stephaniedraven.com » For Writers http://stephaniedraven.com Modern Mythology with a Sexy Edge Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:00:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Details Transform Your Manuscript From Plain Broth to a Rich Lobster Bisque #WriterWednesday http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/11/details-transform-your-manuscript-from-plain-broth-to-a-rich-lobster-bisque-writerwednesday/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/11/details-transform-your-manuscript-from-plain-broth-to-a-rich-lobster-bisque-writerwednesday/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:14:22 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2709 http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/11/details-transform-your-manuscript-from-plain-broth-to-a-rich-lobster-bisque-writerwednesday/feed/ 4 Writers, Freaktastic Coincidences & the Collective Consciousness http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/04/writers-freaktastic-coincidences-the-collective-conscience/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/04/writers-freaktastic-coincidences-the-collective-conscience/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:36:45 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2685 http://stephaniedraven.com/2012/01/04/writers-freaktastic-coincidences-the-collective-conscience/feed/ 3 The Problem for Nook Owners & Free Promo for Authors http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/12/14/the-problem-for-nook-owners-free-promo-for-authors/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/12/14/the-problem-for-nook-owners-free-promo-for-authors/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:05:18 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2634 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/12/14/the-problem-for-nook-owners-free-promo-for-authors/feed/ 11 Getting Those Creative Juices Flowing (#writerwednesday) http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/11/23/getting-those-creative-juices-flowing-writerwednesday/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/11/23/getting-those-creative-juices-flowing-writerwednesday/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:55:25 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2537 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/11/23/getting-those-creative-juices-flowing-writerwednesday/feed/ 2 How to Focus in an Age of Distraction http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/10/18/how-to-focus-in-an-age-of-distraction/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/10/18/how-to-focus-in-an-age-of-distraction/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:00:39 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2421 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/10/18/how-to-focus-in-an-age-of-distraction/feed/ 0 A Free Writer’s Convention In Baltimore http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/09/16/a-free-writers-convention-in-baltimore/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/09/16/a-free-writers-convention-in-baltimore/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:47:12 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2346 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/09/16/a-free-writers-convention-in-baltimore/feed/ 0 eBooks: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/04/26/ebooks-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/04/26/ebooks-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/#comments Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:16:21 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2270 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/04/26/ebooks-the-good-the-bad-the-ugly/feed/ 5 More on Mythological Creatures http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/02/24/more-on-mythological-creatures/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/02/24/more-on-mythological-creatures/#comments Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:14:20 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2254 http://stephaniedraven.com/2011/02/24/more-on-mythological-creatures/feed/ 3 The Seven Deadly Sins of Paranormal Romance http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/10/08/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-paranormal-romance/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/10/08/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-paranormal-romance/#comments Sat, 09 Oct 2010 02:21:56 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=2070 http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/10/08/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-paranormal-romance/feed/ 6 My Controversial Theory on Author Newsletters http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/11/my-controversial-theory-on-author-newsletters/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/11/my-controversial-theory-on-author-newsletters/#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:01:30 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1733 http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/11/my-controversial-theory-on-author-newsletters/feed/ 3 Episodic Structure http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/05/episodic-structure/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/05/episodic-structure/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:54:05 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1729 http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/08/05/episodic-structure/feed/ 0 Three Ways to Create Intimacy in Romantic Fiction http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/03/15/three-ways-to-create-intimacy-in-romantic-fiction/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/03/15/three-ways-to-create-intimacy-in-romantic-fiction/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:52:58 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1463 As a romance writer there are two crucial questions I must answer for every book I write. The first is: Why do these two people fall in love. The second is: How do these two people achieve intimacy? Now, sure, sex creates intimacy, but it should also be the culmination of intimate encounters. When it comes to structuring a romance novel, I like to think of intimacy as a progression--a series of gestures or tender moments that lead, inexorably, to a deep and abiding relationship between my hero and my heroine. We all know the expected tropes. The hero saves the heroine from certain doom. The heroine is that one plucky gal who tells the hero where to go, and he loves her for it. Thousands of writers have used these techniques to create intimacy, and done so effectively. But what about trying something different? Last night I was watching a film entitled Lie With Me. I'm not usually a big fan of independent art films--I gather that I'm just not smart enough to enjoy them--and there were many things about the film that annoyed or scandalized me. However, I was absolutely dumbstruck by the inciting incident between the hero and the heroine of the movie...]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/03/15/three-ways-to-create-intimacy-in-romantic-fiction/feed/ 3 Five Great Sites for Romance Writers http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/02/17/five-great-sites-for-romance-writers/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/02/17/five-great-sites-for-romance-writers/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:11:32 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1419 It's a brave new world out there and there are more resources and opportunities for romance writers than ever before. Here are five great sites you may not have known about, but which could help launch your career:
  • Romance Divas. This website is command central for many romance writers. Founded and frequented by many published authors, Romance Divas offers free workshops, a very active forum, and a chat room in which writing challenges are the order of the day. (I confess that without this chat room and the writers there who egged me on, I might not have finished my last novel for HQN's Silhouette Nocturne line.) While a popular hangout for published authors, it's also a very welcoming place for the aspiring author and readers too. Just this month, several Romance Divas (including yours truly) offered up a virtual anthology of free stories in honor of Valentine's Day.
  • Dear Author This review site can be funny enough to make you spit-take, but it also strives to be fair to the romance community. Thoughtful discussions on the future of the industry take place regularly here and the cross-section of opinions from readers and authors alike is valuable for the professional writer.
  • eHarlequin.com. It may seem a little dodgy for me to recommend my own publisher's website, but in spite of the recent self-publishing debacle, eHarlequin remains one of the most active romance communities on the net. Readers not only buy books there and subscribe to category lines, but they also hang out and chat with authors. I've had more than a few readers tell me that they've picked up my books simply because I participate in the forums.What's more, there are many resources for the aspiring writer--including virtual pitch sessions with editors.
  • Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Sometimes the snark factor at "The Bitchery" can be a little much, but the site is a wonderful hodgepodge of all things Romance, great and small. Sometimes it's a quest to expose plagiarism, other times it's a quest to find the title of a book that a reader once read but can't remember. What's more? Nora Roberts shows up in the comments section all the time, as if she were a mere mortal.
  • Romance Wiki. I didn't even know this site existed until a fan wrote to me to ask me for a list of every Silhouette Nocturne ever written. I had no idea, but Romance Wiki came to the rescue. The resource page alone is worth its weight in gold.
  • Romance in the Backseat. I had the pleasure of meeting Terry Kate at RWA Nationals last year. She was the first friendly face I saw, and she carries her enthusiasm to her website where she offers interviews and promotional opportunities for authors. She even sponsors virtual writing conventions!
Okay, so that's really six great sites for romance writers, not five. But instead of contemplating my abysmal math skills, get online and make the most of the opportunities available!]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/02/17/five-great-sites-for-romance-writers/feed/ 0 Piss Someone Off http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/22/piss-someone-off/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/22/piss-someone-off/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:52:59 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1294 If you're looking for a way to write a story that doesn't step on toes, just pick up your toys and go home. You're trying to play dead on paper. It can't be done, you won't do it, and if you try you'll end up writing meaningless drivel. If you are a writer, you give conflict a voice. If you fear conflict, you can't be a writer---fiction is the art of pushing creative conflict to meaningful resolution through the actions of compelling characters in exciting places. If you're a writer, you're giving a voice to the people who have struggled all their lives to give words to the same thoughts you think. Her advice, though more lengthy than I can or should reproduce here, boiled down to: To be a good writer, it's important to piss someone off. It was sort of shocking advice for me. Given that I'm opinionated and argumentative, you'd think I would enjoy conflict more. But I don't. It's one of the reasons I left the legal profession. I could never find a way to leave any argument at work--it always followed me home and festered. Conflict stresses me out because I get a little too passionate about everything. I prefer to be unstressed, and I also like to get along with people. Hence, a career change. I never think of myself as a provocateur, but given my recent reflections on why I write dark fiction, maybe I am. And I guess Holly Lisle would probably think that's a good thing. Holly gives out a lot of good advice, so you might want to check her out.]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/22/piss-someone-off/feed/ 0 Do You Write Historicals? http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/12/do-you-write-historicals/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/12/do-you-write-historicals/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 17:19:37 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1184 submission call. It made me a little giddy.
Carina Press’s acquisitions team and editors have begged me to find more historical fiction and romance, so I’m putting out the call. If you have a completed historical manuscript, 15,000 words and up, Carina Press would love to see it. We’re looking for both historical romance and historical fiction (with or without the romance subplot) of any steam level (including none, none at all). Historical Victorian, Regency, Western, turn of the century or whatever other time period you’ve chosen to write in, we’re interested in publishing some amazing historical work. Our submissions guidelines can be found at www.carinapress.com/submission-guidelines and we’re working through submissions very quickly, due to the large number of us reading them, so you won’t be waiting until summer (or next year) for an answer!
]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/12/do-you-write-historicals/feed/ 0 How to Name Your Character http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/09/how-to-name-your-character/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/09/how-to-name-your-character/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:22:44 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1121 Names have power, so I choose them carefully and over time, I’ve developed a system and I’m happy to share it. 1. Compile a long list of ethnically appropriate names The first thing I take into account when choosing a name is the ethnicity of the character. Cultural heritage comes with a lot of cues and expectations. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad, but either way, it’s something to exploit as a writer. If I can give the impression that my hero is a hot-tempered Hispanic man simply by naming him Antonio, an impression is formed in the reader’s mind before I write another word. If my Russian hero is named Antonio–my readers aren’t likely to take that at face value. They’re going to want to know what the story is behind that name. Was his mother a fan of Spanish bullfighting? Did he grow up in South America? That’s because a name either tells a story or begs for one. 2. Weed out names that are too hard to spell or pronounce unless you have a good nickname in mind My characters for my modern mythology series all share an ancient mediterranean heritage, so I’ve picked Greek, Latin or Egyptian names. But just snapping up a name from a certain culture isn’t as easy as it might sound. Because I write for a largely American audience, I try to pick ethnic names with cross-over appeal. For example, when choosing a name for the dryad in my novella, WILD TETHERED BOUND, Arethusa or Eiluned might have been more historically appropriate, but I went with Dessa because ...]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2010/01/09/how-to-name-your-character/feed/ 0 Writing Greek Myths? Here’s a Call for Submissions http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/12/04/writing-greek-myths-heres-a-call-for-submissions/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/12/04/writing-greek-myths-heres-a-call-for-submissions/#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:49:29 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=1034 http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/12/04/writing-greek-myths-heres-a-call-for-submissions/feed/ 0 Top Five Tips for Getting Published by Silhouette’s Nocturne Line http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/10/23/top-five-tips-for-getting-published-in-silhouettes-nocturne-line/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/10/23/top-five-tips-for-getting-published-in-silhouettes-nocturne-line/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:08:20 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=951 Are you an aspiring paranormal romance author? Harlequin's Silhouette Nocturne line is one of the best markets out there for innovative speculative fiction and here are the top five tips I've learned writing for HQN:

1. Nocturne Heroes Don't Cry

Editor Tara Gavin once shared with me that she rejects many books for Nocturne because the heroes are too soft. Nocturne readers are looking for an unrepentantly alpha hero. Now, as a writer, I know that showing a hero's heroism is tricky when he's not the type to show the chinks in his armor, but there are ways to delve into his emotions without letting him get weepy. By way of example...]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/10/23/top-five-tips-for-getting-published-in-silhouettes-nocturne-line/feed/ 4 The Turkey City Lexicon http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/09/27/turkey-city-lexicon/ http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/09/27/turkey-city-lexicon/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:30:59 +0000 Stephanie Draven http://stephaniedraven.com/?p=822 The Turkey City Lexicon is filled with clever names for craft blunders. Which crimes against literature do you regularly commit?]]> http://stephaniedraven.com/2009/09/27/turkey-city-lexicon/feed/ 0