The HEA Cafe

Obviously not all that I learned. But perhaps some of it.

This was my first signing at RWA, though not my first conference, so that was pretty exciting. It is a whole different experience sitting at the table, than wandering around buying books and visiting friends, and frankly for the first time I felt like a real author. Oh, I have been a published author for quite a while, but this felt real. Perhaps it was the fact that my books and my name were on the table in front of me and JR Ward was sitting nearby, with a line up.
I did go to some workshops. I learned that my focus on workshops have changed. I mostly went to panels on web presence and branding and publicity. Nothing about writing at all. Not that I couldn’t always use help with the writing, but I really need help with the promotion side of the business
I and some of my chapter mates here at RWA online, who are also American Title Finalists, and two of the other American Title Finalists gave a workshop–on Saturday morning at 8:30 am. People actually came to hear us talk. And we had fun. I’m thinking our audience had fun too, because they stayed to the end. Mind you, that might have been because we bribed them with door prizes, but that was fun too.

But I what I really discovered is that once you are published, networking is the name of the game at Nationals. First there are the meetings scheduled ahead of the conference, with the editor, with the agent, with the publicist. And then there are meet and greets and dinners arranged by the publishing house. And parties. The Beaumonde Soiree, the RWA online Chapter party to mention only two.
After then there are meetings with people who you only get to see once a year. It was non stop networking.

I also learned that historicals have resuscitated. Since I only write historicals, regencies in fact, this was a good thing. Series/category are doing very well at the moment also. Did I mention historicals are back?

I did want to load a picture or two, but can’t figure out how to do that.

I hope all of you who went to RWA had a productive time, and I can’t wait for Washington to roll around.

Michele Ann Young

I usually write 100K. There is something about that number that pleases my muse. Most manuscripts turn out to be that length. I need that length to get my story done. And after all, that is a single title novel.

The trouble with those novels, they take quite a bit of time to write.  Oh, I see people writing a book in a month, but for me 100,000 words is about five months. And life gets in the way, so it might even be six months. And then the publshing process can expand that so the next book might be eight months to one year.

This is where a short story or two can come in. Something a) to goose your muse. For me there is nothing like the bubbling of a new idea to sharpen my editing skills, and b) you get to have something out there between books and c) many publishers expect you to do anthologies.
That was my idea any way. Bam. As that chief says.

And writing a short story, is just the same as writing a long one.

Michele
Well actually, it is harder. Remember that “rule” about no back-story. Well it goes in spades for a short story. A short story can be 5,000 words to 30,000 words. And you still need a beginning, middle and end, you need GMC and you need a black moment and you need turning points. And you have 20 to 120 pages to get it done. Your publishing house might even require 20 pages, or a page count, or a maximum word count. So no room to fudge.

Thus,  there is no room for back story. And no room for long descriptions. You have to get to the meat of your story instantly, describe in a thumbnail, and dialogue needs to sizzle. You need to make words do double duty, e.g.  descriptions can serve conflict as well as image. Each word needs to be weighed and valued for maximum punch.

It is a super way to hone your writing skill and a great way to produce more work in a shorter space of time.

And if you are not published yet, it might be a great way to get started with a smaller house.

Writing short stories have several benefits to both the writer and the reader.
Short stories are a great way of honing your writing craft. I think this is particularly true, if you primarily write single title.

These days, people are generally trained to receive information in short bites. This goes some way to explaining why long and detailed descriptions or long passages of narrative are generally not acceptable in novels. Action and dialogue have to show the story, rather than the writer telling us.

In a short story, there is little opportunity for long exposition, a few words is all you have to provide a thumbnail sketch of your protagonists and the setting, which means evocative word choice is key. Backstory has to be minimal. And if you cut and cut, you can do it! A twenty page romance.
If you usually write full length novels, short stories are also a way to keep your readers involved between publications, if you have only one or two books come out a year.  There are anthologies, or Amazon shorts, or on -ine publishers who love novellas.  And they are fun to write. Not easy, mind.

It also gives the writer a chance to write for more than one house, to test out other publishers and even other genres.

For readers with busy lives, a short story with a happy ending, can be just what they are looking for on the ride home on the subway, or just before bed.

So if your muse needs a break from that novel you have been working on for months, why not try something short. And if your life is too busy for a 300 or 400 page book, pick up a novella. It may be just what you need for relaxation.

A question I struggled to answer for myself:

a lot of writers are asking themselves Whether ’tis nobler…. oh no, that’s something different.

But really, why do we blog? I assume that for some it is a way to unburden things to the world generally. I mean it’s not all about promotion. Look at the success Miss Snark had.  She got no business from her blog, because as far as I know, no one knew who her name. Maybe one day the secret will be revealed. And perhaps that was part of her success. But what was that all about?

Miss Giggles falls into that category only worse, she can be vicious, I hear. When I seriously started thinking about “why blog” I labeled these conflict blogs. They anonymously say all kinds of things that no reasonable person would say to your face, you hope.

Then of course there is self-promotion. There is the blatant kind by Jenny and Bob and good luck to them I say. They offer a service to writers, and writers are also readers. Lets face it, there were thousands of members of RWA who checked into and learned from it. It was humorous and never cruel (unless to each other). They did a wonderful blog course on writing

And there is this amazing group blog with my American Title 2 sisters, where we cheer each other up, support each other and tell the world what we are up to.

Then there are niche blogs too. For example historical writers who get together to talk about their works and the era they write about, Wordwenches springs to mind with some pretty hefty names.

There are Drunk Writers — yep, they are friends of mine and they talk about the writing life, their goals, and their thoughts and have a few laughs.

Oh and another question, do you need your own blog, if you are part of a group blog?

But if I did have a blog, who did I want to read it? Did I want to be a promoter or a teacher or simply a commentator on life? Readers, I thought. I wanted readers who would eventually buy my novels, and enjoy them, but with whom I created a rapport, something a website could not do.

So —To Blog or Not to Blog?

Blogs, if done faithfully, are interactive and constantly updated, which is a plus. but you have to do them faithfully, which means work.

What could I do that would be interesting to my readers, that I could maintain on a regular basis, that would also promote my writing business?

It is my experience that people who read regencies are as fascinated with the era as I am. I decided to name my blog Regency Ramble and to share my research.

Blogging can also be art form if you use it as a diary, lifewriting, it is known as in the literary world. It can be also be a tool to reach out to others with similar interests. Whichever way you decide to use it, do your research, decide on your target audience and give that audience something it wants.

The blogging experts say that:
If you can identify who your target audience is, you are well on the way to answering the question simply –yes– blog.

Michele Ann Young