Some thoughts on story arcs...

I've been thinking about story arcs today - using a book by Nigel Watts, called Writing a novel and getting it published. He talks about the 8 point story arc, which details 8 stages that are used in every story.

I'm using the story of Cinderella as an example.

The words in capitals are the ones Mr Watts uses for his eight points.

STATIS.
At the beginning, Cinderella is living with her ugly stepsisters and stepmother, sweeping up.

TRIGGER
Next comes the inciting incident, or trigger that starts the story into action.
An invitation to the ball arrives. Both of her stepsisters are excited about going to the ball and meeting the prince! Cinderella dreams of going, but knows she won’t be going, her family wouldn’t allow it. Then the trigger appears, in the form of a fairy godmother who says – you will go to the ball.

THE QUEST
The fairy godmother changes the white mice into footmen, changes a pumpkin into a carriage, finds her a dress and glass slipper. The story elements set into motion by the trigger, continue and build momentum.

SURPRISE
This stage takes up most of the middle part of the story. Cinderella goes to the ball. There are obstacles and complications, her family are there and she has to make sure they don’t see her. The prince asks her to dance, she has to make the decision to dance with him, even though she knows she’s hiding her identity…

CRITICAL CHOICE

Time is ticking down to midnight. At midnight she’ll lose her beautiful dress, and the carriage will disappear. But she’s still entranced by the prince, dancing with him. When the clock strikes the first peal of midnight, she makes the critical choice – and runs away, leaving her glass slipper behind her.

CLIMAX

The prince is determined to find the mystery woman again, and searches all the houses in the land. In the climax he arrives in Cinderella’s house, and tries the slipper onto the feet of her stepsisters. This is the highest point of tension in the story. He’s so close, but she’s in the shadows, not considered, until…

REVERSAL
Mr Watt’s states that the reversal should be the consequence of the critical choice and the climax, and it should change the status of the characters – especially the protagonist. In Cinderella’s story, the reversal comes the moment that the prince asks ‘Is there no other female in the house?’ notices Cinders in the shadows, and calls her forward to try on the glass slipper. As her foot slips into it, he recognizes her.

RESOLUTION

The final point of the story. A new statis. Now, instead of being the downtrodden step daughter, Cinderella’s life has changed forever. She’s in love with the prince, and loved in return. The difference between this new reality from the statis at the beginning of the story perfectly illustrates the story arc.

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks to everyone for downloading The Morning After last week, I had an astounding over 20,000 freeloads (which is free downloads), and this week am doing nicely - in the top 100 in the Kindle UK store, and rising well in the US store too.

And this afternoon there's a new review just in from Turning The Pages Reviews:

Here's an extract:

Sally Clements ability to tackle the romantic aspect of a story with just enough heat and the right amount of spice, leaves you craving more. As with her other novels, I found The Morning After to be a wonderful read.

Overall, if you are looking for a steamy, romantic novel to curl up with, this is one that will not disappoint!

The entire review is here.

Now back to writing!

March madness

I live in the countryside, and March is the time that the fields are overrun with hares, darting here and there, one of the reasons I like March!

I'm starting March with a giveaway of my new book, The Morning After, which will be free for the first two days of March from Amazon.

So if you fancy indulging in a fun read do go pick it up tomorrow and Friday and have a read, and if you like it, I'd love a review!

Here are the links: from Amazon.co.uk

And from Amazon.com

Behave yourself!!

Or if you don't want to - join Judy Jarvie's Nanny....

Nanny Behaving Badly is FREE for the weekend!!

Nanny Behaving Badly by Judy Jarvie and published by E-scape Press is exclusively free this weekend only from the Amazon Kindle store.

Only free today (Saturday) and tomorrow, so don't miss it, pop over to Amazon and pick up a copy.
Clicking on the cover above takes you to Amazon.com
And if you are in UK-here's the uk link

So, who's in it - and what's it all about? Here's what Judy says...

1 The Hero: Lyle Sutherland is a racing driver with banter, brawn and brains.

2 The Heroine: Maddie Adams means well but sometimes (ouch, erk) she gets it wrong. It’s fun to watch the fallout (hopefully).

3 It’s about naughty behaviour between consenting adults – a rollercoaster romance.

The blurb –

Strong, silent-type single dad hires wild streak nanny—off-limits opposites attract.

Maddie Adams hopes for a smooth ride in her new temporary coffee shop job so she doesn’t mean to make the worst impression possible with the handsome café owner, Lyle Sutherland. His suggestion that she becomes his son’s replacement nanny shocks them both. When attraction and passion are unleashed between boss and sassy super nanny, Lyle’s secrets and a shock pregnancy challenge old wounds.

Judy's blog is http://judyj.blogspot.com. Why not pop in and tell her you've grabbed her nanny?

TGIF

First week back after school holidays is always hard work - so I'm saying TGIF here!

And Thank Goodness for reviews too...

New one just in for Marrying Cade - a 4 star review from Mom in Love with Fiction.
Here's an excerpt from the review...

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic heat mixed with a believable relationship. Cade manages to be both the White Knight and a man who respects a confident, strong woman like Melo. It’s sexy, and what’s a romance novel without a good amount of sexy?

You can read the whole review here. Thank you to the reviewer!

Now, off to flake out for the weekend...

Coming in July...

Love On The Vine has a release date!

11 July 2012.

It's from the Wild Rose Press, and is part of their 'The Flower Basket' series, set in Almendra in California. This story has a sweet rating, which means lots of smoulder, but no 'spicy' stuff - perfect for those who find my spicy stuff too hot! It features a sexy french vineyard owner, transplanted into California soil, and the woman (daughter of the man determined to destroy him) who he needs to help him launch his new vintage...

Here's an excerpt...

 

Her eyes sparkled and shone, and her cheeks were pink. Her body moved in perfect harmony with the relentless beat.

Ice chilled his top lip as Etienne took a long swallow of his drink and smiled back. With any luck, she wouldn’t see how much her dancing affected him.

With a flip of her hand, she pointed at her feet, mouthing watch. A mock frown creased her brow.

Of course, he’d watch her, he couldn’t drag away his gaze as her feet repeated the steps. The pattern didn’t look too hard. And he’d always had a good sense of rhythm.

The music faded. Bella returned quickly to the table and picked up her glass. “Okay, so those are the basics.” She drank deeply. “Are you ready to try it?”

“I’d prefer to just watch you.” He trailed a finger down her cheek, feeling the sharp tug of attraction as her eyes darkened to jade. “You look beautiful.”

“So do you.” She tilted up her chin.

Etienne stood and snaked a hand around her waist to hold her close.

At the action, her lips parted and her eyelashes fluttered closed.

She looked like a woman who wanted to be kissed. Instead, he moved his lips to her ear, speaking words intended for her alone. “Would you like me to kiss you?” He felt her shiver. “If you do, you have to tell me, remember?”

Her long, dark eyelashes fluttered and her eyes opened, staring straight into his.

The arousal in their depths stunned Etienne to his core.

“I want you to kiss me,” she murmured.

 

And in the meantime, why not head over to Amazon and check out The Morning After?

What's on my kindle?

Lots and lots (and lots) of crime actually...But as well as that, I have added some new romance books on my kindle, so here's a look at what's there...

First up: Rachel Lyndhurst's Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire:
Here's the blurb.
Kidnapped!

Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters that this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.

Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.

Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty

nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to . . . until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.

The Amazon.com link is here.

Next, I have one from Talli Roland, Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts

Here's the blurb.

Does every relationship deserve a second chance?When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London's quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she's got it made. Sure, it's a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her 'love conquers all' spirit. After discovering the museum's handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift, or will this happy ending go awry?

Amazon.com link here

I've also snagged myself Catherine Bybee's Wife by Wednesday...

Here's the blurb.

Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming… And in need of a wife by Wednesday so he turns to Sam Elliot who isn’t the business man he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, engaging and spunky with a voice men call 900 numbers to hear.
Samantha Elliot:
Owner of Alliance, her matchmaking firm, and not on the marital menu... That is until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. All she needs to do is keep her attraction to her husband to herself and avoid his bed. But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and charm prove too difficult to combat. Now she needs to protect her heart so she can walk away when their mercenary life together is over.

The Amazon.com link is here

And finally, the last addition to my virtual tbr pile is from Natalie Anderson. Melt.

Here's the blurb.

When two frozen hearts collide…
Emma Reed closed her heart to love years ago after a lifetime spent getting kicked around foster homes and bad relationships. Now she’s on a mission to prove she deserves her recent award to paint a mural for a research base in Antarctica. Nothing and no one is going to get in her way.
After months working in recovery zones around the world, Hunter Wilson planned to escape everything this holiday season by rebuilding a lab at the Kiwi Research Base. Alone. No to family, no to fun. It’s isolation not intimacy he’s aching for. But when he sees the determined artist, that ache becomes an urge – after all, shouldn’t someone show her what two people can do with twenty-four hours of brilliant sunlight?
In the coldest place on earth, even the most frozen hearts can melt.

And the Amazon.com link for that one is here.

I've just put in .com links, because that's where I buy from, but obviously you can find these other places too. When I'm not writing, I'm reading - so the minute I've finished with the excellent Jack Reacher paperback I'm currently glued to (the excellent, Worth Dying For) from Lee Child (one of my favourite authors btw) I'm diving into these ones!