writer, etc.
The person with whom I share a marriage license wrote two short stories several years ago, and I think they’re awesome. I’m not saying this as a starry-eyed wifey because I assure you, I’ve hated some of his other work and have no problem bleeding comments all over his pages. These stories are awesome because…
If there’s one thing more pervasive than rejection in the writing industrial complex, it’s envy. Professional envy isn’t chic to discuss in public, and you’re told to lick your wounds behind closed doors with your writing comrades in arms. Just like Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbor’s Wife, there’s sound logic to the rule. You…
I realized the other day I was down to two pending submissions and fast approaching the “assuming the lack of response is a rejection” dates for both. I’m starting to enjoy the rejection as a catalyst for blogging (something I usually hate but that the industry assures me is essential), so I sent out another…
I got a rejection Friday afternoon. A form rejection, nothing fancy. But still, the timing. The Likely Intent: Damn, I need to make some progress with the slush pile so let’s send this out. The Messaging: Hahahaha I hope you have a terrible weekend, bitch. I realize there’s never an ideal time for rejection, but…
I got another rejection first thing yesterday morning because I continue to be a sucker who checks her e-mail right after opening her eyes. The editor didn’t connect with the characters. I’m not someone who blatantly rejects criticism and thinks my writing is flawless. I also understand that sometimes a reader just doesn’t click with…
Productivity blogs are on to something: Don’t check your e-mail first thing in the morning. I do this out of habit because the blue light forces my eyes to actually open, but this leaves you in an open minefield because I literally woke up to a rejection today. I’ll probably keep doing the morning e-mail…
I got a rejection today, so my best friend Edith (not her real name), who is an Egyptologist (not her real profession), made the requisite offer to beat the shit out of my rejector. I thanked her for the thought but declined because I’m not a psycho and it would require a lot of effort…
Part I: Laying the Groundwork Part II: ASES for Success We’re in the home stretch! In the third and final part of this series, we’re going to talk about word choice and realism. Word Choice 1. Don’t be lazy. Please God, don’t compare your characters to actors or other famous people at any time in…
In Part I of this series, I explained how to lay (ha!) the groundwork for your sex scenes. Now that you have your reader’s buy-in from the tension, we’re going to dive into the anatomy of the sex scene. Writing a good sex scene can seem like sorcery because they’re so subjective, but the four…
Regardless of what genre you write, you may find yourself writing a sex scene. You might think you suck at it, or maybe you really do suck at it. But, as a former romance writer, I’m going to share what I’ve learned. See also: Part II: ASES for Success Part III: Word Choice and Realism…