Search here...
0
TOP
Author Dish

Authors Dish: Lynn Collins’s Which Comes First

136 Views

Authors Dish Logo (Green)

April 2019: Which Comes First
~ Lynn Collins ~

CTR asked:

Which comes first when you start a new story? The title? The characters’ names? The plot? Explain your starting process and what you need before you can write the first words.

Lynn Collins said:

What comes first for me? The old chicken and egg question. But I have an answer.

Typically, it’s location. I’ll visit somewhere or I’ll go to a bar and think, what a great place to set a story. And that’s what happened with A Member of the Council, the first of my Council series. The Alibi, Parris’ dive bar, is an actual place where I grew up. It’s changed a little in the stories, but when you walk inside from a sunny day, the night encompasses you.

I was just divorced when I stopped at the Alibi for the first time. I was taking night courses in creative writing at the local university and before I went home, I’d stop for a beer and to think about what I’d learned that night.

I did my best writing in crowded, noisy places like dive bars. Mostly people left me alone, but once I’d started going regularly, I was fascinated with the dart boards. I wanted to learn a ‘sport’ that would get me out of the house and around people having fun. So I set a goal to join a dart league the next season and started talking to people who played.

I started playing casually with some of the regulars, and before I knew it, I was dating. That led to my meeting my current husband and we joined a league. Darts and dating and life took over my time and my creative writing classes were put on hold. But one day, many years later, I started writing Parris’ story and realized that The Alibi and the dart world was the perfect place to start.

Parris and Ty, her witch hunter turned soulmate, are too busy with saving the world from a war between their coven and a secret, deadly coven who wants to eliminate everyone without magic blood. They don’t want to live in the shadows like The Council has taught their members for so long.

But once in a while, Parris pulls out her darts and challenges Ty to a game. It’s their foreplay in their relationship.

Websitehttps://www.lynncollinsauthor.com/
Twitter@LynnCollins07

A Member of the Council by Lynn Collins cover

A Member of the Council – The Council Series

[Paranormal Romance]

A rogue hunter, a clueless witch and a mission to save an unknowing world.

Parris McCall, owner of the dive bar, The Alibi, has finally constructed a life where her
little quirks don’t show or matter to anyone. As for her grandmother’s warnings that she’s different, well, she’ll cross that bridge if she comes to it.

But when Ty walks into her bar, both lives are instantly changed. If you love romantic suspense with modern day witches and covens, buy the first of three of the Council novellas now.

Available in Ebook:

 

More Authors Dish about which comes first.

https://coffeethoughts.coffeetimeromance.com/ad2019-apr-comesfirst/

Author

Coffee Time Romance Blog Coordinator

Read More Posts from

«

»

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Me on Instagram

Join NY Times Best Selling #author @angela.knight.7161 for Master Class: Spells of the Heart: Editing Your Romance for Maximum Magic Nov 11-Dec 18  https://bit.ly/AKMasterClass #writing #class

You’ve just typed The End. Sigh! You’re done…

Not so fast. You can be absolutely sure that somewhere in that stack of pages are: embarrassing plot holes; limp love scenes; sentences that clank instead of ring; conflicts that go nowhere; colorless cardboard characters; and fight scenes with absolutely no punch.

But don’t despair. That, my dear romance novelists, is why God made rewrites.

In this month-long online class, New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight will demonstrate how to excavate the outstanding book buried under layers of dreck. She’ll cover everything from finding and plugging logic holes to transforming a dull love scene into something that will make your reader’s toes twitch.

What’s more, you’ll be able to email your work to Angela for private critique and help figuring out how to fix problematic scenes.

Topics include:

  Introduction -- What the class will cover
  More than Storytelling -- A terrific story does you no good if your writing is limp, confusing or so illogical you break your reader’s suspension of disbelief. This lesson will explore why rewrites are crucial to excavating and polishing your gem of a story.
 Merciless reading -- Spotting problem scenes and deciding on a solution.
 Hunting Holes -- Plugging pesky plot holes. “Oh, my God, this makes no sense! How am I going to fix this without throwing out the book?”
 Razor Blade Fangs -- Using emotion to give a dull scene big, sharp, pointy teeth.
 The Dance of Dialog – Adding interest and sparkle to flat dialog
  For God’s Sake, Tell a Joke – Snark, smartassery and sarcasm.
 Spicing up the sex – What to do about a love scene that just lies there.
 Tear Jerking – Depicting the character’s pain without getting maudlin.
 Blood, Sex and Romance -- Giving a fight scene maximum punch
  Down in the Dumps – Repairing info dumps.
 Fixing a shi**y sentence: How to spot and fix sentences that stop readers in their tracks.

Join NY Times Best Selling #author @angela.knight.7161 for Master Class: Spells of the Heart: Editing Your Romance for Maximum Magic Nov 11-Dec 18 https://bit.ly/AKMasterClass #writing #class

You’ve just typed The End. Sigh! You’re done…

Not so fast. You can be absolutely sure that somewhere in that stack of pages are: embarrassing plot holes; limp love scenes; sentences that clank instead of ring; conflicts that go nowhere; colorless cardboard characters; and fight scenes with absolutely no punch.

But don’t despair. That, my dear romance novelists, is why God made rewrites.

In this month-long online class, New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight will demonstrate how to excavate the outstanding book buried under layers of dreck. She’ll cover everything from finding and plugging logic holes to transforming a dull love scene into something that will make your reader’s toes twitch.

What’s more, you’ll be able to email your work to Angela for private critique and help figuring out how to fix problematic scenes.

Topics include:

Introduction -- What the class will cover
More than Storytelling -- A terrific story does you no good if your writing is limp, confusing or so illogical you break your reader’s suspension of disbelief. This lesson will explore why rewrites are crucial to excavating and polishing your gem of a story.
Merciless reading -- Spotting problem scenes and deciding on a solution.
Hunting Holes -- Plugging pesky plot holes. “Oh, my God, this makes no sense! How am I going to fix this without throwing out the book?”
Razor Blade Fangs -- Using emotion to give a dull scene big, sharp, pointy teeth.
The Dance of Dialog – Adding interest and sparkle to flat dialog
For God’s Sake, Tell a Joke – Snark, smartassery and sarcasm.
Spicing up the sex – What to do about a love scene that just lies there.
Tear Jerking – Depicting the character’s pain without getting maudlin.
Blood, Sex and Romance -- Giving a fight scene maximum punch
Down in the Dumps – Repairing info dumps.
Fixing a shi**y sentence: How to spot and fix sentences that stop readers in their tracks.
...

1 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/free-from-navessa-allen/?feed_id=4033&_unique_id=672fe06990638&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterFree%20from%20Navessa%20Allen271434

https://coffeetimeromance.com/free-from-navessa-allen/?feed_id=4033&_unique_id=672fe06990638&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterFree%20from%20Navessa%20Allen271434 ...

6 1
#ebook #sale at #Amazon  Save up to 90% off selected #books #authors #booktok #bookworm #bookish  https://bit.ly/AmzEbookDeals

#ebook #sale at #Amazon Save up to 90% off selected #books #authors #booktok #bookworm #bookish https://bit.ly/AmzEbookDeals ...

3 0
#new #book #releases for #november2024 @changelingpress  Get a peek into these new books on our blog:  https://bit.ly/CTRBooksBlog @marteekakarland, @harleywylde, @alicegene @jamietargaet @kirastone @jhalisteele #mc #erotic #bdsm

#new #book #releases for #november2024 @changelingpress Get a peek into these new books on our blog: https://bit.ly/CTRBooksBlog @marteekakarland, @harleywylde, @alicegene @jamietargaet @kirastone @jhalisteele #mc #erotic #bdsm ...

2 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/elementalwind-by-madelaine-montgomery/?feed_id=4013&_unique_id=672f82e662df9&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterElemental%3AWind%20by%20Madelaine%20Montgomery271413

https://coffeetimeromance.com/elementalwind-by-madelaine-montgomery/?feed_id=4013&_unique_id=672f82e662df9&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterElemental%3AWind%20by%20Madelaine%20Montgomery271413 ...

2 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/the-drakkons-are-coming-keri-arthur/?feed_id=3993&_unique_id=672eb89ed1189&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterThe%20drakkons%20are%20coming...Keri%20Arthur271407

https://coffeetimeromance.com/the-drakkons-are-coming-keri-arthur/?feed_id=3993&_unique_id=672eb89ed1189&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterThe%20drakkons%20are%20coming...Keri%20Arthur271407 ...

3 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/wildcard-by-angela-knight/?feed_id=3973&_unique_id=672e8e6e82f13&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterWildcard%20by%20Angela%20Knight271393

https://coffeetimeromance.com/wildcard-by-angela-knight/?feed_id=3973&_unique_id=672e8e6e82f13&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterWildcard%20by%20Angela%20Knight271393 ...

3 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/danine-by-alice-gene/?feed_id=3953&_unique_id=672e80648c1f8&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterDanine%20by%20Alice%20Gene271388

https://coffeetimeromance.com/danine-by-alice-gene/?feed_id=3953&_unique_id=672e80648c1f8&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterDanine%20by%20Alice%20Gene271388 ...

4 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/terror-by-j-hali-steele/?feed_id=3933&_unique_id=672e7214cbf12&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterTerror%20by%20J.Hali%20Steele271381

https://coffeetimeromance.com/terror-by-j-hali-steele/?feed_id=3933&_unique_id=672e7214cbf12&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterTerror%20by%20J.Hali%20Steele271381 ...

4 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/dreams-eclipsed-by-kira-stone/?feed_id=3923&_unique_id=672e6b48dd8ec&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterDreams%20Eclipsed%20by%20Kira%20Stone271374

https://coffeetimeromance.com/dreams-eclipsed-by-kira-stone/?feed_id=3923&_unique_id=672e6b48dd8ec&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterDreams%20Eclipsed%20by%20Kira%20Stone271374 ...

3 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/ryder-by-jamie-targaet/?feed_id=3903&_unique_id=672e5e277614d&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterRyder%20by%20Jamie%20Targaet271369

https://coffeetimeromance.com/ryder-by-jamie-targaet/?feed_id=3903&_unique_id=672e5e277614d&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=coffeetimeromance&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterRyder%20by%20Jamie%20Targaet271369 ...

4 0
https://coffeetimeromance.com/bear-by-marteeka-karland/?feed_id=3893&_unique_id=672e5aa827fc3&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=daldefam&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterBear%20by%20Marteeka%20Karland271356

https://coffeetimeromance.com/bear-by-marteeka-karland/?feed_id=3893&_unique_id=672e5aa827fc3&utm_source=Instagram&utm_medium=daldefam&utm_campaign=FS%20PosterBear%20by%20Marteeka%20Karland271356 ...

5 0