Writing Mishaps - Those Palm to Forehead
Moments
I love writing, but when you're working on
a story, mishaps and mistakes are inevitable. From misspellings to technology
issues, problems occur that can be both annoying and funny.
Today I want to share some of my favorite
slips that I've made and scrapes I've gotten into while working on books.
1. Typos - The typo is probably the most
common error in writing. It's safe to say everyone makes a typo once in a
while. I make them A LOT. I have a typo checklist for my most common ones, just
be sure a sentence like this doesn't slip through:
Discussing his public hair isn't
appropriate in a pubic forum.
2. Technology - Yes, I'm old enough to say
that I used to write everything longhand and then type it using a vintage
typewriter (the kind that required a hammer to make the keys move). I love how
the tools of the trade have advanced and make completing a story faster and
easier. Still, technology isn't without its problems, in particular when human
error is involved. I remember being far behind on a deadline. After working on
the story for thirteen hours in one day, I accidentally hit the "no"
button when it came time to save my file. I'm not much for crying, but at that
moment I was close to tears. Luckily I had emailed a copy to myself earlier in
the day, so I had at least some of the chapters I had written, but I still lost
hours of work.
3. Obsession - When I'm working on a story,
I tend to get obsessed. I think about it all the time and I feel like the
characters are always with me. That should be a good thing, right? It is until
you go to the day job and call your boss by the name of your latest hero.
When writing my recent release, Blow by
Blow, I didn't have any technology issues and my obsession with the story
luckily didn't cause any embarrassing situations. As usual I had my share of
typos and after this particular book I became Queen of the Comma Splice. Yes,
editors are guardian angels.
I hope you enjoy the following excerpt from
Blow by Blow.
Thank you for having me as a guest today,
NJ!
Kate
Blow by Blow
by Kate Hill
M/M Erotic Romance
Release Date: 11/24/2015
Blurb:
A hunky former heavyweight champ and an
ass-kicking beauty fight for their lives and their love in a futuristic world
of MMA.
Theo "Little Raven" Fisker, is a
bantamweight with attitude who plans to make a name for himself in the Radical
Warrior Tournament, a prestigious mixed martial arts event. The problem is no
team will sign a male fighter who walks out in silver and pink with nail polish
to match, until he meets Master Jesse.
Impressed by Theo's talent, Jesse welcomes
him onto his up and coming team. Fists and sparks fly when Theo meets gorgeous
Valentin Merrickson. Theo draws Valentin out of his protective armor and sparks
hope for a life the tough heavyweight never imagined possible. Their love
grows, but threats from extremists and an injury that ends Valentin's career in
the cage might tear them apart.
Excerpt:
"I spilled an entire tray," Theo
said, raising his eyes to the heavens. Waiting tables wasn't exactly the cake
walk he'd expected.
"Nobody's perfect," Valentin
said.
Theo turned to him, his gaze sweeping him
from head to toe, and said, "I'm not so sure about that, Sunshine."
Valentin's expression turned stony.
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Because just looking at you is enough
to brighten anyone's day." The words left Theo's mouth before he could
stop them. That had always been one of his biggest problems. A thought popped
into his head and he had to say it. He rarely considered the consequences.
"Ohhh." Liz smiled and glanced at
Valentin. "Now that's a line I need to remember."
Valentin glowered and finished his drink
quickly.
"Should you be drinking while you're
training?" Theo asked. "We have a tournament coming up at the end of
the month."
"It's water with lemon in it, not that
it's any of your business," Valentin said, but his faint smile belied his
rude tone.
"Just thinking about the team,"
Theo said, deliberately using a flirty look. He removed his apron with the
words Panoramic View embroidered across it in silver and embellished with a
black skull.
"Nice belt." Valentin nodded
toward Theo's waist. "Looks almost like a chain whip."
Theo glanced toward Liz, who stood at the
other end of the bar. He wasn't sure how his new boss would feel if she knew
the dual uses of his attire. He probably shouldn't even admit this to Valentin,
but he said softly, "It is. My father was an artist--a martial artist--and
he made jewelry as a hobby. He liked finding ways of making weapons
fashionable." Theo gestured toward his belt.
"What else does he make?"
"He's dead," Theo said quietly.
Though his father had been dead for years, thinking about his loss still hurt.
"I'm sorry," Valentin said.
"That belt must be pretty special to you."
"It is." Theo sighed. "I
really need to catch the bus and get to sleep."
"No car?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it. I
used a rental to drive here, but I returned it yesterday."
"Want a ride?"
"Didn't you just get here?"
Valentin shrugged. "I'm done with my
drink and I'm in training, too. Ready to go?"
Narrowing his eyes, Theo considered the
offer. Just sitting next to Valentin in a car, smelling his cologne, would be
enough to make him horny all night. This guy would not be good for his
training. Why did he have to join a team that had the most gorgeous man in the
universe as its heavyweight champion?
"I'm ready. Just let me get my
bag."
"Right here." Liz, who had
approached, picked up his black bag from behind the counter and handed it to
him.
Theo took it from her.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a
news headline on the widescreen TV above the bar.
"Hey, Liz," said one of the
waitresses, stepping behind the bar to turn up the volume.
"The Spellman Hill Vigilante strikes
again."
Theo listened to a brief report about two
guys who had been knocked unconscious by a helmeted figure while attempting to
mug a woman on her way home from work the previous night.
"Spellman Hill Vigilante?" Theo
asked.
"Yeah. Over the past year or so a guy
in a black helmet has been on the streets stopping crime in and around Spellman
Hill. He seems to focus on crimes against the gay community, but not
always," said the waitress. "A few of his victims claim he attacked
them at random, but I'm not so sure. Cops don't like him for obvious reasons,
but I feel a little safer knowing he's around."
"I wish the news would stop sensationalizing
this guy," Liz said, shaking her head.
"Hey, in a way he's a hero,"
Valentin said.
Liz raised her eyes to heaven. "Just
as long as he doesn't try to be a 'hero' near my club. If you ask me he's just
a wacko."
After saying good night, Theo and Valentin
walked out of the club together. Valentin was more than a head taller than
Theo, so even with his high-heeled black boots Theo needed to look up to him.
He kind of liked it. Hell, he loved it.
Outside they climbed into Valentin's sleek
black sports car. It probably cost more than Theo had made fighting over the
past couple of years. Still Valentin could probably afford it with little
stress. He'd done well in his career and Theo had read several articles in
sports magazines that mentioned Valentin's wise business investments.
Smiling, Theo stretched his long legs and
leaned back in the leather seat. "I could get used to this."
"I know what you mean," Valentin
said under his breath. His blue gaze lingered on Theo's legs and crotch.
"Are you flirting with me,
Sunshine?"
"Why not? You've been doing it all
day."
Purchase Link:
About Kate
Always a fan of romance and the paranormal,
Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story,
a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then
she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.
When she's not working on her books, Kate
enjoys reading, working out and spending time with her family and pets. Kate
also writes under the pen name Saloni Quinby. She enjoys hearing from readers
and she can be contacted at katehill@sprintmail.com.
Visit her online at http://www.kate-hill.com.
