It’s my pleasure to introduce Donna Hatch, our guest blogger. Donna writes Regency Romance and is giving us insight into the balls of that period.
Welcome to Happy Endings Donna.
Anyone who’s read Regency-set novels may have at one point asked the question: “Why does practically every Regency novel contain a ball?”
There’s a very good answer to that question and it isn’t because authors have no imagination. It’s because balls and dancing were a vital part of social life and courtship. Children at a very young age were taught to dance, even …
I know, I know! I said I was going to do SPACES today. But it turned out to be an incredibly long entry, even when I barely blitzed over a couple of the topics. So I’ve split the last word in half, and I’ll finish it next time.
This is the third installment of the Scene Checklist I call THE GOLF SPACES, a powerful tool for making sure each scene has all the elements of strong fiction.
In the first entry, we covered THE: Tension, Hyperbole and Emotional Shift. Last week, we discussed GOLF: Goal, Object, …
Due to deadlines in life, I need to postpone my next installment on the Cornerstones of Voice workshop. However, in the meantime, I’d like to share some terrific links that discuss voice. They are definitely worth the read:
From Rachelle Gardner at Wordserve Literary on Craft, Story & Voice and in another link, What is Writer’s Voice.
Gina Holmes at Novel Journey on Finding Your Voice
Nathan Bransford of Curtis Brown Ltd. on How to Craft a New Voice.
An Agent’s Perspective on Voice, at Writer Unboxed, by Elisabeth Weed.
Next week, we’ll resume …
My post will, sadly, be very short today. I’m nursing a severe case of strep throat (fun!) and haven’t had much time for anything other than sleeping and praying before I swallow.
Amongst my rare trips to the computer this week, I found an email from an editor at The Wild Rose Press. She really liked the revisions I made to the WIP I sent and is sending it along to the reading team. So some encouraging news!
My chapter, LIRW’s, luncheon is a week from today (June 11). I’ll be taking …
Yesterday morning, I got up, started a pot of coffee (God’s gift to deep sleepers), settled in to read my emails and promptly rushed to…well, I don’t want to offend any delicate senses, so I’ll just say it wasn’t pretty. My gut was churning acid. And no, I didn’t have the flu. Or food poisoning. I had a looming speaking engagement. What had I done? I don’t DO public speaking. Not even in front of my own family. What gremlin had possessed me to think I could stand up in …
Ever say that when you’re talking about something fun? “So many books, so little time.” That’s when it’s the best right? When we have so many fun things we would like to do and there’s just not enough time in the day.
Boy, do I wish that were the case today. Nope, instead I’m thinking about galley edits on one book, 1st round edits on 2 others, this blog post, promo material to format and CD’s to burn for RomCon, a RWA chapter meeting program to give today, and about 5 other pressing items on …
I’m a writer. Right? My job is to create a story (or blog) from thin air and then draft sentences from seemingly random words to tell that story or relay sage advice. Sounds easy. Right? It is. Usually. Mostly. Sometimes. Okay, not today. Iffy is full of BBQ brisket, baked beans, and deviled eggs.
You forget.
Forget what, Iffy?
I only do fiction.
Well…this is fiction.
In your dreams.
Yes, yes, you are.
We aren’t going there again, are we? I am NOT a figment of your imagination.
Are, too.
Am not!
Okay, whatever. I still need you to be …
Today, we’re continuing with our “Finding Your Voice” workshop – a series of Monday posts that will focus on helping you to find the cornerstones of your writer’s voice. As a writer, everything you do – from writing an authentic story to establishing a strong brand – builds from your distinction, from your personality, from everything that makes you who you are. It means knowing what defines you as a person, as well as a writer. So fair warning: this series will ask that you shine a spotlight on you, the person, and probably pick at some of those emotional scars you bear. Without doing so, it’s impossible to bring yourself honestly to the table of your writing.
I’m thrilled to welcome Linda Epstein, Submissions Manager at The McVeigh Agency. Please give her a warm Happy Endings welcome!
Mixing Metaphors and Peeting Peeves
by Linda Epstein
I work at a literary agency. I think I have the greatest job in the world, because I get to cull through queries looking for fantastic writers and great manuscripts. The other day we had over forty (that’s 40!) queries come in. Just in one today. Every day our slush pile grows steeper and steeper (can slush be steep?) and I dive in, looking for …
As I perused the yearly list of shows I loved that are no longer, shows I have never watched that managed to get a fiftieth season, and the new shows coming up for next year, I found one called Happy Endings. So, of course, I had to watch and because I really enjoyed the preview — and even laughed out loud at one point–I had to share it with you.
Now I could attempt to find some writing-related context to share this video with you, but really, there isn’t one. It …
As I mentioned two weeks ago, I’ve started the first revision of a rough draft that I wrote from scene cards. I go over each scene with a checklist, to make sure all the elements of a strong scene are included.
When I’m finished, with rare exceptions, the scenes just sing. I think I’m leap-frogging over several revision passes by doing it this way.
I created an acronym to remember each element: THE GOLF SPACES, and I thought I’d share the tool with you. Last time, I covered THE: Tension, Hyperbole and …
We all want recognition for our work, of which, the ultimate goal is no doubt publication—with a second and third print run to cement our success.
But along the way to publication, there are other ways for a writer to evaluate their progress, and while we’ve discussed the benefits of critique partners and similar groups before on this blog, I thought today we could talk about the bene’s (and maybe not so bene’s) of writers contests.
The thing to remember about contests is that choosing which ones to enter should involve just …
Your writer’s voice, that is. If you’re like me, hearing your speaking voice on a message always sounds odd. (Because of course, in my mind, I fantasize that I sound like Kathleen Turner…) But the Writer’s “Voice” is far more elusive, like you’re in a perpetual game of Hide and Seek and your “voice” is always winning.
First, the prerequisite “definition” from Wikipedia:
Writer’s voice is the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer’s use of …
Today, I’m going to direct you to my monthly feature at Romance University — today’s topic is on websites, geared specifically for the unpublished writer. Do you need a website? If you have one, what should it look like? What the heck do you put ON It (and who’s looking at it, anyway?)
Be sure to stop by.
And conversely, I’m at MamaWriters today as well — talking about stepping outside of your comfort zone.
addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fjeannieruesch.com%2Fwordpress%2F%3Fp%3D3025′;
addthis_title = ‘Do+You+Really+Need+A+Website%3F’;
addthis_pub …
Today is my third “How To” blog. I debated from my list what to do this month. My muse was whispering at me – her name is Sophie – yet I was ignoring her. The one she wanted to do, I hadn’t intended to write on at all. Why?
I suck at settings and their details.
You don’t believe me?
Case in point: Manuscript in drawer: Hero’s billionaire grandfather owns a string of hotels. Bad guy chasing our hero and heroine and they hideout in several of these hotels. Forty instances of [insert …
