How not to write yourself into a box

This blog is for Fantasyfan and everyone else who voted and left a comment on the poll about what to do with Diana and Ryder. That poll is still open and remember, if you suggest something unique that I use, I’ll dedicate a book to you.

So, what follows is a discussion on writing a series and some SPOILERS for THE CALLING vampire novels!

So if you don’t want to know more or have anything spoiled, READ NO FURTHER.

For the rest of you — here goes:

Writing a series is a wonderful experience, but there’s also the concern that you might write yourself into a box. For example, how do I let Diana have babies or stay human after what happened in DEATH CALLS?

I think being a laywer has helped me create a story arc and world that have some flexibility. Why? Lawyers are trained to look at all aspects of a problem, to plan for the different contingencies which may occur and to get back on track after one of those contingencies occurs.

How does that help with a plot? Well, you look at the logical linear progression of the story, but you also consider and plan for what may happen if the story needs to take a different path. If you find that you had to take that different path, you then plan on finding a way to get the plot back to the logical linear progression you had imagined in the first place. Of course, you may find that you change where you are going and if you’ve created enough flexibility in your world, that’s also possible.

But, you need to remember what rules you created to your world and stick to them. Otherwise, that will upset people who know the rules and know that you deviated in a major way from them.

Of course, this takes lots of planning. I did lots of that planning and plotting in earlier books.

Okay — now is when the SPOILERS for THE CALLING start, so be prepared!

What happened to Diana at the end of DEATH CALLS? Diana got infected with Ryder’s blood and healed miraculously from what should have been fatal wounds.

If you’ve read DEVOTION CALLS, you know that Diana has developed other non-human powers and that the ability to heal continues.

Something new, right? Actually, no. I set up the possibility that receiving vampire blood might somehow change a human in a couple of earlier books.

When? In DANGER CALLS, some family journals are stolen from Ryder’s keeper — Melissa Danvers. When Ryder, Diana, Melissa and Sebastian are trying to figure out why someone would want the journals, they learn that Melissa’s father had used a cell strain taken from Ryder’s blood to help prolong the life of his seriously ill wife.

The use of Ryder’s blood had resulted in near miraculous healing.

In TEMPTATION CALLS, the man who killed Melissa’s parents to get the journals — Edward Sloan — has been infected by Ryder’s blood and is using regular transfusions of vampire blood to control the cell strain that Melissa’s father had identified and used on Melissa’s mother. Edward has realized that without control, the cell strain will eventually kill a human.

So in these two books I set up the fact that Ryder’s blood — or any vampire blood — could contaminate a human and cause amazing healing. I also set up that this contamination could also get out of control, creating problems.

Gifts and problems like the ones that Diana will experience in each of the upcoming books in THE CALLING series. In the next book, BLOOD CALLS, I will show in various scenes what is happening with Diana and how that is impacting on her relationship with Ryder.

Want to know more? Check out this Fresh Blood. This is a new and never-seen-before scene that comes right after DEVOTION CALLS. I’ll be posting a continuation of this scene next week which will also fill you in on what’s happening with Ricardo and Sara!

Which leaves some of you asking — what about the babies? A lot of you have voted for Diana and Ryder to have babies.

Well, since what’s going on with Diana involves a new cell strain, maybe babies are possible. Or maybe science will find a way. Think about all the new advances with fertility treatments. Maybe one of those will make its way into a book!

Or maybe I’ll drop a hint about something else in the holiday vampire anthology that’s coming in December from Silhouette Nocturne. I’m in the process of working on that right now and the story will definitely expand on the powers of vampire elders and possibly on how vampires can have families.

I hope that’s enough hints for all of you. 🙂

6 Replies to “How not to write yourself into a box”

  1. Se? I’m not the only one who wants this stuff….
    Wouldn’t it be nice for Ryder to become human again, folks???
    One can only hope.
    (PS Melissa and Sebastian can’t die! It would be like killing a cat to a Regency reader!)

  2. LOL! I had thought about killing Melissa and Sebastian so Diana and Ryder could get their little baby Mariel, but my friends threatened me with bodily harm if I did that!

  3. YAY!! Diana & Ryder and possible a special baby that brings peace and harmony and allows Vampires and Humans to live together and fight a far more scarier species like say demons race *grin*

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