Comments on: The Trouble with Riva

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 00:36:56 +0000

Sally – great suggestions! I wonder if they’ll take them on board.

By: Sally Clements

Sally Clements — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 22:36:13 +0000

Jackie, after reading Flo’s post on the forum about Riva, I’ve added in my 5c worth, but pitching the idea of a story outline send in for people writing for Riva. I think its a good idea – I hate the time wasted if there’s an element that won’t gel with the line, especially as it can be sorted before you write the bloomin thing! Have also suggested that the ‘romance’ type of Rivas should get sex too. Seems unfair to leave it to all the urban foxes…

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 20:36:46 +0000

Sally – that’s a FABULOUS suggestion. It would be great wouldn’t it? Because I get the impression with Riva, based on editorial feedback, that some conflicts are okay while others are not. And yeah, waiting 3 – 4 months to hear that the conflicts won’t work for the line is SO frustrating. My personal opinion for Riva – completely unsupported so take with a hefty grain of salt – is that the eds aren’t sure what they want but they’ll know when they see it! Which makes it very frustrating. No wonder it’s one of the hardest lines to get right.

By: Sally Clements

Sally Clements — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:18:30 +0000

Great post, Jackie, and some very helpful comments too! I agree with you, its difficult to strike the right balance, especially with a new line, and its so frustrating to fire something off and have to wait and find out if it fits – I wish M&B would do a ‘story outline pitch’, where they’d look just at a story idea and say ‘yup, that sounds good’ or ‘nope, too x, y or z’ it would be great wouldn’t it?

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:08:15 +0000

Kaily – I think Blamova would be a huge seller. 😉 Anyway, I’ve completely cut one of the conflict strands and focussed entirely on the other, making sure it goes deep. Hope it works. It certainly feels easier to write which means I’m doing something right at least. Maybe not for the ed but it’s right for the character. 🙂

By: Kaily Hart

Kaily Hart — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:28:12 +0000

Go Blamova! Honestly, I’ve never read a Riva so I don’t really feel qualified to comment on what conflicts might suit. As long as you ensure it’s driving the story forward, you should go with your instincts! It sounds like you feel you’ve loaded poor heroine with too much. Perhaps major up one of them or can one become a component of the first and be more intertwined?

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 19:29:55 +0000

Cat – that makes total sense and is awesome advice. It’s too late for that for my current WIP – and I may have pulled it off because my hero doesn’t do much brooding and the heroine pokes fun at him (hehe) when he does so that kind of lightens it up. But I think I’ll take that advice for the next story. And in fact, I have just the issue he can be stubborn about! Thank you!!

By: Cat Schield

Cat Schield — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:07:09 +0000

Jackie, try this. Take all the bad things that happened to him and instead of making him brooding, make him stubborn about something. Like he has a wrong idea that he can't let go of.

If he thinks all women are untrustworthy because his mother ran off with a traveling salesman when he was a kid then give him a heroine who has a secret she's keeping from him and make her look untrustworthy in his eyes.

Maybe her background is that once she broke a confidence, something bad happened because of it, and she got the reputation of not being trustworthy. She's determined to keep the secret no matter what. Even if it costs her the man of her dreams.

If you put them at opposite sides of an issue that's very important to each of them, you have conflict in abundance. It's deep because these people feel strongly about it. Leave the dark in the past, and let your characters flirt like crazy and have great sex. And then fight. And make up.

Did that make any sense?

By: Jackie Ashenden

Jackie Ashenden — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:16:21 +0000

Elissa – argh, yes, I admit to needing a butt kick. So thanks for that. 🙂 But don’t get me wrong, I AM enjoying what I’m writing, it’s just…a wobble maybe. I guess Abby Green’s book was Presents/Modern/Sexy though right? You can get away with big conflict like that in Modern. Not sure you do it in Riva. Or, let me rephrase that, I don’t think I can. I need to simplify, not complicate. But I might just need to go read Abby’s book just in case… 🙂 Oh and thanks for the compliment. You are awesome. I’ll take that one as well.

By: Elissa Graham

Elissa Graham — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 04:49:14 +0000

Who said chess ever stopped being sexy? I love it - all that cunning planning and manoeuvring *shivers*.

As far as your problem goes Abby Green's The Spaniard's Marriage Bargain was fabulous and (not giving away the punch of the plot) the heroine had to deal with a HUGE issue that caused her enormous amounts of guilt as well as a bit of physical recovery and Abby managed it beautifully.

I seem to remember someone at the beginning of the year vowing to just enjoy her writing and not over think the crafty stuff - any ideas who that was? Trust yourself m'dear - you're hugely talented.