“All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure.” — Mark Twain

Rather tongue in cheek, but true in many ways.

Look at myself, for example.

I've been thinking today how much I enjoyed writing when I first started. I had no doubt I'd be published and that what I was writing was good.

At that time, I wasn't worried about the market trend. I wasn't worried about making the NYT list. I was interested in who my characters were, what they were doing, and what they were about to face (as I was a sadistic girl back then — I still am, but that's for a later discussion).

I was so excited with my characters and my story that in two months, I wrote a full length novel—all 400 pages, formatted properly in Courier New 12 double-spaced to fit 25 lines per page. During that time, I wrote at least twenty pages a day — single-spaced in TNR 12.

But this was in 1996, and I was writing a futuristic romance novel, back when nobody was buying such things.

Then I discovered the online loops and RWA and everything else.

Many were very helpful and well-meaning. But what I heard the most (and very frequently) was that I was doing it all wrong. You see, nobody writes such things (futuristic or paranormal, etc) because it's just not fashionable to do so. The big NY publishers will NEVER publish them. I'm wasting my time. I'll never be published. Ever.

I belonged to a small critique group, and one of the writers there encouraged me to write category. Why? Because all the big names started there, and that's what I should be writing so I can pay my dues. Harlequin/Silhouette buys more manuscripts than other big single title publishers.

So I listened. I was a newbie. What did I know, right?

I read a lot of H/S, enjoyed many, didn't like some, and got exasperated with the rest. I tried my hands at writing them. I sucked. Big time.

Why?

Because after I decided to write category, the well-meaning CP said I couldn't write about musicians, artists, actors/actresses, sports figures, dancers, etc. She said I had to write something with cowboys, ranches, secret babies, amnesiac runaway brides, matchmakers, and more cowboys. She said there was a formula to writing category, and that I should study it.

When I asked for the formula, she couldn't provide one except that I should have at least two sex scenes and throw in more cowboys, ranches, secret babies, amnesiac runaway brides, matchmakers, and … you get the idea.

In 1997, I entered college. I tried writing again, but it became a chore to write to the “formula” because I couldn't care less about cowboys, secret babies, amnesiac runaway brides, matchmakers…and more cowboys. I have nothing against people who write them — after all, I found some that are really enjoyable. But I couldn't write them.

Sucks to be me.

So I stopped writing when spending time with my characters stopped being fun in 1998.

Then I discovered Dara Joy. But everyone said she was an exception and that I should never ever write futuristic or paranormal because I was never gonna sell if I did, and nobody wrote such things and expected to sell.

I listened.

Again.

I tried another “trend” again.

And failed. Again.

By then, I just gave up on writing romance altogether. I'd think up some other stories — most fantasy and science fiction. Why? Because nobody I know from SFF told me I'd never sell if I write about weird creatures or make up stuff about history or whatever.

As long as my story made sense and people enjoyed it, it was OK.

But I didn't write them because I wasn't sure if I wanted to be a writer at that time. Money was good in consulting although I worked hellish hours.

There are times I really wish I never heard of the words “market trends”. I wish people wouldn't tell me what the editors and agents are buying (the kind of stories they want) and what kind of stuff I should write so that I can become published.

Perhaps Mark Twain was right. All you need to succeed in life is ignorance and confidence.

Not that I'm going to fire mine — just wanted to clear that up — but I wanted to direct many of you to Tess Gerritsen's wonderful article titled “Should I Fire My Agent?” I cannot believe her first agent tried to defraud her!!!!!

Anyway, very interesting and illuminating. I don't know how writers did it before the Internet & Writers Beware.

I already have a few who I really like, but would like to try it out with one or two more people. I’ve included a short questionnaire of sort so you know what I’m expecting and what I can offer, so you can decide if you want to give it a go or not. :)

What do you write?

Paranormal, SF and fantasy romance, ST length. My writing tends to have explicit sex and violence (but not erotic). If you don't enjoy para / SFF romance, please do not respond. I'm looking specifically for people who read and/or write them.

What do you read?

I read just about everything, except inspirational, category (I used to read SD and HP a lot, but I don't read them that much anymore since I no longer write them and I have so many other books (ST) that I want to read), western / ranch / cowboys and American historical romance. When I say American historical romance, I mean historical romance set in the States / North America. I like European historical romance though.

I read erotic, but I'm very very particular about it, so I may not be a good fit.

How long have you been writing?

4 years.

What have you accomplished writing-wise?

I sold a contemporary romance novel to Samhain this year, and also signed with an agent recently.

What are you writing strengths?

Plotting. Pacing.

What are you trying to improve on?

Angsty alpha heroes. I really want to do them better. This is my big craft goal for the rest of the year. (I have a quarterly and/or semiannual craft goal, where I pick an area and try to improve.)

My next goal is to write better bad boys. :)

How much material do you read at once?

From a scene to a partial or something even longer. It depends.

How do you crit?

My critique style has changed. These days, I read as a reader first. I ask myself, “Am I engaged? Do I like it? Do I like / can empathize with the protagonist? Do I want to read more?”

If the answers range from “It's okay” to “meh” to “I don't get it at all”, then I sit down and think about what made me feel that way. Was I ever confused? Was the pacing off? Was it the way things were worded? Did the h/H do something that annoyed me and/or make me go “Ugh. No way.”?

Then I write out a summary and comment on the actual text using Track Change & Comment Bubbles using MS Word.

BTW — I do not do fact-checking. So do not rely on me to tell you whether or not you have your facts right. I usually assume that you did your research already. (But if there are inconsistencies, I'll mention them.)

Is that how you want your crit partners to crit you?

Yep. I don't need crit partners to tell me where to put a comma or something. If there's a glaring typo that's bugging you, sure, mention it. But I'd rather fix the forest than all the little trees, unless too many of my little trees are deformed.

How fast can you crit?

Hmm. If it's a scene or a chapter, about a week or faster. If it's more, expect me to take a full week or a bit longer. But it really depends on how busy I am at that time. I have to work, write and do edits and other activities that I'm contractually obligated to do, etc. If I'm very busy, I send an email to let them know. I believe in communication. I don't want my crit partners to feel slighted or ignored. (Unless I *am* really trying to ignore you. Just kidding! ;) )

And seriously I expect the same from my CP — not in terms of turn-around time, but in terms of communication. If you're busy and it'll be a couple of weeks or whatever before you can take a look at the chapter, just let me know, and I can either wait or ask you to not crit it if I need the feedback soon and it'll be too late by then. That way we don't waste our time. BTW — when I say, “Don't bother, it's okay” I'm not mad. I appreciate the time the CP has taken to let me know.

Anything else?

• I'd like a crit partner who's completed at least two or three manuscripts and have gone through the process of revision, if not agent hunting.
• I'd also like a crit partner who sees this as a creative process as well as business.
• I don't always send a chapter every week or whatever. I don't use crit partners as my accountability partners or motivational coaches. I show things when I think they're ready. But even if that's the case if you want to send me your chapters, etc. every week, that's okay. When I don't have anything to show, I usually keep in touch with crit partners via email or IM so we don't become strangers.
• I'd love to have someone who I can celebrate my good news with. Obviously I'll be thrilled to pieces if you've accomplished a big milestone or something. :)
• I think that crit partners will be sympathetic to rejections, etc. That's obvious. :) I'll of course be sympathetic and give you a shoulder to cry on. But — this is a big but — do not expect sympathy from me if you whine about unreasonable things. For example, you got a request for full but feel angry because the agent / editor wants it snail-mailed. (It's a real story — a writer I knew got mad about that and wanted me to feel bad for her. She lived in North America, so it wasn't like she had to trek through miles of some horrible mosquito-infested jungle to get to the over-priced and unreliable post office. I live in Asia, and I snail-mailed stuff to the States when I was agent-hunting. So I didn't feel any sympathy for that writer. I mean…she got the request for full. What more could she possibly want? *shrug*)
• Please do not ask me to be your crit partner because you are never motivated to write and you need a motivational coach of sort. If you aren't motivated at all to write, you need to ask yourself “why not?” Maybe you don't feel like writing anymore or something. There's no shame in quitting if you don't find writing enjoyable at all, esp. if it doesn't impact your ability to feed yourself and your family. There's no way I can make you write if you don't want to write. I'm not your mom or your husband or whatever.
• Please do not ask me to be your crit partner so you can have me fix your grammar. Several years ago, a new potential CP told me, “I don't need to know how to punctuate (or insert any other grammatical issues) because that's what crit partners are for.” Needless to say, our CP relationship ended very fast. If you need that much help with grammar, you need to take a class, not seek a crit partner.

If you're interested and/or want to talk, email me or leave a comment.

Some of my writing friends and I have been talking about what makes us hacks. After all, what writer hasn't doubted herself at least once or twice in her writing career? I think Steven Pressfield sums it up beautifully below:

A hack, he [Robert McKee] says, is a writer who second-guesses his audience. When the hack sits down to work, he doesn't ask himself what's in his own heart. He asks what the market is looking for.

The hack condescends to his audience. He thinks he's superior to them. The truth is, he's scared to death of them or, more accurately, scared of being authentic in front of them, scared of writing what he really feels or believes, what he himself thinks is interesting. He's afraid it won't sell. So he tries to anticipate what the market (a telling word) wants, then gives it to them.

— from The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

Therefore, I told my writing friends that as long as we're writing something that sings to us, makes us really believes in it and allows us to be authentic, then we're OK. :)

Disclaimer: I'm a member of Romance Divas, but not an admin or owner. Please note that the workshops are free and run by volunteers. Thanks.

The Romance Divas annual Not Going to Conference Conference will make you feel a bit less deprived! Amazing workshops, a star-studded guest list and awesome giveaways, all on the Diva forum! Don't miss it!

Coordinated by Seeley deBorn!

Here's a bit of a schedule update for the Q&As and Workshops…

Wednesday, July 30

Paula Guran, Editor, Juno Books
Q&A on Creating Kick a** Heroines

Laurie Rauch, Editor, Samhain Publishing
Workshop on What Happens After the Contract (aka Editors are People Too!)*

Thursday July 31

Joyce Hart, Hartline Literary
Q&A on Inspirational Romance Stories and the Inspy Market

Sandra Schwab, Historical Romance Author
Workshop on Historical Accuracy and Anachronisms

Friday, August 1

Yolanda Sfetsos, Author of Guarded by Stone
Q&A on Paranormal and Urban Fantasy World Building

Katie MacIver, KatieDidDesign
Workshop on Website Design and Color Selection

Saturday, August 2

Joey W. Hill, Erotica Author
Workshop on Plotting Erotica and Erotic Romance

Rhonda Stapleton, Editor and Author
Workshop on Style and Voice

Excited yet?
How about if I list some door prizes?

• What Gwen said” mug donated by Gwen Hayes
• 3-chapter critique of a YA by Simon Pulse author Rhonda Stapleton
• 3-chapter critique of a YA, chick lit, or rom com by Golden Heart Finalist Amanda Brice
• An ebook of your choice from Nell Dixon's backlist
• An ebook of either Second Sight (paranormal romance) or Dragons' Choice (fantasy romance – dragon-shifters) from Debbie Mumford
• Ten dollar Amazon gift certificate from Jodi Henley
• Lush stuff from Seeley deBorne
• e-book copy of Chasing Shadows from Erin Richards
• Paperback copy of Iron Horse Rider OR Smiling Eyes from Adelle Laudan
• Book thongs from Angeleque Ford
• 3 chapter critique from Sela Carsen
• winner's choice of ebook copy of “Not Quite Dead” or “Heart of the Sea” by Sela Carson
• e-book copy of HEATWAVE by Eden Bradley
• e-book copy of BREAKING SKYE by Eden Bradley
• a box of goodies, trade and paperbacks, bath products candles, etc… All for a fun and relaxing home spa day treat. courtesy of The Midnight Moon Cafe
• 1 download each of Natasha Moore's Samhain books, The Ride of Her Life and The Passion-Minded Professor
• a copy of “Painted Soul” by Mary Quast
• e-book copy of HER CINDERELLA COMPLEX by Jenna Bayley-Burke – Samhain
• e-book copy of PAR FOR THE COURSE by Jenna Bayley-Burke – Samhain
• e-book copy of FOUND by Jenna Bayley-Burke – Wild Rose Press
• e-book copy of NIGHT OF INSPIRATION by Jenna Allen – Phaze
• e-book copy of ON AGAIN by Jenna Allen – Phaze
• $10 gc to Amazon from Kendal Corbitt
• ebook Vampire Oracle: Harmony by MG Braden

Plus a lovely bar of wonderful Chagrin Valley hand made soap, Caramel Pralines jar candle, handmade jewelry, Tarot readings, a Lush box for European Divas/Dudes, a $10 fictionwise gc and much more!

I've heard many people say they just want to write something “good enough” to be published. After all, it's not like they're writing a Shakespearean play, right?

Wrong.

How can you be a good writer if you plan to do just enough to get by? How can you call yourself an artist?

Some people actually say, “But it's just romance (or insert any other genre)! With the limitations of the genre and word count, I can't do the story any justice! What's the point of writing something deep and meaningful for just a genre novel?”

If you can't do the story justice in the genre for whatever reason, shouldn't you change your genre and/or write a literary novel? Why show such contempt for the readers and the genre when you yourself can't write the story that they want and expect from you? What are you really afraid of?

We, romance writers, bemoan lack of respect, promotional dollars, ridicule, etc. But isn't that because many of us look down upon the genre ourselves? When you're going for a job interview, do you tell the prospective employer, “I'm the best candidate for the position” or “I'm good enough for the position”?

If we hope to become published, improve the genre's image, and perhaps join the NYT bestsellerdom, we must promise ourselves to do the following:

1. Regardless of the genre — romance, mystery, SFF, etc. — we'll respect it.
2. We'll master the craft so when our Muse comes calling, we'll be able to answer the call with confidence and the right tools.
3. We'll write consistently and regularly — the only exceptions: family emergencies and/or serious illness.
4. We'll always strive to write the best book we can even if it feels like slicing our veins open with a dull spoon at times. There are times you absolutely just love writing, but there will be times when you hate it (because you're revising or whatever). Suck it up because it's all going to pass. (And if it never does….well…then you should probably reconsider your decision to be a writer.)

When we do all of the above, we'll be one step closer to our writing goals. And please don't say you tried. “Tried” isn't good enough.