Le Theatre Mecanique release day!

IT'S RELEASE DAY!!

Le Theatre Mecanique is now for sale!

$2.99 for ebook, $5.99 for paperback

From the author of The Clockwork Giant, explore another facet of Chroniker City and experience the drama of the world’s first fully-mechanical theater! 

Solomon Wade struggles to support his adopted family, the only one of his foster siblings able to work the grueling shifts in the subcity boilers. But he doesn't want to shovel coal for the rest of his life.

When Le Theatre Mecanique hosts open auditions for their upcoming production, he decides it's time to give his dreams a chance, but his lack of talent lands him a part-time position as the theater's custodian instead. Broom and dustpan in hand, he studies the actors during rehearsals, and with the encouragement of a budding young actress, he practices to improve his acting skills.

But when his younger sister's illness develops into pneumonia, her life depends on treatments Solomon can't afford. Leaving the theater and abandoning his dreams may be the only way to save her.

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goodreads giveaway of Le Theatre Mecanique

Hey everyone! Just popping in to announce that I've listed a giveaway at Goodreads for Le Theatre Mecanique. The giveaway will run for a month, and five entrants will receive a free paperback copy of the novella. The giveaway is only available to residents of the United States (I can't afford to ship copies elsewhere!).

Enter below!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Le Theatre Mecanique

by Brooke Johnson

Giveaway ends May 09, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

character worksheet

This was posted to a writer's community (Writer's Discussion Group) on Google+, but I thought I would also post here for more permanent reference.

So, a friend of mine is having trouble with her work-in-progress, figuring out the characters, her world, the plot—everything. And she’s trying to figure this stuff out while writing­. She’s pantsing. And that’s fine. But there are some things that you need to plan before writing, whether you’re a pantser or a plotter.

When starting a new project, you need to figure out your characters before everything else. You need to know them through and through, because the best stories are character driven. Your characters’ choices, their mistakes, their past experiences and relationships, their dreams all affect the story.

Over the years, I’ve pulled together a character questionnaire for my work, tweaking others’ character worksheets and creating questions of my own. I wish I had the original sources for the ones I stole. Now, this isn’t an eye color, hair color, etc. kind of questionnaire. It asks questions that will best reveal conflict for your characters, hopefully in a way that will help you craft an engaging plot.