Why Romance Novels?

This info from the suite101.com site impressed me and I felt to pass it on to you.

Why concentrate on the Romance Novel?
The romance industry is HUGE, generating $1.5 billion in sales in 2001 and accounting for 54.5% of all popular fiction sold. That’s more than Mystery/Suspense, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Westerns, and male action novels combined! And, the romance genre can and do include all of those other elements. The love element is the universality in any story. Regardless of time, place, social customs, economic conditions, politics, wars, crusades, etc, there exists the relationship between men and women. As a regular reader of romance, you’re off to a good start. If you’re looking to break into print, the romance genre is for you, as most first time writers are published in genre fiction. If you’re writing in another genre, this course will help you with the craft of writing, enabling you to incorporate romance sub-plots.

Great article on Falling in Love

Suzanne James has posted a great article on Falling in Love, part of her series on How To Write a Romance Novel. Definitely worth a read.

How May I Help You?

I have been lately looking back over my life and realized that my talents in editing and proofreading, as well as ideaphoria (rapid generation of varied ideas) have not been used to their full potential. I should have long ago taken a hint from those who remarked that they wished they had my talents for these things and my eye for detail. Lest you think I am bragging, I realize that we all have talents that others may wish for. I admire those who can play piano with such passion, those who are true scholars of the Constitution (and those who are much better at keeping their heads down and their mouths shut at critical times than I often am).

As a result of some encouragement, I am now offering to hire out my abilities to any interested parties. These services will include ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, consultation regarding your ideas, lyric composition and any other thing you may want to challenge me with. Of course, I will still be continuing to write at this site and offer information links that will be instructional to all, but this offer will allow me to work with you on a personal, one-to-one basis. Feel free to contact me at anovelapproach@writeme.com. If we can come to an agreement regarding your present project, I will then give you a direct phone line to reach me. Let's make this a win/win situation, shall we?

Sage Advice

After the Sale Three resolutions that may help you.

Query Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Query Writing Mistakes to Avoid So you are ready to send off a letter of inquiry to a publisher--you may want to do a rewrite first.

Bringing Your Characters To Life

Just as a two-dimensional world would be very flat and confusing, so is a storybook character that is less than three-dimensional. The question to be answered is how to make a character stand out as different from all the others in your story. I have heard some writers say, 'I can write a plot and tell a good story, but I am no good at dialogue'. I have heard others complain that they have trouble coming up with characters that are interesting. There is a lot to finding a good character for your story and you should not feel bad that you struggle a bit. I choose to use the word 'finding' a character, because I feel that if we are ready for it, a character will suggest himself to us and when he is clearly defined as to who he is, the dialogue will also come more naturally.

Let's begin by asking what makes your mother different from your aunt Martha (feel free to substitute another name). Or what sets your uncle apart from your grandfather? The number of differences can be staggering when you begin to list them. You may genuinely be surprised by it as you attempt the task. We tend to trust our senses and just 'take it in', recognizing that this is Mom and that is Great Aunt Tilly, but let's be more discriminating this time. (None of your relatives may fit the descriptions below, but traits like these can keep life interesting and fun!)

Start with physical features. Who is taller? Who is heavier? What color is their hair? Do they HAVE hair? What is the eye color? Is the nose short or long, wide or thin, chiseled or crooked? What is the general build--like a weight lifter? A bicyclist? A dock worker? A pencil pusher? A chef (there are some thin ones, but I wouldn't trust them)?

What does the voice sound like? Music? Breaking glass? Thin or rich? Similar to someone famous? What is the general mood of that person? Is he or she usually good-humored, sulking, flamboyant, shy and retiring? What are the mannerisms--are they confident, putting on airs, nervous, paranoid? Your relatives may not be like this, but your characters could be quite easily. What is the manner of dress? Is the individual fastidious or sloppy? Is the hair combed perfectly or just adequately? Maybe not at all--looking like it was 'combed with a mixmaster' or 'looking like an unmade bed'? I have looked in the mirror some mornings and the first thing that comes to mind is "The Wreck Of The Hesperus". Does your character smell of wine, of perfume, soap or just smell? All the senses can be used and observed to describe these beings. Only if it adds to the story, though.

Some of a persons' features may not show on the surface very easily. Is this person jealous by nature? Vengeful? Shy? Maybe a bit insane? A gossip? A lot of things make a person more interesting to a story. I have said before, but it bears repeating, that even identical twins will have some differences that makes them unique and sets them apart from one another. Perhaps one is more talkative, more studious, more gregarious and outgoing. Maybe one hates tomatoes and the other adores them. "Find" the differences that keep these people real and interesting. Look to others to get inspiration. Here is an exercise for you. Go to the mall or out on the street and sit and watch people (don't make them nervous or you could end up being questioned downtown). Take notes (also carefully). Imagine what kind of person this is--does he look like a spy? Is she a fashion designer or a model? Has he just come from strangling his boss? (Did he at least want to? Just curious...). Use your imagination, so that your readers can also use theirs. There is nothing worse than boring a reader by not giving them a clue as to who you are talking about. You can give too much and bore them, too, but it is a balancing act to find the right amount of information that will set a fire in the readers' imagination--that will let them connect with the 'movie' you intend for them to watch in their own minds. After all, you cannot force a story upon anyone--you must lead them into it and they must come of their own accord, getting caught up in it until they don't want to leave and suddenly it is an hour past their bedtime and... and... see what I mean about getting caught up in it? In a way, you need to 'see' the movie first in your own mind, before you can ever hope to have your reader captivated by it.

Is your character a good person, a villain (or villainess), a saint, a sinner, humble, arrogant, abusive, psychotic? What makes this one unique? Do they speak with an accent, a drawl, a lisp or do they stutter? Are they a genius or an idiot savant, mentally unstable or impaired? Is this one the underdog or the top dog? A schemer and conniver or without guile?

You may by now be saying to yourself that all I have done is make your choices more difficult by adding more variables, but it is the variables that make up life. A homogenous world with bland creatures makes no life you would want to live, nor any story you would want to read. Viva la' difference!

Having your name up in lights....

Can you imagine having your name up in lights? Or to be recognized by your peers for your work? I have just had the honor of being the recipient of that very feeling and for that very reason. I have been paid the wonderful compliment of having three of my articles posted this month at latterdayauthors.com, a site where fellow authors share and learn from one another. I owe a great debt of gratitude to authors Kerry Lynn Blair, David Woolley and Patricia Wiles for this opportunity and honor. I do hereby publicly thank them, one and all, for the privilege--thank you all.

On Being Evil--Without Becoming a Villain

The actual title should be something more like How to Write a Villain Into Your Story Without Becoming One in the Process. Writing is often a balancing act. You must tell enough to keep the reader interested without giving away the plot line too soon. Your characters must be touchable, human and believable. At times they must seem almost superhuman or super evil, while remaining believable. That is where the tight rope walking comes into play.

What makes a good villain? (Now there is an oxymoron, if ever there was one!) What makes a villain memorable to a reader? What would make a person want to continue reading? Often the only incentive to read on may be that the reader has a sense of justice that makes him or her want a valid punishment for the trouble-maker in the story. Not that your other characters can be lackluster, but the villain, if portrayed effectively, can be a huge part of what carries the story. Tension and opposition are a part of life and add to the thrill of a good read.

While I was writing Shining Armor (read five chapters here), the character of Ted Randall seemed to take a route all his own. He came to life in such a way that he began to "tell" me who and what he was and I wrote it down as I "watched" the play unfold. Ted was not just a jealous boyfriend. He was not just an abusive, spoiled child in a mans' body. He was the very embodiment of evil--unpredictable to the extreme, mentally unstable and capable of doing great harm while taking deep pleasure in the act. His persistence was absolutely frightening in scope, but almost admirable, in a strange sort of way. He just would not give up. Where other men would take a hint and weigh the pros and cons, Ted did not. It was all about him, all about winning, all about revenge if it came to that. He did not quit until his goal was reached--ever--and by whatever means was deemed necessary. It was this singleness of sight and his belief that he was always right that made him so formidable a threat to the safety of Ron and Denise in the story. The reader wants Ted to get his due come-uppance, without any doubt. At the same time, the reader cannot wait to see what he will do next. Ted is a fascinating character, due in great part to the fact that he is so evil. If Ted were to expire from the story too soon, the story would be anti-climactic. If he were to win totally and unquestionably, the story would be a disappointment also. Again, the balancing act. An equitable answer must be found to the dilemma.

Ted was the kind to push his weight around and bully others, something Denise Payton does not discover until she is already in a relationship with him. He is the type to be dangerously jealous, which she also determines later. He does not tolerate losing, even to a family member, as they are soon to find out. This in no way implies he is stupid, for he is very clever and insightful in his own warped way. He uses people to his own ends and says what he pleases, when he pleases. This was a point of discovery for me as a writer--how to give the impression of foul language without actually using the language that would make the book objectionable to the reader (and to the author). What I did was what many others have had to resort to--description instead of dialogue. This was followed by a stream of blue invective that shook the diner from one end to the other--or some such treatment. The reader may wonder why the invective is blue, or even what invective is, but the words seem to suggest that whatever he did was not nice and upset everyone within earshot. The implication is there and that is usually far more effective than the language itself.

Ted is not your average bully, either. He has no self-esteem problems in the normal sense of the word. If anything, he has too much self-esteem and none for his peers. He does not cower when pressure is put on him by others, though he may bide his time and wait for the appropriate opportunity to act. He sees this as a challenge to his own authority. One cannot help but wonder what miracles this man could accomplish if only he would harness this intense power for good.

Another aspect of portraying a villain is how to appropriately illustrate the violence he may do, without the description becoming too gory or objectionable to the reader. I truly believe that a major part of any authors' story has to be allowing the reader liberty to use his imagination to the maximum possible extent. An active imagination is what allows the writer to do the story in the first place. Why would not an active imagination be essential to the reader as well? It is the vital connection that the author and the audience have in common. You have no movie screen to place your cinematography on, except the readers' mind alone. You have no soundtrack that can allow the reader to hear the crush of leaves as the villain chases the woman into the dark woods. The reader supplies this and more. The reader is (and must be) an active participant in the unfolding of the tale. If you don't believe this fully and firmly, you will never get the reaction you want from your audience. The reader will always wonder where it is you are trying to go with this work. I think that is why I always had a problem with the writings of Charles Dickens. He wrote for the stage director and the manager in charge of props and costumes, but he never wrote for me. By way of comparison, Edgar Rice Burroughs fast became my favorite author at an early point in my development as a consumer of novels. He utilized all the most effective techniques, such as cliffhangers, etc. The difference between him and Dickens was that he was not so hung up on the peripheral and useless details that he forgot to tell the story and let me supply the imagination. (In all fairness to Dickens, he wrote at a time when authors were paid by the word, hence the incentive to be wordy).

I think that is about all for now. Experiment in your own way with these suggestions. You may be an author and use them firsthand, or you may be a reader and have just been made aware that this is the process that was taking place in your own reading. Either way, have fun--and good imagination to you!

On Being Different--Standing Out From the Crowd

Every year there are thousands of songs written (and recorded), thousands of books written (and published) and thousands upon thousands of other things that are the same as everyone else is doing, ad infinitum. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle. But it is not impossible to get to the top and be seen.

What makes you stand out from the rest of humanity? First of all, I would ask what makes YOU different from those around you? Do your friends always say things like, "I love your sense of humor" or that you are the "level-headed" one? Who are you to your peers? Find that unique thing or two about you that makes you different. Now ask yourself how to package it and capitalize on it. A comedian can't just be funny. He or she has to find a way to stand out from the crowd of peers. A niche is needed. Jeff Foxworthy has found a niche--Redneck humor. Bill Engvall has found a niche also--Texas humor. Will Rogers was unique in his time. A lot of folks spoke about politics, but he did it differently. Groucho Marx also had a niche--he was borderline insane, but in a lovable way. Don Rickles--insulting humor, from the nicest man you would ever want to know (a natural choice in order to be different, because it was NOT him). Phyllis Diller--cheap chic--she "out-Rosanne'd" Rosanne before there ever WAS a Rosanne Barr. Moms Mabley--one of the funniest and homeliest women you ever saw and you could not help but love her. Godfrey Cambridge...made a living out of saying, "Oh, YEAH!" in his own unique way. Red Skelton--couldn't help but laugh at his own jokes, especially when they went wrong. I could go on. All unique and original. No copies here.

A niche may be nothing more than your own personal little twist that you can add to it--something that makes it uniquely yours. My oldest son was wanting to learn to play guitar and has since shown a lot of talent in songwriting. While he was trying to decide what to play in front of an audience, whether to do 'cover' tunes or not, I gave him this advice: First, Don't play any song if YOU don't like it. The audience will know if you are having fun and if you are it will be infectious--they will have fun, too. Secondly, if you choose to do a cover tune, you must approach it one of two ways--either do it EXACTLY like the original, vocals and all, or put a twist in it that makes it uniquely yours and yours alone. Because of that, he has taken a hybrid approach and thrown some bits and pieces of several ethnic styles into his own truly unique works--enough to make an audience say, "Aha!" as they discover a new twist they never knew existed in todays' music.

He is also very outgoing and gregarious, so it was a natural thing for him to become a salesman--but he does it with a twist. Instead of trying to get the biggest commissions he can by sending a customer out with the most expensive thing he can, he tries to send them out with as much as he can for their money without compromising their overall quality and buying experience. For example: "Why spend that much on a top-of-the-line stereo and still not have enough to get good speakers that will do it justice, when for the same amount you could step down one--get this excellent stereo, STILL have enough to get good speakers AND have better cables to carry the signal and make it sound as it was meant to?" Then he takes them into the listening room and proves it will sound just as good. The funny thing is this: to the customer it sounds BETTER because their deal just got sweeter. Instead of one small box in their arms when they leave, they have a full cart and a total experience they never thought they could afford when they went in. And my son has never failed to be one of the top two salesmaen within a month of being hired--at several companies! He applies his own twist and it pays off in greater numbers in the long run. People he doesn't even know come in and ask for him by name. Why? Because he treated the FIRST customer so well that they told their friends. That is advertising at its best--advertising you cannot buy. I went in with him on his day off a few times, so he could show me the latest thing he was excited about--(oh..another way he stands out--he does his homework on a product so he can educate a customer or at least build confidence that he isn't giving them a snow-job)--in the first half hour, each time, there were customers AND salesmen asking for his assistance. And he was out of uniform! Now, that speaks highly of his level of service and knowledge. Armed with this technique he was actually training salesmen within his second month at one store.

Am I proud? Sure, but the moral to the story is that when you do it right it pays off for a long time to come. Do it in your own way, but do it right. All this may sound like common sense and simply the way it was meant to be--and it is. However, it is not very common for anyone to want to do their homework so they know what they are talking about (research for your book), so they can convince a reader that they know their stuff. It is uncommon to care about customer (reader) service by making the experience as good as it can be (rewrite and polish). It is uncommon to do the little value-added things that matter (neat PDF format, good cover design--even for a downloadable copy, contact information, author bio, jacket notes, etc.) These days it seems that doing things right is like breaking the rules. You get accused of making others look bad when you do. You stand out from the crowd!

Sometimes you have to bend or even break the "rules" to get noticed. I once broke the rules in order to get a job interview. (Well, actually several times...but....) The popular wisdom says never show up at lunch time and expect to get an interview. Well, that was the only time I could show up, so I made the best of it--and made myself stand out from the crowd. I told the girl at the front desk to tell ___ that if she would drive, I would buy lunch. I had done my homework and knew the name of the HR representative ahead of time. I had never met her and didn't know if this would work or not, but I had nothing to lose. The girl at the front desk looked puzzled for a moment and then went to the back and did as I suggested, assuming I knew the woman in question. Did I get an interview? Yes, for 45 minutes--during her lunch! She had a sack lunch, but she was curious as to who would be inviting her out to buy a lunch for her. The truth is that I was nearly broke, but I could have bought her lunch if I did without my own, which I was willing to do. Now, I did not get a job from it, as there were none then available, but I got in where the conventional wisdom said I could not. I did the "impossible".

Another time when I wanted to get through on the phone directly to someone who was "impossible" to reach without an appointment, my wife said, "give me the phone". She then proceeded to pull off the most simple and brilliant stunt I had ever seen. She rang the number and when the personal secretary/screener answered, my wife said, "Personal call for ____" and then waited quietly. Again, the several second pause. Again, the assumption that the caller knew the intended recipient. But this time, the secretary also assumed my wife was either an operator or another personal secretary. She would have felt foolish asking what the call was in reference to, after being told it was a personal call. She would have felt silly asking if my wife were a secretary or an operator. So, she just hesitated long enough to know there was no graceful way for her to do her assigned job and then she patched the call through like a good secretary should. Brilliant! We found a way to stand out. Call it guerilla marketing.

JK. Rowling has found her niche in writing about magic and a world that exists alongside ours, where nothing is without its surprises. The Harry Potter books are wildly popular and are spawning a series of movies (and making 'tonnes' of money for Rowling, who doesn't really have a middle initial, but don't tell her I told you). Lemony Snicket (no, I did not make that up, though it is not his real name) has found a niche in writing a series of books called A Series of Unfortunate Events, now a movie. Stan Lee was a noted comic book author and has gone on to become popular fodder lately for the movie market as well. Spiderman, the X-Men, Captain America and others attest to that. Personally, I feel my first novel would make an extremely exciting movie and I intend to work in that direction.

You must do something with your writing that makes you unique in the world of writers. You may be covering the same old subject as others have, but find a way to do it differently, through the back door or a window, so to speak. What do you know or what do you do differently that will make your writing stand out? Do you have an area of expertise that will do the trick? There are many books by Michael Crichton that are unique to his background in the chosen subject matter. W.E.B. Griffin, Tom Clancy and others have found their niches in military and espionage books. Douglas Adams has found his in the sci-fi humor field--now there is a twist! The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy is now a movie. Who would have thought?

A recent acquaintance, Melanie Hurd Goldmund, is writing a book she calls an LDS space opera. Being a Mormon, I knew what LDS was, but the space opera bit threw me and I begged an explanation. What she described was a very ambitious sci-fi project with a real twist to it--something that would definitely make her stand out from the crowd. I am not at liberty to divulge that Top Secret information at this time--she would have to kill me if I did--but suffice it to say that I am impressed and can't wait to see the manuscript when she is ready for a proof-reader. "Oh,...Pick me! Pick me!" (Waves arms furiously).

So, what is your niche? What is the twist you could add? In the sixties a lot of bands would pick a name by some very unorthodox methods. They might throw slips of paper into a hat and choose two or three and see if they went together--which actually meant to them that they should do anything BUT go together--which made it more cool and it was definitely different. That is how we ended up with band names like Bubble Puppy, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Ultimate Spinach, Moby Grape, Glass Harp and scores of other names of that ilk. Others would make a chart or a wheel-like device that would rotate in separate rings and match (or mis-match) words. Very creative, really. What will you do to find the twist you need? Maybe you like crafts and also want to write a book about white-water rafting. (Could a woman knit her own raft? Hey, it's your story--I'm just asking!) Branch out and don't be afraid to look at the world differently. Through a childs' eyes, through a bugs' eyes, through...wait, this is YOUR assignment. Get busy, be creative and have fun!