By Sherry Morris
(From the September 2005 issue of the Update)
I’ve tried hard to resist the urge to write words of wisdom because it sounds preposterous for me of all people to try to tell anyone how to sell. But I feel compelled to let you know what I’ve learned, as if you were my children, trying to guide you around the bumps. If anything makes sense, I hope it speeds your journey.
Breaking into the Romance Writers of America Published Author Network is a complicated compound prescription mixed by that invisible mystical pharmacist watching over us. Everyone will have different ingredients, i.e.: eyebrow of buffalo + toenail polish of agent + reading glasses of contest judge + ancient Egyptian blessing.
Portable Word Processors
Alphasmart, Dana, etc. New, used, borrowed. Obtain one. Carry it with you when you’re writing a first draft. Five minutes here, thirty there. Knock that infernal internal editor off your shoulder and write an uninhibited first draft. Forget the “rules”. Give yourself permission to write crap. Just type the darned story. Crap can be fixed during revisions. A blank page can’t. Don’t go back and reread what you just wrote. Don’t edit it until you upload the week’s work into your document. You’ll be surprised to learn some of what you thought was pure crap is actually genius. I wrote the first draft of a 100K MS in three weeks (my second PAN sale, Immaculate Deception).
Start at the Top
Submit to your dream editors or agents first. Only move on down the line if they all reject you. I have never submitted to anyone I would not immediately accept a reasonable contract from. It’s wasting their time to boost your ego. This is a tiny industry. Editors and agents talk and move to new positions. They’ll remember if you play games with them. An offer you declined six months ago will probably not be waiting when you finally do get rejected by your dream editor.
Rejection
Every writer gets rejected. Some are more proficient in collecting R’s than others. Get mad, cry, wallow, vent to your friends. Then get over it and move along. Some rejections are devastating. Others are barely worth the notation. I think it has a lot to do with our biorhythms and where we are in our cycle of Writer’s PMS. Consider all criticism you receive. If it makes sense, change your MS. If a little voice says, “No, that would wreck my story; this person doesn’t understand where I’m going,” then ignore it.
Weigh heavily on editor criticism. Do try to see what she means. But if she just doesn’t get your story, don’t change what you don’t agree with. Move on.
Never badmouth an editor in a public forum. Never send her a retort. Again, this is a small industry. My first personal R was very blunt, and I was devastated. It took nearly six months for my ego to let me understand what she meant, and that she was right. I made the changes and sold it elsewhere. This rough R came from the editor that just bought my two PAN sales.
Voice
Everyone has a distinct “voice” for storytelling. The way you form sentences and their length. Your word choices - be they proper, alternative or completely made up. New writers often struggle to “find my voice”. Shh...it’s right there in your first draft. Don’t polish your MSs with line edits from other writers or readers, thus changing your words into theirs. Do consider advice about everything else, but don’t allow others to speak for you. You’ll end up with a grammatically correct, generic read. And probably a slew of contest finals, but no publishing contract. One harder learned tip: If a sentence reads roughly to you, and after a few days, you still can’t make it work; delete it. The paragraph will flow better without it. The meaning is still conveyed even though it’s invisible. Trust me.
Simultaneous Submission
My interpretation of ‘No simultaneous submission’ for those publishers who post that warning: It only applies to requested full manuscripts. Send out queries and partials to everyone on your wish list.
If you send an exclusive query, wait for the partial request, send that, wait for the full request, send that, wait for the revision request, send that.... wait for the offer.... then heaven forbid you ultimately receive a rejection, and have to start the query process with another house or line, you may as well be dead before you ever see your work in print. If on the other hand, you’ve been sending queries and partials out, then you’ll already have another request for a full and can then mail it right off.
Agents
Harder to hook than editors. Signing with a top agent does not guarantee your book will ever sell. The wrong agent is worse than no agent at all. But do try to land one. She could procure you an excellent first sale contract! Make sure they are members (or their firm is) of AAR and ask around on the loops before signing. Literary agents are not like real estate agents. They will only take on projects which they feel are easy sales. I have 205 agent R’s across three MSs. I don’t write what they want to represent.
Contests & Conferences
Check the score sheet before choosing a contest to enter. Make sure your MS has a fair chance and isn’t doomed because your H isn’t introduced in the first chapter or any other gradable area doesn’t exist.
If you are entering for anonymous feedback, don’t enter more than two contests with the same MS. Find critique partners, they are free. If you are entering in the hopes of getting your work in front of a particular editor, don’t. Even if you do final, there is no guarantee she’ll request your MS. Save your money and attend a conference instead. So long as you grossly write what she acquires at a conference appointment with an editor or agent, she WILL request a partial or a full manuscript from you.
I’ve spent over $1,000 on contests. I finaled once and did not receive an editor request. I didn’t agree with her feedback either. I didn’t change my MS. It sold elsewhere. For the money I’ve spent in entry fees, printing and postage, I could have attended two chapter conferences, enjoyed the company of other writers, learned new skills, and come away with at least two editor requests. Do enter the Golden Heart. Somebody has to final, and this is the prestigious contest where it means so much.
Remember
You are a capable writer with amazing stories only you can spin. Write for the joy you get taking dictation from the characters in your head. If NY soundly rejects your MS, consider ePubbing it. No, you won’t get rich or make the bestseller list. But your story will be told, readers will enjoy it, and you’ll have the satisfaction of validation, the experience of working with a professional editor and cover artist. Write another MS and send it to NY.
~~~~~
Sherry Morris writes WWII romantic suspense, mysteries and chick lit as Olivia Andrews. Visit her website at http://www.oliviaandrews.com .
Washington Romance Writers Update Editorial Staff:
- Judi Fadeley, editor
- Danielle Angeline and Lisa Fontaine, associate editors
- Binnie Syril Braunstein, Publicity
- Julie Moffett Czechowski, Market News
- Rebecca McTavish, Member News
- Sherri Neilson, Classifieds
Update is the monthly electronic newsletter of the Washington Romance Writers. The deadline for UPDATE articles and features is the tenth of each month prior to the month of publication. Send electronic files via email to Judi at: . Send Member News and On the Shelves announcements to Rebecca McTavish at: . Submit classifieds directly to Sherri Neilson at .
Articles may be reprinted by other RWA chapters with credit to both the author and WRW. Articles must be reprinted in their entirety.
Copyrighted articles are so designated; reprint only with author’s permission. Those not affiliated with RWA must have written permission from both the author and the UPDATE editor before reprinting, in whole or in part, any portion of this newsletter. RWA is a copyrighted trademark of the Romance Writers of America.
Information in UPDATE is presented in good faith. No endorsements, recommendations or warranties are implied through publication. Readers should determine for themselves reliability, integrity, and financial responsibility with regard to any providers, services, etc., mentioned herein.
Please Note: Each month, the current issue of Update will appear on the WRW website http://www.wrwdc.com . At the end of each month, the issue will be moved to the “Members Only” section of the website where Update has been archived since December 2003. Please be advised that all content published in Update will be available to the public during the month it runs on the website, and to all WRW members after it is archived.
Changes to Address and Membership information: If your address, phone number, fax number, or email address changes after you join WRW or after you renew your membership, please contact Jackie Graf, Membership Chair, at .
WRW Board Members:
Kathryn Anderson, President
Marjanna Bogan, Secretary
Julie Halperson, Treasurer
Merry Banerji
Deborah Barnhart
Yvonne Pinney
Anne Marie Rodgers
Susan Donovan
Alix Rickloff
Committee Chairs:
Programs Chair, Michelle Butler
Hospitality Chair, Position Open, Apply Here!
Appeals Chair, To be assigned at first meeting.
Newsletter, Judi Fadeley
Website, Yvonne Pinney & Nicky Penttila
Elections Chair, Kathy Altman
Publicity Chair, Binnie Syril Braunstein
Membership Chair, Jackie Graf
Marlene Chairs, J. Keely Thrall & Beth Balberchak
Retreat Chair, Sophia Nash
Published Author Liaisons, Merry Banerji & Glenda Garland
Unpublished Author Liaison, Alix Rickloff
Library/Archives, Julie Stewart
Legal Counsel:
Elaine P. English, Attorney at Law, 4710 41st Street, NW, Suite D, Washington, DC 20016 Phone:(202) 362-5190.
* * *
Update is our monthly electronic newsletter. The deadline for Update articles and features is the tenth of each month prior to the month of publication.
Send electronic files via email to Judi at: .
Send Member News and On the Shelves announcements to Rebecca McTavish at: .
Submit classifieds directly to Sherri Neilson at .
Please note that this will not just be a “roster” list of WRW membership. If you do not send us your information (instructions below), you will not be included.
Also note, this is not the same thing as the “Meet the Members” section in the Update. So even if you’ve submitted information for the newsletter, if you want to be listed on the Web site you will need to submit your information (following the instructions below) again.
If you want to be included on the web site (and we very much hope that you do), we ask that you submit three things:
1) a one paragraph bio (that includes any writing-related awards you’ve received as well as any services you’ve provided to WRW),
2) the url for your writing-related web site (if you have one), and
3) a .jpg photo.
If you do not wish to have your picture posted, we can substitute one of your book covers.
We can only accept digital graphic files. We use .jpg files that are 72 dpi and 150 pixels square. If those numbers don’t mean anything to you—Don’t Panic. Just attach whatever jpg or tif file you’d like to use and we’ll be happy to size and crop it for you.
If you would like to be listed on the Web site and you are also published, your information will be included in the “Our Published Authors” listing. You will not need to submit your information twice as we use the same entry for both the “Meet Our Members” list and the “Our Published Authors” list. (Both lists pull from the same database.)
Again, this is strictly voluntary. If you do not submit any information, you will not be listed.
All submissions should be sent to: . For the subject line, please choose one of the following:
Published Author Info
-or-
Member Info
Thank you!
The WRW Web Site Committee
We plan to change the three featured book covers at the top of the WRW Web site at the end of every month. The three authors will be chosen at random from the “Books on the Shelf” section that runs in each issue of the Update. We will only feature one book by an author in any given month.
The key to making sure that your books are in the running for one of the featured spots will be to make sure that Rebecca McTavish gets the information about your books to run in the Update.
Note: Your book can only run in one of the featured spots if there is a digital graphic file of your cover available. If you don’t have a Web site to link it to, we can link it to your listing on Amazon or B&N.
By Michelle Monkou
(From the June 2005 issue of the Update.)
Hmm—What else to say with the final chapter of my Tough Love series?
I recently held a workshop on finding the time to write. I shared my experience, duly providing tips and solutions to conquer apathy and other bad habits. One tip in particular concerns the destructive force called negative energy.
This ball of energy does not discriminate with its victims. It can come in the form of family, friends, and even within yourself. Regardless of the source, negative energy easily conforms like a well-fitted glove molding to your thoughts and goals. Cloaked in ignorance, you model the extra baggage until it replaces the natural vigor you once exhibited.
There is nothing high-browed about this analysis. I have earned my expertise through my own actions and thoughts. I know what a drain it can be on the creative spirit. I have learned to stay constantly vigilant and protective of my personal space. Keeping my space clean and sacred makes me productive.
I will address each contributing factor: family, friends, and you.
Family members can be your worst critics. They have known you from birth. They have seen you face challenges and adversity with varying outcomes. As a result they have an opinion about your abilities. They may even remind you about that spectacular failure you made in your college days while you now are an adult with family and kids.
When you approach them with a spring in your step and twinkle in your eyes that you want to be a writer, the heavenly choir does not sing. As a matter of fact, they yawn and go back to their regular duties. Presuming that you are not a procrastinator, you diligently write, attend conferences, network, and submit your proposals. It is bad enough that you are biting your nails nervously waiting for a positive response from New York. But your family takes sadistic pleasure in asking everyday if you have heard from New York. On occasion, they may also provide a tip that most people get rejected and Author Blah Blah was rejected twenty-three times before getting published. Then if you do happen to get rejected, you want to suffer in silence because the gleam of anticipation practically snapping, crackling, and popping off the family member makes you cringe.
A wimp would close up shop and post a sign that says “May Return Soon.”
But you are no wimp. You know your family, so you know whether you need to share every leg of your journey. Some people get a charge out of other’s misery. You decide whether you want to be their stimulant. Your mantra should be: I will write despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will be successful despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will own my destiny despite [FILL IN THE BLANK].
Friends are important. I do not think there is a magic number that is necessary for a happy life. But friends help with our socialization process and can stretch us in healthy ways. Of course, your friends could be experiencing a bad moment in their lives and master projecting their misery outward, mainly in your direction. Or your friends may have always been a miserable soul, but you did not notice until you made the solitary pursuit of writing a priority in your life.
I had a friend who wore her negative energy like a lighthouse beacon, shining on all who came into her path. It had a long and wide reach. Many times I would make a detour tracks to avoid the poor soul. If I had good news that I finished my writing goal, she whined about her situation. If I had bad news that I did not place in a writing contest, she whined about her situation.
You decide on the value of your friendships. I did and decided that although I did not want to end the friendship, I did not have to participate in this funk. There is a time and a place for being attentive to your friends. But when you are writing, and I mean seriously writing—like a job, like a passion, like this is your life—you have to guard your personal space. I told my friend I was working on a project and would not be able to spend as much time with her. Then I deliberately kept the distance until my writing was underway because I will write despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will be successful despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will own my destiny despite [FILL IN THE BLANK].
You have heard of the saying “you are your own worst enemy.” How true.
We may not be able to remember all the computer passwords that we use for different software packages. We may not even remember whether we turned on the dishwasher earlier that day. But, boy do we remember to be a royal pain in our own butts.
Do you or have you ever said or thought:
- I’ll get serious about my writing right after the next holiday/the next conference/the next week.
- I need a vacation or quick break to re-generate my muse (not referring to crisis-driven breaks).
- I can’t write on Tuesdays, that’s Freaky Housewives television series night.
- That bloomin’ editor has rejected me ten times. I’m not sending anything else to her.
- As soon as the weather gets nicer, I’ll write on the deck. I’m really prolific on the deck with a glass of lemonade.
- As soon as the planets have aligned and I’m happy again, I’ll write.
Stop the BS. Practice a bit of tough love.
I will write despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will be successful despite [FILL IN THE BLANK]. I will own my destiny despite [FILL IN THE BLANK].
Good luck on your (continued) journey.
~~~~~
“TOUGH LOVE for Authors” is Michelle’s bimonthly article that will tell it like it is! So far, she’s spent more years as an aspiring author than as a published author. The two points of view give her a unique perspective that she wants to share in the hopes that many more aspiring authors can gain the title—published, while also providing insight for the newly published authors. Creating a special mix of a cowboy, city girl, stalker, and Kwanzaa, Michelle Monkou’s fourth title, Making Promises, a BET Books Holiday feature, hit shelves in October 2004. Visit her website at http://www.michellemonkou.com.
By Alix Rickloff
(From the May 2005 issue of the Update.)
I should start by saying this couldn’t have happened anywhere but in a small town. I mean Norman Rockwell or Mayberry small. Kent County, MD is a rural area with more cows than people so any news is big news, and big news travels fast.
It began when a critique partner of mine organized a series of writing workshops in town. She wanted to bring together the growing community of aspiring authors and poets in the area. After renting out space in a small coffee shop on the main drag, she began advertising lectures and talks on everything from formatting your manuscript to characterization, plot elements to writing synopses. When she asked me to speak at one of the sessions, I was floored. Me? I’ve been on the listening end of plenty of lectures, but give one? What on earth could I teach someone—an unpublished author whose last foray into public speaking was twenty years ago in 4-H?
Relying on heavy doses of both flattery and guilt, she got me to reluctantly agree. Talk about what you know, she suggested. So while I struggled with putting together a coherent and compelling talk on the romance genre, she placed a small ad in our local paper advertising my lecture debut in two weeks time. Start the clock on my 15 minutes.
Just days later, my husband arrived home to inform me that his co-workers couldn’t believe his wife wrote romance novels. Does she use you for inspiration? They wanted to know. Having never actually read more than a few pages of any of my manuscripts, he couldn’t say for sure, and I wasn’t admitting to anything.
The next day, my next-door neighbor leaned across the back fence. “I hear you write books,” he said. “Are you famous or something?”
Not yet, I had to admit. But I’m trying. That seemed to satisfy him, and he went back to mowing his lawn. What was going on? Had one little ad in a paper whose circulation couldn’t be more than 3,000 people generated this much press?
The next morning, my daughter’s bus arrived to pick her up for school. She scooted in, and the driver leaned towards me. “I saw in the paper you write novels.” I could only nod, stunned. Soon, people I barely knew were asking me about my writing. I would answer, slightly embarrassed at my newfound celebrity. Yes, I write historical romances. No, I’m still unpublished, but I’m shopping my three completed manuscripts around with agents and editors. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
The lecture came and went. I got through it without embarrassing myself and actually enjoyed sharing some of what I’ve learned with others just beginning their writing careers. The questions and comments faded away. The attention came and went. But something profound happened in the meantime. Until then, I never mentioned my “other” life. Not that I hid my writing, it just never came up.
It took my 15 minutes to make me realize that not only was I a mother and wife, I was a writer. This wasn’t a hobby or a phase. This was a career. I worked at my craft with diligence and care. I attended seminars and lectures to hone my skills. I persevered through rejection letters, critique revisions, hours of research, and writers block.
I AM A WRITER.
And I can tell you for certain: when—not if—I get published, I’ll be sure to put an ad in that same paper. I’m ready for at least a half-hour of fame this time around.
~~~~~
Alix Rickloff is a member of Washington Romance Writers. When she is not busy being a mother and wife, she writes on her historical novels.
After the Call or, “What I did on my Summer Vacation”
By Susan Donovan
All Wrapped Up with a Bow
By Linda Voss
Are You Invisible?
By Maggie Toussaint
Avoid Submission Traffic Jams
By Sherry Morris
Banishing Your Wolf of Self-Doubt
by Maggie Toussaint
Be Fearless
by Cathy Maxwell
Booksigning with My Friends
by Diane Whiteside
Confessions of an Online Neatnik
by Laura Armstrong
Conflict Vision
By Maggie Toussaint
The Contest Empress Speaks
by Diane Perkins
Cooking Your Way Out of The Slush Pile
by Maggie Toussaint
Critique Groups: One Writer’s Experience
By Gail Barrett
Critiques and Belgian Chocolate
by Lisa E. Arlt
Do They Judge Your Submission by Its Covering?
by Annabelle Corrick Beach
Do You Have a Minute?
by Judi S. Fadeley
Editorial: Men and Emotions
By Steve Ciccarelli
A Final Goodbye to Nancy Richards-Akers
by Michelle Monkou
Finding Forrester, Stephen King, Quills, and Inspiration (Or: We All Have to Start Somwhere)
by Elizabeth Fedorko
Finding Your Rhythm
by Michelle Monkou
A Golden State of Mind: 1998 RWA National Conference
by Michelle Monkou-Samuels
How to be a Romantic Hero
by Diane Perkins
How to be Unapologetically Unpublished
By Dara Girard
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part One)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part Two)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
In Remembrance of a Life
By Linda Voss
Is it Safe for an Author to ‘Genre Jump’?
by Julie Moffett
Lessons from my very first book signing
by Gail Barrett
Make it Sparkle! Seven Steps to Polish Your Work
by Maggie Toussaint
Making Connections by Visiting Other RWA Chapters
by Robin L.L. Allen
Making That First Sale
By Michelle Butler
Making Time to Write
by Lisa E. Arlt
Maybe It Was the Right Call After All
by Judi S. Fadeley
My Fifteen Minutes of Fame
by Alix Rickloff
A Newbie Survives Her First Contest
By Laura Armstrong
Notes in the Dark: Inspiration at the Movies
by Elizabeth Holcombe Fedorko
One Writer’s Odyssey
by Maggie Toussaint
Positively Charged
by Lisa E. Arlt
Promo Tips For Authors Or Soon-To-Be-Published Authors
By Binnie Syril Braunstein
Queen for a Day: Journal of a Golden Heart Winner
by Gail Barrett
The Quest
by Kathy Altman and Judy Eary
Research—In The Oddest Places
by Elizabeth Holcombe Fedorko
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
by Cathy Maxwell
Shirley Hailstock: Phenomenal Woman
By Michelle Monkou
So You’re Going to Scotland . . . The Inside Scoop on What You Need to Know Before You Go
by Pam Poulsen and Laurin Wittig
The Story of My First Sale (Or, After I Regained Consciousness)
by Heidi Betts
The Stuff of a Writer’s Guilt
by Elizabeth Fedorko
10 Nitty-Gritty Hints on Being a Professional Writer . . . in No Particular Order
by Patricia McLinn
Ten Steps to Guarantee You’ll Never be a Writer
By Karen L. Smith
To Muse or Not to Muse—That is the Question
by Marilyn Trent
Tough Love for Authors . . . Are We There Yet!
by Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Being a Full Time Writer
by Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Dream—I Dare You!
By Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Negative Energy Sucks!
By Michelle Monkou
Turning Real Life into Fiction
By Danielle M. Angeline
Twelve Ways to Graciously Accept Rejection
By Dara Girard
What I Did On My Summer Not-Quite-Vacation
By Robin L.L. Allen
Where Do You Do It?
by Elizabeth Fedorko
Writer Terms
By Danielle M. Angeline
WRW’s Undiscovered Treasure Chest
By Robin L.L. Allen
Yikes! A First Time Judge! What am I getting myself into? (Updated)
By Danielle M. Angeline
Yikes! A First Time Judge! What Am I Getting Myself Into?
By Danielle M. Angeline
Yikes! I’ve Been Critiqued!
By Danielle M. Angeline
Making Connections by Visiting Other RWA Chapters
by Robin L.L. Allen
What I Did On My Summer Not-Quite-Vacation
By Robin L.L. Allen
WRW’s Undiscovered Treasure Chest
By Robin L.L. Allen
The Quest
by Kathy Altman and Judy Eary
Turning Real Life into Fiction
By Danielle M. Angeline
Writer Terms
By Danielle M. Angeline
Yikes! A First Time Judge! What am I getting myself into? (Updated)
By Danielle M. Angeline
Yikes! A First Time Judge! What Am I Getting Myself Into?
By Danielle M. Angeline
Yikes! I’ve Been Critiqued!
By Danielle M. Angeline
A Newbie Survives Her First Contest
By Laura Armstrong
Confessions of an Online Neatnik
by Laura Armstrong
Critiques and Belgian Chocolate
by Lisa E. Arlt
Making Time to Write
by Lisa E. Arlt
Positively Charged
by Lisa E. Arlt
Critique Groups: One Writer’s Experience
By Gail Barrett
Lessons from my very first book signing
by Gail Barrett
Queen for a Day: Journal of a Golden Heart Winner
by Gail Barrett
Do They Judge Your Submission by Its Covering?
by Annabelle Corrick Beach
The Story of My First Sale (Or, After I Regained Consciousness)
by Heidi Betts
Promo Tips For Authors Or Soon-To-Be-Published Authors
By Binnie Syril Braunstein
Making That First Sale
By Michelle Butler
Editorial: Men and Emotions
By Steve Ciccarelli
After the Call or, “What I did on my Summer Vacation”
By Susan Donovan
The Quest
by Kathy Altman and Judy Eary
Do You Have a Minute?
by Judi S. Fadeley
Maybe It Was the Right Call After All
by Judi S. Fadeley
Finding Forrester, Stephen King, Quills, and Inspiration (Or: We All Have to Start Somwhere)
by Elizabeth Fedorko
Notes in the Dark: Inspiration at the Movies
by Elizabeth Holcombe Fedorko
Research—In The Oddest Places
by Elizabeth Holcombe Fedorko
The Stuff of a Writer’s Guilt
by Elizabeth Fedorko
Where Do You Do It?
by Elizabeth Fedorko
How to be Unapologetically Unpublished
By Dara Girard
Twelve Ways to Graciously Accept Rejection
By Dara Girard
10 Nitty-Gritty Hints on Being a Professional Writer . . . in No Particular Order
by Patricia McLinn
Be Fearless
by Cathy Maxwell
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
by Cathy Maxwell
Is it Safe for an Author to ‘Genre Jump’?
by Julie Moffett
A Final Goodbye to Nancy Richards-Akers
by Michelle Monkou
Finding Your Rhythm
by Michelle Monkou
A Golden State of Mind: 1998 RWA National Conference
by Michelle Monkou-Samuels
Shirley Hailstock: Phenomenal Woman
By Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors . . . Are We There Yet!
by Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Being a Full Time Writer
by Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Dream—I Dare You!
By Michelle Monkou
Tough Love for Authors: Negative Energy Sucks!
By Michelle Monkou
Avoid Submission Traffic Jams
By Sherry Morris
The Contest Empress Speaks
by Diane Perkins
How to be a Romantic Hero
by Diane Perkins
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part One)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part Two)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
So You’re Going to Scotland . . . The Inside Scoop on What You Need to Know Before You Go
by Pam Poulsen and Laurin Wittig
My Fifteen Minutes of Fame
by Alix Rickloff
Ten Steps to Guarantee You’ll Never be a Writer
By Karen L. Smith
Are You Invisible?
By Maggie Toussaint
Banishing Your Wolf of Self-Doubt
by Maggie Toussaint
Cooking Your Way Out of The Slush Pile
by Maggie Toussaint
Conflict Vision
By Maggie Toussaint
Make it Sparkle! Seven Steps to Polish Your Work
by Maggie Toussaint
One Writer’s Odyssey
by Maggie Toussaint
To Muse or Not to Muse—That is the Question
by Marilyn Trent
All Wrapped Up with a Bow
By Linda Voss
In Remembrance of a Life
By Linda Voss
Booksigning with My Friends
by Diane Whiteside
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part One)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
How To Enter Writing Contests and Survive (Part Two)
by Laurin Wittig and Pam Poulsen
So You’re Going to Scotland . . . The Inside Scoop on What You Need to Know Before You Go
by Pam Poulsen and Laurin Wittig
By Danielle M. Angeline
(From the April 2005 issue of the Update.)
I don’t know if it’s my age or just plain stupidity, but lately I’ve had some crazy mishaps that I have been able to incorporate into my writing. Since I turned forty, I’ve been much more adventuresome and have developed this willingness to “try new things.”
Two years ago, my immediate family of twenty gathered in the mountains just north of Colorado Springs for our annual summer vacation. Since we are spread out across the country and only see each other once a year, it was exciting to be surrounded by my four sisters, their families, and my dad.
A few days into our camping week, my rambunctious nieces wanted to go horseback riding. I thought I’d tag along and watch because I wasn’t all that hyped about horseback riding—it’s something I’ve never done. My sisters encouraged me to “try something new”. Then the trail rider—conveniently he was a very handsome gentleman—explained I had to sign a release in the event I was injured. The words screamed in my head, “Don’t do it!” But, my stupidity and my sisters won, and I signed on the dotted line. The top of my horse’s tail was even with the top of my head, and I had to use steps to mount the too-big-of-a-horse-for-me. I managed, despite the hour and half trail ride, temperatures in the mid-nineties, and lack of water.
Nearing the end of our adventure, I was parched, my derrière hurt, and my legs were numb when this beautiful, majestic creature broke into a trot. Panic set in; the horse went one way and I the other. I ended up face down in the dirt with bruises appearing almost instantly on my body. The oh-so-handsome trail rider was more concerned about the horse than me. He ended up taking our horses back to the stables, and I was left behind—alone and in pain! I cursed, walking that last quarter mile in the blazing sun, hoping and praying one of my sisters would come to my rescue, but no one did. Later, I found out that the “hottie” trail rider told them I was fine.
While my horseback riding adventure seemed tragic at the time, I now laugh when I retell my story. This is what being a romance writer is all about—turning real life into fiction! Instead of me as the main character, how about substituting a fictional character named Kate, a powerful, corporate lawyer from New York City into my trail riding experience. Unable to cope with her fiancé breaking off their engagement, Kate hops on a plane to visit her one sister—not four—at her Colorado horse ranch. One of the ranch hands, Nick, (Mr. Hottie Trail Rider) encourages Kate to go horseback riding with him. Unfortunately, the horse is too much for her to handle, and she takes a fall. Kate’s horse breaks out into a gallop, and Nick goes after him, leaving her to fend for herself. As she wanders the vast countryside, her temper is raging and so is the storm on the horizon.
When she returns, Nick is nowhere to be found and neither is her sister, who went into town to pick up her feed order. As daylight turns to night, Kate is still fuming. She decides to do what she knows best—use her lawyer smarts to sue the ranch hand. But when there is a knock on the door, Kate is surprised to be greeted by a clean-shaven Nick, gripping a huge bouquet of wildflowers and possessing a smile that could melt any woman’s wounded heart.
I was so inspired by this real life event that it’s already been turned into a manuscript. And while I continue to try new things, I am still encountering mishaps, like the snow tubing tumble I experienced this past weekend. Again, I have another real life occurrence that just might end up in one of my books. These adventures may eventually become hazardous to my well-being but for now, I find it fun and challenging to turn and twist these factual events into fiction.
As for my family vacation this year, we’re going to the beach. I’ve already stocked up on the sun-block but I find myself wondering if “Jaws” will be lurking too close to the shore line, or if one of my sisters will dare to suggest parasailing. Regardless, I’m sure there will be another event in my life that may be worth turning into fiction.
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Danielle M. Angeline is an associate editor for the WRW Newsletter. She is currently working on a new project, entitled Someone’s Hero.
