I’m writing a novella. I’ve only written one other novella so I’m mindful this is new territory for me. Must keep the plot short and to the point. I don’t have a lot of lead time to develop the problems and setting, or the characters! My hero and heroine are Nathaniel and Susanna from Once Upon A Prince. At the opening of the novella, their wedding is four weeks away. So I decide instead of some silly argument or da-da-da-da tension to end the chapter, I had Nathaniel pull a gift out of his pocket. A single pearl pendant. It felt so perfect. So romantic. It made me want to keep writing AND reading. The I stopped. Wait! Can the pearl bring more to the table than a romantic gesture […]
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Thoughts from Romance Writers of America Conference
Last weekend I attended the Romance Writers of America conference in Atlanta. I had a great time and connected with my editors, publicist and agent, as well as author friends like Robin Lee Hatcher and Voices June Bowen and Elaine Clampett. To name a few! I can’t stress enough how key a conference is to a writers journey. Not only for the workshops but for the networking, relationship building and information gathering outside of workshops. And oh, did I mention the book signings with free, yes, free books? Then there’s the Golden Heart and RITA Awards which believe it or not I always find inspiring. I’ve entered the RITA twice and finaled twice. Won zero. But when I saw author Eloisa James get up there with her hand full of […]
Read the RestThe Importance of A Scene
Lately I’ve been reading various pieces from new and up-n-coming authors and I’ve noticed something with scenes. They tend to “wander.” Scenes should have a focus. A point and a purpose. Here at My Book Therapy we talk about SHARP and FOCUS when writing a scene but today I’m going to talk about the POINT of a scene. I don’t have an acronym for POINT but you don’t need one. The word itself is makes my… well… point. As you write your scene, consider “what is the point of my scene?” The purpose? Why are you writing this scene. You have to deliver some emotional and physical element of the point-of-view character using SHARP and FOCUS techniques. But you also have to stay within the point and purpose of the […]
Read the RestYou Gotta Have Faith!
Let’s face it, in today’s world things change overnight. Those things you thought you could rely on are nowhere to be found. You dreamed of publishing your book with a certain publishing house. By the time your manuscript is publishing ready, they’re out of business. It can be disheartening… well, except for one sentence that was written in another book: the Bible. God said, “I am God. I change not.” Things like the demolition of pub houses, or a room full of rejection letters, or bland screen syndrome don’t matter to a non-changeable God. He’s got this. The Bible also says that your gifts will make room for you. If you have the God-given gift to string words together into elegant prose, relax and let God swing open those doors. […]
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