Writers Wet Behind the Ears

Eeek. Beginning writers, I still feel like I’m there a lot of days. So I'm going to do my best to share with you the things I’ve learned from the mistakes that I made in the very beginning. This is in no particular order, number 1 is not more important than number 5.

1. Don’t think that your family can actually help you edit or beta read your work. They will lie through their teeth about how good it is because they love you. Trust me on this one. They don’t want to hurt your feelings, so they will do their best to sugar coat everything they say.

2. Plot your books! I have heard so many times people say things like “Oh, I don’t plot, the characters just take me where they take me.” Here’s the thing. I was like that, I had twenty five novels started, not one of them finished. Because when I got to the middle and I had no plot to work from, I got stuck and started a new idea. Sound familiar? So start plotting, even if it’s only a beginning, middle and end, that will give you a path to follow.

3. Please don’t think you are artist enough to do your own cover art (this is for Indie authors) You aren’t. And that’s okay, your talent is writing, focus on that. A cover can literally make or break your book, and yes, I did learn this the very hard way. Once I got my cover done right, my sales jumped to a degree I could have only hoped for.

4. Along with number 3. If you are self publishing, allow others to work for you. Hire people to do the jobs that you don’t know, or can’t do.  If you think that you can do it all, and do it well, you’re fooling yourself.

5. Don’t whine and complain that you can’t afford an editor. You cannot afford NOT to have an editor. They are essential to your success as an author, they will teach you things about your writing that you never knew. Like using the word “palatable” in every single chapter. Or using adverbs like Clearly, heavily, scarily, pushily. They will help you grow and they will help you make sure your ms is polished so that readers don’t want to throw it across the room because “Ooops” you forgot about the plot thread.

6. If you are going the traditional route and are going to query editors and agents, LEARN THE RULES OF THE QUERY. The fastest way to get booted out of an agent’s potential list is to not pay attention to the details. Do your research, and then have your query read by a few people before sending it off. I went the traditional route prior to self publishing, I landed an agent, in this, please trust me.

Okay, those are six points that I think every green, new, wet behind the ears author needs to take into account. Not that they are all the mistakes I made *clears throat* , but some of the bigger ones I tried on for size at least once. LOL.

Breaking Out of your Genre



One of the best things about being an author is that you get to create worlds, people, places, and scenarios that wouldn’t otherwise exist. It doesn’t matter if you write literary fiction, horror, romance, fantasy, YA or any sub genre of these; the fact remains that you are the creator of stories.

But what happens when you decide to try a new genre, to tell a new style of story? What if you love to write in the YA world, but then want to take a stab at writing horror?

Breaking out of a genre that you have placed yourself in can be exciting, terrifying, liberating and more important than all of those, a HUGE learning curve.

For me, I’ve always written somewhere in the fantasy genre. Urban, epic, dabbled in horror. But lately, my muse has been feeding me other stories, ones that I’m excited to try. *Gulp* Contemporary romance is not something I EVER thought I’d be interested in writing, and yet, I have three plots penned, and am pumped to get started in this new genre. Already, I am learning what to do, and what not to do. So if your muse is doing like mine, and spinning new tales in new genres for you, then read on!

1.       First and foremost, only switch genres if your muse/creativity is taking you that way. The ONLY reason I’m looking at writing a contemporary romance is because my muse is almost SCREAMING at me. The stories won’t leave my head, so I know that I have to write them. Don’t force yourself to switch genres. If it isn’t for you, then it isn’t for you and that’s okay. ***

2.       Now, you’ve written something no one saw coming. Brace yourself, not ALL of your fans will go for the new book. Some will follow for sure, but many readers will only read an author’s work if it stays within the readers expectations. A perfect example of this is my two series. My zombie-ish series has a great following and good rankings on Amazon. However, my second series, The Celtic Legacy which is more urban fantasy and less horror, has not seen the numbers that my horror series has. My horror fans just don’t go for the fantasy. I have to promote these two books separately. Once caveat to this is that if your write romance (of any style) you have the best chance of bringing your readers with you to a new genre. Studies have shown that romance readers are amongst the most loyal and will follow a favorite author just about anywhere.

3.       If you don’t currently read much in the new genre you want to dabble in, take some time, read a few bestsellers before diving into the deep end. The best way to irritate new readers is for them to see that you don’t understand the genre, and you aren’t meeting their expectations. This of course does not mean you can’t put your own twist on things, but you need to remember that most genres have a formula. Learn it, THEN twist it to your own uses.

4.       Be prepared to start marketing from scratch. Even if you have a MASSIVE fan base, you need to treat the new genre as if you are a debut author. You will be reaching a new group of readers who have otherwise never heard of you. So start your marketing early, and promote that new book to the masses!

Of course, there are some very lovely perks that come with crossing into a new genre. You WILL find new fans that will scope out your other works. You will learn a ton about your writing style, and you will ultimately become a better writer for stretching yourself. For those reasons alone, I’m looking forward to breaking into a new genre.

***I would encourage you to try a genre that isn’t your usual fare. Not necessarily to publish, but to train those writing muscles.  It’s a good exercise and one that I think all authors should use from time to time. You might just surprise yourself. ;p

Narcissistic Writers Anonymous

Yup, I said it. Narcissistic Writers Anonymous (NWA) ain't so secret now. You say to yourself, but I'm not narcissistic, I'm a writer, I'm humble and nervous and maybe even downright shy.

But I think I can prove to you that yes, indeed you have some narcissism floating around in you, particularly when it comes to your writing. Take a look at these scenarios and see if they are familiar.

1. When someone asks you about your writing you launch into a detailed description of the characters, the world you've built, how you came up with the idea, current rejection of your work and pretty much go on, and on, and on, monopolizing the conversation.

2. You secretly think that you can write better than many of the best sellers out there, I mean jeez, the crap that gets published is unbelievable, right?

3. When others want to talk about their job/passion, you quickly become bored and find yourself steering the conversation back to your writing.

4. You try not to judge your writer friends work/manuscripts but constantly feel like you could "write it better".

If any one of these seem familiar, you, my dear, are in NWA.

So, what to do about it? Well, first off, be conscious that others might like to talk about their lives and remember, that's where a lot of our fodder and ideas can come from. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so encourage it in your friends and aquamntinces and when asked, of course discuss your writing. But try not to take over the conversation.

You probably CAN write better than many bestsellers out there, but don't shout it from the roof top! It makes you (and by association, the rest of us writers) look like a bit of an ass. Not a good idea, not to mention that telling an agent/editor that you can write better than JK Rowling is something of a turn off in a business relationship. Who wants to work with a snob?

Don't worry about your writer friends. Work on you and your skills, develop your talent and IF they ask for your opinion, give it, but gently.

We all love to write, we are passionate about it and want to share it with the world, but how we do that can be the difference between finding support and a readership and finding ourselves with zero sales and no friends.

Kissing Couple Sparks Ideas

Here I am at my writers retreat when the subject of the kissing couple in the Vancouver Riot came up. The story spun out about how the young man was protecting the girl, and kissed her to help her stay calm.

Of course, this started us writers speculating on if that was the truth. What if he, the young man, was really an army guy home on leave and he saw this girl and saved her life? The romance authors in the group took this idea and ran full tilt with it. The couple was going to battle their way through the riot, pausing only for brief moments for a passionate embrace or two, their families having started the riot to keep them apart yet only succeeded in bringing them closer as they survived the craziness.

The fantasy authors gave it a different spin. More of an Edward and Bella, Twilightesque plot line. He couldn't resist her even though he should, she was a werewolf destined to shapeshift, he was a bounty hunter who should have killed her in the chaos of the riots but couldn't pull the trigger. Instead he found himself in her arms.

The mystery authors in the group quickly got in on the action, she was a private investigator, he was the man she was following, suspect of running a drug cartel. In the writhing mass of humanity she thinks she sees him slip a package to a police officer and tries to get a closer look. The officer spins, slamming her to the ground with his shield and her mark unexpectedly covers her body with his own, silencing her questions with a kiss.

The plot lines went on and on, but what I'd like to know is what story would you give the kissing couple?

The Wrench in a Writer's Tool Box

The question I pose is, cliffhangers, do they work for you or not? I personally LOVE a good cliffhanger, one that has me on the edge of my seat, screeching with excitement because I can hardly wait for the next book/chapter/movie.

But of course, there is a downside too. The cliffhangers that are plopped in and then the next book/chapter/movie doesn't satisfactorily answer the question/climax. Or worse than that is when you can't get the next book/chapter/movie for some reason. The publisher takes two years per book, the author didn't want to write anymore or the blockbuster movie house goes bankrupt. This list could go on and on.

My feeling is that if they, cliffhangers, are written and used well, they can be a great tool in your writer's box of tricks. I, for one, will be using this technique for a series of novella's I'm working on and look forward to the reactions the cliffhanger moments draw from readers. I planned this series specifically so I COULD use cliffhangers. :)

What are your thoughts on the use of this particular technique? Love it, hate it or can't be bothered to bother with it?

Avoiding the Agent's Wastebasket

This is a simple tip for your writing, one that can keep you from the crash and burn pile of an agent/editors desk.

Read the following paragraph and tell me what's wrong.

It seemed like a good plan, a solid plan, one that would solve a lot of problems. But I wasn't entirely sure it would work, even though it was my plan. The others were not supportive, downright nasty in pointing out the possible problems with the plan I'd put forth. The real problem though wasn't that it was a bad plan, but that it wasn't any of their plans.

Do you see the . . uh . . problem with this paragraph?

It seemed like a good plan, a solid plan, one that would solve a lot of problems. But I wasn't entirely sure it would work, even though it was my plan. The others were not supportive, downright nasty in pointing out the possible problems with the plan I'd put forth. The real problem though wasn't that it was a bad plan, but that it wasn't any of their plans.

This of course is a very obvious issue I've highlighted here, but doubling up on your words can get away from you without you even realizing it. And don't just think that it's about doubling up on your words only in a single paragraph. I try to make sure that a specific word/words don't show up more than once a page if I can help it. When you double up on words it looks as though you don't have a vocabulary which is very bad if you're supposed to be a writer. (have you noticed my use of the word double?)

And for pity's sake, don't send your ms to an agent with this weakness (note I did not use problem) on the first page, that is unless you want an immediate launch of your precious baby into the wastebasket.

The process of Becoming a Writer . . the reality.

This is for fun and maybe it looks a tad cynical but I wrote it all with a smile knowing that we all get here at some point.

What a non- Writer thinks the process of getting a book published takes.

Step 1- Write a book

Step 2-Sell book to a publisher

Step 3- Roll in all the money that flows from the Heavens

What a newbie writer thinks the process of getting a book published takes.

Step 1-Write a book

Step 2-Query an agent and sign a contract

Step 3- Agent sells book to a publisher

Step 4- Roll in all the money that flows from the Heavens

What a writer who’s been in the trenches a while thinks the process of getting a book published takes.

Step 1- Write a book

Step 2- Revise said book more than once

Step 3- Query many agents, pick your favourite who requests your material

Step 4- Agent sells book to publisher

Step 5- Roll in all the money that flows from the Heavens

Then there is the reality of getting a book published.

Step 1- Write a book, this might take you three months is might take you 3 years

Step 2- Revise, revise, revise

Step 3- Hire an editor to work with you on your book, query letter and synopsis

Step 4- Attend conferences and educational seminars to network and learn about the business

Step 5- Revise again now that you’ve learned some more

Step 6- Query agents

Step 7- Receive many rejections, revise query and submit again

Step 8- Wait

Step 9- Still waiting

Step 10- Yay! An agent want to read your manuscript

Step 11- It’s not for them

Step 12- Query again

Step 13- Another agent asks for a read, this time they sign you on!

Step 14- Revise manuscript again as per agents suggestions

Step 15-Agent submits to publishers

Step 16- Wait

Step 17- Still waiting

Step 18- Publishers like it and sign you to a contract

Step 19- Money does not flow from the Heavens and you are not suddenly JK Rowling.

Step 20- You can finally say you are a published author and that alone is worth all the time, blood, sweat and tears the process pulls out of you. And for most of us, that acknowledgment needs to be enough because 20 steps might not be all it takes. It might take 30, or even 40 depending on the timing, what we write and who we pitch to.

Is there anything you can add to this list? A step I’ve missed or glossed over?

Commen Speling Mistackes

For those of us (and by that I mean me) who can write but still struggle with spelling from time to time, this post is for you. (And by you I mean me again.) I think I have come to rely so much on my spell checker that I have gotten lazy when it comes to correct spelling. It’s so easy to hit the spell check button and have the whole manuscript in perfect order in such a short time it almost seems redundant to bother doing it yourself.

But from time to time I think it’s a good idea to make sure our grammar and spelling is up to snuff. It would do us no good to have an article or blog come out riddled with mistakes. What kind of authors would that make us? (I try to fix mine I do!)

For fun and a little wake up call for us bad spellers, here’s a list of 10 words with a correct spelling and an incorrect spelling. Now no cheating and using a dictionary or your spell check, this is all on you. I’ll put the answers in the comments. Good luck and happy spelling!

accommodate or accomodate

concensus or consensus

seige or siege

exhuberant or exuberant

marshal or marshall

quandary or quandry

propeller or propellor

occassion or occasion

alotted or allotted

dispel or dispell

Angry Writers

I think there needs to be a warning label attached to writers, especially those who get interrupted frequently. I find that it's not unlike taking the first bite of your meal at a fancy restaurant, savouring the flavour, identifying the spices to have, "How's your meal?" barked at you by the host. You choke on the piece of food, swallow it down in order to answer them in time to see them walk away. Lost is the savouring, the flavour and the spices. All you're left with is the taste of irritation on the back of your tongue.

This is no different than disturbing a writer mid flow of creativity. Except with a writer your more like to get a rather snappish response to the "What 'cha doing?" question. In fact, you might just get your head bit off.

So fair warning to those who live with, work with, love and are related to writers. If you don't want a serious melt down on your hands, think about what the writer in your life is doing before asking any questions, particularly those that could be considered obvious. It might just save your life. ;p

Sweetly Simple Writing Advice

Don't get it right . . .

Get it Written!

American Idol for Writers

I've been thinking that if there was the equivalent for American Idol amongst and for authors I would enter in a heartbeat. Then I really considered what sort of things I might have to do to prove I could be an author. Instead of challenges, I think the things you would have to do to in order to move forward in the competition would be called Tasks. And they would suck.

Task 1- Write up a complete outline for a full length novel and shoot a book trailer for it. You have 1 hour.

Task 2- Take that outline, take out the main plot and insert a new plot using the same characters. Re-Shoot the book trailer.

Task 3- Pitch the best of the two stories to your top five favorite agents. You have less than 5 minutes with each agent to sell your book. Try not to sweat too much either, agents don't like that.

Task 4-One of the agents has asked to see your mansucript, the full manuscript. You have 1 week to complete the novel and 1 day to edit it.

And so on and so forth. At first glance a competition for writers would be great, but I don't think after some serious thought that I'm up to the Task. ;p

If you had to add a Task to the list to make for a tough competition, what would it be?

Interview & Giveaway with . . . Zoe Archer #2

Welcome back to Zoe as she puts out another fabulous book, COLLISION COURSE, a sci-fi romance.

1. You've written both paranormal and sci-fi romance, do you have a preference for one or the other? Any reason why?

I really do love them both. With my paranormal historicals, I get to infuse the past with magic, and with sci-fi, I get to live out all the science fiction fantasies I've had since I was a kid (though with a decidedly adult twist).

2. What made you want to start writing romance?

Romance writers are all first romance readers. I began reading romance in high school, and fell hard for the combination of historical settings with emotionally charged stories, complete with happily ever after endings. It didn't take long for me to try my hand at writing romance, though those early efforts are fortunately lost to time. Even after I received an MFA in Fiction, I continued to write romance. I love the stories, the setting, and the achieved promises of happiness. There isn't much in life that can fulfill that promise, so I try to provide it where I can.

3. You're female characters are strong, smart and independent, the kind of woman I think most of us want to be like. How important is it that your heroines are the kind of woman that your readers can look up to?

Extremely important. There's a definite amount of wish fulfillment in my writing, and I try to embody qualities I respect in my heroines. Especially in adventure narrative, I despise depictions of weak, helpless women. Spare me the shriekers and fainters. Popular culture has had some wonderful depictions of strong women, but they're far too rare, in my opinion. And in romance, we get so invested in the heroes, but the heroines are equally important. They aren't just ciphers. They need to be as actualized and developed as the heroes. And if even one reader feels empowered by reading my books, I feel I've done a good job.

4. Have you got another type of romance that you would like to dabble in besides the sci-fi and paranormal?

I will be writing a series of steampunk romance novellas for Avon Impulse, the digital imprint of Avon, so I have to say I'm pretty fulfilled in my choice of subgenres! But I'm always looking around for new worlds, new ideas. There's always more to write!

5. Do you have plans to step outside of the romance genre?

I've already been published in literary fiction. Writing under my real name, Ami Silber, my novel EARLY BRIGHT came out in 2008 and will be re-issued by Amazon Encore very soon. That novel is set in 1948 Los Angeles. I also have written several chapters of a historical fiction novel, which is set in the Eighteenth Century, yet finding time to work on it is very, very difficult. Some day, I hope to get back to it, but the romance is keeping me extremely busy--which isn't a complaint, by the way.

6. I haven't had the opportunity to read Collision Course, your newest release yet (I'm very excited as I loved your Blades of the Rose series!) do you have plans to turn this sci-fi romance into a series as well?

Absolutely! The next book in the series, CHAIN REACTION, will be released by Carina on November 28.

7. More into the craft of writing, how long do you spend each day actually writing? Is it a time amount that you give yourself or is it a word count?

I write all day, every day. Fortunately, I am able to write full time, so I can dedicate my entire day to it. I try to maintain a minimum word count of 2000 words per day, but now that I have so many books lined up (my new paranormal historical HELLRAISERS series for Zebra, which launches in December, the sci-fi romance, and the steampunk romance), I'll have to bump that up considerably. There will be much consuming of caffeine.

8. I see a lot of people struggle with the completion of a novel, the beginning seems to be the easy part. Any suggestions for young writers on completing a novel?

The only way to finish a novel is to sit down and write it. Surfing the internet or watching Netflix will not get your novel completed. Make a hard schedule and stick to it. It's far too easy to let things get in your way, which is why most people never finish their books. So, if this is something you truly want, make it happen for yourself.

Thank you Zoe for taking the time out of your busy schedule to have a chat with me, it is always a pleasure and I wish you the best of luck in your conituned writing success.

If you'd like a chance to win one of Zoe's books, it's as simple as leaving a comment about this post. Open to residents of Canada and the USA only.

That's me, I'm a Fire Bug

“Lighting a fire under your ass,” is a term given to show motivation and passion. “She/he is on fire!” says that you’re a person who is moving forward, totally motivated, “That’s hot,” is said to display our approval/desire for someone or something.

Fire is the source of life for cultures around the world, if you’re a "Survivor" aficionado, fire represents your life in the game. Some of the symbolism behind fire is passion, energy, motivation, growth, fresh starts, cleansing and on the flip side, destruction, death, pain and wildness.

What has this all got to do with my post today? Have you ever started a fire while camping or maybe in your woodstove? It can prove difficult if the wood isn’t dry, you don’t have a match or kindling, the wind is blowing too hard. But if you have all the pieces, paper, kindling, wood, matches and no wind or rain, it’s a great deal easier. Better than that, once the fire is going, it’s really easy to KEEP going. Do you see where I’m headed with this folks?

Writing can be hard, one of the most difficult things out there when you think about it. Here’s the analogy. The paper to start a fire is the paper under your fingertips. It won’t do anything until you apply something to it. The kindling is your ideas and your outline. The larger chunks of wood are the hours you put into your writing be it research, outlining, writing or studying the craft. And the match is you, your motivation, your drive and commitment to what you want to accomplish. Don't worry about the wind (naysayers) and rain (rejections) don't let them put your fire out. They're just part of the process, something we all need to go through to have a bigger and better fire (book).

Once the writing fire’s going, despite how hard it might seem, it’s actually a heck of a lot easier to keep going, just like a real fire. You’ve developed your routine, you’re beginning to write every day and now it’s only a matter of keeping at it. So keep at it and most importantly, don’t let your fire go out.

Call me Mayer, Stephanie Mayer

I want to start this post by saying it is not a bash of anyone, their writing or their choices. I know this author and I think highly of them.

We're going to call said author Bob Smith, if he chooses to comment that would be great and I will gladly give him a shout out. Bob is a great writer and has chosen to e-publish like so many writers have with the advent of that technology. The problem was, like so many going it on their own, Bob was struggling with selling his books.

Bob re-vamped his covers, re-named the books and gave himself a pseudonym. This is where my curiosity perked up. Sales improved drastically and Bob is very happy. Why would my curiosity perk up you may ask? Because Bob chose his pseudonym to be the equivalent of Stevie King. Meaning the name he chose was almost identical to that of a best selling author. Now, I wondered, was this a type of infringement on the national bestselling authors rights to their own name? If not, it's a very smart marketing move on Bob's part. I believe he writes in the same genre as the author who's name his pseudonym is so close to, and I think people would see it and think that they're related, most likely twins.

Please remember (you especially Bob if you're reading this) this is not meant as a critique. More only an observation that I found very interesting and really wanted to share with others. I mean hey, if this is a plausible way to drum up business, call me Stephanie Mayer ;P

What are you're thoughts on this? Was Bob making a smart move or do you think he might have given himself more trouble down in the long run?

Blog Posts worth Linking to.

Today is a day of links to some pretty cool blogs. Hence the chain link picture (it was the best I could do!)Informative? Yep. Funny? Oh heck yeah!

How to deal with bad reviews is explained so succinctly by Nathan Bransford. And he's kept to my rules about blogging short and sweet.

Ever had the desire to throw a book to a neighbours pit bull the writing was so bad? Wonder how in the world it got published in the first place? You better check out the Novel Doctor, it's a post that explains the situation perfectly.

In need of laughing till you cry? Stay away from Linus is one man's adventures into the doctor's office for a turn your head and cough kind of story. A little longer than I recommend for a posting but worth the time IMHO.

Inside the world of Literary Scouts. Don't know what a literary scout is? Don't worry, I didn't either until I read this fascinating post on the ins and outs of the job and what it means for authors.

Last but not least, here's Show me the Money a post breaking down the money made within publishing houses in regards to two genres and if that isn't quite what your looking for, try Kate Hart's post about YA genre's that are being bought and those that dominate the six figure market.

Balancing Urban Fantasy and Beliefs

Two posts in one day? I know, it's hard to believe you get a double dose of moi. But since I'm trying to keep up with my own 30 day challenge and I missed one yesterday (the second day no less!) I'm doubling up today.

I wanted to see how other writers dealt with sensitivity when it comes to religion within their writing. When I wrote a blog about Urban Fantasy and using other backdrops rather than vampires an interesting comment came up. I would like to paste the comment made by Rosehips because I think it brings up an interesting point and a good topic for discussion.

On the suggestion you made to mine Indian "mythology"--here's the thing. Many Hindus have worshipped the deities and believed in the demons, etc., of this cosmology for thousands of years (which I realize you alluded to in your post). My concern is that by using it in fiction, I may disrespect the faith of those people. Did you ever watch Xena? She eventually starts traveling the world, and there's a series of episodes in India. And as I recall, a lot of Hindus objected to the episodes.

So the question would be, regardless of the religion or myth, how do we as writers give religions the reverence that the followers would expect and still use the ideas in our stories?

I know that for myself I have tried to use a blend of many cultures, myths, religions and my own smattering of ideas when it comes to belief in the otherworldly to make sure that I don't pick on any one theology. That said, I think that I still have the potential to offend by doing that very thing, by blending beliefs.

I am very curious to hear your thoughts on this as I at least want to show respect for other cultures and religions yet still be able to tap into the uniqueness that each culture brings and blend that with my stories.

Blogging that Rocks your Socks Off.

Day one of my, self imposed, thirty day challenge. A few rules on writing a blog post that I have

A)Learned the hard way

B)Learned off of other blogs and

C)Used my good ol’ common sense

The first thing I’ve learned is keep it short and sweet. Get to the point and don’t dawdle while you get there. Some writers can ramble and it’s fun to follow along but those are few and far between. More than that, ask anyone who frequents blogs, most won’t read to the end of a Looooong post. So cut it off when you find yourself contemplating the meaning of life in a free flow form of writing. I try to keep it under 400 words if possible.

Use catchy titles. (This goes for your novels too of course. Think "Skinny Bitch".) Catchy titles get people’s attention and that will get them reading your blog. Hence the oh -so -snazzy header of this post.

Using pictures is great, but not thirty per post. One or two will suffice. Again, short, sweet and pertinent will rock it.

Controversy can be fun and make for great debates, but only if you truly believe in what you are writing about. Don’t dive into a trendy topic JUST BECAUSE. That’s just dang irritating.

Finally, try to keep it interesting. (This could get tough for me over the next thirty days) If you’re writing the same type of posts (Woe is me is another no-no) over and over and over and over again, people tend to notice. Mix it up a little. If you only write about writing, tell a story about your childhood and how you came to be a writer. Only talk about yourself? Do an interview with a new author, editor or agent.

A last thought. One thing that’s good to do is to ask your readers a question at the end of your blog to try to engage them and start a dialogue. That one I learned from Creepy Query Girl. Hence the next line! These are only the things I try to avoid, what have you learned either by reading posts or blogging yourself?

Urban Fantasy- Vampires, Werewolves and Witches oh no!

I was given this idea by @jtdabbagian. It seems like an obvious choice, for me to write about Urban Fantasy, yet that's probably why I've avoided it. Most people when you mention UF think vampires. That is one of the more common themes in the genre, and yet, how many times can you re-invent the wheel? I love vampire books, really I do, but there can only be so many original takes on a single idea. The same goes for werewolves and witches as in my opinion they are the next two most common supernaturals used within the genre.

My point is, we are creative, artistic writers, full of wild imaginings. So let's be creative. Use our imagination a little. Why not dive into Australian mythology and dig up a few creatures? Or how about India and the multi faceted mythology that is still very much in play there? Why not create your own set of monsters and mythology? I mean, that's the point of writing any kind of fantasy right? That we can do anything we want as long as we follow our own rules.

What I'm getting at is that little known facts, tidbits of information and inspiration can be spun into full scale stories and worlds. As as writers of fantasy, that is what we're building whether it be in the real world or a world that is completely from our imaginations. We shouldn't need to keep on beating a dead horse, or in this case, a dead vampire. And with that, I've completed my rant. But feel free to continue it on in the comments section.

Holy Rocking Outline Batman!

Yesterday I had 9 burgeoning editors and a professional editor read my chapter by chapter outline for my new WIP. This was by far one of the best experiences I’ve had when working with editors (Excepting you Dorrie!) They read the outline ahead of class as homework, then for nearly 2 hours in class we brainstormed, filled in blanks, poked at plot holes and patched them up.

We went through extraneous characters and how to use them better (thanks Shawn!) and many great ideas were put forth (thanks Amanda, Jessica and Sandra) and I know that many of them will be used in the next outline. The whole class was a great experience, mostly because the book is not yet written, so I’m not tied to any particular scenes (don’t make me cut that one, it’s my favourite!) and I’m completely flexible on moving around the chain of events and the development of the characters and the plot.

They asked questions, why, what, where, how come and made me think about my back story and how I was going to develop it. (Thanks to Danya and Karen). They pointed out inconsistencies in my theories as well as my plot (thanks David).

This might sound painful, but it wasn’t compared to the alternative. Was this easier than working with an editor AFTER I’ve written 90k words and don’t want to be told it isn’t quite right? Hell yes! In an instant I would tell any and all author’s that this is the way to develop your story. Find a group, whether it be online or in person and go through this process, before you write anything. It will save time, heartache (no cutting those favourite scenes) and it will allow you to have a full outline to write from. No more. “Where do I go from this scene?” angst.

I still think it would be great to help other’s do this, but I know there is a lot of fear of idea stealing in this industry, warranted or not. Soooo. If anyone wants to contact me by email you can and I’d be happy to help you with your outline.

Paranormal Romance & my Secret Weapon.

The title of this post pretty much says it all. My next WIP is going to be a paranormal romance and for some reason I feel the need to explain why. My genre has been and probably always will be a type of fantasy, be it urban or epic. The stories I write always have a strong romantic element (I'm a sucker for a good love story) and it finally occurred to me that perhaps I should actually write the love story I would want to read. Voila, an idea is born.

Here's the plan, nine (count them 9) months from now (time enough for a baby so time enough for a book) is the deadline for the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Golden Heart Contest. This is a huge contest where the finalists all receive great honours for getting that far. You might think I'm being cocky believing I can beat out 1200 other entrants and make it to the finals, but I have a secret weapon.

A new member of our local writing group is a published romance author. Mimi Barbour is experienced not only with writing romances and having them published, but has also done judging for romance contests and has even worked with a Golden Heart winner! I've often said life is all about timing, and I think my decision to finally write this paranormal romance couldn't have been more true to this adage.

What I would love is if some of my followers who write in this genre or have an idea that is a romantic plot would do this along with me. That way, we can support one another. Did I mention that as a finalist you get a free trip to the RWA conference? Last year it was in Orlando, Florida.

Did I also mention that nearly all finalists have their pick of agents and basically all winners in the various genres get published? Just saying. :p

So, the question is, who's with me?