Science Fiction at a Snail’s Pace

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Joanne Guidoccio

I’m happy to welcome Guelph author and screenwriter Cindy Carroll. Today, Cindy shares her writing journey and new release, The Princess Prophecy.

Here’s Cindy!

I want to thank Joanne for hosting me today! I’m super excited about my new release and my continuing journey as an author.

Like most writers I knew for a long time that I wanted to write. My favourite assignment in English class was writing short stories. When I was in grade six I started my first trilogy about three astronauts who travelled to other planets and met interesting aliens. Back then, I modelled the characters after myself, my cousin, and our favourite singer. He happened to also be a soap opera star, so his name in the stories was Noah. I wrote the first story in grade six and the other two in grade seven. I had the same English teacher both years, so she got to read the entire trilogy. She commented on my love of science fiction after the third story. The science fiction affection didn’t stop at the written word. I loved scifi movies and television shows. I watched all the scifi I could and some of those obscure shows that no one has heard of would come back later to inspire The Princess Prophecy.

Throughout the rest of school I wrote stories here and there, when I had time. In high school I even took a creative writing class. Of course, I was also an avid reader. I loved a variety of different genres and would go through at least a book a week. Sometimes more. I read one of Dean Koontz’s books in a day. Even though I knew books were written by authors, it never occurred to me that I could decide to be an author. That I could write things and send them out into the world for publication. It took a visit to my cousin one summer to turn that light bulb on. She had a typewriter out and I asked what she was doing. She said she was writing a book. My mind exploded with the possibilities and I’ve been writing for publication ever since.

It hasn’t been an easy road. Back then I wanted what most writers wanted. A New York publishing contract. I didn’t even care how much the advance was, though I was hoping for life changing money. I submitted to publishers, and agents. Until 2013 I was still chasing that dream. Then a friend introduced me to self publishing. I haven’t looked back since.

The Princess Prophecy took forever to write by self publishing timelines. The initial idea, a cross between The Princess Diaries and Out of This World (a scifi show from the 80s), sparked in June, 2015, but the book didn’t see the light of virtual bookshelves until a few weeks ago. What took so long? The story was basically written over a year ago. I’d been fiddling with the cover for months, never quite happy with what I’d come up with. Then there was the fear. All other stories (save a few short stories) had been published under super secret pen names. It’s a whole different ball game when you’re publishing something under your own name. But, I squashed down the fear, finished the edits and put it out into the world. With a shiny new cover that I’m in love with.

I just hope the next book won’t take as long to set free.

Blurb

An ancient throne. An unknown prophecy. A reluctant princess controls the fate of the world…

Sophie thinks she’s a typical college freshman. She spends her days making friends and coping with classes, until her whole world changes forever. A group of strange men try to kidnap her, and the only thing that saves her is a long-lost friend who’s sworn to protect his princess…

Nathan tells Sophie that she’s not only half-alien, but she’s royalty on another planet. To make things more complicated, she’s forced to go to that planet to take the throne… or her entire kingdom will suffer.

As Nathan helps her train for her second life, she can’t help but fall for him. But when their ship comes under attack, she wonders if any of them will survive the journey.

Bio

Cindy is a member of Sisters in Crime and a graduate of Hal Croasmun’s screenwriting ProSeries. Her interviews with writers of CSI and Flashpoint appeared in The Rewrit, the Scriptscene newsletter, the screenwriting Chapter of RWA. She writes screenplays, thrillers, and paranormals, occasionally exploring an erotic twist. A background in banking and IT doesn’t allow much in the way of excitement so she turns to writing stories that are a little dark and usually have a dead body. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two cats. When she’s not writing you can usually find her painting landscapes in oil, playing video games (Sims 3 and Sims 4 are favourites), or watching her favourite television shows marathon style.

Where to find Cindy…

Kick-Off Party for Guelph NaNoWriMo

Posted on October 30, 2016 by Joanne Guidoccio

In July of this year, author Cindy Carroll lobbied to have a NaNoWriMo group in Guelph. In the past, writers had to join groups in nearby Kitchener, Hamilton, or Toronto. Not too far, but still far enough for those of us who do not like to spend hours commuting on major highways. Thanks to Cindy’s persistence and willingness to take on the M.L. role (Municipal Liaison), we now have a local group with 70+ members. Find out more about Guelph NaNoWriMo here.

Earlier today, fourteen of us gathered at Symposium Restaurant for the Kick-Off Party. We shared our NaNoWriMo handles, plans for the month, and other shop talk. A diverse group, we write in several genres, among them mystery, romance, urban fantasy, memoir, and inspirational literature.

Alpha Order – Maame Apenteng, Francis Bake, Cindy Carroll, Sarah Jean Devries, Amy Donkers, Jess Frey, A. Pearl Graham, Joanne Guidoccio, Kathleen Herbinson, Jo Kasunic, Pamela Simmonds, Michelle Summerfield, Tim Teece, Elizabeth Winfield

ONWARD ♦ AVANTI ♦ EN AVANT ♦ WEITER ♦ ADELANTE ♦ AVANTE

Creating Characters

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Joanne Guidoccio

Yesterday, twenty of us gathered at Symposium Restaurant for a workshop with award-winning author J.K. Coi. Having written several novels in the urban fantasy, contemporary and paranormal romance genres, Coi is best known for creating compelling characters that “leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.”

Some of her tips…

1.Strong characters will offset weak plots.

2. Allow your characters to have flaws. There is no tension or growth in a perfect character.

3. Keep in mind that believable does not translate into realistic. Inject an element of fantasy to entertain the reader.

4. Make your character so unique that they couldn’t be dropped into any other book.

5. Feel free to make tweaks and twists that readers will appreciate, but not throw them out of the story.

6. Avoid cliches but respect reader expectations. If you must deviate, add humor or provide an appropriate back story.

7. Character-driven books have depth and are more memorable than plot driven stories.

8. Give your characters complicated relationships.

9. Secondary characters are there only because they have a purpose. They should not be more interesting than the protagonist.

10. Use other characters to reveal the protagonist’s blind spots.

11. Figure out the intricacies of the characters before starting the novel.

Coi also provided us with information about Romance Writers of America and Toronto Romance Writers.

Thanks to Cindy Carroll of Guelph Write Now for organizing this event.

The Next Big Thing

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Joanne Guidoccio

Author Jenny Herrera tagged me in her The Next Big Thing post. The idea comes from She Writes and is meant to help female authors promote their WIPs (Works in Progress). As per the rules, what follows are my answers to ten interview questions about my WIP. At the end, I’ll tag five other writers to carry the banner.

What is the working title of your book?

A Season for Killing Blondes

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer. While receiving my treatments, I started reading murder mysteries. I must have read at least two a week for the entire ten months. I started to think about writing a murder mystery based in my hometown of Sudbury, Ontario. I considered the following scenario: What if a 50something woman wins a nineteen million dollar lottery and returns to her hometown. While reinventing herself as a career counselor for boomers, the woman encounters a number of obstacles, among them four dead blondes neatly arranged in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a cozy.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Since most of the characters are boomers, I would prefer to use actors in that particular age group. Lorraine Bracco would make a great Gilda Greco, the protagonist of the novel. For her love interest, I would go with Pierce Brosnan.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

It is a season for killing blondes and a brunette lottery winner never has an alibi when dead bodies turn up in dumpsters near her favorite haunts.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I would prefer the traditional route but am open to all options.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I started the novel eight years ago and took almost a year to finish it. This past January, I revisited the manuscript and rewrote it in first person. I added another sub-plot and more characters.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Cozies written by Denise Swanson (Murder of a Small Town Honey, Murder of a Sleeping Beauty, Murder of a Smart Cookie) and Mary Jane Maffini (Organize Your Corpses, The Cluttered Corpse, Death has a Messy Desk).

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As I was going through my own difficult season, I started thinking about other people’s rough patches. I combined that with my new interest in reading murder mysteries and came up with a plot for A Season for Killing Blondes.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Not too many cozies are based in Northern Ontario. Also, the combination of fiftysomething Italian women, their mothers, their men, food and four dead blondes is an interesting one. I have included eight dessert recipes.

Now, it’s my turn to tag some follow authors:

Cindy Carroll | Linda Johnston | Jordanna East | Beth Verde | Patricia Anderson

How Much Dialogue is Too Much?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Joanne Guidoccio

When I first heard the expression, “You can go blind listening to that story,” I took a second look at the prose in question. I quickly agreed that the long stretches of unbroken dialogue were tiresome and cut off all senses with the exception of hearing.

And then I revisited my own writing.

I love dialogue and often fear that I overuse it.

While dialogue serves many important functions, it is only one element of fiction. It definitely has its place, but it shouldn’t take over the story.

How much dialogue is too much?

At a recent dinner meeting of Guelph Writers Ink, Cindy Carroll suggested that thirty percent of the novel should be dialogue. Elsewhere, I read that the percentage should be closer to fifty.

Truthfully, I don’t think there is a magic number out there. Instead, I try to keep in mind that characters who talk too much can be just as annoying as real people who dominate conversations.

In their upcoming thriller, Some Kind of Peace, Scandinavian authors Camilla Grebe and Åsa Träff skillfully weave dialogue and narrative to create tension. This is especially apparent in the therapy sessions where psychologist Siri Bergman interacts with her patients.

If I focus only on the dialogue, I would probably stop reading the book.

Dialogue Only Excerpt

“I’m happy for your sake, Sara. Truly. How long have you known this man?”

“Oh, a few weeks. But we’ve been seeing each other a lot. He gave me this bag.” She held up a Gucci bag. “He takes me out to dinner. He’s nice to me.”

Sara looks at me, waiting for validation.

“Sara, you’re a grown-up and hardly need my approval before you start a relationship.”

Actual Excerpt

“I’m happy for your sake, Sara. Truly. How long have you known this…man?”

Sara looks down at the carpet, resting her upper body against her knees and rocking slowly back and forth.

“Oh, a few weeks. But we’ve seen each other a lot. He gave me this bag,” she adds, and as if to prove the legitimacy of the relationship, she holds up an oversized, monogram-patterned Gucci bag.

“He takes me out for dinner.”

I say nothing.

“He’s nice to me.”

Sara shrugs and looks questioningly at me, waiting for validation.

“Sara, you’re a grown-up and hardly need my approval before you start a relationship,” I say, but my tone of voice reveals how worried I really am.

It doesn’t seem right. A middle-aged, successful man courts a young girl with bright green nail polish, a charming borderline personality, and arms and legs zebra-striped with scars from razor blades and knives. I realize to my own surprise that I’m afraid he will exploit Sara.

Any thoughts out there?

Sundays for Writers

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Joanne Guidoccio

This afternoon, I joined several other members of Guelph Write Now for our monthly meeting at Lucie’s Restaurant in south Guelph. I look forward to meeting with other writers and talking about our respective writing journeys.

Lots of discussion and advice floated around the table as we discussed the pros and cons of social media, ebook covers, our WIPs and Fifty Shades of Grey. Organizer Cindy Carroll provided us with three prompts and we wrote spontaneously. Afterward, we shared out stories and commented on the different interpretations of the prompts.

We also enjoyed the delicious coffee, tea and desserts.