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Articles on Writing
How To Break Into The Erotic Romance Market In 8 Not-So-Easy Steps
A reader asked me in comments the other day how one went about breaking into the erotic romance market. Well, actually, she was asking about the erotic market in general, but the question was a bit of a shocker anyway because:
a) she'd never read an erotic book in her life
b) she'd never completed a manuscript, of either erotic or non-erotic nature. She had never picked up a pen or keyboard to tell at story at all.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:24
Articles on Writing
Show, Don’t Tell
Show, Don’t Tell
I wonder if every writer who has a craft-oriented blog has a post on this subject. It’s certainly advice you hear, or see, everywhere on the web and in beginning writing books. I’m not going to beat a dead horse by describing in detail exactly what “show, don’t tell” means. Instead, I’m going to offer a phrase I think is more useful and easier to understand.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:22
Articles on Writing
Making Characters Human
Making Characters Human – Part 1 of 3: The Basics by C.R. Moss
It's an author's duty to weave fantastical tales a reader can get lost in by incorporating enough realism to help a reader suspend his or her disbelief. Part of the suspension of disbelief comes from making characters look and sound as real as possible. Physical descriptions and names are important but, to use an old adage, it's 'what's inside that counts.' By knowing what a character is made of, a writer can bring the character's personality to the fore and show the reader who the character is. The character becomes someone the reader can identify with and come to care for. The three part series of articles, Making Characters Human, shares a strategy used for creating multi-dimensional characters. Part one will cover the basics—names, physical traits and the like. The second and third parts will cover the use of astrological aspects to develop a character. Part two will cover the characteristics of Sun Signs and part three will take a look at the rising and moon signs.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:21
Articles on Writing
LUCK IS WHERE YOU MAKE IT
LUCK IS WHERE YOU MAKE IT
By
Jane Toombs
Writers often describe a sale as "getting lucky," as if they didn't have anything to do with it. How right are they? Let's take apart some of the reasons they give.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:19
Articles on Writing
Defeating the Slushpile Monster
Synopsis:
In print from Smiling Assassin Productions, and e-formats from Uncial Press, the 2009 EPIC nominated funny writer's how-NOT-to: Defeating the Slushpile Monster
According to a recent National Education Association's Reading at Risk study, 15 million Americans have attempted some kind of "creative writing". Very few of these writers have had their work successfully published.
Are you one of them? Want to know how you can improve your chances?
Apr 10, 2011, 13:17
Articles on Writing
How to Get Book Review Quotes
How to Get Book Review Quotes
So you’ve successfully landed that first book contract with a publisher or self-published your book? Now you want to garner a book review not only to separate you from the rest of the pack but to emphasize your stellar prose, your amazingly tight and intricate plot or your in-depth characterization?
Apr 10, 2011, 13:14
Articles on Writing
Pitch Perfect: How to Hook an Editor
Pitch Perfect: How to Hook an Editor
By Angie Fox
www.angiefox.com
Pitch perfect: how to hook an editor
Want to stand out from the crowd? You’ll need a hook. If you handle it right, this will be your dream editor or an agent’s first impression of your book. It’s what sets you and your work apart from everyone else.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:13
Articles on Writing
The Place Where It All Starts
The Place Where It All Starts
by Cassandra Curtis
I'm standing in the check-out line at the grocery, playing a little game. Maybe some of you have played it too. In front of me, there's this guy -tall, dark hair, kind of muscular. Nice firm...umm, well you get the picture.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:09
Articles on Writing
Point of View Matters
Point of View Matters
WARNING! This post is for writers, and it’s not for the faint-of-heart. If you think your writing can’t be improved, skip this “restricted area.”
Call me anal. I’ll readily admit to being dragged kicking and screaming into ending sentences with a preposition. I may be one of the last holdouts, but I was finally convinced that the 21st Century literary police wouldn’t draw and quarter me for being more conversational in my writing. I still, however, resist ending phrases with “at.” Just can’t do it.
Apr 10, 2011, 13:07
Articles on Writing
The Writing Dream
The dream most people have about writing is as follows: one day you will pick up a pen and sit down at a large mahogany/oak/cherry desk in a secluded cabin in the woods/on the beachfront/next to a lake and you will start to jot down all the wonderful stories that have been swimming around in your head over the years. Of course as you write, the stories will come out onto the paper just like they are in your head. Witty dialogue, characters with true depth, and descriptions that brings the whole scene to life will flow from your fingertips. And every time you write you will be motivated and inspired and there will be music and a breathtaking Sunset/rainbow/snow capped mountain in the background.
Mar 7, 2011, 09:30
Articles on Writing
Commonly Misused Words
Commonly Misused Words
The English Language is baffling at times, even though it's my native tongue. Some words sound the same but have separate meanings and others have nothing in common except falling into the category of words that confuse authors the most. I've compiled a list with the help of Squidoo to aid in mastering some of the most confusing combinations. Hope you find it helpful. You might want to bookmark Merriam Webster's online dictionary. I did. Are these some of the words that stop you dead in your tracks?
Mar 7, 2011, 09:27
Articles on Writing
how not to use passive words
Below is an tip on how not to use passive words.
Mar 7, 2011, 09:25
Articles on Writing
Go for the Green
Go for the Green by Celia Yeary
Got Game?
When I turned forty, I decided to learn to play golf. I knew absolutely nothing about the game, but it fascinated me. Instead of watching football or basketball on television, I watched golf tournaments. The players became almost like friends: I knew each name, his place of residence, marital status, and family. I kept up with the World Rankings of the top PGA players, hoping “my guy” stayed in the top ten, or the rookie contender whom I followed managed to win against all odds.
Mar 7, 2011, 09:22
Articles on Writing
Getting Down to Research
Getting Down to Research - by Lindsay Townsend
For me, research for writing is not so much a labor of love as a break in the flow of my story-telling. For Flavia's Secret I was researching ancient Rome, ancient Romano-British food, society, class, fashion, the city of Roman Bath and the baths themselves - I did the same kind of research on ancient Egypt for my historical novel Blue Gold, too, beginning first with a visit to the children's library for lots of clear explanations and lovely picture-books, then more deeply into research and source material.
Mar 7, 2011, 09:17
Articles on Writing
Show, Don’t Tell
Show, Don’t Tell
I wonder if every writer who has a craft-oriented blog has a post on this subject. It’s certainly advice you hear, or see, everywhere on the web and in beginning writing books. I’m not going to beat a dead horse by describing in detail exactly what “show, don’t tell” means. Instead, I’m going to offer a phrase I think is more useful and easier to understand.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:14
Articles on Writing
The Essential Ingredients of a Romance Novel
The Essential Ingredients of a Romance Novel
I recently posed the question 'What do you consider to be the essential ingredients of a romance novel?' to several reader sites.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:11
Articles on Writing
Writing Those Scenes
Writing Those Scenes By Vonna Harper
Just before sitting down to write this, I finished the rough draft of a sex scene. Bet you think I'm fanning myself and eager to get back to the editing.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:10
Articles on Writing
Self-Editing Help
Self-Editing Help by Kelley Heckart
The editing process can be difficult, but by following some guidelines, the process can be more efficient. At least that is what I keep telling myself each time I have to self-edit a manuscript before submitting it to a publisher. I have to admit that it does seem to get easier the more I do it. I have a list of self-editing tips that I follow and they have helped me so far.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:08
Articles on Writing
Playing with the Passive
Playing with the Passive
By Lisabet Sarai
Thou shalt not use the passive voice!
How often have you heard this commandment? Almost as often, I'd bet, as “Show, don't tell”. However, like most things in life, it's not that simple. The passive voice is a legitimate English construction. It is perfectly grammatical and exists for very good reasons.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:05
Articles on Writing
How to Survive Rejections
How to Survive Rejections
Rejections sting no matter where you are in your publishing career. From the multi-published, NY Times bestseller to the yet to be published author, most everyone gets rejections at one time or another.
Mar 4, 2011, 09:13
Articles on Writing
12 Points to Writing Romance
12 Points to Writing Romance
When people discover that I write for Harlequin, they usually ask me if I am a romantic person. In their minds, romance means hearts and flowers, smoochy kisses and extravagant weddings. This is not what writing romance is all about. What it is about is the reader satisfaction that Harlequin have been providing for so many years through stories that take the reader on an emotional journey with the hero and heroine as they work through the conflict that separates them and head towards a happy ending. That happy ending is one of the demands made by the readership. It’s one of the reasons why they pick up the book. They want to know how the story is going to end - they just don’t want to know quite how they’ll get there.
Mar 4, 2011, 09:10
Articles on Writing
Using Music to Write Emotion
Nov 11, 2007, 12:55
Articles on Writing
VOICE
I gots voice, you gots voice. All God's chilluns gots voice.
Sweet, snarky, wistful, despairing. Soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone. All good voices. They all have their uses. But to come to their full potential, they have to be trained.
Sep 24, 2007, 12:12
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