In my recent workshop, The Character Arc, for Women Writing the West and the Surrey International Writer’s Conference, I referenced several books and a blog post/video that I would encourage everyone to check out.

Books:

Build Better Characters by Eileen Cook

Writing the Breakout Novel and The Emotional Craft of Fiction, both by Donald Maass

The Character Arc  by K.M. Weiland

Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell

Blog/Video post:

How to Plot Your Novel in One Page

More Books:

Because more books is never wrong. Am I right?

Here is a list of my … Read more »

Are you ready to be off and writing? NaNoWriMo–National Novel Writing Month–which challenges a writer to draft a book in a month–begins next week and so before you begin furiously writing your story, I have three tips to ensure your story keeps moving forward for NaNoWriMo success.

1. Before You Start

Prewrite. Over this weekend, consider jotting down an outline for your story. It can be as simple as setting up your Scrivener files and filling your Corkboard with all the ideas you have brimming around inside of you! You’ll find as you fill out your story, more ideas … Read more »

Today Heather McCollum, author of sweeping, magical Scottish historical romances, is visiting the blog. The answers to her “Five Questions” are fantastic! Welcome, Heather…

Thank you so much for having me here today! What a fun way to learn about those of us behind the melt-your-heart pages of romance books.

1) Since romance authors always write about falling in love, when and how did you discover you were in love? I was a Virginian girl and he (Braden) was an Army kid, his father stationed in Hawaii. We met at college in Maine. I had already kissed too many frogs … Read more »

USA Today Bestselling Regency Romance author Julie Johnstone is here today

, with a “Five Questions” post! Her next book, My Seductive Innocent, goes on pre-order this Thursday. Welcome to the blog, Julie…

1) Did you have a nickname growing up? Gosh yes! They called me string bean, and I hated it! I was 5’9” by the time I was in fifth grade and so self-conscious! I was an expert at slouching to appear shorter! I’ll tell you a little secret. In my novel, My Fair Duchess, many of my heroine’s insecurities came from my childhood!

2) Where is … Read more »

Today Nicola Davidson, author of both Regency and Tudor era romances, is visiting us all the way from New Zealand! Welcome to the blog, Nicola, and thanks for sharing some fun facts with us…

1) Did you have a nickname growing up? My father always called me Shorty, because I was a pip squeak growing up – front row of every school photo. He still does, although I’m now 5ft 9″ tall and nearly look him in the eye…

Today Rose Lerner has dropped by to share some interesting tidbits about herself with us. Rose is the author of several Regency romances. Her latest is True Pretenses, just out on the 13th, in which a philanthropist heiress agrees to marry a Jewish con artist to get her hands on her dowry. Fantastic!

1) Where is the most beautiful/romantic place you’ve ever been? When I traveled around Europe the summer after my study abroad, I went to St. Petersburg during the White Nights (when the sun never quite sets all night because it’s so far north). I saw the … Read more »

When I use the app MapMyWalk for my daily walk, I love it because it says I climbed stairs rather than walked my 2 miles. The reason being I live in a very steep neighborhood. And my daily haul is nearly all uphill. So, stair climbing it is.

And I realized as I was huffing and puffing up the first hill, that my walk was a lot like writing a book. One step at a time, one page at a time. Some days the writing is level and I churn right along. Other days it is like trying to hike … Read more »

Today we have bestselling Regency romance author Samantha Grace visiting. Her newest novel, One Rogue Too Many, first in a new series, just came out on January 7th. Welcome to the blog, Samantha!

1) Since romance authors always write about falling in love, when and how did you discover you were in love? I knew I was falling in love with my husband (boyfriend at the time) when he helped me find homes for a litter of kittens the stray I took in had. He made me laugh the whole time by joking and writing goofy signs to … Read more »

Every New Year each of us makes resolutions about our writing. “I’ll write 5 pages every day.” “I’ll sell my first book.” “I’ll snag that great agent.” And while each of these is admirable and there is nothing wrong with them, I think they miss the point of what it takes to be a published author and to continue to be a selling author. Here is the resolution I propose: I want to become a better writer.

There isn’t a writer who would be unable to make this resolution. We all have areas in our writing that could stand some … Read more »

USA bestselling Regency Romance author Deb Marlowe is here today. Welcome to the blog, Deb, and thanks for answering these five questions…

1) Do you celebrate when you finish a book and what you do? I know this is going to sound weird, but the first thing I do when I finish a book . . . I clean the refrigerator. What fun, right? But people—I live with boys! Most days I am the only thing standing between them and a microbial war zone. And when I’m in the last throes of a book, I abandon the fight. There’s just … Read more »