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Rejection and It’s Not Even Mine

Posted on January 29, 2021January 31, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Envy and the Megazord

Posted on January 25, 2021January 27, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

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Rejection and Sean Penn

Posted on January 21, 2021January 25, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Rejection and Mayo

Posted on January 17, 2021January 20, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Photo of lettuce on black background

Rejection with a Side of Salad

Posted on January 13, 2021January 13, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Rejection and a TWSBI Fountain Pen Review

Posted on December 7, 2020January 24, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Rejection and Cheetahs

Posted on November 19, 2020February 19, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Writing Sex Scenes That Don’t Fizzle: Part III

Posted on November 2, 2020January 17, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Writing Sex Scenes That Don’t Fizzle: Part II

Posted on November 2, 2020January 17, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

Writing Sex Scenes That Don’t Fizzle: Part I

Posted on November 1, 2020January 17, 2021 by Nathalie Lawrence

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…

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