This week for our How I Write series, my accountability group asked, “What advice do you think your younger self would give to you now? What advice would you give to your older self/future self?”
Then
FOCUS!In college, I first had the idea that I too could write a romance novel. It’s still firmly tucked under the bed, a few chapters in. I just sat down and started writing. No planning, no outline. Seat of my pants. And those first three chapters came out, splat onto the page. Then I hit a wall. I had no idea what happened next. In addition to that, I was in my junior year and there was so much shiny out there in the world to explore. The campus had just been wired with intranet and we had a chat system. This was not a recipe for good concentration. So, like now, my younger self would be warning me to focus on what I want to do, and do it.
Don’t just play around for a bit, keep at it!
Oh, and she’d tell me she really likes taking pictures, keep at that too!
Now
“Reach for the moon because even if you miss you will be among the stars.”I know I still have focus issues, but without a goal to shoot for, it doesn’t get you anywhere. This quote is another instance of the universe whispering in my ear. I keep seeing it everywhere. And as part of our accountability group we do set goals, but I suspect I like checking things off more than pushing myself to stretch farther. Recently, everything has been about stepping outside my comfort zone, I need to also reach higher and keep taking those steps to get there.
It can be kinda fun to pause on the staircase to look around and see how far you’ve come. But keep going! If you don’t push yourself, you’ll never see how far you can go.
YOUR TURN:What would your younger self say to you now? What do you want to tell your future self?
And if you’d like to read about how the rest of my accountability group answered, you can find their blogs here:
Please welcome author Dara Young to the blog today. We’re celebrating her debut of THE CANCAN DANCER AND THE DUKE from The Wild Rose Press. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did!
Since I’m often talking about inspiration and motivation, Dara thought she’d share with us where she gets her inspiration from in general and what inspired her to write about a Cancan dancer and a Duke. Without further ado, here’s Dara!
Where do ideas come from? Well I get mine from all kinds of places. Work, people I know, movies, songs… there’s no one place I get inspiration from. I once sat in a meeting and out of nowhere a mental picture of a woman standing on a terrace of a ballroom under the stars came to me. I instantly wanted to know who she was, why she was there, and what was happening to her. That image turned into a scene that I wrote up and might eventually turn into a story.
Jane Avril, Dancing by Toulouse Lautrec
THE CANCAN DANCER AND THE DUKE (Cancan) was inspired by real life. See, I was a dancer in high school. One of my teachers choreographed a ballet based on the life of Toulouse Lautrec. He is famous for his posters of the French dance hall girls, in particular the ladies of the Moulin Rouge. His posters, and those of other artists like him, were used originally as advertisements for the dance halls. They were posted around Paris to entice spectators to the establishments. In the ballet, I got to dance a very tame version of the cancan… OMG! I had no idea how cardio deficient I was until I started rehearsing that piece. LOL!
I fell in love with Lautrec’s art and of course the idea of the cancan dancers. Later after I started dabbling in writing I was struck by the idea behind Cancan. I love the idea of the headstrong lady trying to carve her own path despite society’s rules. Of course, there are always consequences. 😀
The Cancan Dancer and The Duke
by Dara Young
The Wild Rose Press
Can a lady on the lam and a duke on the make find love at the Moulin Rouge?
Cathedrals and museums are not Lady Charise Colton’s idea of European adventure. Turn-of-the-century Paris beckons, and she wants to grab it while she can…or rather, cancan. Flirting with fate and half of Paris, Charise eludes her chaperones and joins the cancan revue at the Moulin Rouge.
Ethan Greer, Duke of Lofton, is in Paris to settle some estate business. Chafing under his responsibilities, he discovers an enchanting distraction at the Moulin Rouge, a flirtatious dancer who stirs his lust and something more. He must have her—even if it means offering carte blanche.
Terrified of discovery, Charise tries to hold her persistent suitor at bay, though her heart has already surrendered. Will she lose him if he learns the truth, or is love enough to bind the cancan dancer and the duke?
Excerpt:
The singular sound was a soft whisper at first. The audience strained forward to catch even a note of the eerie melody carried on the fetid air of the cafe. As the song picked up, her voice grew stronger, the words more clear. Ethan relaxed into his seat and let the warm rich alto caress him. His body grew warm with the promises carried by the witch’s husky tones.
He remained unaware of anything in the room except the siren walking toward him. Each steady, unhurried step she took further drew him in. His gaze feasted on the curve of her hip, the swell of her breast. Ethan rode the knife’s edge between lust and propriety.
The song described, in lurid detail, two lovers in the throes of passion. Upon reaching him, the dancer propped the toe of her boot onto the edge of his seat—square between his thighs. The luscious creature presented impossibly sheer bloomers which hid everything and yet nothing, causing him to let out the breath he, until now, unknowingly held. His cock grew rigid, the uncomfortable throbbing causing him to shift. The desire to haul her into his arms and demonstrate every action she described with the most sensuous mouth he’d ever seen rode him hard. Her full lower lip begged for his kiss. Ethan wanted to see it slick and glowing pink from his attentions.
The wanton dancer continued to taunt him, but his good breeding won out. Forcing himself to stay seated, his fists balled and his jaw grew rigid with frustration, but his raging lusts remained leashed. The song ended, sending her into the nether regions of the cafe in a swirl of skirts.
Your Turn: We’re curious about what inspires you, be it books, people, music, whatever. What inspires you to be creative or just to get out of bed in the morning?
Thanks for stopping by to celebrate with Dara and remember to comment on each post during her blog tour for more chances to win! (Not sure what I’m talking about? Click here for more details.)
Spring forward. Spring Cleaning. Renewal. Rebirth. Awakening.
These are all clichés associated with spring. Now, we all know that clichés become trite and commonplace for good reason. There’s a universally acknowledge grain of truth in them or tradition builds up and it’s just the done thing.
So… What have I done to spring myself forward this year?
2012 Seems to be the year of challenging myself. This is the first spring in about three years that I’ve felt able to do this. I’m not swamped with my son’s health issues. My focus isn’t bent to making sure he’s finishing every piece of assigned work so it counts toward his attendance or even being split by calls from the health office to come pick him up from school, because his head hurts so bad he can’t make it any longer.
First there was my RWASD chapter’s PALS Challenge where the published authors challenge the PROs to finish a book between February and September. Yup. Jumped on that bandwagon. Signed up to finish a 75k word story, I need to put about 500 words a day toward it. This used to mean about 20 minutes of writing on a good day. Completely doable though.
Next came the chapter’s Spring Into Romance contest (Deadline was extended to March 31, 2012! The contest has a positive reputation for constructive and valuable feedback and is only about $1 per page before postage.) I only judged last year and I’m judging again this year. But, I decided I needed to enter as well this year. It was on my goals list to enter an RWA Chapter contest, and what better place to start than my home chapter. I pushed this one further. I submitted two entries to see the difference between the feedback on the older piece and the newer piece to objectively see how my writing has changed.
Never one to shy away from encouraging others to join her in mad deadline dashes, Bria Quinlan decided to host a #wordfool challenge this year (yup, that’s lots of words by April Fool’s Day). I thought it would be cheating to use the same words I was already doing for the PALS challenge, so I signed up to add an additional 250 words a day to one of my older manuscripts that could use some fleshing out. Again, not a lot, but manageable right now. So far, so good! Even after coming down with a horrible sinus infection this week. I slacked off on the PALs challenge, but even with a 102˚F fever, I managed to find those 250 words. Hopefully, they won’t be too obvious. =)
Use that renewed energy and challenge yourself to take new steps, up your game, reach new heights. Pick a goal, and spring it forward!
YOUR TURN: So… What are you doing to spring yourself forward this year? (This can be in your career, your life, or any creative endeavor!)
And if you’d like to read about what the rest of my accountability group is up to this spring, you can find their blogs here:
This week’s topic for my accountability group in our How I Write Series is “What do you wish you had known before you had even started to write? What would you have told your past self? Would you have discouraged yourself or encouraged? Would you have gone a different route?”
So… this post isn’t so much general advice to newbie writers, but more specifically tailored to what I wish I’d known back in 2007 when I decided I was going to do this writing thing as a creative outlet. I was bored and at loose ends during the summer of 2007. I picked up my husband’s copy of Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande and was blown away.
The book was written in the 1930s, but here she was in my head, speaking directly to ME, telling me I COULD do this! She believed in me. Total and complete unconditional belief.
Ok. That sounds hokey, but it’s exactly how it felt. And, so armed with that boost in confidence and not much else, I set out to write a Regency-set historical romance, just like the ones I’d been devouring at an astonishing rate. In retrospect, probably not the best plan, but not the worst either. If I’d tried something too simple, I would have been bored easily and not stuck with it. Instead, I’m still eager to tell the first two stories I began the right way. And some day, I’ll pull it off! I’m getting closer all the time.
So…
What do I wish I had known before you had even started to write?
Also, listen to Dorothea… write daily. The journaling is a good start, but keep it up and try playing with fiction in there too.
Oh, and going Gluten-Free will help instead of losing so much time to the boy’s almost daily migraines between 5th and 7th grade. Push to find the cause, not just treat symptoms.
What would I have told my past self?
This is harder than it looks. What you read in a published book is NOT a first draft. Don’t give up because the first draft isn’t perfect.
PRACTICE, practice, practice. Practice with ideas, synopses, hooks, blurbs. Oh.. and when you download Scrivener, don’t give up on it. It’s far more powerful than you think it is. It WILL help you see and build the structure you crave.
Would I have discouraged or encouraged myself?
I don’t think there are any valid reasons to discourage myself about writing in general. I definitely needed pushed and bless my DH, he’s encouraged me every step of the way.
Valid discouragement would be to avoid time sucks, avoid long stretches of not writing new words or ideas.
I would encourage putting myself out there sooner and networking earlier. Social media is a force to reckon with, but it’s not the only thing to spend time on.
Would I have gone a different route?
I don’t think I would have done things very differently, just sooner. And more consistently.
Life is going to happen around you. You will hit some serious road bumps, control what you can. Don’t hide from the world, don’t stop writing. Find your escape in the ballrooms, the salons, the characters. Yes, it may be easier to just play facebook games, and you may even convince yourself that you’re “helping your DH”, but you’re wasting valuable time and eneergy. *head smack*
Two other things, you know that Warrior Writer workshop with Bob Mayer?! It didn’t kill you, right? 1) You SHOULD take both days. *head smack* 2) You SHOULD listen to Pam and Margaret and join RWASD right away. *head smack*
YOUR TURN: What career advice would you go back and give yourself when you were just starting out?
And if you’d like to read about what the rest of my group would go back and tell themselves, you can find their blogs here:
The seemingly innocent-looking plot bunny (Cuniculus ex machina).Before we get to plot bunnies, let’s talk about creative insecurities for a minute. Many people worry to the point of paranoia about having their ideas stolen. This notion isn’t specific to any one industry either. Movies, music, writing, game design, car makers, electronics, everyone’s got something they’re afraid someone is going to overhear and take off with it and make their millions with it.
Unfortunately, ideas are cheap. Ideas are the easy part! It’s the execution of those ideas that are the equivalent of the MultiMillions Lotto ticket. Or not.
So… what’s a writer to do?
If you’ve ever heard the term plot bunny, you already know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, a plot bunny is an innocent looking idea that hops up to you, nibbles at the carrot you’ve been dangling in front of your muse’s cave, and promptly scampers off in completely unpredictable zig-zags only to disappear down some plot hole, dragging you and your work-in-progress (WIP) with it because you refuse to let go of the string tied to the carrot. Way to go!
Today, we’re going to talk about what we can do to harness these wild critters and tamer, more domesticated story ideas and put them to work for us when we need them. Generating ideas, once you start is easy… you play the “What If…” game enough and the ideas start breeding like… well,… bunnies.
How to keep track of story ideas?
You need a way to corral these pesky varmints! Whether you use a notebook, a scrapbook, a WORD document, some other fancy piece of software on your computer or a combination of all of the above really doesn’t matter. The important thing is that your system works for you and that you can periodically retrieve and review your ideas.
Personally, I keep a set of nested folders on my computer for projects I’d like to one day write. Several have simple notes, others are more detailed, complete with pictures and outlines. Others have exploratory writing where a character, a voice, or other aspect captured.
How to decide if an idea goes into the story idea file?
The middle of a brainstorming session is NOT the time to let internal editors out of their box. Leave the censoring until later. Ideas shouldn’t be tossed before they’ve had adequate time to ripen. Some will definitely be “off” when you look at them again. Toss them then. It really doesn’t cost anything in the meantime, and luckily there’s no physical mess or smell to deal with. The ones that only seem a bit stale? Let them percolate a while longer. They’ll either bloom given more time, or prove rotten later.
Yep, I periodically review my idea file (not just when I’m bored or procrastinating) looking to see what’s interesting, might spark other ideas, or just to see which ones need a little air and attention. This is all part of the next section…
How to decide if an idea will make a good story? If it won’t?
Some ideas won’t let go. Like earworms, they’ll keep coming back. Often when you least expect it. These plot bunnies are more like the vorpal rabbit of Monty Python fame. They’re the kind that leap up and grab you by the throat and refuse to let go. These shouldn’t be ignored, but carefully explored and exercised regularly. They can be tamed, although some may take longer than others. If it holds your attention over time, it probably has some merit.
Many people talk about the “Book of your Heart” and “commercial ready” fiction. Only you can decide if an idea contains a story you want to tell.
Take your plot bunnies to the equivalent of a county fair. Talk about them with other writers and readers. If they get excited about a story idea, it probably has some merit.
My biggest problem is identifying story ideas that are with the range of my technical capabilities. I often feel like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Practice and patience are probably the best tools to use in this situation. I keep telling myself that anyway.
How to choose which story idea to work on?
The one that won’t go away. That’s easy for me to say, because I don’t have any external deadlines yet. I’m free to pick and choose between which characters are vying most loudly for my attention. Shiny New Project Syndrome (SNPS) is a valid concern. This is when anything new looks more interesting than what you SHOULD be working on. Set a limit on how long you’ll allow the new idea out to play. Use it as a reward for progress toward completion on the dreaded old project.
How to take an idea and form it into a plot?
Once I have an idea selected, I play with it for quite some time before I ever try to begin putting together a plot. I have to know the characters first. I have to know what drives them and how they’ll react to certain things. Don’t get me wrong, I like to be surprised along the way too, but I need to know the lay of the land first.
What to do when a story idea hits while working on another WIP?
First, make sure it’s not just SNPS rearing it’s ugly head. If it is, feel free to set aside 5-15 minutes to jot down everything you can think of about it. Remember, at this point the idea is probably not ripe. You can’t judge its merit yet. Let you muse play with it for a bit, then let it sit. Of course, I’ve also taken ideas like this and run with them and I think it shows that they weren’t quite ready to go because there are either gaping holes or I run out of steam after a certain point with them. They’re still in my folder, waiting for more information.
What kinds of ideas are in my story file?
Regency Romance Ideas: Beyond my big three projects (BHT, Revealed, and a new one I just started writing, but have been playing around with since last summer), I have 2 sequel ideas for BHT, a sequel to Revealed, a story about horse breeding and bloodlines in the nobility that’s based on a folktale at the same time, a Regency-set romcom involving mistaken identity and gender role reversals.
Other ideas: contemporaries: chef & foodie/reviewer/blogger, Holiday story with two blizzard-grounded travelers paired up in hotel because the airline assumes she’s male because of her name, then there’s the game developer heroine who finds true love online.
Also, before I go, I’ll apologize for any mixed metaphors or even abandoned ones above. I’ll blame it on the free-ranging wild bunnies and not on distractions or the lateness of the hour.
YOUR TURN: How do you keep track of your ideas? Do you have a wishlist of things you want to work on (feel free to talk about artistic projects, or any other projects around the house, the organization methods are likely similar)?
And if you’d like to read about what the rest of my group suggests for ways to deepen characters, you can find their blogs here:
If you’ve ever come across the phrase “She was at sixes and sevens” in a historical novel and wondered what it meant, you may be surprised to learn it originated from the game of Hazard and generally is used to mean in a state of chaos or agitation. This popular dicing game has been around since the 14th century and the phrase “Set upon six and seven” first appeared in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and referred to betting one’s entire fortune on a single throw of the dice. We also get the modern meanings of “risk” and “danger” associated with the word “hazard” from this notion as well.
History of The Game of Hazard
“Kick-up at the Hazard Table” by Thomas RowlandsonHazard is an old English game played with two dice. One of the more popular places to play Hazard in the late 18th and early 19th century was Crockford’s Club in London. The name is commonly thought to be Old French, but likely derived from the Spanish “azar”, which is “an unfortunate card or dice roll”. There’s some speculation the game was allegedly first played by the crusaders laying siege to a castle, called Hazart or Asart, in the 12th century or that the name came from the Arabic word “az-zahr”, meaning “dice” but little evidence can be found in classic Arabic dictionaries. The modern game of Craps evolved from Hazard, which is basically a variation, where throws of 7 or 11 always win.
Despite its complicated rules, Hazard was very popular during the 17th and 18th centuries and well into the 19th where gambling of the nobility was a favorite past time to chase away the boredom and make some extra money.
The Basic Rules of Hazard
In each of the many rounds the caster picks out a number between 5 and 9, inclusive. This is called the “main”, then the caster throws two dice.
If the caster rolls the main numbers, you win, which is called “throws in” or “nicks”. If you roll a 2 or 3 you will lose, or “throws out”.
If the caster rolls a 11 or 12, the result of that throw depends on the “main”:
a main of 5 or 9, the caster “throws out” with both an 11 and 12.
a main of 6 or 8, the caster “throws out” with an 11 but “nicks” with a 12.
a main of 7, the caster “nicks” an 11 but “throws out” with a 12.
if the caster doesn’t “nick” or “throw out”, that number is called the “chance”, then you throw the dice again.
if the caster rolls “the main” on a “chance” you will lose, unlike when you first threw.
if the caster rolls neither of them, they keep throwing the dice until one or other is rolled, either winning with “chance” or losing with the “main”.
Ivory or bone dice and wooden cup, 19th c.
As long as the caster keeps winning, he keeps on playing. If the caster loses three times in a row, the dice pass to the player on his left.
Bets on this game are usually between the caster and the bank, or “setter”. The remaining players may act in this role as well.
A nick on the first throw wins the caster an amount equal to his stake or wager. The setter or bank gives odds if the setter throws a “chance”.
You can even hone your skills for free by playing Hazard in a flash game at DeviantArt by Drakonlady.
More information regarding a variety of other Regency-themed topics including how to play Whist can be found on my Regency Resource page. If you’d like more information on a specific place or topic, please let me know in the comments section below.
My accountability group talked a bit before in our How I Write series in the posts on Building Character, but I wanted to take a closer look at some ways to create character depth, to make them unique, not just in your book, but in the market place.
WHY do we want to read about these characters, spend time with them and even revisit some of them? And WHY will we identify with them and CARE about their successes and failures? And, what can writers do when building characters so that they come alive on the page for readers?
1. Not just Faults, but Contradictions
Perfect characters are BORING! But in addition to giving them some quirks and character flaws, go farther. Give them contradictory details. Make the bad guy have a soft spot for small helpless fuzzy things. Too easy? Make your main character hold a strong opinion about something and then act in a hypocritical fashion.
2. Go Beyond Stereotypes & Archetypes
Yes, they exist because they’re familiar and recognizable. Are they interesting? Where’s the surprise? Where’s the mystery? Most people don’t like cardboard pizza. They don’t like cardboard characters either.
3. Go Beyond GMC
Deb Dixon‘s idea of Goal, Motivation and Conflict works well at the larger scale. But how many authors drill down with it to the smaller scale? How do those three elements color even their smallest actions and decisions? Weave it in, so it’s an integral part of the story fabric.
4. Vocations & Avocations
So your character has a job or a hobby. That’s nice. Go deeper. How does that influence their vocabulary, their insights, their relationship with others, their smaller actions and decisions? Do they live and breathe it? Or is it just another gloss coat? How does this profession or passion affect the plot? WHY did they/you make this choice? If you can swap it out easily, consequently you haven’t gone deep enough.
5. Use Varying Degrees of Focus and Distance
You know how some photographs are more interesting because not EVERYTHING is sharp and competing for your attention? Think of the difference between your mental definitions of “snap shot” and “photograph”. Good photos tell stories too. They also leave a bit of mystery and interpretation to the viewer. Writers can do similar things. By focusing on different aspects of your character at different times in the book, you can draw the reader in and let them explore what makes your characters tick. Then, only when you absolutely need to, reveal what you’ve hinted at in the shadows and the murky background to bring the whole picture into sharp focus when it will mean the most to the reader.
6. Go Big or Go Home
Don’t settle for making average characters do ordinary things. What can you do to pump them up and make it so the reader believes they may not overcome the high stakes they’re up against? What about your characters keeps the reader’s hope burning that they WILL succeed? This is where many characters who are deemed Too Stupid To Live (TSTL) fail the reader. The reader therefore has lost all hope for this character and may actually be rooting against them.
7. Dig Deep, Put Yourself In There
This is probably the hardest one for me to do personally. It doesn’t have to be the biggest, most traumatic event in your life, but we all share common experiences: happiness, sorrow, regret, hope, frustration, anger. Find ways to channel situations you know into your writing. The story details don’t have to be autobiographical, but use the feelings, both emotional and physical to connect your characters to your reader. For me, this is “write what you know” writ large!
YOUR TURN:
Have I missed anything? What are some of the things that make you fall in love with a character or wish you could know them in real life? What makes YOU care about a fictional person’s success or failure?
And if you’d like to read about what the rest of my group suggests for ways to deepen characters, you can find their blogs here:
I’m also proud to note that this post was included in the Additional Resources for Secondary Character Development that goes along with the original NY Book Editors’s article: Your Guide to Creating Secondary Characters.
Many historical romance novels feature card rooms at balls, clubs or dinner parties and gaming hells where rakes wager over the turn of a card or toss of a dice. Many games that are no longer familiar to us are rattled off: hazard, piquet, faro, and whist. Often, the games chosen have meaning for the characters playing. A man who plays hazard is a great risk taker, where someone who knows how to play whist is a serious strategist and likely has a good memory for counting cards.
Today, we’re going to take a closer look at the game of whist. One of my projects involves a decisive game of whist, so last summer I decided I needed to learn how to play. Luckily, there’s lots of documentation available on the basic rules and strategies for play as well as some online game venues which allow for free play (link at the end!). So now you can experience the game for yourself and know what they’re talking about the next time you read about it in the context of a Regency romance novel. The Jack of Hearts. Early 19th c. playing card from Hall & Sons. Notice the face card has a single head and centered eyes compared to modern cards. The backs also would have been plain white.
History of Whist
“That’s not according to Hoyle!” and “According to Hoyle,…” were popular phrases in my grandparents’ house. Edmond Hoyle was considered quite the expert on cards and other games in the 18th century. He wrote many pamphlets or treatises on various games such as Whist, Quadrille, Piquet, Backgammon as well as a books on probability theory and chess. In 1748, his pamphlets were collected and sold under the title of Mr. Hoyle’s Treatises of Whist, Quadrille, Piquet, Chess and Back-Gammon.
The rules of whist as published in A Short Treatise on the Game of Whist in 1742 were considered authoritative until 1864, when they were supplanted by John Loraine Baldwin’s new rules which were adopted by the Arlington and Portland clubs.
Whist remained popular through the late 19th century and acquired a rigid set of rules, etiquette and techniques that required a large amount of study to become a successful player. In the early 20th century, Bridge replaced Whist in popularity, especially in the United States, although Whist is still played in Britain at local tournaments called “Whist Drives”.
How to Play Whist
Preparation
What we think of now as a standard 52-card deck or during the Regency what was known as a French deck, is used. Cards are ranked in order from highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, down to the deuce (or two).
Four players form two pairs and the partners sit opposite each other at the table. Pairs may be chosen by drawing cards: two highest against the two lowest. Players may not comment on the cards they are dealt in any way or signal their partners.
Shuffling & Dealing
Typically, two decks of cards are used to allow the dealer’s partner to shuffle one deck to have it ready for the dealer of the next hand while the dealer deals. Cards are shuffled by the player to the left of the dealer and cut by the player on his right.
All cards are dealt out face down until each player has 13 cards in their hand. The last card to be dealt, belonging to the dealer, is placed face up to indicate the trump suit. This card remains face up until the dealer plays the first “trick”. After all thirteen tricks are played, the dealer advances clockwise.
Taking Tricks
The first trick is lead by the player on the dealer’s left. He may play any card in his hand. Play continues clockwise with players following the leading suit if they if have any in their hand. If a player doesn’t possess cards in the suit lead in the trick, they may either discard any card or trump by playing a card of the trump suit. A trick is won by the highest card in the lead suit, unless a trump card was played. If multiple trumps were played the highest takes the trick.
The winner of the trick collects the 4 cards played and places them face down in a stack near him. He then leads the next trick. Only cards from the previous trick may be reviewed before the lead card of the next is played, otherwise players are expected to remember what has been played. Play continues until all 13 tricks are played and then the score is recorded.
A whist counter dating from around 1820.
Scoring Hands & Determining the Winners
Once all 13 tricks have been played, the pair collecting the most tricks scores 1 point for each trick taken in excess of six (called ‘making book’). A game is over when a team reaches 5 points. Variations include playing to 7 or 9 points.
It was often popular to play a “rubber of whist” which meant that the winners were determined by the best of three games.
Whist Counters or Markers
Whist tokens and storage tin. Four tokens could be used to score 9 point games.
Tokens or chips were originally used to record the score, but later in the 19th century dial counters and hinged pegs (or turnups) that snapped up to keep track of the score. Cheaper versions included cardboard and leather dial types and the more elaborate more expensive varieties might include exotic woods, ivory, mother of pearl. Two of the well-known producers of whist counters or whist markerswere Goodall & Sons and De La Rue.
Basic Whist Glossary
Trump
The suit of the last card dealt in a hand that beats all others regardless of rank, cards within the trump suit rank normally against each other.
Lead
The first card played in a trick.
Trick
The 4 cards played by each participant
Hand
13 tricks, once through the deck.
Small Slam
When 12 of thirteen tricks are taken by one team.
Grand Slam
When all 13 tricks are taken by one team.
Book
The first 6 tricks taken by a pair. Points for additional tricks taken are scored only after they ‘make book’.
Game
Played to an agreed upon point total, usually 5, 7 or 9.
Rubber
The winning pair is the best of three games.
You can even hone your skills for free by playing Whist Online at Games.com. If you’re just learning, I recommend choosing single player mode, which partners you with a computer player against two other computer controlled players. To view a wide variety of different styles of whist markers, visit Laurent Gimet’s collection at The Whist Markers Museum.
More information regarding a variety of other Regency-themed topics including how to play Hazard can be found on my Regency Resource page. If you’d like more information on a specific place or topic, please let me know in the comments section below.
This handmade puzzle card is from 1790, now kept at the British Postal Museum, is not for sale. Text on face of the card reads: “My dear the Heart which you behold, Will break when you the same unfold, Even so my heart with lovesick pain, Sure wounded is and breaks in twain.”There isn’t a lot of information available regarding how Valentine’s Day was celebrated in the early 19th Century. Most Regency Valentine’s cards (mostly handmade love letters) were considered ephemera and not held onto except in rare circumstances. You’ll notice I didn’t title this post as a primer, because I didn’t feel I could speak on the topic with much authority. I could have gone with the language of flowers for today’s topic, but many others have done that as well, and I didn’t feel it was limited to Valentine’s Day as it is now.
The commercialization of Valentine’s Day, as well as Christmas, can be laid at the feet of the Victorians. Industrialization was in full-swing and mass production of cards and trinkets was easier and cheaper than ever before. The Regency swains would have had to be much more resourceful, personal and creative to present their sweethearts with something memorable. Lucky, ladies! However, in the early 19th century, it wasn’t just the upper class that was sending notes and tokens of love and affection to their sweethearts, but something that was done across all classes.
The oldest “printed” card was published in January 1797 by John Fairburn of 146, Minories, London. The text around the edge reads: "Since on this ever Happy day, All Nature’s full of Love and Play Yet harmless still if my design, ‘Tis but to be your Valentine."Instead of distilling many similar posts down today, I’m going to link you directly to the sources I would have used in penning today’s primer.
A few months ago when I first decided I was going to try my hand at author interviews, I had been “talking” online with several other authors and a few of the well-known ones in my genre so I figured the worst I could do was ask and get told no. Imagine my surprise when the very first person I asked to do an interview, Shirlee Busbee, floored me by saying yes! And yes, there was much fangirl squeeing. My mom is a big fan of her books and since I’d snitch her romance novels to read, I became one too.
So today, to celebrate her Feb 7th re-release of WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE, I’d like to welcome Shirlee Busbee and thank her for being my guinea pig and being an inspiration in so many ways!
AND we’ll be doing another giveaway! One random commenter today will take home a signed copy of WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE!
*** UPDATE: THE WINNER OF THE SIGNED COPY OF
WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE IS: GRACE BURROWES!!
CONGRATS! ***
Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s see how Shirlee handled the questions I sent her way.
1. What drew you to writing Historical Romances in general and specifically to setting stories during the Regency Era?
I guess we can blame it on my mom. She read what passed for Historical Romances and I just sort of gravitated in that direction. It isn’t so much the Regency Era as the time period from about 1790 to 1815 that interests me. There was so much going on at that time. The French Revolution. Napoleon’s rise to power. The War of 1812. The Barbary Pirates, and, of course the English Regency.
2. What’s the strangest bit of historical trivia you’ve picked up in your research?
Well, duh. You have me there. Can’t think of a thing. I’m sure there was something at the time that caught my attention, but nothing springs to mind. Sorry.
These next few questions assume that time travel is possible. So, if you could go back to Regency England:
3. What modern conveniences would you miss most? What would you miss least?
Electricity and a microwave. Indoor plumbing would be a must. I mean can you imagine getting up in the dead of night and the dead of winter and hiking out to the water closet a couple of times a night? Of course, they did have ‘Thunder Mugs’ but still!
Miss the least…The internet! 🙂
4. What would be the hardest for you to adapt to in the Regency Era?
A woman’s position. Not being able to speak my mind and being under my husband’s thumb. Being unable to call my own money MINE.
5. Where would you fit into the society? Where would you like to visit most?
Well, since my dad was a Naval Officer, I suspect I’d have been a lesser member of the ton.
Visit? That’s a hard one. I think probably Cornwall. The countryside, mostly coastal towns.
6. You’ve been married for 48 years to your best friend, Howard, so I’m going to consider you a firsthand expert on HEAs. What describes your perfect Romance Hero and what’s the secret to keeping a successful relationship going that long?
Okay, I’m guessing what a HEA is (I know, I’m a dummy). The perfect Romance Hero is intelligent and honest. He’s also kind. That he’s also handsome is nice. Rich, or at least comfortable, is good.
The secret of our relationship, is consideration and respect for each other (even when we disagree). H. and I swear we never argue, we do have very loud, very passionate discussions :-). Oh, and very important, laughter.
You’re not a dummy, I had to look it up the first time I ran into it too! HEA = Happily Ever After, for anyone still wondering. =)
7. You know your first book, Gyspsy Lady, is one of my all-time favorite romance novels, even if it’s not set in Regency England. I have to admit I was blown away by your first novel story on your blog. I was going to ask how you went from Business School and being a draftsman to writing romance, but you already answered in that post about your husband’s joke and his continued support as well as encouragement (pestering?) from your coworker, Rosemary Rogers. Fate, indeed.
What advice would you go back and give yourself if you could? Would you aim to give that advice before or after you spent 18 months writing 4 pages by hand on a legal pad? Would this advice differ from what you’d say to an aspiring author today?
My advice would be given before I wasted the 18 months, producing only 4 pages. If you’re going to be a writer, don’t play at it. Do it. Diligently and faithfully. If you read interviews with successful writers, the one thing they stress is best summed up with Hemingway’s quote, “apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.” It’s that simple. Oh, and you’ll have always something else to do, but you have to make time to write and again, DO IT.
8. I don’t know how I missed the original release of Whisper to Me of Love back in ‘91, I’m a sucker for stories involving a thief! Which character (Morgana/Pip or Royce) or which situation came to you first that made you realize you had to write this story?
I knew I was going to use Royce because he appeared as a secondary character in a previous book (and don’t ask me which one — I’d have to go look it up), but when I started Royce’s book, Pip and her story just sprang to mind. I’m a seat of the pants writer and asking me to explain why or how has me as mystified as anyone. The story just evolves and the twists and turns it takes is as big a surprise to me as it is the reader. I can’t tell you the times when it all comes together and I’m like, “Wow. That turned out great.”
9. Are you still a voracious reader? What are some of your favorites?
Oh, yeah. I read constantly and if I don’t, I get all twitchy and weird. I call it refueling my batteries :-).
Favorites? Hmm. First you have to remember that I don’t, as a rule, read a lot of Romances. I do read them, but I prefer mysteries. I do love a book that combines both. Enjoy, Nora Roberts (who doesn’t?). Karen Robards. Tami Hoag. Some Historical Romance writers, I like — Elizabeth Hoyt, Julia Quinn and Tessa Dare (but since I write Historicals, I seldom read them). For straight romance, you can’t beat Linda Lael Miller. I also thoroughly enjoy Partricia Briggs, Paranormals featuring Mercy Thompson, but I also read a lot of books by Lee Child, John Sanford, Jeff Abbott, and Steven Martini. And, of course, Georgette Heyer. My list is endless and jumps all over the place.
10. You’ve seen a lot of changes both in terms of technology and the publishing business. What’s made your life easier and which changes have you found the most challenging as a writer?
You would ask :-). Okay, I love, love my computer. Especially spellcheck. The most challenging is learning how to negotiate through FB, Twitter and the like. Recently, for the first time, I had to edit my latest book, DESIRE BECOMES HER, due out in July 2012, electronically and it was terrifying. I am so not computer smart and it’s been a real challenge stumbling my way through new methods.
Author of historical and modern romance, Shirlee Busbee has enjoyed tremendous international success since her first novel Gypsy Lady was published in 1977. Shirlee’s books have been translated into numerous languages and she is a household name to romance readers around the world with over nine million copies of her books in print. She is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in writing, including the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and Affaire de Coeur’s Silver and Bronze Pen Awards.
Born in San Jose, California in 1941, Shirlee grew up traveling the world with her parents, two sisters and three brothers as her father was a career navel officer. She attended high school in Morocco. Returning to California, Shirlee attended the Burbank Business College of Santa Rosa, then met and married Howard Busbee in 1963. While working in Solano County, she met her life-long friend and mentor, Rosemary Rogers. Shirlee followed Rosemary into the world of romance writing, with the much acclaimed success of her first novel, Gypsy Lady. Shirlee went on from that success to carve her own niche in the historical romance genre.
Shirlee and her best friend, Howard, celebrated their 48th anniversary in 2011. The couple resides in Northern California on a lovely ranch were they are kept busy with their beloved Mini Schnauzers, prize winning Shetland Ponies and of course Shirlee’s writing!
Your Turn: What’s your favorite historical trope (Marriage/Betrothal of Convenience, Cinderella Story, Girl hiding as Boy, etc.)? Or just tell us the best thing you’ve ever heard while having sweet nothings whispered in your ear!
Don’t forget, one random commenter today will get a signed copy of WHISPER TO ME OF LOVE.
This week’s topic for my accountability group in our How I Write Series is “What do you wish you had known before you had even started to write? What would you have told your past self? Would you have discouraged yourself or encouraged? Would you have gone a different route?”
, I’d like to welcome 
, is one of my all-time favorite romance novels, even if it’s not set in Regency England. I have to admit I was blown away by your 
, due out in July 2012, electronically and it was terrifying. I am so not computer smart and it’s been a real challenge stumbling my way through new methods.