For the Criminally Inane

I just returned from the Georgia Romance Writer's Conference, Moonlight and Magnolias. I enjoyed basking in the glow of other writer's talent. It was an amazing experience. I thought I'd write some things I learned about going to a Conference. 1). Volunteer. Conferences take a lot of man (woman) power. I always sign up to volunteer to do something. It's a great way to get involved and to make friends. 2.) Be friendly and ask questions. I always assume that everyone there knows more than I do about writing, about publishing, about life. I want to soak up as much as I can. I like to ask questions and get to know people. And not just the writers and editors. I made friends with the lady in housekeeping and she bought my book. 3.) Networking. I picked this conference because I knew some of the other writers plus my editor would be at this conference. (That and I had tickets and a deadline!) 4.) Workshops. I've been struggling with a certain writing flaw and ...

Yesterday I saw a tweet on Twitter that saddened me. One author claimed that she didn't like the term "clean"to reference romances without intimacy, claiming it implied books with sex in them are dirty. I didn't respond because I flipped away for a second and it was lost. Twitter is a fast game. So I want to write my response here and I hope she'll see it and understand. The opposite of clean is not dirty. The opposite of clean is free from... Have you ever had a practice and said, "Whoah, that was a clean practice," meaning free from error? I have. Clean romance doesn't mean we think intimacy is dirty between two consenting adults. It means a book "free from intimacy." I write clean romance because I like to give my characters their own space. I am not judging anyone else for writing intimacy in your books. So, please, don't think we're prudish, or judging you. We're not. At least, I am not. It's just my personal ...

I have a weird writing process. In the 'biz, there are two types of writers. "Pantsers" who write by the "seat of their pants" and "Plotters" who make extensive outlines and character sketches. While I think about my characters a great deal, I don't ever write an extensive outline and although I like to discovery write, I can't be completely open ended or I'd go crazy. Hence, the hybrid term: plantser.  I like the term because it sounds like I might be plantsing through the pansies or something. Anyway, usually I start with an idea, a premise, a character or even a title. And I plant it like a seed in fertile imagination watered with fiction and non-fiction alike. And I start my first draft. I call this a discovery draft and on bad days a crap draft. I write about 20,000 words, exploring the world, and characters. Then I show it to my husband to see if my idea shows promise. Thumbs up, I continue.  Thumbs down, I can it. For now. Afte...

Photo Cred: Monica Brown Balancing your family and work is tricky at best. As a writer, I am plotting one manuscript, writing another, and editing yet another all while promoting the most current book. How do I balance that with all the demands of a wife and mother? One word: Prioritize. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I ask myself is what time shall I take my nap. Just kidding. Mostly. Actually nearly every week for several years, I write a list of priorities for that week, sometimes by the day. Anything with a deadline has priority, and anything not done will be moved to the next week. (I've had some things that have moved from week to week for several weeks until the items just fall of my lists completely.) The one thing I prioritize is family time. This comes in the form of family scriptures and family prayer. Family meals get tricky with busy evenings, but we try for them. I also prioritize my personal time to refill and recharge. Every morning I spen...

I asked my most ardent fans (my daughter and my husband) what I should write about on my blog and my daughter said I should write about encouraging others to keep writing. I feel like I've learned a lot in writing for the past ten years, and I'd love to share. Writing, and almost any other creative endeavor is a long process. From the spiritual creation or idea of it until its execution and finished product can take months if not years. Keeping going during that time can become a challenge. Here are my tips to stay motivated. 1. Remember why you started in the first place. I am a storyteller. I always have been. I'm horrid at asking questions but learning. But I think of funny scenarios. I'm the dreamer. Someone tells me a detail and I create a story. I don't write for the royalty check. I don't write to be famous-- although that would be nice. I write because I believe fiction can heal. I write because I believe we all need to safely escape. I write becaus...

Want to win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards? Click here to go to The Wild Rose Press Instagram Hop where you can follow twenty authors in various genres of romance. Click here . For all rules see the posts. Good luck! htt

It's the middle of the book. You have a smashing beginning. You have a dynamic and surprising ending. But somehow you got lost in the muddle in the middle.  Here are ten ways to boost your creativity. 10. Watch a movie in your genre. Movies can inspire you with twists and turns, characters. Even awful movies can inspire you to do something better. 9. Read a book. When the creative juices in your brain start to flow under the hand of another writers work, you'll start to image things for your book too. 8. Go back and reread the passages that excited you, the ones which inspired you to write it in the first place. 7. Go to a museum, a park, a restaurant and just observe people. Why do they do what they do? 6. Play with children. Kids are uninhibited in their play and ideas. 5. Exercise. I wrote many characters while I was walking. Moving the body moves the brain. 4. Draw. Drawing helps release the right side of the brain. 3. Listen to music. I've found char...