There finally come the time in every romance writer’s life where they decide it’s time to sit down and write their book. They have read and read and now they feel they are ready to share whatever story has been brewing in their head with the world.
When I started that god-awful medieval I told you about earlier, I had no idea how unprepared I was. I had deluded myself into believing that since I had read dozens of historicals and watched Robin Hood I was prepared to write the next great American novel.
HA!
Writing is like gardening. You have to sow it and water it or it will wither and die. My first recommendation to all new authors can be summed up in one word. Research. Learn all the rules of grammar. Study the market. Know your genre inside out. Most of all know your story and be true to it. I realize now the main reason that stupid medieval didn’t work out was because I forced it. Instead of letting the characters do the talking and telling the story through them, I tried to make them do what I wanted them to. So they revolted and my story suffered for it.
Before I wrote my first Archangel book I did four years of research. I learned everything there was to learn about angels, demons, weapons and the romance industry as a whole. Then and only then, did I sit down and start writing. Looking back, I was glad that I was patient because I am proud of the way my books turned out.
I am glad that I grew up to be a romance writer and I would never trade it for the world. The other day my daughter told me that she wanted to be an author someday, just like me. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.
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