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how-I-write writing life

Manifesto

I’ve been asked recently about what types of books I write, whether they have cliff-hangers or happy endings, and if there are any subjects I especially love or think are taboo. This led me to think deeply about my writing, and especially how my pen name(s) differ. (My legal name is no longer Wendy Lynn Clark, it turns out! It was when I started publishing, and now it is a pen name.)

I publish all of my hot science fiction romance under Wendy Lynn Clark, and I have an old sexy-hot contemporary series that I am going to revamp and publish next year under the same name. All will be sexy, fun fantasies that should leave a smile on your face.

Also in 2017, I am going to publish an epic fantasy under the W. L. Clark pen name. I intend to use it for a science fiction series someday too, so you can expect that pen name to contain darker adventures without the sex.

Here is what you can expect from me when you pick up a book from one of my names.

Wendy Lynn Clark

Summary: A story by Wendy Lynn Clark is always a fast-paced, sexy escape into dazzling new worlds with heroic characters on passionate adventures. Whether science fiction, fantasy, or contemporary, you can count on a light read with low angst, a heroine who’s not afraid to take charge, and a hero who’s man enough to love her for it. Only complete stories with happily ever afters means you can close every book with a sigh of satisfaction and a smile on your face.

Here are the critical elements:

  • Escape from real life
  • Love conquers all
  • Standalone romance with happily ever afters
  • Romance = feminism
  • Positive world view
  • Exotic settings
  • Hot sex
  • No abuse triggers
  • Second chances for all

Escape From Real Life

If you believe in numerology, my life path is a “3,” which one numerology book translated as “Joy of Living.” I feel like real life can be a serious downer as people deal with all sorts of problems and tragedies every single day. When you pick up one of my books, I want it to be an escape from real life in every possible way. I want you to go deep into the story world, see life through my characters’ eyes, and experience a wonderful adventure with a fantastic happy ending.

Love Conquers All

Wendy Lynn Clark writes awesome stories where the good guys always win and love overcomes all!

Standalone Romance with Happily Ever After

Every book or story is a standalone romance with a happily ever after. No cliff-hangers! I hate cliff-hangers and want you to close every book feeling awesome!

Romance = Feminism

Romance is the ultimate feminist fantasy. Heroines will always follow their dreams and be rewarded for doing so, whether their dreams are to be a SAHM or a CEO – or both at the same time!

Heroes will always be the most supportive cheerleaders of these dreams. They will see strengths in the heroine that others ignore or which even she misses, and be unendingly confident in their own masculinity. I believe real men should be as comfortable carrying a woman’s purse as they are carrying a gun, as fearless watching a chick flick as they are watching the stock market, and as deft at herding children as they are at herding cattle. My heroes may start out stunted by society’s crushingly narrow views on what is acceptable male behavior, but they should be able to experience the full breadth of emotions by the end of the story thanks to the heroine’s acceptance and love.

And they will never get into a pissing contest over who is the most capable on the battlefield or the boardroom. They believe, like me, that a strong woman full of confidence is most sexy.

Positive World View

Virtue is rewarded, kindness is everywhere, and good karma rewards everyone who tries hard with happiness and success. When you finish a book, there will be a smile on your face and you can sigh with happiness that it all worked out and there are many more wonderful adventures in the future. The world is an open, golden place full of opportunities and everyone who goes for the adventure will be rewarded!

Exotic Settings

I want to show you exotic settings, whether out of this world or just around the corner, for the price of my books rather than the price of a plane/shuttle ticket. Experience excitement and adventure and passion from the comfort of your couch, while wrapped in a toasty soft blanket!

Hot Sex

Sex is another form of communication between people, and it is important. In my books, there will be kisses and touching and nakedness in all forms, and the bedroom door is wide open – if the characters are even in a bedroom at all! Every book has an automatic language warning. You will see some fucking hot cocks.

No Abuse Triggers

My books will have no sexual violence, no matter what. It doesn’t exist in my worlds. The bad guys will never think of it, it never happened to any character in their past, and it will never happen regardless of circumstances, ever. Child abuse also never happens, ever.

These are important and serious topics, and I get PTSD flashbacks from reading about it in real life or in fiction, so it will never happen in the Wendy Lynn Clark universe.

All other violence will be in the form of 80s violence like Commando, where tons of people get shot and fall down.

Second Chances for All

There is nothing I like better than redeeming an irredeemable villain! I also hate it when the best friend dies, so that will never happen, except in worlds where you can bring the best friend back to life (ex. Robotics Faction). Characters may one day die, but rest assured that I have plans for their heroic adventures even after death. (I have a future series planned for crusaders to save the universe from the spiritual plane.)

 

W. L. Clark

Summary: A story by W. L. Clark is a sweeping epic, in a dark world on the edge of science fiction and fantasy, burning with a solid core of hope. Adventurous and definitely not gritty, the heroes and heroines of these tales face difficult decisions while trying to remain true to their senses of what is right. These complex tales feature nuanced protagonists, the promise that good can win in the end, and the belief we are strongest when we do not stand alone.

Here are the critical elements:

 

  • Lose yourself in an epic adventure
  • Good will win in the end
  • May contain cliff-hangers
  • Positive world view despite a darker world
  • Exotic settings
  • Little or no sex
  • Abuse triggers will not be graphic

 

Lose yourself in an epic adventure

Expect fantastic settings, reality-shaking action scenes, and epic storylines across multiple books. Not every moment of it will be pleasant, but the story will draw you in and make you turn the pages to reach the end.

Good will win in the end

Good will win, darkness will be overcome, and the ring of Sauron will be destroyed, no matter how many good people are hurt or killed along the way. Expect satisfying endings for those who make it to the final page.

May contain cliff-hangers

Empire-destroying story lines will take more than a single book to play out, and kingmakers require more than a few pages to act. If a story doesn’t end in one book, it will be worth waiting for.

Positive world view despite a darker world

W. L. Clark ventures into darker territories with more realistic violence and pain. However, there is still a brilliant burning core of hope. When loved ones die, we grieve and move on. When heroes are damaged, they may be battered and broken, but they will carry on. Even villains can be honorable, and mercy is found in the most unlikely places.

Exotic settings

I love learning about ancient cultures, isolated tribes, and unusual anthropology. Humans are so adaptable and diverse! A sweeping epic tale gives me time to play with details and paint a fantastic portrait of how people live in an impossible society as if it were as ordinary as our modern grind. I read travelogues, anthropology texts, archaeological surveys, history of climatology, and a variety of nonfiction for the sole purpose of reimagining it in my books.

Little or no sex

Sex takes a distant back seat in the books by W.L. Clark. There is only a small amount, or it is revealed slowly over multiple books. The key is the relationship of two or more people learning to trust each other and become stronger from that trust.

Futuristic settings may include modern swearwords, and fantasy novels will probably use made-up words.

Abuse triggers will not be graphic

Terrible things happen. You may be disturbed. I am disturbed when I imagine these scenes, and sometimes they make me cry as much as my characters – even when all I do is mention them in passing or describe the aftermath.

I have tried removing them entirely, but that was like denying to the characters that the incidents had happened, when we both knew they had. Kameron Hurley forced me to look deeply at why I include disturbing or violent scenes. I never put my characters through something unless it is absolutely necessary, and I know that my characters will have to grow stronger to overcome their scars.