Did you watch the Academy Awards last night? I did, at least the last couple hours of them. They were okay, and was it just me, or did they actually finish on time? Probably because they were just the wee-est bit lacking in, well, written material. It was the first thing that Suzanne and I […]

Yesterday I wrote about ways we writers might find to avoid facing the page. It is one thing to write about it, but yet another to find ways to stop such unproductive behaviors and get onto the fun work of writing.  So how does one conquer these procrastination habits?  If I had the answer to […]

Do you approach every writing session with hope, joy and expectation, eager to get to work?  If so, could you please share some of what you’ve got with me and the rest of the world.  Like the famous When Harry Met Sally Meg Ryan scene in which the old woman in the restaurant watches her […]

Yes, I’ve probably written a post with that title before, but I can’t think of another that will do quite as well. Last weekend at a party I met a columnist for one of our local papers, and he was talking about how he agonized over every word and how it took him so long […]

I know, I know, its been two weeks since I’ve posted anything.  First I was in New York City for AWP, and then I came home to the bitter reality that I had a few short days to finish a book I’ve been working on for certain publisher who shall remain nameless. This project has […]

I was critiquing a young adult novel today and launched into a wee lecture about character arcs.  Most novels and even short stories have characters who have arcs.  Just like the word implies, the arc of a character starts in one place and ends in another.  Having an arc implies change.  And, in general, when […]

In my recent post on character arcs and the Make-up Theory, I talked about how most contemporary fiction–at least fiction that is engrossing–has characters who have character arcs.  The same is true in movies, and I was recently reminded of this.  In the last week, I have seen two, count ’em, two movies, one in […]

The road to publication for erotic romance is no different than any other area of publishing.  In other words, if I could wave a magic wand and tell you the one secret that will guarantee success, I would be a millionaire.  However there is no magic secret.  Unless you consider telling a good story, with […]

For starters, don’t sneer.  Erotic romance is one of the hottest genres on the market today.  And in an economy that is constantly being threatened by recession, and an industry that is constantly bemoaning the fact that nobody reads anymore, that is saying a lot. You’ll find erotic romance novels published by big houses such […]