Writer Resources :

RESOURCES FOR WRITERS

Here are some helpful writing tools that have been passed my way. Some I’ve used more than others. My favorites are the conflict grid, and the “questions to answer” sheets.

~Conflict Grid

~Questions to Answer Before Each Scene

~Questions to Answer Before Starting Your Book

~Submission Tracker

I wrote a 3 Part article for romantic Times Magazine on expecting excellence from your agent. The publishing schedule for that is January, February and March 2010. Visit Romantic Times to see about getting your own copies.

The following articles were written for my local chapter newsletters.
NTRWA
DARA

~Marketing and Promotion, Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | DARA Newsletter | SW Florida RWA Chapter | Coeur de Louisiane’s online newsletter loop, Tete-a-Tete | Midwest Fiction Writers

~Agents and Editors Speak Up: Grabbing Attention Professionally and Keeping It.
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | IRNews listserve | Imagination in Flight, the New England Chapter Newsletter | The HeRA loop | The WisRWA loop | UnderCover, the electronic newsletter of the Ohio Valley Romance Writers | The MERWA eloop | The VIC-RWA loop | The Ancient City Romance Authors of St. Augustine, FL | Love Letters, newsletter for the Red River Romance Writers | The Greater Vancouver Chapter | Volusia County Romance Writers Fiction Facts newsletter supplement

~Agents and Editors Speak UP: Voice, Websites, and Marketing Plans Oh My!
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | The DARA Newsletter | The HeRA loop | The WisRWA loop | The IRNews listserve | The Ottawa’s ORWA Loveknot Newsletter | The New England Chapter Newsletter | The Bouquet of Romance, Pocono Lehigh Romance Writer’s Newsletter | The LERA’s Lyrics, the NM chapter of RWA | The Writer’s Pulse | The Write From the Heart, the newsletter of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers | Novel Ideas, the monthly newsletter of the Virginia Romance Writers | The Mid-America Romance Authors | The Nola Stars Article Loop | Love Notes, the online newsletter for Music City Romance Writers | The FTHRW Newsletter, Words From The Heart | The LIRW loop | The Inland Inklings, the newsletter of the Inland Empire Chapter of RWA | Silken Sands, the newsletter of the Gulf Coast Romance Writers | The VIC-RWA loop | RRRW newsletter Love Letters | MERWA. The eloop of the Maine chapter of RWA. | Connections, CTRWA’s newsletter | The STAR Launch Pad | Write From the Heart, the newsletter of the Central Ohio Fiction Writers | romANTICS, newsletter of the Toronto Romance Writers | The Greater Vancouver Chapter | Bouquet of Romance, Pocono Lehigh Romance Writer’s Newsletter, Easton, PA

~How to get past third base and score a grandslam!
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | The IRNews listserve | The Writer’s Pulse | The Nola Stars Article Loop | The Greater Vancouver Chapter

~ Less is More, Or is It?
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | The HeRa Loop | The WisRWA loop | romANTICS, newsletter for the Toronto Romance Writers | The Greater Vancouver Chapter | Coeur de Louisiane’s Tete-a-Tete’s loop newsletter

~The language of writers translated
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | Novel Ideas, the monthly newsletter of the Virginia Romance Writers | CONNECTIONS, the newsletter of CTRWA

~The language of writers translated, part 2
This article has been used by:
Heart to Heart, the NTRWA Newsletter | The Inklings Link (Romance Writers Ink – Tulsa, OK) | The MERWA eloop

If you are interested in using any of these articles for a newsletter or blog, please contact me by using the email address on this site.

THINGS I’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY:

1. Find an active and engaging way to word things.

2. Minimize the use of throw away words such as was, that, etc. Sometimes you have to use them, but not always.

3. When writing dialog and someone asks a question, you don’t need to say “she asked” after the ?. The punctuation mark makes it sort of obvious.

4. Don’t tell the story. Show it.
If it helps, write the story from the first person and then change the names and pronouns. Tell it as if it is happening to you, or the reader. Things like “He thought” or “She wondered” tend to remind the reader that they are in fact reading.

5. Make sure every scene serves a purpose.
What happens to move the story along or introduce something new about the character’s personality. If you don’t know or the answer is nothing, cut it.

6. Try tp use an equal amount of dialog, internal thought, description, and physical action on each page.
This isn’t always possible, but the more often you do it the faster the story moves and the more engaged your reader becomes.

7. Do your research when necessary, especially when dealing with sensitive or technical issues.
You may be writing fiction, but chances are you’ll have readers that relate to what you’ve written. Use your talent and your words responsibly.

8. Don’t say you WANT to write. Do it.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is sitting down and writing what’s in your head. Others, the words aren’t in your head, but if you allow yourself to write badly you’ll often find the words on the screen aren’t as bad as you might’ve thought. If it’s on the page it can be fixed. And never let anyone tell you that you can’t write if that’s what you want to do.

9. Associate with other writers.
Whether you have critique partners, or just writing buddies, if you associate with other writers you’ll find yourself and your skills growing.

10. Respect other writers.
If you don’t like what someone has written, find a gentle way to tell them what you don’t like or what they can improve -if you’re doing a critique for them. Generally, telling someone something once is enough. No need to bash them over the head with what you see as a shortcoming. If you aren’t doing a critique then keep the opinion to yourself rather than bashing someone elses work. Writing is subjective and what you don’t like or love the next person may. Be kind and remember that what goes around comes around.