Why Does the RWA Implosion Matter to All Writers?
What’s going on with RWA? Here’s why all writers—even those who don’t write romance—should care about a situation that’s far beyond “in-fighting.”
Pin It
Write Romance? Announcing a New Workshop!
Downloaded over 60,000 times, my Romance Beat sheet helps writers of all levels build romance stories. But how do we use this extremely popular tool?
Pin It
What Makes a Writer a “Real” Author?
What makes someone a “real” writer or a “real” author? Let’s look at the question of what makes a writer “real” from a different perspective.
Pin It
Romance Love: Happy Valentine’s Day!
It’s often not easy to be a romance author, and the time around Valentine’s Day can be especially trying. A whole day (or week) focused on love and romance brings out all types of naysayers for the romance genre.
Pin It
Romance and the Language of Consent
I’m proud to write romance, so it’s no surprise that the #MeToo movement has prompted a lot of thoughts in me about the role of the romance genre in women’s lives.
Pin It
Sexy Scenes: Open Door or Closed Door?
There’s no right or wrong answer for how to depict intimacy in our writing—only what’s right for our story. The “right” amount can depend on our genre, our characters, their situation, their emotional journey, and our target audience.
Pin It
Dread Writing Sexy Scenes? 5 Tips for Success
Whatever genre we write, we often have to write scenes that make us uncomfortable. For many, sexy scenes are high on that discomfort scale.
Pin It
When Is a Shocking Scene Necessary…or Gratuitous?
As authors, we need to be careful when dealing with shocking, horrifying, or potentially problematic story elements. Let’s explore the steps we can go through to figure out the right approach for our genre, story, and characters.
Pin It
Subjectivity and Reader Shaming
If we write genre fiction, we might bemoan the lack of respect, but the same lack of respect occurs at the reader level too. Readers of science fiction, fantasy, graphic novels, young adult, and romance have also been looked down on. Many outsiders have attempted to make readers ashamed of their reading choices by judging by subjective measures.
Pin It
Banned Books? Or Freedom to Write and Read?
This week is Banned Books Week, an annual event sponsored by the American Library Association celebrating the freedom to read. Many have already blogged about the political aspects of this event, so I’m tackling this issue from a less serious perspective. Sort of. *smile*
Pin It