Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all… About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.
How did you go about choosing the names for your characters?
The characters in Intoxicated changed names several times after consulting with my editor and beta readers. There are many considerations that go into naming characters. You don’t want the names to sound alike or start with the same letters. The names should convey the type of character you want to portray or something about their character. For example, Jack Jameson is the main character of Intoxicated. I chose the name Jack because it is a good, strong all-American name. And his last name, Jameson, is a nod to the brand of liquor that one of my friends drinks.
Where did the inspiration for your current book come from?
I came up for the idea of Intoxicated a few years ago. I wanted to write a story about a handsome guy who is terribly flawed but still appealing and sexy. The character of Jack was formed. The next challenge was to find a love interest for him. I knew his mate needed to be someone strong enough to deal with his ego and not afraid to put him in his place if the situation called for it. His heroine had to be unlike anyone he’d ever met in lifestyle and outlook. And that’s how Ally came about. The setting for the story needed to be colorful and mysterious and full of eclectic people. Some of the most interesting people I’ve ever met have been in bars, clubs, and pubs. Felony Bar seemed like the perfect place to house the myriad of characters need for a series of romance novels.
What methods do you use to ensure you have no plot holes (journal, storyboard, outline, editor, etc.)?
I have a program called Scrivener that I use to plot out the basic story. I’m what’s called a “pantser” so I don’t really plot too much. I like to refer to my process as “layering”. Once I have a vague idea of the plot, I write snippets and pieces then weave them together. At this point, I read the story again and add details to pull the story together such as a character’s personality quirks or habits. After that, it’s time to re-read the story one more time and look for plot holes. It’s an intricate process. Sometimes I don’t know the whole story until the third or fourth draft. When it finally comes together, it’s like magic.
Well, that’s it for this week. I hope you enjoyed today’s blog. Be sure to continue on to Carrie Elks, the next stop in the tour.
Susan Scott Shelley
Intoxicated sounds like such a great story!
I like your “layering” process and Scrivener is such a great tool. I love it 🙂
Fiona Riplee
I like your term ‘layering’ as well. I’m going to borrow it 🙂 Sounds so much better than being called a pantser. Sounds more artistic!
Veronica Forand
I use Scrivener to outline my stories as well. I’m a major plotter, but I love the idea layering in more complexity during each read through!
S. C. Mitchell
So many of you use Scrivener. It looks like I’ll have to try that out.
Dani Jace
I got the Jameson part right on Jack. However, I took Jack as part of Jack Daniels…my brand! Most of my books have a bar in the setting as some point. Goes back to a “cave” my husband and I used to go to all the time. Great post!
Kim Handysides
My heroine Ruby’s last name is Jamison. Close. Nice and strong.
Sarah Hegger
Another nod to Scrivener from me.
Victoria Barbour
I love Jamison Irish Whiskey! Mmmmmm. Great way to name a character. And I have the trial version of Scrivener but I still haven’t been convinced to use it for my contemporary romances. However, I do see the merits for my historical romances, if I ever finish one. 🙂
jeana
I love Scrivener. It’s the only reason that Intoxicated ever made it to print. Since I write in pieces and snippets, Scrivener allows me to move chapters and scenes into different orders before compiling. It’s also a great place to organize your research for those historical novels!
Mishka Jenkins
Loving the sound of the inspiration for your book! 🙂 Great answers.