Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!! Since I’m feeling semi-Irish…

May you be in
Heaven a half hour before the
Devil knows you’re dead!

🙂

And may you find a pot of gold today! (Then share that pot of gold with me!)

For my Write On! segment today, I thought I’d share 10 ways to become a successful writer:

1. Write. Yeah, I know, this does seem obvious, but I had to put it on my list. A lot of people talk about being a writer, but they don’t actually write. You have to sit your butt down in the chair and *write* to be a writer.

2. Read. Another obvious one.  If you want to be a good writer, then you need to read–a lot. And you particularly need to read in your genre. See what’s selling. See what’s hitting all the lists. See how other authors handle tension and pacing and character development. Just read.

3. Set realistic goals. Don’t decide to jump into this writing business with the immediate goal of completing a book in a month and then making the NYT list within a year.  Sure, it could happen. But why not put a little less pressure on yourself and set goals that are a little smaller? Like…write a chapter a week.

4. Learn everything you can about the industry. The Internet is a wonderful tool.  You can follow agents and editors on Twitter–you can see what they are hoping to acquire.  You can go to conferences and attend publisher spotlights.  You can join writers’ groups. Knowledge is power, don’t ever forget that.

5. Don’t compare yourself to other writers.  Jealousy can be an ugly thing.  Just focus on your story and write the best tale you can.  Don’t worry about what your buddy is doing or the deals she is getting.  Be selfish and focus on yourself!

6. Always know that you’re not perfect.  Or, rather, your writing isn’t. We can always learn more. We can always improve our craft.  The goal is to keep improving. Always–improve.

7. Celebrate your successes. You need to stay positive in this business. So celebrate!

8. Know when to step away from the keyboard. If the scene isn’t coming, maybe you need a break. If you’re really writing crap, go take a walk.  Don’t keep pounding away until you’ve had a chance to clear your head.

9. Don’t dwell on the negative. Did you get a rejection?  Ok, that sucks. No doubt. But keep writing. Keep going forward.  Cry a little if you’d like. Then go forth and make a better, stronger story.

10.  Don’t give up. Ever. If you stop, then how will you sell?

If you’ve got more advice to offer, please do! And enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day!!

Great news!  Two of my stories finaled in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Contest.  In the paranormal category, IMMORTAL DANGER was named a finalist.

And in the novella category, “In the Dark” (from BELONG TO THE NIGHT) made it to the finals.

Thanks very much to all the judges! And congrats to all of the other finalists!  (You can see a full listing here.)

My apologies for not getting this post up sooner. 🙁

Today, I want to talk about different publishing opportunities that are out there.  When I started to write, the first story I sold was to Chicken Soup For the Soul.  I didn’t want to throw myself into the deep end of the writing pool with a 80,000+ story right away (80,000 words can be pretty intimidating).  So, I started short. (Or, rather, with a shorter word count.)

Writing short stories can be a great way to build writing your resume–and the more you build that resume, the more confidence you’ll gain in  your writing. And there are LOTS of short story markets out there.  I’ve always enjoyed the Chicken Soup books, so I tried my hand at those tales first.  The Chicken Soup folks are always looking for stories; here–check out this list of upcoming titles from them.   You could also try writing for Cup of Comfort.

And, hey, don’t forget the magazine market! There are so many great magazines out there–and those magazines are looking for writers.  The next time you’re in the bookstore, take a glance at the magazine racks. Consider those magazines as your publishing options.

Selling short stories or articles can definitely be a great way to break into the publishing industry.  So, go ahead, test those publishing waters. If you want to write, give it a try.  You don’t have to start with a full-length novel.  Why not start with a smaller word count?

Good luck!

I thought I’d post some publishing info today.  🙂

Juno Books is looking for some good submissions.

The ladies at Southern Sizzle Romance recently interviewed Literary Agent Elaine Spencer (of the Knight Agency) and they also   interviewed literary agent Joyce Holland of the D4EO Agency.

With conference season upon us, Casey Crow offers Do’s and Don’ts for Conference First Timers.

And Writer’s Digest has a list of  “24 Agents Who Want Your Work” posted on their site.

Got any industry news to share? Helpful links? Post away!

Today’s Write On! guest is debut author Sayde Grace.  (Hi, Sayde! Thanks for joining me!)  Sayde has recently sold her first novella (congrats!), and I couldn’t wait to pick her brain about the writing life.   Since Sayde joined my local RWA group, I’ve been impressed by her drive and determination to break into the romance market.

1.    What inspires you?

A lot of things inspire me. Mostly I’ll watch a movie or hear a song that really makes me think and before you know it I’ve got a story forming. For example when I was toying around with my paranormal romance where my heroine is a real hard ass I needed a way to make her seem a little softer around the hero.

As I was sitting in the car pool line waiting to pick up my kiddo from school Taylor Swift’s song “I’m not your princess”, came on the radio. What better way to make a hard ass seem softer than to have the hero call her “princess” and her not rip his beans and frank off?

2.    What is the best part of the writing life?

The best part is joining the different writing groups and meeting other authors. It’s amazing to find so many people out there going through the same ups and downs as you. Other writers can be your biggest support system and I’m beyond thankful for the relationships I’ve developed over the last year.

3.    Okay, flip it. What is your least favorite part of the writing life?  What do you dread?

Oh by far the absolute worst is the querying part. Most people don’t realize when they begin writing how hard this part is, but even now after having been offered a few contracts I’m still terrified of that rejection which could be lurking in my inbox. That never gets easier. And now as I’m getting ready for my first release I’m starting to get nervous about reviews. Oh the tortures we put ourselves through so the little voices in our heads will leave us alone!

4.    What’s the best book you’ve ever read—why?

Well of course ALL of Cynthia’s books are favorites of mine! But besides Cynthia’s books I’ve developed a fondness for historical romance and adore Mary Spencer’s book Dark Wager. The hero has such a dark tortured but redeemable soul and the heroine is so strong and loving.

After that book I love paranormals with werewolves. Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson books are ones I wait in line to go out and grab. Her character Adam is by far my favorite hero of all time, sorry Cynthia I adore Niol but…

(What?  I think we need a cage fight between Niol and Adam!)

5.    Tell us about your upcoming release.  How did you come up with the premise for this story?  Did you plot the book out from the beginning or did you let the story lead you?

Well right now I’ve got too many irons in the fire. I am working on a young adult manuscript where the heroine finds out her mother is actually Lilith (Adam’s first wife).     Then I’ve also got an urban fantasy with werewolves and they are out in the world as the Luna Nation. That story is by far my favorite and was inspired by the tale of little red riding hood! Yes that big bad wolf may indeed eat her up!

But what I’m currently tied up with is a series of short stories which will be published by The Wild Rose Press. This is my cowgirl series. Growing up rodeoing I learned a thing or two about the “Cowboy Way” and am proud to bring the kinky side of them alive (Oh did I mention these are erotica?? Well they are and smokin’ hot!)

The first book is entitled Riding Double and will release in May 7, 2010.

I’m by far a plotter. I plot the entire book out in a notebook along with character traits, sub-plots, and other ideas which could enhance the book.

6.    What’s one piece of advice that you would like to give to aspiring authors?

As they say in elementary school knowledge is power and well they’re right! The more you learn about the industry, craft, and writing community the better off you’ll be. Never be afraid to ask questions and take everything you hear with a grain of salt. No one person is going to hold all the answers or know what is best for you. You have to be the final decision maker and use that knowledge to further your writing. Never stop learning or writing.

7.    Any other wisdom you’d like to share:

I tell everyone to take all the advice you hear with a grain of salt and I truly mean it. People will tell you writing is subjective and it is! You may send out fifty queries, partials, or fulls of your manuscript and only get a few bites from it. Never be discouraged, this is where persistence pays off. The industry is subjective therefore you must strive to find one person who fits well with your work and sometimes that takes time, lots of banging your head on the desk time. Good luck to everyone banging their heads on the desk, we should have our own group.

Thanks, Sayde!  You can learn more about Sayde at her website or at her group blog, Southern Sizzle Romance. Her book may be purchased through the Wild Rose Press.