I just saw this on Nicola Marsh's blog.
The Mills and Boon UK team are fast-tracking submissions for Harlequin Romance!
"...we’ll be launching a fast track submission period! Anyone who sends us their first chapter and synopsis between 14th March and 23rd April will hear back from us less than ONE MONTH after the closing date, before the 18th May.
"The email address to send your submission to is romancefasttrack@hqnuk.co.uk.
"Please attach your first chapter and short synopsis to the email as well as a short query letter, letting us know how much of the manuscript is complete. Please note, we’ll be looking at only one submission per person."
I'm still out of action but that doesn't mean you have to be! Go on, finish those next few chapters, write your synopsis and query letter and hit send!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Out
Hi everyone
I am apologising for the lack of posts and comments on your blogs at present. I am currently laid low with neck and head problems so just getting out of bed and getting the kids to school is a struggle so everything else has been on the slide.
I hope to be back in action in a few weeks. Hopefully the Chiro, accupuncture and physio will soon see me right.
Keep writing everyone.
I am apologising for the lack of posts and comments on your blogs at present. I am currently laid low with neck and head problems so just getting out of bed and getting the kids to school is a struggle so everything else has been on the slide.
I hope to be back in action in a few weeks. Hopefully the Chiro, accupuncture and physio will soon see me right.
Keep writing everyone.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Digging Deeper
I'm talking about characters.
Yep, to make our readers enjoy our stories, to fall in love with our characters, we have to make them believable, real. 3D characters are what gives life to your work and makes it memorable.
Disney is great for giving us lasting themes to pull apart and use for our characters. Time-worn but loveable themes like Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella are used over and over again.
I watched The Princess and the Frog for about the fifth time on Saturday night with my kids and it struck me why i like it so much.
Sure it's got the jaunty music, a handsome prince and some comedic secondary characters. But what really got me was the message behind Tiana, the lead. She is a hard-working girl, doing everything she can to achieve her dream. There is no waiting for Prince Charming, she's taking life by the reins and getting herself her dream, all by herself.
However, this is where we discover, with the help of the catchy song by the Cajun Priestess Mama Odie, that in order for Tiana to realise her real dream (that being something that she didn't know she's always wanted!), she has to dig deeper.
How is this relevant to our writing? To your characters?
To make your characters 3D, lovable, believable and root-worthy (get your mind out of the gutter!) they need to walk onto that first page with a dream, or with something that they want with a passion. As the story progresses, they clash with other characters or they are forced by excellent plot devices to realise that their dream is deeper than they realised (but that we, the knowing reader always suspected!), and this gives them that 3-dimensionality that keeps readers turning the pages.
It is also part of a characters growth known as the character arc. Another excellent way to make our characters believable and real, but that may be ideal for another post!
Happy writing :)
Yep, to make our readers enjoy our stories, to fall in love with our characters, we have to make them believable, real. 3D characters are what gives life to your work and makes it memorable.
I watched The Princess and the Frog for about the fifth time on Saturday night with my kids and it struck me why i like it so much.
Sure it's got the jaunty music, a handsome prince and some comedic secondary characters. But what really got me was the message behind Tiana, the lead. She is a hard-working girl, doing everything she can to achieve her dream. There is no waiting for Prince Charming, she's taking life by the reins and getting herself her dream, all by herself.
However, this is where we discover, with the help of the catchy song by the Cajun Priestess Mama Odie, that in order for Tiana to realise her real dream (that being something that she didn't know she's always wanted!), she has to dig deeper.
How is this relevant to our writing? To your characters?
To make your characters 3D, lovable, believable and root-worthy (get your mind out of the gutter!) they need to walk onto that first page with a dream, or with something that they want with a passion. As the story progresses, they clash with other characters or they are forced by excellent plot devices to realise that their dream is deeper than they realised (but that we, the knowing reader always suspected!), and this gives them that 3-dimensionality that keeps readers turning the pages.
It is also part of a characters growth known as the character arc. Another excellent way to make our characters believable and real, but that may be ideal for another post!
Happy writing :)
Friday, February 10, 2012
MIA
Hello everyone
I feel like i've fallen off the face of the Earth i haven't been on the 'net much at all this year so far!
The past two weeks i've been struggling with massive headaches and this time they aren't associated with my migraine disorder, rather i seem to have done something to my neck.
*Sigh*
Slowly i am getting back into it. I've been to a few sessions with a physio and have an acupuncturist appointment this afternoon (i hate needles to this will be interesting!!).
The aim is to be able to move in the morning without feeling nauseous and having lie down every 10 minutes! Thank goodness for the husband.
So, sorry for not being present, hopefully i will be back in action soon!
I feel like i've fallen off the face of the Earth i haven't been on the 'net much at all this year so far!
The past two weeks i've been struggling with massive headaches and this time they aren't associated with my migraine disorder, rather i seem to have done something to my neck.
*Sigh*
Slowly i am getting back into it. I've been to a few sessions with a physio and have an acupuncturist appointment this afternoon (i hate needles to this will be interesting!!).
The aim is to be able to move in the morning without feeling nauseous and having lie down every 10 minutes! Thank goodness for the husband.
So, sorry for not being present, hopefully i will be back in action soon!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Google Reader
Do you or don't you?
I hadn't used this, as i just follow my fav blogs using the links to the side of mine. But after Leah Ashton's insightful post on the ease and how to, i am now using Google Reader!
Have a look at the post and if you haven't signed up, i suggest you do!
I hadn't used this, as i just follow my fav blogs using the links to the side of mine. But after Leah Ashton's insightful post on the ease and how to, i am now using Google Reader!
Have a look at the post and if you haven't signed up, i suggest you do!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Writing Tip: Characters Secrets
I've just read an awesome post by fellow kiwi as-yet-but-so-close unpublished author.
I love Jackie's blog, she is so honest and she gives the best tips that she has learnt on her very rocky journey!
This post is about the BIG secret that your characters have, what seems to be the surface conflict. Jackie describes it so wonderfully potentially being the thing that drives the story and character, but what would happen if you the author revealed the big secret earlier is in the story?
You them have room to explore the deeper issues associated with the big secret. Have a read of her post and tell me what you think!
I've recently begun editing my Price of Passion (Billie and Cooper) story. Billie has a secret, and it's not until the end that Cooper finds out, but i have always wondered what would happen if she told him near the beginning? It is a wonderful opportunity to explore their deeper conflicts!
What about you? Do your characters have secrets?
I love Jackie's blog, she is so honest and she gives the best tips that she has learnt on her very rocky journey!
This post is about the BIG secret that your characters have, what seems to be the surface conflict. Jackie describes it so wonderfully potentially being the thing that drives the story and character, but what would happen if you the author revealed the big secret earlier is in the story?
You them have room to explore the deeper issues associated with the big secret. Have a read of her post and tell me what you think!
I've recently begun editing my Price of Passion (Billie and Cooper) story. Billie has a secret, and it's not until the end that Cooper finds out, but i have always wondered what would happen if she told him near the beginning? It is a wonderful opportunity to explore their deeper conflicts!
What about you? Do your characters have secrets?
Sunday, January 15, 2012
What's your colour?
At the moment we are redecorating. We have been wanting to do this since we moved in Feb 2010.
We started with the kids rooms which have been finished...well, except for the windows and doors! (we like to do things backwards)
Now, we are painting the hallway, lounge and dining (they are pretty much all linked up). This was stemmed from my son and I both being frustrated with the mess that his wardrobe is always in. We decided to build in shelves at either end, with one end having a short bar and a shelf for shoes, under which we will put a basket for his soccer ball etc.
As my husband wants to paint the inside the same as the rest of the house we have ended up choosing colours.
We started with 4 white colours - then i promptly discovered i actually hate white walls! In some houses it works but generally when i walk into a house with white walls i feel a bit uninspired. There's no personality.
I understand that white is clean and modern, but it's not me.
We love our colours. So after my scowling all afternoon husband went back to the paint shop for more samples and came back with 4 creams.
Now this is me! It feels warmer, not so stark or prestine. I am not a tidy person - though every now and then i hate mess and just have to have things organised. I have organised mess! (mostly)
And two young children, an 8 month puppy and a cat, so prestine is not our house!
This got me to thinking about how other people feel about colours, what makes them choose the colours they do, what colours would present my characters and why.
We are actually going to use the same colour in one of my favourite pictures that i used in a scene for my story The Price of Passion, it's the greeny brown on the walls. Resene Mondo! I'm very excited about this!
So, colours.
I love bold, bright colours that represent the personality of the people in the house. But then i do love autumn colours which to me are so warm and inviting. So earthy tones too.
What colours do you like for decorating? How do you choose?
We started with the kids rooms which have been finished...well, except for the windows and doors! (we like to do things backwards)
Now, we are painting the hallway, lounge and dining (they are pretty much all linked up). This was stemmed from my son and I both being frustrated with the mess that his wardrobe is always in. We decided to build in shelves at either end, with one end having a short bar and a shelf for shoes, under which we will put a basket for his soccer ball etc.
As my husband wants to paint the inside the same as the rest of the house we have ended up choosing colours.
I understand that white is clean and modern, but it's not me.
We love our colours. So after my scowling all afternoon husband went back to the paint shop for more samples and came back with 4 creams.
Now this is me! It feels warmer, not so stark or prestine. I am not a tidy person - though every now and then i hate mess and just have to have things organised. I have organised mess! (mostly)
And two young children, an 8 month puppy and a cat, so prestine is not our house!
This got me to thinking about how other people feel about colours, what makes them choose the colours they do, what colours would present my characters and why.
We are actually going to use the same colour in one of my favourite pictures that i used in a scene for my story The Price of Passion, it's the greeny brown on the walls. Resene Mondo! I'm very excited about this!
So, colours.
I love bold, bright colours that represent the personality of the people in the house. But then i do love autumn colours which to me are so warm and inviting. So earthy tones too.
What colours do you like for decorating? How do you choose?
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