Renee's Rambling Writing Tips

First, you have to be selfish.

I know that sounds wrong, wrong, wrong. Haven't we always been taught that selfishness is a bad thing? Well, in many situations it is. But if you intend to be a writer, the first thing you have to do is stick your backside in a chair and face a blank computer screen.

Anyway, sitting down and forcing words out through your fingertips is hard to do. Where do you start? What do you write about? How do you spell Thesaurus? And the basic sitting-down-and-writing part certainly isn't made any easier if there's a spouse and children accustomed to having your undivided attention day and night. Things can get tense when they're suddenly being shushed and waved away. Then there are the friends who feel they can call you and say, "Hey, mind watching my darling Zorro today, while I have my elbows sanded?"

Your answer to these requests is, "I can't. I'm writing." Memorize these two sentences. Print them on the inside of your arm and read them aloud if you must.

But, what if your spouse says, "Honey, let's go to a movie." Your answer is, "I can't. I'muhwhat's the movie?" NO! NO! NO! READ YOUR WRIST!

Actually, I'm not saying you have to ignore your children and get a divorce. Not at all. But there will be times, probably lots of them, when you really DON'T want to do what you're being asked to do. These are the times when you must give yourself permission to be selfish and say, "I can't. I'm writing."

Know Your Market

While you're learning to be selfish, you need to decide what you want to write. If it's Romance, you need to read the lines to find out how they're different, so you'll know where to market your work.

I always shake my head in wonder at the folks who think they can write Romance and not even do basic research! If you're scratching your head about what the difference might be between a Traditional romance and a Short Contemporary, then you probably don't know what separates Short Contemporary from Long Contemporary either (and, no, it's not JUST length).

Some lines are heavy into humor, some into angst. Do you know which lines want which? Some lines like alpha heroes who are arrogant movers-and-shakers, while some like the sweet, sensitive guy next door. Writing Romance successfully is HARD WORK!

As Romance lines evolve, they have tended to grow more and more divergent, developing distinctively. Your romance idea is unlikely to be interchangeable between lines.

Are you a member of Romance Writers of America? There are local chapters all over the country, with a national convention every summer. Attending regional RWA conferences or the national conference will aid you in determining your most promising markets.