Creating a Swoon-worthy Leading Man

By Elizabeth Ludwig 

I was in Michigan recently attending the graduation ceremony of a much beloved nephew. While there, I got to see one of nature’s most amazing miracles…the hatching of a robin’s egg. Those little critters sure are ugly when they’re born! Still, there’s something magical about witnessing the struggle and determination this tiny life displays as it pecks and pokes and pries its way free of its shell. Unfortunately, not everyone was happy about my standing by while it happened. 

I tried to be respectful of Momma Bird as I peeked around the corner of my parents’ garage for a glimpse of the new hatchlings. I even used my strongest zoom lens so I didn’t have to get too close to the nest. Still, Daddy Bird was rather violently opposed to the attention I was giving to his little family. At first, he just chirped and squawked to let me know he wanted me to mosey on my way. When that didn’t work, he flew down off his high branch in the trees and landed several feet away. Then he hopped a few feet closer…then a few more feet. Finally, this three-inch robin stood mere feet away, his beady little eyes fixed on me as though sizing me up for a fight. 

This struck me as kind of funny at first. After all, this was a robin. He probably only weighs a couple of ounces, yet this feisty little hero stuck out his chest and raised his voice until he caught my attention. Then, in a show of bravado, he flapped his wings at me, and rather aggressively, I might add. With visions of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie in my head, I quickly snapped my picture and moved away! 

Now, all of this got me to thinking. What was it about this brave little bird that I could apply to my literary heroes? 

 First, I admired his courage. Despite the odds, he was willing to plunge headlong into a fight he knew he could not win. Second, with no concern for his own well-being, this tiny hero stepped between me and his family, and when that didn’t work, he provided the diversion his mate needed to fly to safety. And finally, it was his persistence, his dogged determination to stay with the battle that impressed me the most. All of these things made for a character, albeit tiny, that I could root for, and even admire. 

 I have to think that applying the same traits to the leading men in my novels would also make them exciting, admirable, and without a doubt, swoon-worthy. What do you think? 

TWEETABLE: Creating a Swoon-worthy Leading Man by Elizabeth Ludwig (Click to Tweet)

Elizabeth Ludwig is an accomplished speaker and teacher, often attending conferences where she lectures on crafting effective novel proposals and conducting successful editor/agent interviews. Her latest releases include Home Sweet Sugarcreek and A Tempting Taste of Mystery, part of the SUGARCREEK AMISH MYSTERIES series from Guideposts. Along with her husband, she makes her home in the great state of Texas. To learn more, visit ElizabethLudwig.com.

Read More

5 Tips for the Wannabee Writer by Author Michelle Griep

I hate to burst your bubble, but writers aren’t wizards. They’re everyday Joe Shmoes who simply have a little velvet bag of writerly tricks hidden beneath their desk. Want to peek into mine? Don’t worry. There’s no fee. 

Trick #1: Saving isn’t just for cheapskates.

Any time, every time, you take a break for anything—eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, tweeting that you ate said pint, Facebooking a picture of ice cream dripping out your mouth, or any other ‘ing’ you can think of—that’s when you should hit save. Just do it. Ingrain the movement into your body’s muscle memory so that it turns into a strange and freakish nervous twitch. Trust me. You’ll thank me later.

Trick #2: Stuff happens.

These two little words—stuff happens—should become your new best friends. They are versatile, quick little rodents who are excellent at preventing writers block. Working on a synopsis and are unsure about what happens right after the mutant rock badger eats Detroit? Just type in ‘stuff happens’ and move on. Or are you pounding away at a scene and don’t have a clue how your heroine should respond when the hero tells her, “I’m leaving you for my mother?” Stuff happens. Next scene. Don’t get me wrong; you can’t slap this phrase everywhere and expect to sell a manuscript. You will have to come back and fill in what exactly happens with that stuff. This little trick is simply a way to keep your writerly momentum going when you’re in the midst of the writing battle.

Trick #3: Save the cliffhangers for your readers.

At the end of your writing session, the last thing you should type is a sentence or two of what you’ll write next time you sit down. There’s nothing worse than pulling up a finished scene and trying to remember what that stellar idea was to begin the next. You faintly recall it had something to do with a feather boa and a toaster, but doggone if you can’t even remember what you ate for breakfast. 

Trick #4: Google it.

Most writers have a limited budget. Translation: they’re too broke to actually visit the towns they set their stories in, unless of course, it happens to be within walking distance. Even then it’s a little iffy. Fortunately, every writer has a new best friend called Google Maps Street View. This is tricky if you’re writing historical, though, in which case you’ll have to rely on your imagination and/or a written description of the place (tip to the wise: if you’re using Wikipedia, verify, verify, verify). 

Trick #5: Tweetable thinking.

You’ll need to be able to describe your epic blockbuster novel in a sentence or two. Even better if you can chop it down to a 140 character Tweetable size.  Here’s an example from my latest release, A HEART DECEIVED…

Lies were born in a garden and just may be the death of Miri Brayden.

Intrigued? Ahh, you’ve fallen into my trap, my pretty. Here’s the full blurb:

Miri Brayden teeters on a razor's edge between placating and enraging her brother, whom she depends upon for support. Yet if his anger is unleashed, so is his madness. Miri must keep his descent into lunacy a secret, or he'll be committed to an asylum—and she'll be sent to the poorhouse.

Ethan Goodwin has been on the run all of his life—from family, from the law ... from God. After a heart-changing encounter with the gritty Reverend John Newton, Ethan would like nothing more than to become a man of integrity—an impossible feat for an opium addict charged with murder.

When Ethan shows up on Miri's doorstep, her balancing act falls to pieces. Both Ethan and Miri are caught in a web of lies and deceit—fallacies that land Ethan in prison and Miri in the asylum with her brother. Only the truth will set them free.

If you decide to pick up a copy, you just may discover a few more of the tricks I’ve got buried in my writerly bag. Feel free to use them.

Michelle’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space

and Crayolas...professionally, however, for the past 10 years. Her recent release is A HEART DECEIVED, a gothic regency put out by David C. Cook (June 2013). If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, you can find her at www.michellegriep.com or www.writerofftheleash.blogspot.com or feel free to stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.




REVIEW of A Heart Deceived

Book Summary: Miri Brayden teeters on a razor's edge between placating and enraging her brother, whom she depends upon for support. Yet if his anger is unleashed, so is his madness. Miri must keep his descent into lunacy a secret, or he'll be committed to an asylum—and she'll be sent to the poorhouse. 

Ethan Goodwin has been on the run all of his life—from family, from the law ... from God. After a heart-changing encounter with the gritty Reverend John Newton, Ethan would like nothing more than to become a man of integrity—an impossible feat for an opium addict charged with murder. 

When Ethan shows up on Miri's doorstep, her balancing act falls to pieces. Both Ethan and Miri are caught in a web of lies and deceit—fallacies that land Ethan in prison and Miri in the asylum with her brother. Only the truth will set them free.

An excellent book full of twists and turns. Set in England, the book is rich with history while giving insight into both the troubles and trials of the time period (opium, asylums). Ethan is a strong, though flawed hero, and Miri is a heroine torn between her world and the one her brother only thinks he sees. 4 1/2 stars

Read More