Tag: volleyball

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What I Do and Why I Do It

Jennifer Lane

Thank you to my friendly, funny critique partner Nicki Elson for tagging me to answer four writerly questions! (That’s her gorgeous self, on the left.) Nicki is the author of 80’s romp Three Daves and sexy angel story Divine Temptation. And I’m really stoked for the upcoming release of her hilarious chick lit, tentatively titled Vibrizzio (a buzzing Italian lover hehe).

Onto the questions…

What am I working on?

I’m nearing the finish line of writing Blocked, a college volleyball romance. Spike! The story features a forbidden romance between the offspring of candidates for US President: Lucia Ramirez, daughter of the Republican nominee, and Dane Monroe, son of the Democratic nominee.  Lucia and Dane are freakishly tall scholarship volleyball players who think the opponent’s political philosophy is FAIL. But they can’t deny their attraction to each other.

Swimmer Matt Grevers, who’s 6’8″, inspired the character of Dane Monroe:

Yummy.


How does my writing differ from others in its genre?

As a psychologist, I like to bring a psycho element to romance by including mental health diagnoses and therapy scenes. In Blocked, I gave Lucia an eating disorder and Dane an alcohol problem. (Tee hee.) Naturally, I threw them into some much needed therapy with a sport psychologist.

Why do I write what I do?

I write romance because of all the feels. It makes my heart skip when characters kiss! And I write stories of healing and redemption because I love to witness them every day. I want to inspire readers to overcome emotional pain in order to reach new heights.

How does my writing process work?

Recently I’ve relied less on an outline, instead letting the characters lead the way. It’s so helpful to share each chapter with critique partners…making writing more social is motivational for me. My one complaint about my process: it’s SLOW. Waah. I wish it could go faster.

And now I get to tag four authors so they can tell us what they do and why they do it. I tag:

***Darcia Helle***

***Elisa Dane***

***Matthew Alan***

***Lisette Brodey***


Please stop by next week (6/4) for the Insecure Writers Support Group. I need your advice for self-publishing!

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#IWSG: Political Differences in Love

Jennifer Lane

Happy 2014 to all Insecure Writers! Thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for joining us together. (Check out more HERE).


Do you wish you could write faster? I do! I’m about 1/3 done with my work-in-progress, a New Adult volleyball romance titled Blocked.

The story features the daughter of the Republican nominee for president and the son of the Democratic nominee for president. They both play varsity volleyball at a Midwestern university, and naturally, they hate each other. They think the opposing political viewpoint is idiotic and hurtful.

Ah, but that’s where the fun begins. Can love bloom among such differences?

There’s a new book launching by a famous cross-political couple Mary Matalin and James Carville:


So I guess they can make it work! I watched an interview with the couple, and when asked how she tolerates her husband’s liberal politics, Mary Matalin said “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” Then she kissed his bald head!

In your writing, do you explore politics? Do you post political views on social networks? If you write romance, do you enjoy writing aspects of forbidden love?

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Insecure Writer’s Support Group #IWSG

Jennifer Lane

Inspiration in Strange Places

Hey, fellow writers! *waves* 

My main insecurity this month is my book sales. Two words: They suck. 😉 

Hope you published authors out there are doing better!

But I am enjoying writing my current work-in-progress: a New Adult volleyball romance titled Blocked. 

I have fun finding inspiration in strange places, like my volleyball board on Pinterest. I’m proud that I worked this quote into my novel:


Where do you find random inspiration?

I’m not sure if any IWSGers will attend the New Adult Sleepover Weekend December 6-8 in Savannah, Georgia, but I WILL BE THERE! I’m super stoked to party with authors and readers.

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#IWSG : Favorite Personal Experience In Your Writing

Jennifer Lane

Time for the Insecure Writers Support Group, started by Alex Cavanaugh.


How’s it going, writers? I’m happy with the new job I started in August, and looking forward to the holidays. Since I work for a university now, I actually get Veteran’s Day off work, yahoo!

Do you enjoy using personal experiences in your writing? I do. For example, I like to write therapy scenes incorporating my experiences as a psychologist.

I’m blessed with some hilarious friends and I like to “borrow” their dialogue now and then. When my swimming buddy Joe met my plus-sized cat, he said “That’s not a cat…that’s a cow.” Guess what one of my characters will say about his brother’s fat cat?

I’m currently writing my fifth novel, a New Adult volleyball romance titled Blocked. Although swimming was my main sport in college, I also played volleyball, and it’s a blast writing about this fun sport. My teammates and I engaged in fierce euchre tournaments, and not surprisingly this card game is making its way into the story.

What is one of your favorite personal experiences that you’ve incorporated into your writing?


If you’re feeling insecure, here’s a funny scene from the movie Young Adult to make you feel better about yourself as a writer: