Fall in love with the unexpected

Book Tropes: You Should See The Way They Look at You

2023-06-21
SE White
Blogging, Recommendations, Romance Tropes, Top 10 Lists

Otherwise known as: the fresh scent of pine. Ahhh, this is such a fun niche trope. It generally happens in a ‘hero falls first’ situation, and let’s all admit together that we love us a pining hero. But there is the delicious potential for this uncertainty when any character falls first and is now vulnerable, unsure their love is requited. The best part about all of this troubled water our main character has to paddle through? There’s a happy ending…

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Book Tropes: I Hate Everyone. Who Isn’t You.

2021-05-26
SE White
Blogging, Book Reviews, Reviews, Romance Tropes, Top 10 Lists

This trope flavor du jour starts with a firm, succulent base of Brooding Big Bad. Spicy hints of Shades of Grey add to the morality, while robust kicks of Standoffish, Blunt, and Guarded finish the dish for a well-rounded palate. The discerning reader will love the fact that this character absolutely has no time for anyone in the world . . . except for that one, special someone they can’t resist. They are secretly (OH so secretly) soft and protective…

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Book Tropes: The Grovel in The Novel

2020-10-14
SE White
Book Reviews, Recommendations, Romance Tropes, Top 10 Lists

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a super specific, really niche trope. It’s like a food craving, where only that certain brand from that one store will do. In this case it’s a good old grovel. Not the little token apology with immediate making-out, ohhh no. I want the real down-and-dirty, sincere, I-fucked-up, oh-my-god-I-was-so-dumb, dawning realization. It doesn’t particularly matter to me which character (hero or heroine or all three heroes in a reverse harem) is doing the groveling. There…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Offers Conflict

2023-08-02
SE White
Blogging, Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, My Books

It’s the first Wednesday in August, and therefore time for an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post! If you’re looking to join a great online group to participate, collaborate, and support you on your author journey, come on over and join. We’d love to have you. The awesome co-hosts for the August 2 posting of the IWSG are Kate Larkindale, Diane Burton, Janet Alcorn, and Shannon Lawrence! August 2 question: Have you ever written something that afterwards you felt conflicted about? If so, did you let…

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Yet Another Slang List for your Author Toolbox (2023 edition)

2023-07-19
SE White
Silliness, Writing Process

And we’re back! A general slang dictionary for the 2000s (containing such elemental online basics as NSFW and gif) can be found for your delighted perusal here. And an updated version (from 2020, containing words like yeet, and already outdated! Isn’t it fun how that works) can be found for you here. The internet moves faster than the speed of light. What was cool to say in 2020 has now evolved like the Tuatara lizard. I fully expect this list…

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Dreaming of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group

2023-07-05
SE White
Blogging, Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, My Books, Plotters vs. Pantsers, Romance Tropes, Writing Process

It is that time of the month again! Come join us insecure writers as we forge a path towards our dreams. The main point of the group is to connect, reassure, and support your author journey, no matter what it looks like. We meet on the first Wednesday of every month. Come on in! The co-hosts we should offer our thanks to for July are PJ Colando, Kim Lajevardi, Gwen Gardner, Pat Garcia, and Natalie Aguirre! Go check in on their comment sections and add…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Puts up a Stop Sign

2023-06-07
SE White
Goals and Hopes, Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, Writing Process

It’s the first Wednesday of June, which means it’s that time again! Come experience the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and all of the unbridled enthusiasm we have to offer. We’re also online with the tag #IWSG or @IWSG Our co-hosts this month, keeping us all on track, are the wonderful Patrcia Josephine, Diedre Knight, Olga Godim, J. Lenni Dorner, and Cathrina Constantine! And the question for June 7th is If you ever did stop writing, what would you replace it with? *Gasp* Stop writing? What would…

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My Favorite Characters that Provoke a Little Hatred

2023-05-17
SE White
Blogging, Friday Favorites, Silliness

Also known as: characters I love which other people love to hate This may be the trickiest prompt I’ve ever done? Obviously this will be a super subjective list and your mileage may vary, standard cautions, etc & etc. Except for Dolores Umbridge, who we can all agree is virulent bullying toad slime wrapped in sickly pink cardigans, there isn’t really a ‘universally hated’ book character that I know of. I’ll do my best with anti-heroes and obnoxious characters who…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group Inspires Us

2023-05-03
SE White
Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, My Books, Silliness, Writing Process

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, and that means we can let our insecure author flags fly freely in the wind. That wind rushing by? It’s the sound of our egos, deflating. The IWSG meets once a month on Wednesday to share tips, encouragement, and inflate those egos back up some. Come join! Each month there are co-hosts who keep us on track. This month we thank Joylene Nowell Butler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Meka James (Hi Meka!), Victoria Marie Lees, and M Louise…

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Breaking Down a Romance Plot

2023-03-15
SE White
Author Toolbox Blog Hop Post, Blogging, Plotters vs. Pantsers, Writing Process

For this post, let’s break down a well known romance plot to see where the story beats are going. This is an exercise I’d really recommend for authors of any genre. Take your favorite story, or movie, and break it down to see how they made everything work. You’ll be surprised how much it helps you break down your own story! And yes, this is the movie I’m turning into plot points, but it still translates to novel form. Beauty…

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The Insecure Writer’s Support Group and Envy

2023-03-01
SE White
Insecure Writer's Support Group Post, Recommendations, Top 10 Lists

The awesome co-hosts for this March 1 posting of the IWSG are Diedre Knight, Tonya Drecker, Bish Denham, Olga Godim (hi Olga!), and JQ Rose! And the (optional) question for today – Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy? The answer to this is, of course, YES. In fact, saying ‘a’ line or ‘a’ clever plot twist is rank untruth. It’s more like ‘so many’ amazing, emotional, or evocative lines and ‘multiple’ plot…

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