WRITING TIP OF THE MONTH

Due to the fact we're all at our local conference and can't moderate the list today, we're bringing you a special feature by two of our dear friends.


WRiTING TIP OF THE MONTH
By Connie Flynn & Linda Style

BASIC POINTS TO REMEMBER FOR
YOUR FIRST THREE PAGES
GMC - Goal, motivation and conflict.
Your protagonist must have a worthy goal (what he plans to accomplish during the
book).He must have believable motivation to want to carry out his goal and there
must be stress-inducing conflict. Without conflict, there is no story. These things
belong in the first three pages, not necessarily fully developed, and all belong
in the first three chapters. How soon you get to some of them depends on the type
of story you're writing.

Once you have these three elements identified, you can move on. I should add that
sometimes I start with only a vague idea of what one or all of the GMC might be,
and if I just start writing, it helps me uncover what they are.

Points for the first three pages include:

1. Start with important action - an unpublished writer doesn't have the luxury of
building up to your conflict. Something should happen immediately to hook the reader.
Every story should have a hook.
2. Develop your conflict as soon as possible- things need to be stressful. If life
is too easy for your characters, you will not hold the readers' attention.
3. Make promises-and keep them. Romance readers want romance; mystery readers expect
a good puzzle. Hint at things to come and then deliver.
4. Develop a main character your reader can identify with, worry about, and root
for.
6. Let the reader know up front what's at stake. What's the conflict? what stands
to be lost?
7. Establish the setting - Let the reader know where we are and when, and use it
to enhance the emotion.
8. The beginning must foreshadow the conclusion. Your story is not a random series
of events. All activities are carefully linked together. All plot elements must
intertwine with one another. It really helps to have an idea of the ending before
you begin...even if it changes.
9. Set the pace - to some degree, the genre will set it for you. Generally, historical romances are more leisurely, suspense moves faster.
10. Don't digress. Everything mentioned in your book must have a reason for being
there. If it doesn't advance the story line, it shouldn't be in the book. this includes gratuitous love scenes, red herrings and plot twists that don't ultimately tie in.

It's Your Dream-Never Settle!

We all have dreams, and for some of us, they are to write a novel. If this is your dream, I wish you the sincere best. As you embark on your journey as a novelist, I’d like to state, it’s YOUR dream, never settle, and second, the only path to your dream is the one YOU envision, not anyone else.

Define YOUR dream. Is it to self-publish, e-publish, publish with a large New York house, another writing venue? Regardless of what venue your choose, this is YOUR dream, not your friends, another writers, or anyone else.

One of my biggest frustrations on my writing journey is when writers submit to houses that don’t fulfill their dream, then are dissatisfied. I assure you, I understand the frustration faced in selling a novel. I received over 100 rejections before I quit counting. The bottom line is, it’s a writer’s responsibility to choose where to send their work. If the publishing house doesn’t fulfill your idea of a dream, don’t send it there – it’s that simple.

Now, if the publishing house doesn’t fulfill your idea of a dream, but you perceive it as a step toward your ultimate goal and are HAPPY with your decision, then submit your work to the target house. Looking back, if you’re not happy with your experience in working with that house, use this information as a building tool as you focus on your future. Remember, writing is a huge learning curve.

Along the way, you’ll find people with good intent who tell/advise you what you should do. Do you listen to their advice? It’s always good to weigh your options, but the bottom line is, choose what you believe is the correct path for YOU. Hey, it’s your manuscript, don’t submit it until you’ve done your homework and are thrilled about the house you’re targeting.
I wish you the sincere best as you pursue a career in writing. It’s a unique and tough challenge, but one of the most rewarding. The people you meet, writers and readers alike, touch your life, and often, become your friends. Adversity tests if we truly want our goals. Nothing worth anything is ever easy. Never give up – perseverance is the key. My sincere best to each of you as you follow your heart. Thank you for stopping by!

Diana Cosby
www.dianacosby.com

TRUSTING HER WAS UNTHINKABLE

Lady Isabel Adair is the last woman Sir Duncan MacGruder wants to see again, much less be obliged to save. Three years ago, Isabel broke

their engagement to become the Earl of Frasyer’s mistress, shattering Duncan’s heart and hopes in one painful blow. But Duncan’s promise to Isabel’s dying brother compels him to rescue her from those determined to bring down Scottish rebel Sir William Wallace.

RESISTING HER WAS IMPOSSIBLE

Betraying the man she loved was the only way for Isabel to save her father, but every moment she spends with Duncan reminds her just how much she sacrificed. No one could blame him for despising her, yet Duncan’s misgivings cannot withstand a desire that has grown wilder with time. Now, on a perilous journey through Scotland, two wary lovers must confront both the enemies who will stop at nothing to hunt them down, and the secret legacy that threatens their passion and their lives…

STRANGERS

With a wastrel brother and a treacherous former fiancé, Lady Nichola Westcott hardly expects the dangerously seductive Scot who kidnaps her to be a man of his word. Though Sir Alexander MacGruder promises not to hurt her, Nichola’s only value is as a pawn to be ransomed.

ENEMIES

Alexander’s goal is to avenge his father’s murder, not to become entangled with the enemy. But his desire to keep Nichola with him, in his home—in his bed—unwittingly make her a target for those who have no qualms about shedding English blood.

LOVERS

Now Nichola is trapped—by her powerful attraction to a man whose touch shakes her to the core. Unwilling and unable to resist each other, can Nichola and Alexander save a love that has enslaved them both?

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