“My hero lost his best friend in the war, in the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He also lost part of his leg.” My aspiring writer, Sally, slapped down the open page of a spiral notebook onto the table at the coffee shop, and slid into her chair, unwinding her scarf. Outside, the sun shone bright in a cloudless sky, adding heat to an otherwise arctic day. I picked up her notebook. “I see you’ve done your homework and discovered a dark moment in your character’s past, and then journalled about it.” “I did that. It was fun – I did the research and saw Pearl Harbor through his eyes. In his own words, he told me everything about the attack, and how his buddy died protecting him, and how he […]
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About Susan May Warren
Former Russian Missionary Susan May Warren is the best-selling author of more than 40 novels and novellas with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill, and Summerside. A Christy award and RITA winner, and multiple finalist for the RITA, Christy and winner of Inspirational Readers Choice contest, Susan currently has over a million books in print. A seasoned women’s events speaker and writing teacher, she is the founder of http://www.mybooktherapy.com an online community for writers, and runs a fiction editing service teaching writers how to tell a great story. Visit her online at: http://www.susanmaywarren.com.Author Archive | Susan May Warren
A Love Affair with Your Writing, Part Two: Dinner and Roses
Remember the first time you gave or received flowers, or the first time you went on a dinner date? Sweaty palms, flushed cheeks, awkward conversation… wishing the night would never end while hoping it will be over quickly so you could stop holding your breath. I bet you wouldn’t trade those moments for anything. And what about today? Perhaps on Valentine’s Day, your lover will give you roses and plan the most romantic dinner. They will sweep you off your feet. . . again. You’ll feel the warmth of the flame of their undying love for you. You’ll feel safe. Secure. Loved. Ahh… life doesn’t get much better than that. So, what if the love of your life put your romantic dinner and flowers or chocolates on their to-do list? […]
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Quick Skills: Genre makes you a better writer
I’ve written 35 books. Many of them have been on the best-seller list. A number have won awards. And at least half are….romance. When I get to that last sentence, whatever literary cred I’ve earned with the first three statements seems to vanish. “You write Romance?” someone will ask, (as if they haven’t heard me) and sometimes add an accompanying look of…disdain? Disappointment? As if writing romance is somehow less highbrow than general fiction. I hate the assumption that general fiction is better written. Hogwash. Words are words, and the truth is, writing fabulous genre fiction is harder than general fiction. You have to stand out in a category with your words while delivering a plot that follows the genre constructs. General fiction can be wonderful…or it can be a […]
Read the RestConversations: In defense of Genre
Ice crusted the parking lot as I slipped my way to the coffee shop. The warm spell we’d experienced over the weekend had turned frosty with the blizzard sweeping across middle America, turning the pavement to a black skating rink. I should have expected the cold, but the sudden spell of warmth caught me off guard and ignited my hope of spring. Worse, I now nursed a cold because winter hadn’t followed the rules. Which was exactly what I was going to talk to Sally about today – following genre rules as she writes her first novel. She waited at our table, beside a crackling fire, reading her Nook. “Hey,” she said as I slid into the seat. Blessed Kathy walked over with my mug of vanilla latte. “What are […]
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