Archive for the 'Writing' Category

June 2, 2006 | Writing

Yesterday was an awesome day for my critique partner, Sloane Taylor. Her first book, Teddi Turns On, was released from Triskelion Publishing. Sloane is an awesome woman, writer, and friend. It’s said you can’t pick your relatives, but you can pick your friends. Luckily, Sloane and I were picked by our mentor, the woman with the two by four, the woman who said we could write, and proceeded to show us how. I really hope her medication doesn’t run out, she’s been so patience with us. Insistent too.

Sloane found her voice in erotica, and she’s damn methodical and good at writing this genre. She’s also highly, annoyingly so, detailed and neat. Therefore, she will never step foot in my writing space, unless I have a week’s notice.

The most valuable lesson I think any writer can learn from Ms Taylor, is when you find what you want to write, LEARN IT!! Sloane read, researched, diagrammed, maybe even practiced on Studly, until she had every word, every scene, every moment in her book right. It was awesome to watch, tiring to for those who are pantsers.

I’m watching every move, Sloane makes. Learning from her and enjoying having her as a friend and writing partner.

You can find Sloane at http://www.SloaneTaylor.com

March 27, 2006 | Writing

I’m publishing today, a message from my local RWA Chapter, Chicago North. We’ve got a really great contest, and I know you’ve got at least 25 pages of a manuscript you’re dying to find out what it needs, or doesn’t need. In order to be published, writers must test the waters and this is the contest. So, the deadline is approaching. I’m coordinating the Chicklit category.

!!!! Only one week left !!!!Chicago North RWA chapter is now accepting entries for 2006 Fire and Ice Contest.

Enter your first twenty five pages or less. No synopsis is required! Fee: $25 for RWA members

Deadline: April 1, 2006Eligibility: unpublished in past 5 years.
Members of Chicago North RWA excluded.

First round judges: trained writers.

Final round judges:
Single Title Contemporary Romance— Kate Duffy, KensingtonSeries
Romance (long and short)—Patience Smith, Silhouette
Historical Romance— Michalyn Whitt, Bantam/Dell
Chick Lit – Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester
Paranormal Romance—Selena James, Pocket FMI,

entry form, and rules:visit http://www.chicagonorthrwa.org/contest2006home.htm

March 19, 2006 | Writing

Jan Springer, erotic romance writer, is answering questions on my website this month, and so far it’s been great. She’s very open and honest about writing, and about writing sex. I’ve updated the writing page with questions from Sloane Taylor. If you have any questions you want to ask her, do it now. I’ll also update my blog with her answers this week.

The issue of how much sex should be in a romance, is discussed by romance writers on a regular basis. Boy, have some of those discussions gotten heated! Some writers don’t believe overt sexual acts should be in romance. It should be left to the reader’s imagination. Well, if you give the reader something solid to imagine, I think they’ll enjoy reading romance more. Plus, readers now have a multitude of writers to choose from that fit their idea of romance and sex. I took Jan Springer’s erotica workshop last year, and found it tremendously helpful in writing my love scenes. I can’t do the erotic stuff, but I discovered I can write a heated, passionate love scene without using the ‘direct terms’ Jan and other erotic writers do.

Recently, I listened to the RWA Conference tape from the workshop, It’s Not Just Sex – An Insider’s look at Erotic Romance. Jaci Burton, Cricket Starr, and Mardi Ballou were the panelists. My Chicago North Chapter President, Simone was the moderator. Simone writes young adult and will guesting on my Writing Page in a couple of months. Anyway, the writers talked about what an erotic romance was, and what it wasn’t. They all agreed if you took out the sex scenes, you should still have a romance. There must be a relationship. It might be a multiple relationship, and the story must have meaning and plot. Endless sex scenes are boring, and are not erotic romance. That’s porn. “Oh baby, can you feel me?” “Yeah baby, I can feel you.” “Oh baby, do I make you hot?” “Yes baby, you make me hot.” Is not erotic romance writing.

The sex is for the characters and for the reader to enjoy. Erotic writers must make the readers ache for sex, the sexual tension must be high. The writing must be of a high caliber, if the reader thinks she’s being cheated, and there’s no happily ever after, then she’s wasted her money, and won’t buy another one of that writer’s books. As in all romance writing, the story must make you believe you are part of the action, or for some, watching and enjoying what’s going on. As Jan says, it can add some spice to your own love life.

March 9, 2006 | Writing

Erotic romance is one of the hottest, subgenres of romance writing right now. Good erotic romance can be found in westerns, contemporary, futuristic, and paranormal stories. Every major publisher is jumping ( yep, that’s a pun ), on the sex bandwagon. Just like chicklit, erotic sells. Ellora’s Cave, paved the way, demonstrating that female readers are looking for hot stories, hot men, and if the hero is a bodice ripper, he better know what to do after that garment comes off. Erotic romance is NOT PORN. Yes there is sex, sex scenes that make you want to spray ice cold water on your body, or have a hunk do it for you. Jan Springer is a excellent writer of erotic romance, and this month she is answering questions on my website about writing erotic romance. I’m going to post a few of her answers to questions, here. She is also an online instructor, and last year, taught an erotic writing class, that resulted in the online writers support group, called Brazen Hussies/Vixens. I’m one of these vixens, and our group is strong, with many of the members being published in the past year. We provide support, both writing and personal to one another. I’m glad I took the class. My critique partner, Sloane Taylor, took the class, found her niche, and is being published this spring! If you have questions for Jan, send them to YasminePhoenix@aol.com and she’ll answer them. Enjoy!

Question: When did you start writing?

I was a hobby writer since my teens, writing off and on. I seriously started writing romantic suspense in the late 1990’s following a car accident.

Question: You wrote Peppermint Creek and its sequel, As Big As The Sky, which were romantic suspense, how did you switch to erotic romance?

Being an avid reader of romance and many of it’s subgenres I found myself loving the romantic suspense genre and decided writing it. I thought I would write it forever but a trip to the Romance Writer’s of America’s New Jersey chapter changed my whole writing path when on a whim I took an erotica workshop. The teacher read hot sexy excerpts from erotica books and I was blown away! I had no idea these types of books were out there. (Boy was I ever innocent back then!) At that point though I was convinced I couldn’t write such graphic stuff…it looked too hard.

When I went home I started to read erotica. Soon after that I discovered Ellora’s Cave and erotic romances. Yummy to say the least! I picked up several of their ebooks and became immediately hooked to the genre. It wasn’t long before a little voice in the back of my head was saying “hmmm maybe I can write this hot stuff too?”

Question: Why do you write erotic romance?

For me it is the rush! Literally. Writing sex scenes allows me to incorporate my own fantasies in my writing which is lots of fun. Writing the romance part allows me to explore how I’d like my own real-life hero to be (when he comes along). I hope my enjoyment shines through in my writing allowing readers to enjoy the stories as well.

Question: Could you provide your definitions of romance, erotic romance, erotica, and pornography?

For me I think romance is the development of a caring relationship between a hero and heroine that blossoms into love. The sex is a byproduct. Not a big important part of the picture.

Erotic Romance is equal parts or a big part of the plot being a solid romance as well as an equal part being sex. And let’s not forget the purpose of an erotic romance is to arouse the reader as well as using those naughty words that your mom told you not use.

Erotica is mostly sex driven with the plot being secondary and less emphasis on a romance. Or the romance doesn’t exist.

Pornography – it’s just sex with some or no plot. LOL.

Anyways that how I see them.

More later.