Last year, I had an opportunity to read my work aloud at the book launch for Bizarre Bazaar, RMFW’s 2022 anthology. I was an accomplished public speaker before the pandemic, but after two years of nothing but Zoom events, I felt a little rusty. This experience forced me to relearn how to read my work…
Blog
Writing Romance: Getting Started with Prompts
Romance as a genre is always rewarding in the simple fact that it, well, most of the time, ends up with a happy ending. I always enjoy seeing two people fall in love despite all odds. And who doesn’t love that fluttery butterfly feeling you get from a first kiss? Not to mention the fact…
The Author’s Plate
When an independent author takes on the task of writing a novel then adds to this challenge the goal of marketing the thing, that combined work represents a very full plate. (I would have written “a very, very full plate” except the late Mrs. Dawson, my old high school English teacher, would spin in her…
Colorado Gold Conference: The Social Contract of Open Mic Nights
As a reader, I pledge to: 1. Abide by the time constraints and if I know what they are in advance, practice timing my selected piece2. Introduce myself and my work before barreling ahead into the reading3. Provide trigger warnings when appropriate and err on the side of less graphic violence, profanity and potentially offensive…
The Challenge of Chit-Chat
With the RMFW 2023 Conference right around the corner, it’s time to think about one of the most important aspects of a gathering like this—networking! And not just with your fellow fiction writers but with industry professionals as well. You’ll have opportunities to pitch agents, ask questions of publishers, and listen in on panels with…