Today I got quite a bit done on my story. I’m really having fun with it and I think it shows! Funny how I set this story aside and now I can’t type fast enough. Inspiration. A fickle muse.

I bought a story yesterday afternoon and got so into it I couldn’t put it down until I finished it. It’s been awhile since that happened and I grew a soft spot for the hunky tortured hero. So I wrote the author, Shelby Reed. And she wrote back. And I wrote back. And so on and so on. She’s as delightful as her story, The Fifth Favor.

I know I enjoy reading mail from people who liked the stories they found on this site, I’m certain every writer feels the same way. So the lesson learned for me today is to reach out to the writers whose work I enjoy and thank them for the wonderful hours of enjoyment I derive from their books. After all, they are the ones who inspired me to become a writer!

after a crushing day of receiving three rejections for the same work. I’ve been galvanized by the experience and have spent most of the day on a story I began a few months ago and then set aside to start two more. I have four unfinished works in various stages of completion to work on and I am pleased to be of the mind to work on this particular one again. That is the way I work. I have to feel driven to write a story or it comes out flat. Whenever an idea strikes I write it down, explore it, flesh out the charaters while the story is still alive in my mind. Then I bounce between the stories as the mood strikes me.

Over the last few months I’ve had a few of my contest entries returned to me and I’m keeping in mind the judge’s comments as I work on this story. For any aspiring writers who read my blog I strongly recommend entering into contests. The feedback is invaluable. (it’s also great for the ego when you score well!) I would also recommend a good critique group. I would like to find one. I would love the opportunity to read other’s works-in-progress and I would value critiques of my own work, brutal or not. Better to hear it (and correct it!) before you submit.

Now, back to my writing. Have to strike while the iron is still hot…

Well, as far as days go, today was not that great. I have a story (my first ever written story) that consistently ranks in the top ten of contests and has been solicted from partials.

But, damnit, for the life of me I can’t find an agent to represent it!

Today I went to check my mail and found three (yes, three!) agent rejections for this work. Personalized, very nice rejections, but rejections all the same. That has been my history with this particular story. Agents “enjoy” it but don’t take it on. They want me to send something else instead. In my experience, finding an agent has been harder than getting published. Most agents these days seem to want you to sell your story on your own and then call them to represent you after you have the contract in hand. So many stories I hear about writers who finally snag the agent of their dreams by first selling their work to the publisher directly.

For several moments I was despondent.

And then I went to my computer, pulled up another story that was solicited by a publisher, and read it. Within moments I felt better. I hadn’t re-read the story in months, having moved on to other stories, and I was surprised at how much I like it. I remembered slowly that I’m pretty talented, people like what I write, and the story I can’t sell is my first. Have I gotten better since then? Certainly.

I have a quote on the right of this page:
“You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you’re working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success – but only if you persist.”
–Isaac Asimov (1920 – 1992)

And that’s what I’ll do. I’ll continue to polish it and send it out until there’s no one left to send it to. In the meantime I’ll write and sell my other stories. I’ll keep my head up. I’ll remember that Jayne Ann Krentz wrote seventeen novels before she sold her first one. I’ll remember that I’ve already sold and I’m nowhere near seventeen stories yet. I’ll remember that everyone gets rejected during their careers from Stephen King to Nora Roberts. I’ll remember that the rejections are personal and encouraging. I’ll refuse to be despondent.

Still, rejection sure does sting sometimes.

Events today have reminded me of the wonderful sisterhood shared by romance authors. There was a PROgress article I read in an issue of the Romance Writers Report (March 2004, Volume 24, Number 3) that sums it up nicely:

“An aspect of RWA that has always intrigued me is the mentorship offered by published members to unpublished-yet-hopeful members. In business, such behavior is an anomaly. It would be interesting to see hard data from psychological studies on romance authors in comparison with other professions to discover why we are such wonderful people.” –Mary E. McCall, RWA-PRO Chairperson

I had a question about the submission process of a particular publishing house. When I couldn’t get the answer I needed from the house directly I decided to contact two published authors from that house. Both of them responded within hours, answering my questions, forwarding my e-mail to the appropriate people, and offering their advice. I couldn’t believe how wonderful they were, how helpful and sincere they were with their assistance. Both of them wrote to me more than once, sharing their time (time they could have been writing, therefore valuable time) to assist me.

Later in the day I was surprised, pleased, and excited to discover links to my site on a couple other author’s websites. How wonderful it is to know that someone else is willing to introduce me to their fans and readers, sharing their moment of someone’s attention with me.

Truly, Ms. McCall was dead on in her observation. Only in the world of romance writers do we nurture others who could end up being our competition. We are thrilled when we hear about the sales of their manuscripts (Sure, we’re a little envious, but we’re still thrilled for them!) We showcase writing tips and advice on our websites, we display links for other writers, we reply to e-mails asking us how someone else can write romances too.

There are many reasons that I’m proud to be a romance author. But meeting and working alongside such wonderful women is one of the best reasons of all!

When I woke up this morning and checked my inbox there was an e-mail from a writer who had found my site. She asked me a question that I’ve been asked a few times already and so I thought I’d address it here. My answer has to do with writing from the heart and getting published, so it’s relevent (I believe) to the purpose of my blog.

The question was (in a nutshell) – Do I write only Regency-set romances or do I explore other time periods?

The answer – I write in most sub-genres–historical, Regency, contemporary, futuristic, romantica, and paranormal. (I don’t write Westerns.)

I believe I get asked about writing Regencies for two reasons. First, because the stories highlighted on the index page of my site are both Regencies and second, because the market is saturated with Regency-set stories.

Now we get to writing from the heart.

Lucien’s Gamble is a Regency only because I’d read the publisher’s other releases, noticed that they had very few Regency-set stories, and believed that they would want more to fill the gap. I wrote to the demands of the market. A Love for All Time, the story appearing in Arabella Magazine early next year, is a vampire Regency for the same reason. Arabella was looking for more historicals and vampire stories. Because I’m still new to the publishing business I follow publisher guidlelines as closely as possible. I’m not sorry. Lucien Remington is now a favorite romance hero of mine. Gorgeous and tortured, he turns from his sinner’s ways to win the hand of a good woman. *sigh*

I’ve read tons of books where I said, “How the hell did she get away with writing that?” But I already know the answer. The author established a name for herself and a following of readers that afforded her leniency with her publisher. The house knew she was going to sell, just from her name. I don’t have that luxury yet, but one day I hope to. One of the reasons I starting writing romantica is because of it’s freedom from convention. Sapphire’s Worth is a Cinderella/Pretty Woman-type story of a concubine who wins the heart of a prince. Fallen woman? You can’t get more fallen than a prostitute. I would never have been able to write it for a traditional publishing house.

But the books I submit to mainstream houses follow their guidelines. Why not write what’s in my heart? Well, first of all everything I write is from my heart. But I admit, sometimes I set aside a story that I really feel passionately about to write a story that I have to fall in love with slowly. Some would consider this selling out, I consider it paying my dues. When a story I wrote to guidelines gets solicited, it eases the sting of rejections I receive for works I wrote from the heart. Publishers want to sell books, I want to write books from my heart. One doesn’t necessarily negate the other. I try to find a balance of both.

I love all of my heros and heroines, regardless of how they were conceived. I love their stories and their worlds, regardless of where they live. And if writing them to court the market gets me sold–more’s the better.

Tell me what you think about this. (But be kind. I’m a writer and therefore very sensitive!)
:blush:

Well, I did it. I broke down and asked my wonderful web designer to build me a blog. She asked me in the infant stages of building this site if I wanted a blog and I declined.

Why?

Really, I didn’t think I’d have anything of interest to say. Talking about my daily life would be boring. (I’m a writer–I sit at a computer most of every day and write. Exciting, huh? :plain: ) I enjoy reading other writer’s blogs (not all blogs, but some) but that is usually because the writer is someone I know or because they’re witty and entertaining. Some I read for their insight into the publishing business. Which brings me to the reason I started my own blog.

Some author websites have wonderfully informative sections titled “For Writer’s” and they contain great information on becoming a writer. As a new author, my site does not yet have a section specifically for writer’s. (I’m still learning the ropes myself, I’m certainly not qualified to teach them! :blush: ) Because of the lack of writer’s tips on my site I receive e-mails from readers asking questions about becoming a published writer or what it’s like to live the life of a writer. And truthfully, at this stage I enjoy the e-mails and responding to each one individually. (So if you have a question, feel free to send it my way! )

But I can’t detail the day-to-day process–the letters I receive from agents and publishers, the phone calls, etc. etc.–in every individual e-mail. So it is my intent to share that information here, in lieu of a “For Writer’s” section on my site.

I hope you find my trials and triumphs to be informative, interesting, and maybe even entertaining. After all, the life of a writer is the best life of all! (To me anyway! *g*)

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at your typewriter and open a vein.” -Red Smith