Interview with Dreame, A Network Reading Platform

Dreame is a popular online fiction reading platform that has paid writers more than $6 million for their amazing works during the past two years. Today we had the chance to interview an editor at Dreame, who is going to share her insights into how she's helped writers earn income through the platform.

WOW: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today! So, why authors should consider writing online?

Dreame: It's all about growing your readership. Online reading platforms usually have a large audience base. Take Dreame for example. Readers on Dreame are growing rapidly. Currently, we've reached 20 million readers. The fiction published on Dreame is blessed with greater exposure and Dreame authors are witnessing growth both in their royalties as well as in the number of fans.

WOW: That's incredible! How can authors make their books popular and increase income by writing online?

Dreame: First of all, it is important to choose the right audience. You want to choose readers who have a preference towards your writing genre. If you are a romance fiction author and your works are preferred by female readers, you should not go to a platform where most readers are fond of horror fiction. On Dreame, readers have a preference towards female fiction, as 98% of them are female.

Secondly, diligence is important. Readers are always waiting for the latest chapters. If you keep them waiting too long, their enthusiasm for the story may decline. Regular updates can strengthen their relationship with readers. Interacting with readers also helps.

WOW: I completely agree. What benefits are available to Dreame authors?

Dreame: Dreame provides a way for authors to monetize their writing. Lucrative royalties are offered to books that join the pay-to-read program. We built a payment system, so authors can see clearly how their income accumulates. To get more readers, Dreame provides opportunities for promoting stories not only on the Dreame app, but also further marketed on the external channels with costs covered by Dreame.

Plenty of writing contests are held on Dreame every month. Currently, the Multi-Professional Billionaire Writing contest is open. 1st Place receives $1500; as well as $800, $500, and $300 for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Place, respectively. Check out the details here: https://bit.ly/dreamewritingcontest1.

WOW: That contest sounds like a lot of fun! What type of support do you provide authors?

Dreame: One of the authors I worked with had a day job unrelated to writing, which didn't give her the confidence in her writing ability. But what she's achieved today is something she never expected. Now, she has over one million readers and earns a lucrative income each month. The first thing I did was help her find the right audience to match her writing style; and then I encouraged her to make better use of the resources that Dreame offers. Participating in writing contests, writing challenges, online discussions and other activities can bring more exposure to the author’s writing. The platform also offers writing guides, and online courses as well. Now, she's a full-time author whose work stays on the top-ranking charts at Dreame.

If writers have any questions, they can email us at writers@dreame.com or check the Dreame website.

WOW: Thank you so much for chatting with us today.

About Dreame

Dreame is a network reading platform, providing readers with excellent content, and authors with a platform to present their work. Dreame has been the home of over 150,000 fictional works by more than 60,000 authors. Through the shared readings and knowledge, readers around the world can connect and enjoy a good book.

Dreame is available in many counties to help readers recognize the magical power of books. It aims to build a link between love and passion, and bridge a gap between different countries and cultures.

Read More »

3 comments Dreame writing contest, online reading platform, Romance Writing, serialized online fiction, writing contest

Friday Speak Out!: The Sweet Romantic Hero – A Myth in Contemporary Romance?, Guest post by Sydney Logan

Admittedly, I’m new to the publishing game. My love stories are sweet, contemporary romances with happy-ever-afters featuring male characters who adore their women. My men are patient, kind, sweet, and devoted.

According to some reviewers, my guys are also a little too perfect.

I had no idea this type of man was such a myth in contemporary romance, but according to some, these qualities in a man are unrealistic. As a new author, it makes it difficult to find a home in the writing world.

As a woman, it makes me sad.

In my latest novel, Mountain Charm, Dylan Thomas is a Nashville reporter who has been sent to the Smoky Mountains to write a story about Appalachian witchcraft. He falls hard for Angelina Clark, an Appalachian witch who had cast a love spell when she was a young girl. Dylan is stubborn and bitter—thanks to his father leaving when he was a toddler. Dylan also has quite a temper, especially where Angelina is concerned. He tends to act before he thinks, and he ends up in jail twice during the course of the book because of his short fuse. To me, Dylan is incredibly flawed, despite the fact he is very much in love with Angelina and treats her well.

Are fictional guys only realistic when they treat their women like crap? Or, do they have to be tattooed “alpha males” with rock-hard abs (not that there’s anything wrong with that) to keep the attention of today’s reader?

Maybe nice guys really do finish last, which is a shame, because women deserve nothing less than to be adored—in fiction and in real life.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

* * *
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her first novel, Lessons Learned, she made the transition from bookworm to author. Her second novel, Mountain Charm, was released in July 2013.
Sydney has a very unhealthy obsession with music, and her iPod is filled with everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem. When she isn't reading or writing, she enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her front porch at her home in East Tennessee with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Please visit her on the web at www.sydneylogan.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would you like to participate in Friday "Speak Out!"? Email your short posts (under 500 words) about women and writing to: marcia[at]wow-womenonwriting[dot]com for consideration. We look forward to hearing from you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read More »

5 comments character, Friday Speak Out, romance, Romance Writing, Sydney Logan

Spring Brings Romance...and a New Romance Publisher, Crimson Romance: interview with editor Jennifer Lawler

Spring is upon us and with spring comes all sorts of new things: new plants for the garden, new clothes for the closet, and this year a brand new romance publisher to add to your list! Crimson Romance offers the best of both worlds for writers. As a brand new publisher they're eager to work with new talent, sign new series, and take the time to guide unpublished writers. But since they are under the Adams Media umbrella they have a much more extensive ability to reach readers than most brand new publishers! Editor Jennifer Lawler took some time to answer questions so WOW readers will know just what Crimson Romance is looking for . . . and boy, are they looking. Wait until you see how many books they're planning to release this year!


WOW: Crimson Romance's parent company is Adams Media. Is that the same Adams Media known for nonfiction books? If so, what made them decide to jump the aisle to fiction and more specifically, romance?

JENNIFER: Yes, we’re part of Adams Media (which is part of F+W Media), the nonfiction book publisher. Adams Media branched into fiction with the acquisition of Tyrus books in 2011. (Tyrus publishes crime novels.) As far as romance goes, we felt that many of the same readers who buy our nonfiction titles will also buy our romances—the demographics are very similar. We also know that e-books are the future of publishing, and genre fiction is one of the fastest-growing segments of e-book sales. Romance readers are avid e-book readers. Plus, we’re committed to developing online communities that give readers the experience they’re looking for. It just made sense for us to begin this imprint now.

WOW: Romance is such a broad description. There are countless mini-genres within romance. Will Crimson Romance be specializing in any specific types of romance or are you open to everything?

JENNIFER: We are looking for five main subgenres of romance: contemporary, romantic suspense, historical, paranormal, and spicy (sexy) romance. We’re not acquiring YA or Christian subgenres at this time. But within the five subgenres that we are publishing, we’re very flexible: a paranormal could be an urban adventure with werewolves; or it could be a light-hearted fantasy with elves, set in a world unlike ours; or it could be a science-fiction romance. But we’re definitely looking for romance: it has to have a happily ever after!

WOW: I learned that Crimson Romance will be launching 260 books their first year. First, wow! Second, I imagine all these books are already signed. Do you have many series in the works or are they stand alone books? Are you looking to discover and develop romance authors that will write multiple books for Crimson Romance so you can continue to offer your readers this great selection each year?

JENNIFER: Yes, we have a very aggressive release schedule—5 titles a week (one in each subgenre). We want readers to know that whenever they’re ready for another book, we’ll have one available! We are committed to succeeding in this endeavor, so we’re making sure that readers will be able to get what they want from us.

Not all of the books are signed; we are definitely in acquisitions mode. We have a number of series in the works, as many readers like linked books, but the majority are stand alone. And we’re definitely looking for romance writers who have more than one book in them! We’re already working with several previously unpublished authors, and it has been a great joy to help them develop their skills. Feeling like you’ve had a hand in helping a writer develop her craft is the most rewarding aspect of this job. If we see a manuscript with promise, we’re often able to work with the writer to get it where it needs to be. We’re happy to release several books per year from any of our authors; we don’t feel we need to adhere to a “one book per author per year” philosophy.

WOW: Crimson Romance is offering a prize in author Brenda Novack's Online Auction for Diabetes—every book published by Crimson Romance in their first year! I can't imagine (and I'm sure my mailman can't either) getting a package of 260 books! Will the prize be e-books? Is Crimson Romance going to be publishing all their titles as e-books?

JENNIFER: Oh, yes, these will be e-books! We’re very excited about offering this subscription to benefit Brenda’s cause. All of our titles will release first as e-books. We do plan to release all of our books in print-on-demand versions as well (this may be a few weeks after publication of the e-version), as some readers still prefer print, but our emphasis is on e-books.

WOW: What are you still looking for? Is there a certain genre you just aren't seeing enough of or a "dream book" you wish someone would write?

JENNIFER: We would love to see more historicals. The historicals we do see are almost all fantastically well-written, but we want more of them! And we’re looking for sexy romance, emphasis on the romance. In this case, the sexual component of the romance has to be an integral part of the story, but so does the romance.

WOW: Can we talk a little about submitting to Crimson Romance? Are you accepting straight from authors or are you only working through agents? I imagine you've had a lot of proposals cross your desk. Any pet peeves we should avoid? What makes you really crazy? You can tell us!

JENNIFER: We are accepting directly from authors, and we are also working with agents; we’re pleased to do it either way. If you’ve written a romance and are looking for a home for it, we’re happy to see a query letter about your project (we can be reached at editorcrimson@gmail.com). If we think it could fit our line, we’ll ask for a full and a brief synopsis. We’re usually able to respond to queries within a week and to fulls within a month, although sometimes we do get a little backed up. We can usually make decisions quickly, although if you’re submitting in a subgenre where we get a lot of submissions (such as contemporary), it can take a little longer.

We get a certain number of queries from people who don’t really understand what romance is—it has specific conventions and readers have specific expectations. You have to have a happily ever after! If you don’t, you may have a terrific love story, but it’s not a romance. We get a lot of submissions from people who don’t understand that the romance between the two main characters has to be front and center. You can’t just call a mystery with a love interest a romantic suspense and think that’ll work!

I get a ton of submissions written in first person. Romance readers tend to prefer third person, so your first-person novel has to be extra amazing and superfantastic for me to take a risk on it.

We’re definitely looking for character-driven romance, not plot-driven romance. We love classic plotlines like marriage-of-convenience, but they have to make sense based on who the characters are—the characters must be written so that they would reasonably do this admittedly outrageous thing for reasons that any of us could understand.

We also get a lot of submissions from people who have self-published their books (on Kindle, etc.) and now want to go the traditional publishing route. We can’t accept previously published material for Crimson Romance.

WOW: And on a happier note, what about a book proposal makes you say, "I need to read this book."

JENNIFER: I’ll let you in on a secret. I rarely reject a book based on the query alone—only if it’s obviously not right for our line (wrong genre or similar). Frankly, most writers are terrible at writing queries. I’ve acquired several books that I think other editors would probably have rejected based on the query. By the same token, most writers are terrible at writing the first ten pages of their books. I almost always start reading a full at Chapter 2. In other words, I’m predisposed to look for what’s good in a book, not for reasons to reject a book. Possibly this is because I was a writer for many years before I became an editor and I know how much I treasured editors who looked for what was right. I know that the first ten pages can be chopped off, and Joe’s lack of believable motivation in Chapter 3 can be fixed, and so on, and I don’t think of this as some daunting task that earns an instant rejection. It’s just editing, you know?

What can’t be fixed is that indefinable quality that makes a book readable—maybe it’s the charming characters or the author’s ability to paint a picture of a scene. It varies from book to book—I’ll think, “I need to read this book” for a number of different reasons. Mostly it boils down to: Do I care what happens next? Am I upset when the characters encounter setbacks? Do I love how the book ends and hate that it has ended? Make me cry and I’m likely to offer you a contract as soon as I finish sopping up the tears.

WOW: Oh, you sound like a dream editor! Rumor has it you're also in the market for writers with out-of-print romances. Will you be reprinting these out-of-prints or are you searching for seasoned authors to write new books?

JENNIFER: We have a sister imprint, Prologue Books, that is currently publishing out-of-print mysteries and crime novels. We’re planning to expand that imprint to include romance. For Prologue Romance, we are looking for out-of-print romance titles to reissue. If an author has gotten rights back and wants us to consider reissuing her book, she can drop me a line at editorcrimson@gmail.com, specifying that she has an out-of-print title for Prologue. As mentioned before, we can’t have anything previously published for Crimson, so please be sure it’s clear that you’re submitting to Prologue.

These books need to be previously published by a well-known romance publisher—we’re not looking for self-published books for this line.

We’re definitely looking for seasoned authors to write new books for Crimson, and in fact are happy to have signed a few so far!

WOW: So where can we get in touch with you . . . Facebook, Twitter, email?

JENNIFER: We can be reached at editorcrimson@gmail.com

Our social media:

Twitter: @Crimson_Romance

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CrimsonRomanceBooks

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/crimsonromance/

Our writers’ guidelines:

http://www.adamsmedia.com/call-for-submissions

Soon our website will be at www.crimsonromance.com

WOW: Any last minute advice for our budding romance writers?

JENNIFER: Tell a great story! Make your characters work for that happy ending—it shouldn’t come too easily, or too soon. Break my heart a time or two along the way.

WOW: Well, thank you for your time and I have a feeling April will be WOW Month for Crimson Romance editors. Get ready for a blizzard of queries from WOW writers!

Read More »

5 comments Crimson Romance, genre writing, Jennifer Lawler, Romance Writing

Ruth Hartman, author of Pillow Talk, launches her blog tour!

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

Ruth Hartman started out as a dental hygienist but morphed into a romance writer. She has fun working the dental industry into her romances. While Pillow Talk features a dental hygienist/tooth fairy, her next romance Flossophy of Grace also follows the love life of a dental hygienist. Who knew the dental world was so romantic?

Ruth's first book, My Life in Mental Chains, is a memoir about her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Ruth, her husband and two very spoiled cats live in rural Indiana where Ruth dreams up new and exciting romances. And flosses regularly. Really!

Find out more about Ruth by visiting her websites:
R.J. Writes blog: http://ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RuthjHartman


Pillow Talk

By Ruth Hartman

Trixie Trident has a secret. Everyone knows she creates one-of-a-kind jewelry during the day. It's what she does on her night job no one would ever guess. She's a tooth fairy. Not the tooth fairy, just one of many. It would take her whole life just to combat the many misconceptions people have about TF's. Like how nobody wears tutus or uses a wand. Or stands three inches high. Nope, Trixie looks just like any other woman in her mid-twenties. And she'd tell people all of that stuff. If she was allowed to. But she'd sworn a sacred tooth fairy oath that she'd never tell a soul. And she hadn't. Except for her best friend, who would never breathe a word to anyone.

Graham Keebler meets Trixie when she comes to his dental office as a new patient. He's had lots of single women patients before, but no one has ever sparked his interest like Trixie. What is it about her that's so unique? He can't quite figure it out, but he's determined to try, even when she turns him down for a second date.

Trixie is attracted to Graham, like she's never been to any man before. He's what she always dreamed of in a man. And they even have the subject of teeth in common! But a relationship with the gorgeous dentist can never be. How could it? When she's a tooth fairy, and not only can't she tell him, he'd never believe her anyway.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Class Act Books (August 2010)
ISBN: 9781935048688

Pillow Talk is available through Class Act Books in both print and as an ebook, and is available through Amazon as a Kindle edition.

Book Giveaway Comments Contest!
If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Ruth Hartman's novel, Pillow Talk, to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end. We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment.

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Welcome, Ruth! We're thrilled to be hosting your second blog tour with WOW! on The Muffin. Could you start by telling us how you got started in writing...is this something you've done since childhood?

Ruth: I've always loved to write. English Literature classes in high school were my favorite. When everyone else would moan because we had to write a term paper, I was excited! As opposed to math, which I always had trouble with, English and Literature came fairly easy to me. And I took a class in Writing for Children in my late twenties, but have never had a children's story published yet. I kind of got sidetracked with writing for adults.

WOW: With so many options, I think we writers are famous for getting "sidetracked." In 2008, you wrote My Life in Mental Chains: My Struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a memoir about your struggle to manage your OCD. I've been told that memoir writing is like eating potato chips...you can't have just one. Do you agree?

Ruth: I imagine for many people memoirs are like potato chips. For me, though, my struggle with severe OCD was the deal-breaker. It took a lot out of me to write about that. I'm not sure I have another one in me. It was good for me to do it, though. And it means so much to me when someone tells me it's helped them or someone they love.

WOW: Of course, your new book is about as far from memoir as you can get. Unless you are the Tooth Fairy in disguise! What made you switch from the memoir genre to the romance genre?

Ruth: I love reading romances. I always have. I'm a romantic at heart. My husband has another word for it: sap. He says I'm sappy, and I guess I am. :) But that's okay. Maybe that's why I find that writing sweet romances comes fairly easy to me. When I wrote the memoir, I had to dig deep, and force myself to remember stuff I thought I'd buried forever. Everything was fact, or at least what my troubled mind at the time thought was fact. But with romances, I can make the story anything I want it to be. I can embellish, entertain, use my imagination.

WOW: Writing a romance does sound like fun. Who wouldn't want to create the perfect man, the perfect romance? I love to learn about everyone's creative process. How did you ever decide to write about the Tooth Fairy's romantic life? I imagine you must get plenty of questions about the Tooth Fairy from your young patients. Did those Tooth Fairy questions inspire you?

Ruth: I do get questions from time to time from kids in our dental office about the tooth fairy. Just the other day, I had to stifle a laugh when a little girl told me she saw the tooth fairy in her room. When I glanced at the girl's mom, she was holding back a giggle, too. Obviously, the little girl hadn't recognized her mom in her room that night.

WOW: Like Superman, jewelry maker Trixie has a secret identity. So which came first...did you create the lonely jewelry maker first or did you say, "I've got to write about the Tooth Fairy" and add the alter ego later?

Ruth: I wrote Flossophy of Grace (Midnight Showcase Fiction) about a dental hygienist falling in love with her patient. It will be out in February 2011. I wanted to write another dental themed romance. So I needed to come up with another dental angle. In Pillow Talk, Trixie, a tooth fairy, falls in love with Graham, her new dentist. I came up with Trixie being a jewelry designer in her "day job" later. I felt the story needed that balance.

WOW: I suppose a tooth fairy would need something to occupy her time in between tooth collections. (Laughs) There are so many different divisions in the romance genre. Something for everyone. Pillow Talk is a contemporary romance with a bit of fantasy thrown into the mix. You're writing another romance. Will it be another contemporary romance or will you try another division...historical, paranormal, erotica?

Ruth: The one I just finished is another contemporary, but it doesn't have any fantasy elements. I doubt I'll write historical, although I like reading them. And probably not erotica, simply because I enjoy reading and writing sweet ones more.

WOW: Tell us about the road to publication for Pillow Talk. Did having a memoir under your belt influence publishers? Is marketing different this time around?

Ruth: I honestly don't know if the memoir influenced them or not. Maybe the fact that I'd been published before did, but I'm not sure the fact that it was a memoir had much effect. They're such different genres, and Class Act Books deals mainly with romances. I'm hoping marketing will be a little easier, simply because I've done it before. Although, there's so much to learn, so much out there. I doubt any of us could ever learn it all. One piece of advice is, even though you have your books for sale online and in bookstores, have several copies always on hand for people you run into. With my first book, I sold several copies to people who wanted them at my church. I'd see someone, and they'd say, "I want one of your books, can you bring it next Sunday?"

WOW: Any advice for our budding romance writers? Any favorite romance authors?

Ruth: For budding romance writers, the good news is, there are lots and lots of publishers out there who are looking for all different types of romances. The three publishers I've gone with so far are all small. I like that. They treat their authors with respect, and the atmosphere seems a little more relaxed. Everyone I've been in contact with at these publishers have been very nice to deal with.

Personally, I love reading Debbie Macomber. Her characters are real, flawed, and likeable. And I know with her books, I'll always get that happy ending I love.

WOW: So what's next?

Ruth: I'm thinking I'll stay with writing romances. They're so much fun! The romance I just turned in to a new publisher is about a woman and her cat who find themselves stranded on a yacht for two weeks with a man they've never met. I'm really loving these contemporary stories. The one floating around my head now is another dental themed one. It's slowly taking shape.

WOW: It's amazing that you've carved out a memorable niche for yourself. Dental romance. Only you would put those two things together and make it work. You should be giving away toothbrush shaped bookmarks at your book signings!

Want to join Ruth Harman on her blog tour? Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.

Blog Tour Dates: Come and join the fun!

September 13, 2010 Monday
Ruth Hartman will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Ruth's new book!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

September 14, 2010 Tuesday
At "Because of a Book" today Ruth Hartman will be telling a tale about her connection to books. She'll also be giving away a copy of her latest book Pillow Talk!
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/

September 15, 2010 Wednesday
Enjoy a fun post with author and dental hygienist Ruth Hartman on making dental floss jewelry! She's also giving away a copy of her latest book Pillow Talk. It's a tale of star (or is it tooth?) crossed lovers--a dentist and a tooth fairy.
http://www.dentalheroes.com/

September 17, 2010 Friday
Stop by for a fun visit from Ruth Hartman. When she isn't cleaning teeth as a dental hygienist she spends her time writing. She's just released her latest book, the romance Pillow Talk and is giving away a copy today.
http://www.momecentric.com/

September 20, 2010 Monday
Remember all those quarters you found under your pillow and those tales you heard from your parents? Well, stop by for the skinny on the Tooth Fairy from her unofficial biographer, Ruth Hartman. You can also win a copy of Pillow Talk!
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

September 21, 2010 Tuesday
Ruth Hartman talks about splitting genres today and is giving away a copy of her latest romance, Pillow Talk.
http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

September 22, 2010 Wednesday
Don't miss a visit from Ruth Hartman, a writer who just invented a new genre. Dental Romance! Stop by Romance Junkies and enter to win her latest book Pillow Talk.
http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

September 28, 2010 Tuesday
What should ever main character have? Romance writer Ruth Hartman tells us today and here's a hint...it starts with the letter P. Along with advice, Ruth is giving away a copy of her book Pillow Talk.
http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/

September 29, 2010 Wednesday
Stop by for a roller coaster of an interview/podcast with a dental hygienist turned romance author as she talks about her two careers and her new book Pillow Talk. You'll also have the chance to win a copy of this fun romance!
http://niapromotions.podbean.com/

October 4, 2010 Monday
Today's your chance for a sneak peek at an exclusive excerpt of Pillow Talk--only at The Romance Reviews. In addition to a review, Ruth will also be stopping by to talk about being a romance author.
http://theromancereviews.blogspot.com/

October 7, 2010 Thursday
Kate the Book Buff is giving away an unusual gift today--dental floss jewelry made by a head-over-heels in love tooth fairy! Wait, the jewelry was made by author Ruth Hartman. It's the character in Ruth's latest romance Pillow Talk who is head-over-heels in love tooth fairy. Come learn how Ruth decided to write about a tooth fairy!
http://www.thebookbuff.blogspot.com/

To view all of our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar HERE.

Get involved!

If you have a blog or website and would like to host Ruth Hartman or schedule a tour of your own, please email Angela and Jodi at: blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com

And be sure to comment on this post to enter in a drawing for a copy of Ruth Hartman's novel Pillow Talk! And check back in a couple of days in the comments section to see if you won!

Read More »

27 comments author blog tour, book giveaway, dental hygienist, interview with Ruth Hartman, Pillow Talk, Romance Writing, Ruth J. Hartman, tooth fairy

Learning From a Writing Conference: Part One

This past weekend, I attended the annual Missouri Writers' Guild conference, and I have come back inspired, refreshed, and renewed. (Okay and a little tired.) I thought I'd do a few blog posts on things I learned at the conference; and I'm going to start with a wonderful three-hour workshop I attended on Sunday morning with historical romance writer, Bobbi Smith. Her workshop was "Romance Writing A to Z,"and she had several tips, ideas, and inspiration for each letter of the alphabet, including X and Z! I took the course because my young adult novel has some romantic elements, and I'd heard Bobbi was a wonderful and generous teacher. I wasn't disappointed. Here are a few highlights for The Muffin readers from Bobbi's workshop:

• D is for Dialogue: Don't be an adverb junky when you are writing dialogue tags. When your protagonist is talking to your antagonist, she doesn't need to shout loudly or state angrily. By her words and actions, we can tell that she is not happy with his (or her) actions. Each character has his or her own voice. If you read the line of dialogue without the tag, you should be able to tell which character said it.
  
• H is for Hero: If you write romance or any novel where you have a hero, the following might be helpful to you. Bobbi shared a list of eight male archetypes: the chief, the bad boy, the best friend, the charmer, the lost soul, the professor, the swashbuckler, and the warrior. Workshop participants had a great time trying to think of popular movie and book characters to fit each type. For example, how about Indiana Jones? Is he a combination of the professor and the swashbuckler? Where would you put Edmund (the lost soul or the charmer) or Jacob (the best friend) from Twilight?
• O is for Opening: Bobbi said, "You've got to grab them by the heart." One of the most interesting things she talked about was how quickly you have to grab a reader and editor in today's market. She started writing in the 1980s, and she said you had 50 pages to get the story started and a reader invested. Now, you're lucky if you have 10!
  
• V is for Vision: What is the vision you have for your career? Sure, we all want to be the next Stephenie Meyer or Dan Brown; but realistically, those Cinderella stories can't happen to all of us. Bobbi said that her vision was once she was published, she would always have a book contract. She would become a full-time writer and continue to create stories for her readers. She also hoped to get her books into grocery stores and super centers like Wal-mart. And guess what? Her vision has come true. She told us to envision what we want out of our writing career and set goals to attain it.
  

So, just from the sampling I gave you here, you can see the knowledge and inspiration I received at the Missouri Writers' Guild writing conference--and this was just on Sunday morning. If you have the chance to go to a conference near you or online--for one day or one week--save your money and go. It's one of the best things you can do for your career at any level.

Next time I post on "Learning from a Writing Conference: Part Two," I plan to reveal an insider's look at pitching to agents and editors.

Margo L. Dill (http://margodill.com/blog/) loves to speak at and attend writing conferences, especially those in cities where she's never been before!

photo by alfico www.flickr.com

Read More »

2 comments Bobbi Smith, Margo L. Dill, Missouri Writers' Guild, Romance Writing, writing conference

Romancing with Kristan Higgins, author of The Next Best Thing

Happy Valentine's Day! We have the perfect author, Kristan Higgins, on The Muffin today--one who knows plenty about love, romance, and food (which just goes hand-in-hand with romance, right?). Kristan is here to talk about her new book out from Harlequin and to share her knowledge about keeping story lines fresh and interesting when writing genre books. So, without any hesitation, let's get right to Kristan!


WOW: Welcome to The Muffin, Kristan. We are so happy to talk with you today. Your book, The Next Best Thing, is out from Harlequin this month. What do readers need to know about your latest book?

Kristan: Thank you, Margo! It’s lovely to be here today. The Next Best Thing is about Lucy, a young widow trying to find a not-so-bad guy to marry, so she can have kids and move on with her life. She’s not looking to fall madly in love again — she was obviously devastated when her husband died five years ago, and she doesn’t want to be that vulnerable this time around. So, the first thing she does is distance herself from Ethan, her best friend and more recently, her friend with privileges. Their relationship is complicated, and he’s pretty much the last guy Lucy would pick as husband material.

One of my favorite things about this book is Lucy’s profession and her family, which are very much intertwined. Lucy’s a very talented pastry chef, but she works in the family bakery in the bread department while her aunts make these rather tired and uninspired pastries, cookies, and cakes. Lucy loves the family bakery and adores her aunts; but they’re all widows, too. And in Lucy’s family, you don’t remarry. You get one shot at love; and if he dies, well…that’s your bad luck. So Lucy’s bucking tradition, as it were, and it makes for some very funny scenes. And of course, it was really fun to write about all those gorgeous desserts.

WOW: What a great premise with the aunts! I love it, and I'm sure readers get hungry reading your book. I hear there's a great recipe in this book AND in your book Too Good to be True. How much does cooking play into your plots and love stories?

Kristan: Well, food is a great part of life, don’t you think? One of the things I try to do is create a character the reader can really feel she knows and an important detail is favorite food. In Too Good To Be True, Grace consoles herself with Disgustingly Rich Chocolate Brownies, which she also brings to the hero to apologize for an unfortunate incident involving a field hockey stick and the police.

In The Next Best Thing, Lucy’s profession revolves around food, of course. Her late husband was a chef, and her in-laws own an Italian restaurant; so yes, food is very important! One of the things that hints at my characters’ feelings is what they eat…and what they don’t. And yes, I’ll be posting more recipes on my website…I do love to bake, so these are all tried and true.

WOW: Just the name of those brownies from Too Good to be True sound absolutely delicious! Food and romance just seem to go together--you're right. You have several contemporary romance books out from Harlequin and more to come. How do you keep your story lines fresh and interesting since we all expect the happily ever after at the end of a romance?

Kristan: I think the first thing I do is try to be honest about the pitfalls of relationships. My characters are very real people — no one is a billionaire, staggeringly beautiful, or breathtakingly talented…in other words, they’re us! I also try to focus on the heroine’s immediate dilemma, then pick the guy who seems to be the very worst choice for her. Of course, he’s really the right guy, but I want the couple to have to earn their happily ever after. And I focus a lot on family. Families shape us into the people we are; they know our best qualities and our weak spots, too. And weaving them into the story feels very natural for me.

WOW: I like that idea of the family being involved in your books because families are so involved in our love lives whether or not we want to admit it. I love the animals on the cover of all your books. The Next Best Thing has a gray cat, looking ready to eat some of whatever your heroine is mixing in that bowl. Where did the idea come for animals on each cover? Do animals play an important role in each novel?

Kristan: The amazing people in the Harlequin art department design my covers, so I can’t take any credit, though they give me a little preview, which is always thrilling. Personally, I’ve always had pets (mostly dogs, a few cats thrown in to keep me on my toes); and making my heroines pet owners wasn’t so much a conscious decision as just a normal part of life. But I choose the heroine’s pet very carefully, and that pet reflects something about the character. In The Next Best Thing, Lucy’s cat, Fat Mikey, is a very independent animal. Dogs, in my opinion, require a lot more attention and devotion. And when Lucy acquires Fat Mikey, she’s still really hurting over her husband. It felt like a dog might be too much. So Fat Mikey keeps her company, but he doesn’t get too sentimental, either.

WOW: What a great way to reveal things about the characters through their pets. That's genius! (I'm a big pet lover, too.) You also have a blog that you regularly update. What types of information will your fans find on your blog?

Kristan: My blogs on my own website are just little vignettes about my life as a writer and as a person. I’m pretty normal…married to a real sweetheart, mom of two great kids. I’m very close with my siblings, adore my nieces and nephews, have lunch with my mom, volunteer in

our town, carpool the kids around. If anyone has any illusions about the glamorous life of the writer, they need only check in with my blog and get a reality check! There are no silk pajamas here…my dog would drool all over those, and the cat would shred them in a heartbeat.

WOW: I'm sure your fans love to read about your life, and that's a good idea for blog posts! What are you working on next?

Kristan: Right now, I’m finishing up the edits on All I Ever Wanted, which comes out

this August, and working on another romantic comedy. One of the things that’s most fun about being a writer is figuring out which of your ideas is ready to be teased out into an entire book…you never know which seedling is ready to sprout.

WOW: We are so excited, Kristan, that you shared your insights about your books and your writing life with us today. We look forward to many more great books from you to keep us reading and smiling!

Interview conducted by Margo L. Dill

http://www.margodill.com

*If you're an author interested in being interviewed and/or promoting your book, please contact Margo at margo (at) wow-womenonwriting.com for details. (Replace at with @)

Read More »

7 comments Harlequin, Kristan Higgins, Margo L. Dill, Romance Writing

Baking a Romance…A Recipe for Success Part 2 of 2

By Christie Walker Bos

Continued from Baking a Romance...A Recipe for Success Part 1 of 2

There's no secret recipe for creating a romance, although there are some basic ingredients. If you want more than "white bread" you'll need to spice up the elements of your story and make it your own. In Part 1, we talked about: The Type of Bread…Determining the Genre; The Basic Ingredients…Characters are the Flour and Water of Romance; Don't Forget Yeast…Getting a Rise Out of Your Characters; and Adding Spices to Create Flavor with Your Setting. Now it's time to crank up the heat and bake your story.

Pop It In the Oven…Cranking up the Heat

Once you've assembled and mixed all the ingredients, you pop it into the oven to bake. For your romance, this means turning up the heat. Ask yourself what's at stake for your characters? The higher the stakes the more important the results will be to both your characters and your readers.

There are several ways of raising the stakes. Giving a character a history that is in direct conflict with what they must do to succeed is one sure way of creating tension. In the movie, Independence Day, Jeff Goldblum's character gets sick on airplanes and yet he must fly in an alien space ship in order to save the world. Putting your characters in unfamiliar locations or strange situations will help them develop and grow as they overcome the obstacles you put in their way.

Ding…Letting It Cool

You pull the bread out of the oven and it looks amazing. But before you cut into the loaf, it needs time to cool down. Once you have written your first draft, it's time to let your excitement cool down. Put the work aside for a week and then come back to it. I print out an entire copy of the book, sit in a nice comfy chair and read it all the way through as if seeing it for the first time. Pen in hand I make corrections to glaring spelling and grammar errors, jot down notes on new ideas, sometimes adding new twists and turns to the plot. I've found flaws in the plot that weren't obvious as I was writing but became glaring when I read the entire manuscript in one sitting, just a reader. Now that the excitement of finishing has cooled, I can look at my work more objectively, which helps me make that second, third and final draft the best it can be.

Time to Eat…Your Story is Ready

In the end, when the bread comes out of the oven and your friends take their first bite, if it makes them go, "mmmmm" then no one is going to ask about the ingredients or how you made the bread. All that matters is that it tastes great. When someone finishes reading a great romance novel, it should make them go, "ahhhh" and just like with your loaf of bread, most people aren't going to be dissecting the book's plot, setting, or character development. All they care about was whether or not you told an engaging story with memorable characters.

Making bread from scratch and writing a novel both involve a lot of hard work but the rewards can be delicious.

~~~~

Christie Walker Bos is the editor of a trade journal for the optical industry. In her "spare time" she writes romantic comedy novels. Excerpts, reviews and links to her three published novels can be found on her Web site at http://www.ChristieWalkerBos.com

Read More »

2 comments baking a romance, Christie Walker Bos, Romance Writing, The Write Man for Her

Baking a Romance…A Recipe for Success Part 1 of 2

By Christie Walker Bos

Some people think all romance novels follow a secret recipe or formula and are therefore all the same. Crafting the modern romance is like baking a loaf of bread. While there are the standard ingredients that will give you a presentable finished loaf, it's what's added to the basics that can make enough types of breads to fill a bakery.

For basic white bread you need flour, yeast, butter, salt and water. For the basic romance novel you need two people who eventually fall in love, a plot/conflict that keeps them apart for most of the novel, and then a resolution that brings them together for the happy ending. Just like with baking, if you want your story to be more than just "white bread" you'll need to add to the basic ingredients to stand out on the shelf.

Type of Bread…Determining the Genre

When you set out to bake a loaf of bread, you first need to determine what type of bread you're making in order to assemble all the necessary ingredients. With a romance novel, your first order of business will be to decide what type of romance you want to write. Romance novels come in as many varieties as bread. There's the murder mystery romance in which there will be dead bodies and the paranormal romance in which the lovers are not necessarily even alive. There are historical, contemporary and science fiction romances, suspense, fantasy and inspirational love stories. Books that cross over and back again from one genre to another are making it more difficult to pigeon hole a romance novel with a specific, limiting set of ingredients.

The Basic Ingredients…Characters are the Flour and Water of Romance

In traditional romances, boy meets girl, they fall in love and they live happily ever after. Today, you might have boy meets vampire, girl meets werewolf, boy meets boy or girl meets girl. The possibilities are as boundless as your imagination. Today's romances could involve a ghost in love with a living person (Think Patrick Swayze in Ghost) or a time traveler in love with someone from the past (Think Christopher Reeve in Somewhere in Time). Add spice to the recipe by creating characters from different ethic backgrounds, different classes, different centuries, and different worlds. These differences will cause issues to arise between the characters, which brings us to our next ingredient…yeast!

Don't Forget the Yeast…Getting a Rise Out of Your Characters

When making bread, yeast is the active ingredient that makes the bread rise. When writing a story, conflict is the active ingredient that gives rise to problems that demand a solution. Without conflict, two people meet, fall in love and live happily ever after…The End. Boring. The conflict or the reason they can’t be together is what makes "the bread rise" and the story develops around how they resolve the problems that are keeping them apart.

In my romantic comedy, Getting Back to Delaney, there are two types of conflict, internal and external. Delaney, the owner of a struggling art gallery finds herself attracted to Tyler, who turns out to be helping his brother open a competing art gallery across the street. A classic conflict arises as Delaney views Tyler as the competition out to destroy her. Think You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Delaney's internal conflict--a deep distrust of anything in a "male package" brought on by repeated betrayals--causes her to ignore Tyler's offers of help even though she desperately needs it, causing her gallery to teeter on the brink of bankruptcy.

Add Spices…Create Flavor with Your Setting

Think of the setting of your book as more than the actual location where events take place. The setting has a personality, it provides conflict, and it adds flavor to your book like cinnamon changes white bread into a cinnamon roll. In my novel, The Write Man for Her, the story takes place in and around Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey, California. One of the characters lives on a houseboat at the marina, which provides for sunsets on the water, love scenes in rhythm with the gentle rocking of the boat, and sets the stage for the books grand finale.

The love story Slumdog Millionaire set in the slums of India has a desperate, dangerous feeling that permeates the film like the pungent smell of curry. While in The Bridges of Madison County, the pace of the film is slow and quiet like the dust caught in a beam of light coming through the farm house window. Take care when choosing your setting, understanding that the location can enrich the plot, influence the characters and increase or decrease the tension of your story.

~~~~

In Part Two…Learn how to crank up the heat, let your story cool, and then enjoy the delicious results. (Come back for Part 2 on Friday, March 27th!)


Christie Walker Bos is the editor of a trade journal for the optical industry. In her "spare time" she writes romantic comedy novels. Excerpts, reviews and links to her three published novels can be found on her Web site at http://www.ChristieWalkerBos.com

Read More »

2 comments baking a romance, Christie Walker Bos, recipe for success, Romance Writing, The Write Man for Her