for the adventure plot, maybe those mystery elements are actually a subplot, and we need to adjust the beginning and end (and character arc) to reflect the main plot better.

If you find your manuscript still to be indefinable, perhaps it needs to be more focused in general.

Analyze the subplot

Once you’ve identified the main plot, take a look at the subplot(s) that’s competing for your readers’ attention. A few things we want to determine about the subplot:

What type of subplot is it? Mirroring, contrasting, complicating?
If it doesn’t fall into one of those types, how does it intersect with the main plot? How does it change the main character’s trajectory?
What characters are involved in this subplot? Only secondary characters? All main characters?
How much page time does the subplot occupy? You don’t have to analyze quite to the level that Livia Blackburne analyzed the use of backstory in published novels, but at least on a scene level, go through each scene of the story and figure out not only how long the scene is, but whether it pertains more to the main plot or the subplot. Total it up. What percentage of the story deals with the main plot? Each subplot?

Again, if one of our subplots far outweighs the others, or even the main plot, it might be a good idea to figure out if perhaps the “main” plot . . . isn’t.

Otherwise, if things are out of whack, it’s probably time to work on that balance.

Striving for balance

Aside from making sure the main plot reigns supreme, there aren’t any hard and fast rules about how much subplot is too much. As always, your intuition and feedback from impartial readers are both invaluable.

Of course, that’s not a super helpful answer, is it? A few good guidelines to fall back on:

If you’re worried about it, it might be an issue.
If more than one reader (or one very astute reader whose judgment you trust) picks up on it, it might be an issue.
If you enjoy writing the subplot more than the main plot—trim it or switch it!
If your characters are more engaged by the subplot—trim it or switch it!
If the subplot deals primarily with secondary characters, and affects very little of the main plot or the main characters, those secondaries may be trying to upstage your story. Reel them in!
If your subplot doesn’t “go” anywhere—the characters don’t grow, it doesn’t affect the main plot or dramatically change the main characters’ trajectories—it might need to go (More about that another time)

In trimming a subplot, you don’t have to cut it entirely. Readers are usually pretty astute, and can infer a lot without being shown everything. Try to stick with the most important events from the subplot to make it work. These are the events that trace the outline of the subplot, and the events that affect the main plot the most.

When you switch a subplot to a main plot, naturally you have to trim back the old main plot to make room. You’ll also probably need to expand the subplot—but most of all, you’ll need to make sure that all the key turning points of the story involve the new main plot, especially the character’s emotional turning points.

A word about romantic elements

Romantic subplots are very popular. But how can you tell if you’re writing a book with romantic elements, or an adventure romance, or a romance with adventure elements?

First and foremost, if the relationship does not end with a happily-ever-after (or at least a happily-ever-right-now), you’re looking at a book with romantic elements. It’s the codified definition of a “romance” from Romance Writers of America. Period.

If the romance plots and the adventure plots are nearly equal—in page time, in effect on the characters, in turning points, in beginnings and endings—adventure romance is a safe bet.

If the romance plot takes far more page time, or if it affects the characters’ journeys far more than the adventure plot, then it’s probably a romance with adventure elements. Most likely, you’ll want to stick to publishers in the romance arena—but be careful that your adventure elements aren’t too buried in the romance story, or you run the risk of disappointing your readers.

Subplots make your story richer—as long as they don’t take over the whole thing! Balancing your subplots helps to keep your story on course.

What do you think? How do you make sure your subplots are balanced against the main plot? Come share!

Photo credits: submarine—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; bookshelf—Josh; balance—winnifredxoxo

Reading

TBR Tuesday: #TackleTBR update

17 September 2013 Jordan 1 Comment

I’m still chugging away at the Tackle your TBR Read-a-thon! Over the weekend, by some miracle, I finished both books I was working on last week! And, wonder of wonders, I got my current WIP sent in to my editor, so I’m ready to attack some more reads!

But first, let me give you my final verdict on last week’s books.

A Way Back to You by Emily Gray Clawson

For two and a half years, Annabelle, a young widow with three small children, has been stuck in the past. Numbed by grief and overwhelmed by the responsibility of raising her three small children alone, she agrees to let them spend the weekend with a friend while she tries to get some much-needed rest at her parents’ home. But the next morning, Annabelle is suddenly sixteen again—and it just happens to be the worst day of her teenage years.

As she relives the drama of high school life, Annabelle realizes that her future husband, Mitch, has just returned from a mission and is living on the other side of town. While getting Mitch’s attention is more complicated than she imagined, Annabelle discovers that she is stronger than she has been willing to admit, and there just might be a future for her after all.

Um, wow. As Emily’s critique partner, I’ve had many a peek at her rough drafts. This particular book predates our critique group, and . . . wow. It’s awesome. Awesome. This might well be the best book I’ve read all year. Do you know how hard it is to make me cry and not resent it? I’m struggling to put together words to describe how wonderful this book is. The character’s arcs, the romance, the impossible choices she faces . . . W!O!W! Well done, Emily!

(Oh, I guess I should say I was given a free copy of this book because Emily is sweet. She wasn’t expecting a review.)

And on my Kindle:

Pivot Point by Kasie West

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, a special type of clairvoyant, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she is able to look into the future and see both outcomes. So when her parents tell her they are getting a divorce and she has to pick who she wants to live with, a Search has never been more important.

In one future Addie is living with her mom in the life she’s always known and is being pursued by the most popular guy in school. In the other she is the new girl in school, where she falls for a cute, quiet artist. Then Addie finds herself drawn into a murder investigation, and her fate takes a darker turn. With so much to lose in either future, Addie must decide which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she’s willing to live without.

This was a fun read. I said last week, I had some definite expectations of where I wanted the novel to go. I didn’t get what I wanted—being both an adult and a huge fan of investigation series like Law & Order probably means I’m not quite the target audience, but I was kind of hoping it would be a little like the ill-fated TV series Awake. So when Pivot Point didn’t really go there, I was a little sad.

But there’s nothing wrong with how it did turn out. I loved the final choice Addie had to make. The narrative structure and unique concept also worked really well!

I realized after last week’s post that both of these books have to do with a form of time travel, and dual (duelling?) memories. Kind of funny to read them at the same time! I did start to get them a little mixed up, but fortunately, I kept them straight. I think.

What are you reading now?

Works, Writing Life

Maybe this novel thing is for me . . .

16 September 2013 Jordan 1 Comment

This entry is part 3 of 13 in the series All my novels

My first novel was inspired by a dream, written longhand, and typed up. I rearranged the elements of one chapter (making it a pretty cool partial flashback)—and that passed for editing. Naturally, when editing doesn’t take any time, I figured it I should start on my next novel as soon as I finished this one.

I just needed an idea.

As any writer can tell you, ideas are cheap. I come across several every day. But very few of them actually inspire novels (it usually takes combining a few ideas to get to that level). As I approached the end of my first novel, I began to worry about the next one. Would I have any ideas? Did I only have one novel in me?

I think that insecurity comes back with every novel and every fallow period. I put immense pressure on myself to be “productive.” I’m almost always multitasking, even on a day “off.” But it’s okay to wait until you find an idea you’re really passionate about.

Fortunately, I had another dream, and once again I had the seeds of a novel.