I wrote the following as a post to a list I belong to called the TARA Book Challenge list. TARA is my local RWA chapter and I’m the “oldest” member in that I’ve been around the longest. I joined when I was merely...oh...don’t make me do math...a graduate student. First year. You do the subtraction without a handy calculator.

This list was established because every year, the members of our chapter have the chance to put $10 in the pot and challenge themselves to finish a book in a year (actually, about 10 months.) At our Christmas party in December, the ones who succeeded (we lug our manuscripts to the Yacht Club) have their names in the drawing and the winner gets half the pot. It’s a nice chunk of change around Christmas time, believe me. Two years ago, an industrious member started a Yahoogroup for the Book Challengers and this group has become one of the most inspiring groups I’ve ever been on. We report in once a week with how many pages we’ve written and project our goals for the next. Some people, like me who have deadlines, report large outputs. Forty pages here, sixty pages there, etc. Some report one or two pages. A lot are in between. Some report nothing. We support each other, but we also dole out the tough love, which is where my post came from.

You see...too many new writers get stuck in a revision rut and they never finish the book. You can’t much get any where in this business without finishing a book at some point, so here is what I said. I’ve been told it was very helpful, so have at it. If it lights a fire under your butt to stop revising and start writing...to stop being intimidated and start writing...then I’ve done my job.

  This morning, I was thinking back to my first book.  It was written in 1987-88, the year that I started graduate school and was substitute teaching as well.  As my students did whatever busywork their teacher provided, I wrote.  Wrote and wrote and wrote.  In long hand.  I then went home at night and typed my pages into my Apple 2e with the monochrome green screen...never deleting any scenes, never stopping to revise more than a word or two.  I'd joined Tara (then the Florida West Coast Romance Writers), but there was no Internet to speak of and our meetings, held in the small town of Ruskin, were relatively short with one speaker and no time to socialize except during the long carpool over.  In other words, my process was MY process.  I was on my own (except for my writing partner, who never matched my output, and our process was never the same anyway.)  

Never once did I throw away a scene.  Never once did I start and restart the same book.  Never once did I question the plot, characterization, point of view, etc.  I just wrote.  

Yes, I had a plot outline...a rather detailed one.  I didn't vary from it much since I had a partner writing other scenes.  I had a hard-sell book (two heroines--one Latina--and a historical setting in 1891 Florida.)  I was so stupid, it never occurred to me to stop writing this unmarketable book and write something an editor would actually buy.  It never crossed my mind that my writing wasn't up to snuff, that my hook wasn't as compelling as it could be or that my voice wasn't strong enough -- likely watered down since I was writing with a partner.  (Voice, what voice?) I never even heard about Voice--and I had a degree in Creative Writing.

I had no doubts.  I just wrote, wrote, wrote.  

Thank GOD.  Ignorance is bliss.  

And I finished the book (over 500 pages...historical romances were meaty back then) in less than a year, including the three months of historical research I did (pre-Internet).  I did this while working full time and going to graduate school and maintaining a 4.0 GPA and dating my eventual husband.  

There was a HUGE lesson in finishing that book.  Things I can't even verbalize now that I learned from taking characters from beginning to end.  From experiencing their growth. Their emotional arc. From developing a conflict and letting it snowball over my plot. From penning a black moment (two actually, since I had two heroines!) From taking every plot thread and knotting them into The End.

Will I ever sell that book?  Not if there's a God.  It's horrid.  But the learning I did during that process has served me well ever since.  

It makes me want to say to you first-timers: you need to just write the damned book.  Stop questioning yourself.  Stop worrying about SELLING.  I will tell you that though my first book never sold, it went to every major publisher and my rejections were not all form, either.  I had several editors express interest and agents, too.  But that wasn't the part that mattered--the writing mattered...the actual DOING mattered.  And the contacts weren't bad, in the long run.  But that was all after the fact.  I could never have gotten to that point unless I FINISHED THE BOOK.  

I have absolutely no regrets that I never sold my first book.  In fact, I think it was a blessing.  Not selling that book gave me time to get savvy about the business, to make contacts, to learn about my craft in ways I never would have if that book had sold right out of the gate.

I wonder if RWA doesn't put so much emphasis on selling that we squelch the learning process of the actual writing.  The writing and the selling are two different things. Personally, I don't think you should graduate to selling until you've finished writing at least one book.

  Yeah, yeah, yeah...lots of writers sell their "first book" on proposal and go on to have fantabulous careers.  My critique partner is one of them.  Diana Peterfreund is another.  Another friend, Marley Gibson, is another.  But guess what?  Those really weren't their "first" books.  Not at ALL.  I believe my critique partner had written at least four manuscripts prior to selling her first published book on proposal.  Same for Diana and Marley.  I think they were finally ready when the time came...but then, this is just my opinion.  Of course, editors agreed with me, didn't they?

I do know of one writer who actually sold her first book--my Plotmonkey pal, Leslie Kelly. But she sold it on a finished manuscript...not on proposal. So there. (Finish the book!)

  This is for the first timers out there who are struggling with the writing.  Just get it written.  Trust me, there is a lesson in there that you won't get from any craft book, any workshop, any tape, any editor or agent appointment, any sale.  You're building a foundation that so many other wannabes will never have the material to maintain.

  Think of that when you need some motivation, okay?

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If you’re an aspiring writer, this message is especially targeted at you. There are scams out there that make my blood boil and some I’m so used to, I hit the delete key without blinking an eyelash. Most of the time, I figure if an aspiring writer is gullible enough to fall for the unbelievable promises of some online shyster, who am I to stop them? You learn from experience.

(By the way, if you’re not an aspiring writer, but a loyal reader, don’t click away. Readers are always so incredibly supportive of their favorite authors. I’ve never met a reader who didn’t appreciate the hard work involved in the creation of the books they love. So please, share in my annoyance.)

Here’s the thing–no one can write a romance novel in three days.

Okay, maybe I shouldn’t say no one. Somewhere out there is some incredibly prolific writer who can bury herself in her office for twenty-four hours a day, who needs no sleep, who can crank out a first draft of a book in a mere 72 hours. Of course, that’s a first draft. I’m quite certain that if they have a half-way decent editor, they are going to be revising for weeks. But I digress. The point is that most romance novelists–most novelists in any genre–will tell you this idea is less than believable for various reasons. And downright insulting for others.

And yet, today in my Inbox, I found an advertisement for a service that GUARANTEES that if you follow this HOME-STUDY course and follow the romance FORMULA, you too can write a romance novel in three days and then sell it!

Wow, and if I click on the email that came in right after, I can make my penis bigger. And the next email? I can get two-million dollars from the widow of the Nigerian prime minister!

In other words, a book in three days? Bullsh*t.

I read this quote the other day and if the originator is out there, identify yourself (it was on someone’s blog…the poster said something about just because a monkey can type 400 pages doesn’t mean he deserves a banana.

Seems appropriate.

The person selling this course claims to be a published romance author. Whatever. I’ve never heard of her and I doubt many people have. Yet I can’t help but wonder how she can sleep at night when she’s just insulted every hard-working author out there?

According to her–though we’ll all deny it–we write to a formula. She mentions the word TEMPLATE. I suppose the aspiring writer is supposed to plug in their character names, their setting, a few plot devices (I’m figuring secret babies and amnesia play a big role here) and voila! Instant romance novel.

(For the record, I have written two secret baby books and two amnesia books. I have nothing against them. But critics of the genre love to cite them as formulaic. Those of us who actually read the books know better. It’s not formula, it’s a plot device that can be used for some seriously great situations.)

I really wish this three-day claim were true. I mean, if it was, I could churn out, what? Two-hundred and twenty one novels per year? Wow! Won’t Harlequin and Pocket be excited! And my readers! I mean, I guess they won’t mind that the same thing happens in every book, right? They’re morons, right? Because THAT is what this claim implies.

Such notions about how easy it is to write a romance novel are insulting to every one involved in the industry from the authors who bust their asses and burn out their brains to come up with new ideas and execute them in an entertaining way to the readers who happen to be very demanding. And rightly so.

What is dangerous about this claim is that some people will buy into it. They will shell out their hard-earned cash for this program, only to learn that while the ideas may make some sense on paper (and I’m doubting that, but what if these new writers don’t know any better?) it takes more than a formula to make a romance work.

What is the romance formula? It’s simple really. Boy and girl meet and over the course of some difficulty, fall in love. That’s about the only thing I can say that MOST romances have in common. Just as in a murder mystery, a body is discovered and over the course of the investigation, the detective-type character figures out who did it and why. I mean, that can describe anyone from Agatha Christie to Dan Brown, but those authors and their books are nothing alike. And I can guarantee you that neither Aggie nor Dan wrote their books in three days.

What is the point of this rant? One, the old saying that “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is” never fails. Writing is hard. There is no way around it. I saw another advertisement the other day for software that generates query letters and in the copy, they pointed out how many rejections John Grisham had on his first book. I don’t remember the number, but the implication was that if he had had this AMAZING query letter software, he would have sold much quicker!

Uh-huh. You know where I found out about this ad? From an agent’s blog, where another agent was ruminating on all these query letters coming in that sounded exactly alike–and they all suffered the same fate, too. Straight to the reject pile.

Look, I’ve never seen the home study materials in question. Maybe they’re fabulous. I have no idea. But the general idea that just anyone can write a romance novel in three days–a good romance novel–chaps my hide when I work my fingers to the bone to finish one in three to four months. I consider that fast! Sometimes I take much longer. Sometimes shorter. So yes, I’m insulted on that level, but mostly, I’m worried for the aspiring writers out there who might think this sort of thing is helpful.

Paying your dues yourself is invaluable. Buying into get-rich quick schemes never made one millionaire that I know of. Even lottery winners usually blow their whole stash within a few years of claiming their ticket. Writing is hard. Learn that now while you’re unpublished. Build up the tough skin on your fingertips and on your backside, because you’ll need them.

And realize that if everyone could succeed at this business–well, then everyone who tried would. Those of you who are working hard, butt in chair, attending workshops, studying your craft and applying your knowledge to every page you create–you aren’t like everyone. You’ve achieved something very special. When you sell, you’ve achieved another milestone. When you continue to sell, you’ve achieved yet another milestone. Every milestone is something that should be celebrated because it’s not easy. It’s hard. It’s damned hard. And when you get down to brass tacks, no one can do this for you. Not your critique partners, your agent, your editor. No one can create the characters and write the words but you.

The icing on the cake is that readers appreciate the blood, sweat and tears a good novel requires–and in the end, that’s what keeps me going on the tough days. They reward us with their hard-earned cash, which they shell out with glee and great expectation. Hopefully, you’ve met their expectations. And they’ll reward you again by buying your next book.

Okay, I think that’s my rant for the day. What say you, readers? Writers? Does this insult you or are you cursing me for not providing a link to this miracle program?

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PERSEVERANCE is a word I constantly have to check on how to spell. Just seems it should be all Es, you know? Anyhow, I may not be able to spell it, but I can tell you what it means. In my case, it is synonymous for success.

I'm going to assume that you have talent. That may or may not be true, but after a while, you'll know. All writers suffer from self-doubt and weak egos from time to time, but real writers find a way to get beyond that. They'll experience a lucid, defining moment when they realize they really do have a way with storytelling that could appeal to large numbers of readers if only a publisher or editor would given them a chance.

Talent is a must in the world of writing. I don't believe it can be learned. You have it or you don't. CRAFT can be learned, honed and perfected. Part of "making it" in publishing is polishing your writer's skills. If you do that, and have some talent, you can get published, right?

If you have one other thing...patience. Perseverance (with an A for positive attitude). Some people sell their first novel. Others, like me, sold their fourth...and that took nine years. The trick for me was not quitting. I took breaks, but never for long. I learned to revise--an absolute must--and I'm an expert on taking criticism. But I stuck with it, even after loads of rejections. In hindsight, most of them were right. The work I was submitting wasn't ready for publication. I didn't know that then, but I did know that one person's opinion typed in a form letter or jotted in nearly illegible handwriting wasn't going to make me give up my dream...and my future career.

A is for attitude. That'll help me remember how to spell PERSEVERANCE. I hope it helps you learn how to stick with it until you make your dream happen. Good luck!

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"To all the manuscripts I've loved before ...." Can't you just hear Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson crooning that? I can! The phrase occurred to me after I finished my latest Work In Progress (which will now be my June release, INSATIABLE). With each book I write, I learn something. And I like it that I learn with every manuscript. Usually, the learning occurs because I have tried something new. But not always. Sometimes the learning occurs because I tried to do something the old way and it no longer works.

Counting the three books that I wrote before I sold SEDUCING SULLIVAN, INSATIABLE is my ninth manuscript. However, I wrote the first three chapters way back before I wrote GOOD GIRLS DO!, my third published novel (and sixth completed manuscript.) When I went back to pick up the proposal again after writing GOOD GIRLS DO! PURE CHANCE and EXPOSED, I noticed a definitive change in my writing. Not in the grammar or the sentence structure ... not in the way I plotted or even in the dialogue. That would have been easy to fix. So I just kept writing, hoping that the revision process would help me discover what was missing from those three chapters.

My first critique partner read the book in pieces, so she didn't notice anything wrong. It wasn't until the second critique partner read it in one sitting that someone other than me recognized a problem. We still couldn't pinpoint it. It wasn't the writing, but that's all we knew for sure.

Then, luckily, my editor, who is not paid enough in my estimation, figured it out. It was the way I approached my characterization that was lacking. I hinted at their pasts too lightly, subtly inferring things without spelling it out. Part of the problem was that my heroine is a spin off character, but more than that, my approach to telling a story had evolved since I first started this book. I'm much better at it now and I can weave in information with the subtlety and light hand that I'd attempted with that book, but couldn't yet quite pull off.

Why I am telling you this?

Because too many people are still fiddling with the same book they started years ago. Because some new writers insist on revising and revising the same story over and over when the manuscript or proposal has never quite hit an editor enough to inspire them to give the writer the precise guidance they need.

I'm here to tell you that revising and revising is, in most cases, a lesson in futility. You need to start new stories, explore new situations, study and learn and apply.

I did revise SEDUCING SULLIVAN at least two and a half times before I sold it--but luckily, with the clear guidance of my editor. With PRIVATE LESSONS and GOOD GIRLS DO!, the process was easier...my writing and my approach to the stories had evolved and grown. Each book is a learning experience. Even looking back to those first three manuscripts I never sold, the progression of improvement is evident. The third book, in my opinion, is damned good. Someday, I may sell it...but not until I revise it quite a bit to match my current voice.

And that's another thing. You don't develop voice through revising. Voice is developed through the telling of the story itself. So in order to find your voice, you need to tell lots of stories...you need to write more books!

I'm not putting down revising. It's an essential process that sometimes separates the published from the unpublished. But you also shouldn't keep working on the same story forever. After a while, it's time to let go. Maybe you'll someday be able to go back to that story and with your new, developed skills, you'll be able to fix the problem. But that's for later. I'm talking about now.

Now, you may have, through your study of the writing craft, have evolved beyond those characters and that story situation. You need to test those skills on something new. Luckily for me, I only had three chapters to revise. The rest of the book worked fine as I had written them recently. But I know that three years ago, I may not have had the skill to revise INSATIABLE. Even now, I needed my editor's guidance. The changes were so light and yet so essential--they required a focused, subtle hand. But I did it! And now, I keep writing ... moving on to something new.

So should you!

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A lush tropical island. A dark, candlelit restaurant by the ocean. A remote cabin in the foggy mountain tops. With little imagination, romantic fantasies bubble out of set-tings such as these. What better place could possibly exist to set your romance novel?

Plenty of better places-trust me. Those listed above are easy and no one ever said that writing well was easy. These settings aren't off limits, but they need work. Your job as a writer is to create settings that will not depend entirely on images and emotional re-sponses the reader already possesses, but those that will take her lit-erally to a whole new world.

Do I mean science fiction? Not necessarily. The convenience store at the corner of Main Street and First Avenue can become a whole new world in the hands of a skilled writer. But before you start weaving a wonderful world of Moon Pies and Slurpees, there are quite a few questions about setting you must an-swer, at least in your mind, before you begin.

Once you've established setting, you will have answered a vital ques-tion for your reader-and the answer will allow her to settle comfortably into the scene she's about to read with a solid framework for the mental picture she's about to form once the characters appear.

Think about it. Anyone who wakes up suddenly in a new place usually has only one question that must be answered first: where am I?

Step One: Choosing the Setting

How many of us when on vacation or just going to a new place for the first time look around with our writer's eyes and say, "this would be the perfect place for my heroine and hero to..." or "this would be the perfect place for that story I wanted to write about..."? So, we take a few pictures, jot down a few notes, and when we get back to the pad and pencil or the computer, we start writing. This enthusiasm is admirable, but setting should not be considered so lightly. Just because you enjoyed yourself somewhere, or because you experienced a romantic encounter (or imagined yourself having one) in a certain place doesn't make it automatically a perfect place for your book. As I said before, that's too easy.

In simple terms, setting is the time and place of a story. Setting is different from atmosphere or mood, which is the emotional response a reader has because of the time and place of the story. Setting is Civil War Atlanta in Gone With The Wind. Atmosphere and mood in that same book is the wealth and lavishness before the war, and the utter desperation after it. Margaret Mitchell changed the description of the same setting, Tara, to provide the atmosphere. Before the war, Tara is rich and proud. After, it is still proud, but burned out and dying.

But, for the purposes of this article, setting and atmosphere must be considered nearly the same thing, since one is dependent on the other. To have setting without mood and atmosphere means a lack of emotional connection-a major no-no in romance. To have only mood and atmosphere and no concrete place invites confusion in the reader. This confusion may keep your reader from achieving the comfort-level she needs to truly enjoy your story.

Setting, according to William Noble, the author of Make That Scene: A Writer's Guide to Setting, Mood and Atmosphere, provides three crucial contributions to your story:

(1) It adds vividness to your story
(2) It influences character
(3) It plays a vital role in the story

If a setting you've chosen doesn't interlock this tightly with the story you're about to tell-if it's just a backdrop as changeable as stage scenery-you may not have chosen the right place for your story to occur. You must give setting the consideration and forethought it deserves, or you risk losing an element of your story that could make the difference between an editor's yes or no-or a reader's enjoy-ment or rejection of your work.

Because of its basic simplicity, setting is one of the most under-rated tools you can utilize in creating a fresh, original twist on an old idea (and we all know that there are no new ideas, only old ideas freshly done). Think about it. West Side Story is essentially Romeo and Juliet set in a different time and place. Fourteenth century Verona becomes 1960s New York City. The circumstances and plot remain the same, but the audience doesn't seem to mind. The changed set-ting meant changed characters, and together they flushed out fresh elements to the basic plot of forbidden, star-crossed love.

To further explore the importance of this element to your writing, we should turn to a master. Though rarely considered an influ-ence to romance writers, we shouldn't ignore EdgarAllan Poe's con-tributions to literature-particularly in the area of setting and mood.

The Single Effect

Contrary to popular myth, Poe was not a drugged-out weirdo who wrote gross stories about blood and gore. On the contrary, he was a master craftsman whose attention to detail in his tightly woven narratives contradicts any possibility of a steady use of hallucino-gens. In his review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's collection of stories called the Twice Told Tales, Poe gave his opinion on the importance on certain elements in a story. This portion of the review, now called his "Theory of the Short Story" earned him the moniker "the Father" of the short story. Since popular novels of our time resemble the short tales of the nineteenth century closely in terms of pacing and enter-tainment value, there is wisdom in Poe's ideas. He wrote:

A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having con-ceived, with deliberate care, a certain unique or single effect to be wrought out, he then invents such incidents-he then combines such events as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived effect. If his very initial sentences tend not to the outbringing of this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition there should be no word written, of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is not to the one pre-established design. And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art, a sense of the fullest satisfaction...

In our novels, the preconceived or single effect is romance, coupled with the overall mood of the book (i.e., suspense, a historic richness, or humor). Genre and sub-genre-your targeted market-must be taken into consideration when you plan your overall effect. Poe contended that you must determine what this overall effect will be before you start any plotting, characterization, or writing because every word you write should ultimately lead you to this effect. In fact, all of the plotting, characterization, setting, point of view, etc... must all be tied so closely together that they will, in combination, lead to the single overall effect.

Now, of course, Poe spoke of a single effect in terms of a short story that could be read in a time span of thirty minutes to two hours, tops. In the novel, therefore, we may have more than one effect, though one may be stronger in relation to the type of book you've written. The trick is to make sure the two effects are blended so thoroughly that the reader hardly notices any marked difference be-tween the two. When you haven't done this, the response from your editor might be "this book has a great plot, but the romance is lack-ing," or vice-versa.

Single effect, therefore, should be taken into consideration when you decide where and when you will put your characters for them to live out your story. Setting in a novel, as opposed to a short story, can move to more than one primary locale. Single effect, therefore, gives you the focus to ensure that each and every location contributes to the total story.

Setting and Genre

Before you choose the individual settings for each chapter and scene, you must determine the overall setting or atmosphere for your book. To do this, you must consider the genre (or in the case of romance, the sub-genre) you intend to write for. If you're going to write a romantic suspense with a heavy dose of danger, or a light-hearted contemporary with loads of laughter, you have two choices. Should the setting enhance the single effect of fear and danger, or should it contrast it?

Enhancing the Single Effect Through Setting

This is perhaps the easier of the two choices because it carries with it a certain degree of built-in visual images for your reader. A romantic suspense might be set on a foggy London wharf or in a run down, abandoned bungalow on the edge of a small town. A histori-cal might take place primarily in the midst of the Battle of Concord, or in Paris during the Revolution with a guillotine looming outside. A romance with a more humorous intent might take place in a small town peopled with quirky characters who take pride in painting their houses in neon colors. In other words, the setting you choose highlights the moods, characters, and plots you have created.

Contrasting the Single Effect Through Setting

When a jeweler shows you a diamond, he doesn't place the gem on a glittering background, but on a swatch of black velvet so that the sparkle and light of the diamond contrast with the darkness of the cloth to make the diamond seem even brighter. This is the power of contrast, and though it is a more difficult concept to describe your reader, it can be quite potent when utilized through setting. For example, set your romantic suspense in a crowded mall in the middle of the day. Put your Regency in a cathouse, or your lighthearted romance in a spooky castle. Not only does this break the cliché in some instances, it lends itself to creativity and may provide that ele-ment that makes your book just a smidgen enough different to catch the eye of the editor.

It is important to note that you can combine these two techniques, enhancing and contrasting, depending on what you are specifically trying to accomplish in a given scene. But do so with care. Confus-ing the reader, or worse, teaching them to always expect the unex-pected can ruin your good intentions and destroy the mood you're trying so hard to create.

Step Two: Describing the Setting

To most of us, there is only one way to establish setting-through description by the author. Most like a camera, this technique cap-tures the visual and sensory images that accompany the place, while having the ability to focus in on what in the scene is important. Con-sider the following example, where the physical description contrasts the mood of the character:

Hope Langston sat on the crest of the small hill and stared out at the shimmering blue Minnesota lake while almost silent waves lapped the shore of Teardrop Island. Peaceful, partially forested terrain surrounded her. She should have been relaxed and content, absorbing the barely tamed wilderness. Instead her whole body had become rigid, the small hairs at the base of her slim neck bristling like starched car fur. Someone was watching her again. She knew it. She could feel it.-The Ivory Key by Rita Clay Estrada (Harlequin Temptation #166)

If you look carefully, the description is limited to the first two sentences. The rest deals with the contrast between the tranquillity of the setting and the anxiety of the main character. Most of us have visited a place like the one above. Could more have been said? Of course. The question is should more have been said. The key to describing setting is details. We tend to believe that the more details we include, the more powerful the image will be.

Details, Details...

That makes sense, right? Theoretically, but not practically. When we describe every aspect of that porcelain spittoon we marveled over at the mansion we visited on our vacation, or we go into paragraphs upon paragraphs detailing the actions of the hot dog vendor in Times Square, we may be establishing setting at the expense of the single effect.

So it all comes down to details. Just how many details do you use? According to William Noble in his book Make That Scene: A Writer's Guide to Setting, Mood, and Atmosphere, you should con-sider three things when describing setting: (1) colors, (2) shapes, (3) textures.

He gives the following example from Ray Bradbury's The Mar-tian Chronicles:

It was quiet in the deep morning of Mars, as quiet as a cool black well, with stars shining in the canal waters, and, breathing in every room, the children curled with their spiders in closed hands...

There is not a great amount of detail here. Noble contends that this description captures our interest because this is a setting that, though on a foreign planet, becomes easily familiar. "He mentions colors (black), shapes, (waters, canal, curled) and textures (quiet, cool, shining), and this gives us a well-defined flavor of where the story takes place and how matters will proceed. Just a few well-placed details so we feel comfortable with the story" (Noble 36).

The problem arises then in choosing which details are needed. Not so easy? Then it must be just what the reader or-dered! If we have visited the place we are describing, this may be a simpler task. What details best summed up your personal experi-ence when you were there? Or, taking into consideration your char-acter and her situation, what details would most appeal to her? If you haven't visited, the job becomes more difficult, but not impos-sible, as countless historical writers have proved when they describe places that no longer exist. With a bit of imagination, and the back of the mind still focused on the single effect of the scene, or the overall book, you can focus in on the necessary details.

According to Noble, the most effective approach to choosing details is "to imagine ourselves in the scene: it is we who do the looking and the absorbing, and we know what will strike us most forcefully. We seek 'key details' with this method, ever mindful that use of detail can overrun us if we aren't careful."

Just one or two telling details, chosen from the myriad of shapes, colors, and textures may be just enough to give the reader a taste of the flavor of this scene. And remember, must of us don't enjoy over-eating. Think of these details like bites in a gourmet meal. Without breaks for a sip of wine or time for engaging conversation, it's just plain old fattening food. Count those calories and don't give all the details at once. Let your reader chew each morsel during the action and conversation you've blended into a sumptuous feast of words, images, and action.

Stephen King, in his brilliant book, On Writing, attacks the topic of details on pages 173 through 180. He starts with a similar premise as above, then goes further. There's no room for me to put it all in here (you really need the example and his narrative to get the whole picture), but find a copy and read it.

My favorite line has to do with revising out details if the place you've described ends up not being an important setting in the story, perhaps that "convenience store" I wrote about earlier. If only one scene happens there and this scene adds nothing particularly riveting to plot or character development, you might want to cut the description down to the bare minimum...allowing the reader to get in, get what they need and get out with maximum speed. But what if the description is brilliant? King writes, "Certainly I couldn't keep it on the grounds that it's good; it should be good, if I'm being paid to do it. What I'm not being paid to do is be self-indulgent." Boy, I wish someone had said that to me when I first started! I might have gotten paid for my work much sooner...

Description by the author is not the only way to establish setting, though it is the most used. But you know what they say about too much of a good thing. Think of it this way-in your book, your characters will travel to several different places. Every time they arrive, you have a paragraph detailing the terrain, the weather, the landscape, the time of day, the clothes of the locals, or whatever telling details appeal to you. However, even if you are one of those writers who has extreme talent with description and can create the most vivid of visual pictures with rich and power-ful language, the sheer repetition of your descriptive technique can bog down a wonderful story. So, consider some alternatives:

A Piece of the Action

In the example from Rita Clay Estrada's The Ivory Key, the de-scription leads the reader to believe action is about to happen. An-other way to work in description of setting is to do it while the action is already occurring. Keep in mind that hints at the setting must be established earlier, so the reader feels comfortable enough to get past where am I? and into your story.

Note the beginning of the popular Harlequin Superromance #342, Jo by Tracy Hughes:

The anger in Jo Calloway's voice was like afire billowing across the crowded auditorium. Contagious fire, productive fire, unresolved fire.... This is a description of Jo's voice, which is then followed by a physical description of her. But, Hughes has hinted at where Jo is-a crowded auditorium where she is speaking. In the first sen-tence of the next paragraph, Hughes wrote: Inconspicuous among the captive audience, he watched her with an awe that was foreign to him. Now, we know where the hero is. Later when Hughes writes, She hadn't noticed him yet, sitting among the "enlightened" as if he embraced their cause.., we know a bit more. She's giving a speech to people who already agree with her, though he doesn't. Not only has the writer established the initial setting of this particular scene (the entire book takes place in the fictional town of Calloway Cor-ners that isn't described until much later in the first chapter), but she's used the setting to establish conflict through the action of the speech.

In Their Element

Another alternative to straight descriptive writing is to combine description of place with characterization. The example from Jo, while amid action, also provides a hint at characterization. Jo is a fiery speaker embracing some cause the hero, whose name is EZ, disagrees with. The following, from my August, 2001 Blaze, Exposed, combines action, character, and setting as well.

"Hey, sweet thing. Wanna lift?"

Ariana Karas swung her pack securely over her shoulder, ducking her head so the tube of architectural plans shoved inside didn't knock off her lucky hat. She secured the Greek fisherman's cap by pressing the brim firmly over her bangs and stepped onto the Powell-Hyde cable car for her ride back to the restaurant. She flashed a weary grin at Benny, the sixty-something brakeman who flirted with her on a nightly basis, just enough to make her smile, even tonight.

There is only one setting detail in this passage--the cable car, specifically, the Powell-Hyde car, complete with a old-timer brakeman. The setting is of course, San Francisco. Knowing that this book, the first in Blaze's Sexy City Nights miniseries, would take place in this particular city made a huge difference in how I constructed the character and plot. Anything goes in San Francisco, what better place for a wild seduction? My heroine is also serious about her business, which is another trait admired in a city where per capita wealth is off the scale. The paragraph itself hints at character and plot--she's carrying architectural plans. She also isn't offended by the brakeman's flirting and she wears a rather unusual lucky hat. These things speak volumes--and it's all in the details that go back to the setting.

What did you say?

The final alternative to straight description is establishing setting through dialogue. This does not mean that you just put descriptive passages in a character's mouth! If you do this, you are still just using a descriptive passage that happens to have quotation marks around it. The technique is overused and sometimes intrusive in the narrative flow of the story. Description through dialogue is perhaps the most subtle technique of all, and can only be used in certain situ-ations.

In the book How to Write Short Stories, Sharon Sorenson pre-sents a model short story entitled, "The Mosquito" by David Ceipley. In it, several young boys are on a campout and are about to start up a game of Truth or Dare. All the reader knows up to this point is that the boys are in a tent with a flashlight hanging up for light. Consider the following dialogue:

"Why me first?" "Cause you're the youngest. Truth or Dare?"
"I don't wanna play."

"You gotta play, or we'll send you back to the house."

In these few lines, the reader learns something they didn't know before-the canipout is in the backyard and not in a campground or in a remote forest. Until this point, the writer did not have the oppor-tunity, or the need, to give us this information. Now, the story is moving in a direction where the reader needs to know that any dan-ger the boys might face is purely in their own imagination-hence, the safety of a backyard. This is worked in so subtly, we hardly notice when it is introduced and we are not forced to contemplate the possible significance until we reach the end of the tale.

Hint, Hint...

This final example provided an important aspect of establishing setting. You must do it, most of the time, without announcing to the reader what you are doing. Unfortunately for us, the art of writing demands craftiness. Again, short stories are a great way to learn how to pick and choose only what is crucial for physical description, be-cause their length demands such choices. In the case of the romance novel, our desire for quick pacing calls for similar choices.

Sorenson writes, "If the setting plays a key role in the plot, you must give vivid details, always being careful to establish the right atmosphere for the characters and plot. More often, however, a short story writer does not devote descriptive paragraphs to clarifying the setting. Rather, readers learn about setting by inference, through hints" (29)

The Final Word

Creating a setting for your book is important, and it isn't as easy as it looks. There are many aspects of setting that aren't even hinted at in this article. Do your research-primarily by picking up Will-iam Noble's book, which is the most comprehensive study of this topic that I've found.

And finally, marvel in your power as a writer. You have the abil-ity to do something television and film, the primary media for most of our readers, cannot. You can produce a visual picture with only words at your disposal. You can bring ancient civilizations back to life, or create entirely unknown worlds without a massive budget or special effects. You can make familiar places seem new again through your characters, conflicts, and plot. Never take the importance of setting for granted. I can think of no other question that is as important as "Where am I?"

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When Brenda first called me about Blaze, her timing couldn't have been better. I'd written only four books for Temptation at that point, but I was already starting to feel a little restless. Restlessness usually isn't in my nature, but the symptoms were there. As much as I love Temptation...and I do and will continue to write them as long as they'll have me, I wanted to do something different. I NEEDED to do something different. Not to spread my wings, necessarily, just to soar in another direction, to see some different scenery.

Now, most people don't think there is a difference between Temptation and Blaze--and they couldn't be more wrong. I won't begrudge them being wrong because they haven't read the Blazes yet. But since my first Blaze was, like Carly's, conceived as a Temptation (and to make it even tougher to distinguish--a Temptation Blaze), I think I can speak to this aspect of writing for Blaze.

What is the difference between a Temptation and a Blaze?

Like Vicki, my heroine drives my story. I agree with everything she's said about creating a heroine who is strong enough to embrace all of the wild, sexual things that she's about to experience...with my wild, sexual hero. That isn't to say a Blaze can't be hero-driven, just that the Blaze heroine, since she is the character with whom the reader will likely most identify with, deserves special consideration for all the reasons Vicki pointed out.

But this wasn't new for me. I was already writing strong, sexually daring women for my Temptation Blazes. Heck, I think that's how I finally broke through and SOLD to Temptation in the first place back in 1997. (Besides the fact that these truly are the only type of heroine I like or would write about even if I wrote for some other line.) Give me a brassy, sassy, sexy heroine any day, thank you very much.

Like Carly, I realized the sexy premise was important...and like her, I was already doing that, too. I was already writing stories designed to make me and my reader squirm (she is so right about the seat squirming part, I thought it deserved repeating.)

So what would be the difference?

Enter, again, our editor, Brenda Chin. She gave me a word.

EDGY.

I like that word...and apparently, it likes me. With that one word, I came up with the idea for my first Blaze (which, like Carly's, will actually be my second Blaze...and I will explain later.)

EDGY to me meant sexual, but with a strong dose of the forbidden. EDGY means taking that forbidden sexual concept and making it work within the context of a romance. None of my Temptation Blazes had crossed that line. So when I put together my first idea for the new Blaze, I dove into the world of fetishes and true sexual fantasies...the kind of stuff you'd NEVER read about in a category romance.

My first idea was Voyeurism. I wanted to explore that particular sexual fantasy, but I wanted to do it within the safe context of a romance novel, which the Blazes are. (They are published by HARLEQUIN and you'll be very wise not to forget that if you are trying to sell to Blaze.)

So for JUST WATCH ME... my Blaze that will be out in March of 2002, my heroine is a private investigator whose firm doesn't always adhere to the laws regarding legal surveillance (which is also a little edgy since category heroines and heroes are usually required to act unequivocally heroic. Her uncle, the owner of the firm, orders his Tech Team to install mini-cameras and microphones in the house of a man they suspect of insurance fraud. Jillian Hennessy, my heroine, is on her first field assignment. Her job--to watch the suspect. Only her uncle has trouble with numbers, so the wrong house is wired. Jillian ends up watching the neighbor next door, Cade Lawrence. And Jillian, who admittedly likes sex and hasn't had any in a long time, can't tear her eyes away. She watches him work out. She watches him shower. She watches him sleep. By the time they finally meet, she's completely enthralled with him.

What she doesn't learn until later is that he's also on an undercover mission to watch the next door neighbor--only he's a cop. Meaning he adheres to the LAW.

The watching--the voyeurism, doesn't stop there. Eventually, Jillian has to come clean about her snooping and she uses the cameras and videotapes to turn up the heat between them. Later, I used the thrill of watching erotic movies with a lover to push farther beyond anything I'd done before.

The EDGE. I'm all over it.

That word also helped me when I learned that my Sexy City Nights story was not only going to be moved into Blaze, but that it had a chance at being in the series launch. Talk about pressure! I called my critique partner, Susan Kearney (an Intrigue author who also now writes for Blaze) and said HELP! (She, of course, told me to calm down and we worked out a solution.)

Carly had a synopsis for her story. I not only had a synopsis, but I was more than 50 pages into the book! How could I change it now? What could I do to this story of seduction in San Francisco to make it bigger? To make it a BLAZE?

The EDGE comes to the rescue yet again.

This time, I turned to another fetish--EXHIBITIONISM. I'd already written the first love scene, which takes place on a balcony outside my hero's condo overlooking San Francisco bay. (This book, EXPOSED, kicks off the Sexy City Nights series.)

I asked myself this question: What if the hero and heroine enjoy making love outside so much the first time, they end up doing it over and over? All over the city? And what if they didn't know someone was watching them? And not only watching them, but taking pictures...pictures that are ultimately published in the newspaper? And what if by the time the first picture is printed, they've made love outside so many times, it's only a matter of time before their affair is completely EXPOSED--in more ways than one?

Knowing the book would be a Blaze also allowed me to delve into a side of the big city that most category romances would keep away from--the rave/drug scene. Through my villains (and like Carly, my first Blaze also has scenes in the point of view of the villains--I have two), I was able to explore several different worlds within San Francisco, and I didn't have to back out of the gritty realities of either. Talk about fun!

So what is the difference between a Temptation and a Blaze? To me, it's that EDGE. My Temptations have a more playful tone...my Blazes are somewhat dangerous. Are they dark? Not really...but they could be. Some of the Blaze authors are writing dark, some aren't. Some are writing humor. The line is open to lots of variety, which is great not only for the authors, but for the readers, too. But for me, Blaze "turns me on" because I get to skirt that edge, write about the forbidden, and still reach the vast Harlequin readership.

My section was the last in a three-part presentation. To access Carly's part, click the link below!

Carly's section can be found at www.carlyphillips.com.

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One of the best ways to learn is by doing. And what is that saying... {blank} is the mother of invention? I always have to look it up because the word "desperation" always pops in first. I know for me, that was the case. Okay, the real word is "necessity." Necessity, desperation...same difference.

I fell into the technique of layering purely out of desperation. I'd just sold my first book. I was working full time as a receptionist/secretary for my family's manufacturing business. My "office" was a desk in the middle of everything...no walls, no privacy...and I was pregnant. Oh, and I was on deadline for my second book, also just purchased. My deadline was December 15th and my daughter was due on December 27th.

I believe I'd started this book in September. Now, 3-1/2 months to write a book might seem like a lot of time...and seeing that I just completed a deadline where I had less than two months to complete a 305 page manuscript, I'd tend to agree. But 3-1/2 months isn't much time when you're working, nauseated and exhausted.

I was writing during lunch only. I couldn't manage early mornings (not a morning person...never have been, never will be) and though I did work at night, I was often so tired I could do little more than edit. The weekends helped, but I couldn't depend on those to write a whole book. There were cribs to be bought, rooms to be decorated. Names to be picked!

So I had to take a stand. No one was going to write that book but me, and no one was going to carve the time out for me either.

The first thing I did was stake a claim on my brother's office during lunchtime. (Most people wisely don't argue with pregnant Italian women.) I had 45 minutes for lunch, not including the 5 minutes it took me to nuke my lunch in the microwave. I left STRICT instructions to not be disturbed by anyone except my editor on the phone. It helped that I wasn't at my own desk...and that my father owns the company.

Then I'd start to write. Sometimes, the words flowed in balanced beauty...dialogue, action, reaction, emotion, body language...everything all there and working their magic. Then about five minutes before my time was up, I'd notice and the flow would stop. I only had five minutes. I was "OUT" of the zone...that wonderful place where writers go to create magic. Now what should I do? I had five minutes! I couldn't quit! Besides, I'd promised myself five pages a day and I'd learned that in about 35 minutes, all I could do was 3 to 3-1/2 pages...AT BEST.

So in five minutes, I learned to layer.

Layering is writing in pieces. Some people suggest that you write scenes out of order, write the ones that are most compelling and then fill in the others later. The problem with this is that if you do that, your writing can become episodic. The scenes may not have that flow--that connection--that makes the storytelling seamless. I don't advocate that technique, though I do know it works well for some folks.

(Sidenote...I found myself doing this on my last book because of a nifty new invention I'm going to tell you about later. BUT...I don't write more than a scene or two ahead. More on that later)

So here's my disclaimer. My version of layering may not work for you. I'm only telling you how it works for me and for other writers I've spoken with.

I tried looking up this technique in my books, but I couldn't find it. So I'm flying by the seat of my pants, here. Story of my life!

As I said, Layering is writing in pieces. Let's talk now about the pieces themselves. I've put them in the order I am comfortable with, but feel free to move them around to suit your own strengths.

The first is DIALOGUE.

Dialogue is first because it comes easiest to me. I can always hear the characters talking in my head. The more I write, the more distinct their voices become and sooner or later, they're talking faster than I can write.

Also, readers like dialogue. While dialogue comes easiest, it isn't my favorite thing. I LOVE description. I'm a description junkie. Dialogue is my way of finding balance. And I've found that dialogue and description should be used in a 3 to 1 or even 4 to 1 ratio. Not in every scene, but overall. Look at all the television shows the critics and audiences rave over...Gilmore Girls, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, West Wing. The dialogue drives those shows. So, I do dialogue first, to make sure I don't forget it!

Second is SETTING.

When and where. Very simple, but used well, it can become more complex and can influence what is happening, when and what is being said by whom and how. If your characters are having a conversation in the hallway of a crowded restaurant, it will change what they say and do. If they are isolated, again...everything changes.

Third is ACTION.

Action is movement. It's the gestures the characters make, the steps they take, the places they go, the touches they exchange. It's the physical aspect of the writing, what keeps the characters from being nothing more than talking heads.

Fourth is REACTION

From the viewpoint character, reaction comes in the form of internal thought, internal dialogue, more dialogue, and ultimately EMOTION. From the non-viewpoint character, reaction comes in body language, more dialogue and more action. But whatever the scene is about, characters must REACT to each other. INTERACT. And the stakes must be raised higher at each turn.

This also includes backstory. You should only mention backstory as a reaction to something that has happened in the here and now. This a great rule of thumb. Backstory is best served as reaction to current, compelling action. And then it should be brief. If the backstory is just as long or longer than the scene, you've done too much.

Last is SENSUALITY & DESCRIPTION.

This is where you can turn up the heat of the sexual tension, where you can add those special touches that make the scene come to life...the smells, tastes, sounds, odors and textures of the world the characters are in. For me, while I love this part, it is the hardest. I love words and finding the right word becomes obsessive for me sometimes.

So generally, I save this for last

Also, I try not to add my description until last because I tend to over do it. By keeping it last, I already know how much more needs to be said...and how much has already been said in other ways (like through dialogue or action.) I usually also know how long the scene is or how many pages I have left in that particular chapter.

Now, you'll notice that some aspects of writing aren't mentioned here. Like Plot or Characterization or Conflict...pretty much the three most important elements of storytelling. That's because you absolutely, positively must know, in some form or another, what these three things are before you start to write in layers.

The good thing is, you don't have to know all that much about them.

But writing in layers does demand some preparation on your part. But once you have a basic, even sketchy outline of the plot (including an idea of where the scene you're about to write is SUPPOSED to go), who your characters are (PERSONALITY) and their conflicts (INTERNAL and EXTERNAL) you can now start working in layers.

Here is an example from my first Blaze, EXPOSED. Notice that I usually don't start with just dialogue, but dialogue with a little bit of action or other stuff...just to keep things straight.

SKELETON (FIRST LAYER) from EXPOSED

"Hey, Max? You all right?"

Cautiously, she walked directly in his line of vision.

"Yeah. I'm great."

He blinked. Once. Then twice.

"No, you're not."

She glanced down at his drink again. He'd sipped maybe a quarter of the concoction and though her mixture was potent, she'd never seen anyone get drunk on just one.

"What did you drink tonight?"

"What? Oh," he glanced down at his drink. "You made me this."

"No, I mean before. At dinner?"

He squinted as he thought. Remembering took more effort than it should have.

"Max, what did you drink at dinner?" she asked once more, losing her patience with the same speed as her attraction.

"Tea," he answered finally, nodding as the memory became clearer and clearer. "We had tea."

"Long Island Iced Teas?"

"Great...just..."

"No, iced tea. Unsweetened. With lemon."

Now here is the scene after I took the time to flesh it out. Notice that it's not perfect...just better.

"Hey, Max? You all right?"

Cautiously, she walked directly in his line of vision. There was a distinct pause before his eyes focused on her.

"Yeah. I'm great."

He blinked. Once. Then twice. Dizzy, he swayed on his barstool.

She shot forward and grabbed his hand. "No, you're not."

She glanced down at his drink again. He'd sipped maybe a quarter of the concoction and though her mixture was potent, she'd never seen anyone get drunk on just one. Maybe a little silly, but not spacey and ready to pass out.

"What did you drink tonight?"

She remembered clearing away a half-empty beer, but she had no idea what he'd had before she returned from her appointment with the architect.

She waited for him to answer and when he didn't, she asked again.

"What? Oh," he glanced down at his drink. "You made me this."

"No, I mean before. At dinner?"

He squinted as he thought. Remembering took more effort than it should have. He was drunk. Ariana rolled her eyes. Great. Just great! I finally decided to have an affair with a guy and he's three sheets to the wind. She recalled the distinctly unforgettable experience of making love to her husband when he'd had more than his share of Tequila after a gig in the Castro. Not an experience she'd ever want to repeat.

"Max, what did you drink at dinner?" she asked once more, losing her patience with the same speed as her attraction.

"Tea," he answered finally, nodding as the memory became clearer and clearer. "We had tea."

"Long Island Iced Teas?"

Ariana hated that drink. She'd seen more than her share of inexperienced drinkers get sloshed thanks to the innocent sounding name. Too bad there wasn't a drop of tea in the thing. Just vodka, gin, tequila, rum, Collins mix and an ounce of cola for color.

"Great...just..."

"No, iced tea. Unsweetened. With lemon."

As the truth of his claim registered, she stepped up on the lower shelf behind the bar again to look directly into his eyes. His pupils were huge--and passion had nothing to do with it. He was sweating more than he should have been. His jaw was slightly lax.

The most important thing for you to notice is that the scene is LONGER. And I'll guarantee that while I was fleshing out that scene, I moved quickly. It's like tidying up the house AFTER the housekeeper has already done the big stuff. As opposed to doing the whole cleanup job yourself in one shot. I know which one is easier!! Which leads me to three things I want you to write down and post over your computer:

The first is:

1) DON'T GET IT RIGHT, GET IT WRITTEN.
2) YOU CANNOT FIX A BLANK PAGE.
and my personal favorite:
3) GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO WRITE CRAP. Crap can be fixed. (See #2)

Layering requires trust in your abilities to edit...I understand that. But when I started working with this technique, I had no trust. I'd only successfully sold one book. You learn to trust by trying and learning, by throwing away all those rules that have been drilled into you through craft seminars and classes--until the time for the rules comes--in the editing stage. No one writes a perfect first draft...I don't care what anyone claims. I don't believe them!

Last thoughts...

We, as Americans, love to multi-task and in my opinion, writing is the hardest multi-tasking endeavor on the planet. By breaking it into layers, you can streamline your focus during those times when life is intruding in a big, big way.

It's hard to revise a blank page and it's even harder to create from a blank page each and every day. That's why, if life is kind to me and I don't have to resort to layering to get my pages done, I always do the dialogue for the next scene or the next group of pages at the end of my writing time. Just a few lines maybe. No fewer than five. Then I have something to work with when I face the computer the next day.

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I've always had a problem with the phrase, "The Book of Your Heart." Maybe I'm not sentimental enough for such a term, but I don't think that's it entirely. I consider myself an emotional pragmatist. Yes, I believe in the "art" of writing, but I believe equally in the business and marketability. And this attitude seems to fly in the face of those "book of the heart" proponents.

Additionally, I've never been one hundred percent sure what "the book of my heart" was, or even if I wanted to write it. As it is, I like my books, each and every one, though some more than others. I get emotionally caught up in my characters all the time--and as a bonus, they sell rather well. But what am I writing? Books of my heart...or my wallet? After all, I write very commercial stuff. How can a commercial book be a "book of the heart?" That seems contradictory. So until the NINC conference this past November, I didn't know what kind of books I wrote. Thanks to Carrie Feron, the Avon editor, I finally know. And I'm going to share this with you in hopes that you'll find your niche too.

First, I think I should define the book of the heart. Surprisingly, there seem to be two definitions. I learned this when I first published this speech as an article in the NINC Newsletter and received a note from best-selling author Jo Beverly, who actually coined the phrase. Apparently, the term "book of the heart" first appeared in a post Jo had written and it referred to a book that invaded an author's psyche so deeply, that she is ravenously compelled to write it, even if she knows it will not sell because it is not marketable. The book actually blocks the writer's more commercial work. She asked the question, what is a writer to do in this case?

With Jo's definition, she is not advocating or even suggesting that every author had to write the book of their heart or even that every author had a book of their heart in their psyche waiting to get out. She's not even saying that a book must be a "book of the heart" to be a break-out book or a best-seller. She just said that sometimes, this kind of book happens.

Unfortunately, somehow over the years, the meaning of the book of the heart has changed. I think what happened is that editors got a hold of the phrase and started to tell writers to "write the book of your heart" as a matter of course. The implication was that the only way to be "fresh," "unique" or to stand out from the crowd was to write this book and only this book. This contradicts the entire original meaning.

Whenever I heard someone speaks passionately about "the book of the heart," they seemed to preach that if this book doesn't come from some place deep in your psyche, if this book doesn't haunt you, if this book won't possibly destroy your career, then it isn't truly from your heart. Huh? I'm all for over-the-top, but this sounds a little too much along the lines of the "starving artist" propaganda for me. We're genre writers. We don't need to starve! The market is too hungry for our art--and our product. Marketability is not a cop-out or a sell-out. It's business. It's a means to reach the maximum number of readers with stories that we care about.

And there are other implications in that short little phrase, "The Book of Your Heart," that can be very daunting. The main one, as evidenced by the article "the," is that there is only one book in your heart and that you likely have only one story that has lingered inside your aortic chambers, waiting to burst forth and be told. So you write that book. It earns a multi-million dollar advance and is optioned for a film. Or, it tanks. Or worse, no one will buy it at all. Now what? Do you lament that "the New York publishing establishment isn't ready for something so fresh, so bold?" Come on. The New York publishing establishment may have its limitations just like any other business, but I personally have read several wonderful books I'd gleefully describe as fresh and bold.

So, the first definition was a risky book you had to tell, even if it never sold (or never should.) The bastardized definition became something risky, potentially unmarketable that only the most brilliant editor could see for what it is. (Man, talk about making an aspiring authors job hard!)

Neither of these type of books appealed to me. But before NINC, the only alternative I'd heard to writing the book of your heart has become writing "The Book of Your Wallet." That, I could identify with.

But it also has negative implications that nagged me--saying in essence that I'm writing a book that will sell only for the cash. We've all met people who've boasted that they would pound out a few genre books and make some easy money to afford to retreat to their bucolic cabin to write The Great American Novel, which in essence, is the same as The Book of The Heart. And we've all wanted to shoot these people. So the wallet phrase rubs me the wrong way, too. I've never aspired to writing The Great American Novel. I aspire to a career writing book after entertaining book, growing a legion of readers who enjoy the stories I like to tell.

Then Carrie Feron appeared on a book publishing panel and spoke about "The Book of Your Voice." The cost of the entire NINC conference was justified, for me, in that one phrase. Here's a term I can sink my teeth into, though I contend the article should be changed from "The" to "A." Just so I can keep on writing more than one.

Before I go any further, I think we need to discuss what voice is and then explore how to find out what yours is.

Of all the aspects of the craft of writing, I think voice is the hardest thing to define, at least in concrete terms. The definition, in and of itself, is vague, because voice in and of itself, needs to be hard to define in order for it to be unique. But voice is a lot like style--they are not the same, but are inextricably interwoven.

The best definition I've found so far came from an article entitled, "Finding Your Voice" by Laura Backes of the Children's Book Insider. Here's what she wrote:

One of your most powerful tools as a writer is not your vocabulary, your mastery of grammar or even your fancy computer -- it's your voice. Your unique blend of description, character and style allows you to talk to the reader through the printed word. Without a voice, a manuscript may have an exciting plot, interesting characters and a surprise ending, but it might not get published. The voice is what beckons the reader to curl up with a book and whispers, "Pay attention. I'm going to tell you a story."

Editors are always searching for new voices. Yet, when pressed, most editors find it hard to describe exactly what a voice is. Which is why the writer's voice isn't something that can be taught, but it is something you can acquire with practice. Your voice is already there, inside your writing, but it may be covered up with ideas of what you think writing is all about. Many beginners work very hard at trying to sound like a writer. They pore through the thesaurus looking for fancy substitutions for ordinary words; they create complex sentences bursting with flowery descriptions. They've forgotten that their goal is to communicate (...with a child...) and instead are in love with the way their words look on the page.

There are so many true statements in there, I hardly know where to begin!

First, let's go back to what is voice. Pretend you're a big Eagles fan. (The rock group, not the football team.) Pretend someone hands you two separate sheets of lyrics, neither of which you have seen before--and yet, you can tell which one was written by Don Henley and which one by Glenn Frye. Or, let's say I forced you to read my backlist, then another Temptation/Blaze author and then handed you two hot love scenes we'd written. With the same character names, the same physical scenario, maybe even some of the same dialogue. I'll still bet you could tell the difference between the two, because even though we write in the same genre and have a very similar attitude, we still each have a unique voice.

Bottom line--Voice is what makes the writing uniquely yours.

Where does Voice come from?

Like Backes says, voice comes from 1) description, 2) character, and 3) style. But it could be successfully argued that voice also springs from plot and premise as well. Let's talk about these.

Description--some writers use a lot of it, some don't. I'm a description girl. I love evoking strong visual or sensual images. BUT I also know that I tend to overdue this sometimes, so I work hard at cutting back, then giving extra "umph" to the descriptions I provide. Some writers prefer to leave their descriptions vague so the readers can fill in their own imaginary pictures. Other writers feel that description slows things down too much, so they keep it short, clipped. My exotic Hawaiian restaurant wafting with the crisp scent of roasted pork and tangy grilled pineapple can become the "poi joint on Market Street" in the hands of another author. Neither description is better or worse. One is evocative, the other clipped and clever. It all goes to voice. Which one best fits the way I write?

Character--one thing I've come to learn is that I don't have to try and write every kind of character under the sun in order to show that I'm versatile and to keep my writing fresh. Some of the best writers--the writers with the strongest voices--have found a niche writing about certain character types. I gravitate toward strong, mouthy women and rich, powerful men. The hardest book I've written to date had a sweet, sexy heroine who knew when to hold her tongue and a down-and-out professor hero who'd lost his job. Did I pull it off? Readers are saying so...but it was a harder book and I think it's because the characters were outside my realm.

My critique partner recently told me that she thought you could take two of my heroines out of my books, force them to switch places, and then the stories wouldn't change. Now this really pissed me off. I didn't see it that way--and after a very long and heated discussion, she admitted she was wrong. The characters can have a common thread and still be very different people.

The kind of people who interest you, the kind of characters you are COMPELLED to write about--those characters will best show off your unique voice.

Voice is part of POINT OF VIEW. Your characters provide the point of view, because in romance fiction, we don't like author intrusion. Author voice and character voice ARE NOT the same thing--but they are interrelated. If you're writing about a character who doesn't jibe with you, who can't espouse your views, then this will show. The writing will become forced.

The third spring for author voice is STYLE. Style is the most direct road to voice. Style is the combination of so many things! How do you break your scenes? What words do you use? How long/short/varied are your sentences? How do you break up paragraphs and chapters? Some writers write 10 page chapters. I know a writer who writes nearly every chapter with three scenes. No more, no less. I never realized it either until she told me, because this technique--this style--worked for her fiction.

The fourth spring for voice is plot. Do you write linear plots or circular ones? (One isn't better than the other...just different.) Do you use red herrings? Do you always have a villain that represents the external conflict? Do you work better with lots of secondary characters or do you prefer to focus in on your hero and heroine? These are all part of how you write your books...which goes to voice.

Lastly, is premise. Premise is the story idea--the story question. Can the romance novelist seduce her former lover into remembering her? Can the ingenue seduce her landlord into giving her her first orgasm? Can the tough street girl seduce the powerful billionaire into losing control? Those are the premises of the three books I wrote this year. Sound similar, don't they? Are they...not on your life. I've never written three more different books...and yet, the premise is right up my alley.

I think premise may also directly link to THEME. The more books you write, the more you realize that you will end up, subconsciously, exploring the same themes over and over. I've written 12 books. 7 of those books explore the theme of a woman's quest for true independence. (PL, Insatiable, Exposed, JWM, WYP, LFT, UTNG). I didn't figure this out until very recently--and that's okay. I don't think you need to figure all of this out in order to find your voice...but this is the sort of thing you need to know in order to protect your voice.

The last aspect of writing that contributes to writer's voice...and perhaps the most important...get ready to write this down...the best way to find your writer's voice is to...WRITE. A lot. A helluva lot. PRACTICE is the key.

This next quote is from author Rebecca Vinyard in her article, "Have You Found Your Voice?" She wrote:

I don't think voice is something you can create... it's more like something that just...is. It should flow naturally from you. I didn't find my voice right away. It sort of gradually came out as I gained confidence as a writer. When I read my earlier books, I can see glimmers of it here and there... but I can also see where I thought the story sounded too folksy or something and I edited it into something more formal. Stilted. Flat. Something that wasn't me. I took that 'sparkle' editors want out of there.

Once you find your voice and start writing without thinking about working with the net of perfect writing, it makes life a whole lot easier. You stop questioning every word you put on the page and simply get down to the business of telling your story. By writing without the internal editor on, you'll increase your productivity and be able to write more...and faster.

Let me repeat:

It sort of gradually came out as I gained confidence as a writer.

I did a lot of reading to prepare for this workshop. This is the one common element and thread I ran across over and over and over.

I wondered why...and I looked to my own past. Why did I not discover my voice until my third manuscript?

I think I know now. CRAFT.

You cannot truly develop your writer's voice while you are striving to develop your craft. It's one or the other. Not both at the same time.

This explains a lot to me, because I wonder about the authors who sold their first books. Almost unanimously, those books sold on VOICE, not craft. Little by little, the author may have improved her craft--learning about tighter plotting, about deeper characterization or even mastering point of view. But that first book flowed from their natural voice and that's why they sold.

On the other hand, I came into this business looking to improve craft above all else. I gained confidence in my ability to tell a story beginning to end with crisp words on my 3rd book (I was also no longer working with a writing partner then.) My voice finally started to surface. The fourth book is the one I sold--and that third one still has a shot someday. My voice had finally developed because I was confident in my craft.

How did I get confident in my craft? I wrote!! I practiced!! I entered contests and submitted and LEARNED. Once I knew I could tell a story, I could shut up my frickin' internal editor long enough to let my voice shine through.

Another important milestone in my quest to develop my voice--the day I realized that I was actually good at something.

Again, this all boils right back down to confidence in your craft. But in this case, there was more. Once I had the sentences, scenes, chapters, plot, etc all down pat, then I realized there are some things I write better than most other people. I write hot sensual love scenes. I write really strong heroines. AHA! So what did I do with this knowledge? I tried to write a sweet love story with a really nice, malleable heroine who puts everyone else's needs above her own. Why? I was challenging myself! Trying to IMPROVE.

Improve on what? Idiot! My editor called and instantly saw the problem with the book. "Turn up the heat on the love scenes and make Devon more selfish at the beginning." Duh. If I'd played to my strengths instead of trying to "be different," I wouldn't have run into so much trouble with that book, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? which is currently a NRCA finalist.

What are you good at? If you've written one or two books, you may not know yet. Maybe you do. Make sure that every project you start from this point on plays to that strength. If you're trying to write category, find a line that will appreciate that strength. I, for one, could never write for Harlequin Presents. The men are too alpha and the women too weepy for me. My heroines would use that money their former lover's family paid her off with to hire the Italian magnate's Uncle Guido to bump his ass off and drop his lifeless body off the coast of Sicily. But that's just me.

Am I saying you shouldn't try to beef up your weaknesses? No way. Just make sure you do it in a story where your strengths will shine.

Discovering the nuances of my voice has been a long process, and frankly, I think it's an ongoing adventure. With each book I write, I learn something new. A Book of My Voice allows me to explore the stories that spring from my psyche in their truest form. My voice may grow and change as I grow and change, but the essential foundation remains the same. My voice is mine and the more I write, the more I reveal of that voice. I'm not saying there aren't going to be people who will try to alter or squelch my voice. Of course, that happens. But that I can fight because the voice is so intrinsic, while the heart, in my opinion, is fickle. And since we all have different voices--the pressure to evoke deep emotional angst in the pursuit of The Book of the Heart is relieved. Write what you enjoy! Write from that natural part of you that no one else can copy. Yeah, I can do that.

One last note about that troublesome book of the heart--Several editors at NINC noted that in about half the cases they'd seen, The Book of the Heart was dark and depressing. That too many authors are using the "book of the heart" as a catharsis and while sometimes it works as both a healing tool and a means of entertaining readers, most times it does not. We bury our deepest and blackest moments in our hearts. Our greatest fears; our worst-case scenarios. I'm not saying that we shouldn't tap into these intrinsic experiences when needed, but sometimes such soul-searching and personal exploration comes out as angst that frankly, no one else wants to read.

And I'm not just proselytizing, here. I've written a "book of my heart." I wrote it during a scary, transitional time of my life. The story was great, the characters vivid. I hope to revive the scenario some day...but without the darkness hovering over the work like a thundercloud. Maybe for some other authors this would work, but since that book, I've discovered my VOICE. And my voice completely contrasts what was in my heart at the time I wrote that book. Shoot, in that one, even the baby died. Yikes!

So, I've talked about the book of the heart vs. the book of the voice. I've given you some quotes about voice, some definitions and some areas of the craft where your voice can be found. I've reminded you that until you've found confidence in your craft (not mastering the writing...we all make mistakes...that's what revisions and critique groups are for) you cannot begin to find your voice. If you're publishing or attempting to publish in the wrong genre, you will have a harder time finding your voice. Until you find your voice, you can't protect it from well-intentioned editors and critique partners and contest judges.

You do not have to have a distinct voice to sell your first book, but the seeds must be there. You will not find your voice by writing and revising the same story over and over for years. You need to really practice--which means starting from scratch with new characters who have new goals. If you write the tone and story lines you enjoy, you are more likely to find your voice and be able to nurture it until it becomes more than intrinsic, but so natural, you need very little effort to bring it to the surface.

Which moves me to my final point which convinced me that the book of the heart--in the new definition--would not work for me. And this is based on my own experience with the book where the baby died. Some mega-talented authors do not write angst. None. Nada. Not a word. Their voices are fun, sassy, irreverent. They write romantic comedies, light romps and quick-paced adventures. The Book of the Heart somehow seemed to never apply to them, because the deep emotional bleeding on the page wasnst present. A Book of the Voice allows all writers to write with the one part of us that is truly unique to us and only us. It gives us permission to explore what is quirky about our individual outlooks, what is inherent to our personal experiences. Sometimes it may be serious. Other times not. It depends entirely on us. Talk about fresh and bold. A Book of the Voice. What a great term!

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Are you considering joining a critique group? Are you already in a group, but are wondering if the situation is working to your advantage? Take a minute to go through this quick quiz and find out if you are clear on the best and most effective ways to manage a group for critique.

Answer T for True or F for False--Answer honestly and don’t peek until the end!

• 1. Critique groups/partners should be limited to no more than 4 people.
• 2. Critique partners should include members at a similar level of experience.
• 3. Critique partners must live in the same geographical area.
• 4. Critique groups should work together weekly, with each member contributing a set number of pages each week.
• 5. Critique partners should be working in the same sub-genres.
• 6. The most important element of a critique relationship is trust.
• 7. Critique partners are not allowed to steal ideas from each other.
• 8. The democratic process should determine whether or not an author must accept a suggestion from the critique group.
• 9. Critique sessions should be professional, with little chit-chat.
• 10. In today’s competitive marketplace, every author should work with a critique group if they want to sell or continue to sell.
• 11. Accepting critique or “rewrites” word-for-word from your critique partner is less work and better for your writing.
• 12. Once you start with a critique group and the dynamic works, you should remain with this group for as long as you can.
• 13. Honesty is the best policy.
• 14. Refusing to make changes makes you a bad critique partner.
• 15. Critique groups should be very aware and conscious of not trying to dictate, change or influence an author’s voice.

It’s important to note that this quiz is intended for people who have never worked in a critique situation before and are somewhat new to the process. Also, even though this is a test with “right” and “wrong” answers, please remember that these are simply suggestions from two writers who have been doing this for over thirteen years. In fact, we had to reach far back into our memories to put this all together, because we no longer operate in such a rigid manner, though we did in the beginning. As experience levels rise and life situations change, flexibility is very important. But to get off on the right foot to develop the level of trust you need for a successful critique situation, these guidelines might be helpful.

1. Critique groups/partners should be limited to no more than 4 people.

True.

When you first start working with a critique group, it is very helpful to meet consistently. With today’s schedules the way they are, it might be hard to coordinate meeting times for more than four people. Also, we encourage the group to set a certain number of new pages to be brought for critique every session--and if you go over four people, that’s a lot of reading! Also, with a manageable number of participants, there is a better chance that you can keep the group together for at least a year, which will maximize your chance of success. Commitment to the group and to the craft of writing is very important.

2. Critique partners should include members at a similar level of experience.

False.

At first glance, this might look like a good idea, but your needs could be better served if you have a diverse group. Try to include both published and unpublished members. Everyone has something to contribute, so long as the unpublished members are consistent readers of the genre. If the unpublished person is brand new and hasn’t even read much of the genres being discussed, they will not be able to contribute much to the group. However, it is very important to note that just because the person is published, they shouldn’t necessarily be designated as the leader or teacher...this pressure might push the published member away. Everyone should contribute equally.

3. Critique partners must live in the same geographical area.

True.

In the advent of Online/Internet critiquing, this was a hard one to answer, I’m sure. But these long distance critique groups lack the “face time” needed to develop trust and familiarity with the people you are seeking to work with. With an in-person group, relationships will develop. Comments are less likely to be misunderstood, because the person is right there to explain and body language, so important to good communication, is visible. Online/Internet critiquing doesn’t leave much room for brainstorming with other members, since all they can do is right why they did/did not like something and how they suggest you change it. To start a dialogue at that point is time-consuming, whereas a face-to-face conversation can generate many solutions and possibilities. Frankly, working online is much more effective if you’re doing it with people you’ve worked with in person previously. However, if you are isolated, Online/Internet critique is better than nothing.

4. Critique groups should work together weekly, with each member contributing a set number of pages each week.

True.

This might be one of the hardest aspects of our advice to swallow, but a successful critique group in entirely dependent on the seriousness of the participants. Discipline and commitment to your writing and the group breeds trust. This schedule doesn’t need to be forever and doesn’t have to be written in stone. Things happen. But flexibility and compassion can only be stretched so far. Contributing your pages to the group ensures that you are serious...and if you’re not, why are you doing this at all?

5. Critique partners should be working in the same sub-genres.

False.

So long as everyone is writing romance, there shouldn’t be a problem. Or mystery. Or fantasy. Or science fiction. Each genre has its own inherent rules and if your critique partners are unfamiliar with these, you could end up wasting a lot of time. Within each genre, there are sub-genres. Here is where you can mix things up, though you should encourage your partners to read in your sub-genre so they understand the nuance themselves and don’t just take your word for it. You should be responsible for giving them recommendations of authors to read.

If you are a romance writer, we want to caution you about working with non-romance READERS. It’s no secret that there is a lot of undeserved animosity toward our genre and do you really need someone in your own critique group looking down their nose at you for your choice of genre? The best scenario is four or less romance readers and writers, with a diverse group within. There is value in broadening your reading and writing experiences outside of your own genre, and critiquing is a great way to do that.

6. The most important element of a critique relationship is trust.

True.

We don’t think anyone got this one wrong! It seems so obvious, but I’m not sure it’s something that is verbalized enough in discussions of critique groups. Why is trust so important? It’s simple--trust allows you to take hard criticism, trust allows you to broaden your own vision, trust allows you to know when to listen and when to follow your gut. When push comes to shove, trust will get you through any rough spots with the group. If you don’t respect your critique partner’s opinion, then the whole process is a waste of time.

7. Critique partners are not allowed to steal ideas from each other.

False!

Okay, this should be true. Really, this is something that should be discussed by the group at the beginning. However, as you develop trust, you can start playing with each others ideas without stepping on each other’s creativity. And even then, ideas must only be stolen WITH PERMISSION. Case in point, Sue and I, for a long time, worked in completely different subgenres with her writing futuristics and romantic suspense and I was writing short contemporaries and paranormals. If Sue had the idea in a futuristic to work with a story idea about a woman searching for her long lost sister, it would likely be very different than how I might handle that same search in a fun short contemporary. Now, however, we’re both writing romantic suspense, so we have to be very careful. So, ideas should be stolen if you’re working in different genres, not if you’re competing for shelf space and especially not if you’re working with the same editor. And even then, ideas should be altered so they are “original”--and with your critique partner’s input.

8. The democratic process should determine whether or not an author must accept a suggestion from the critique group.

False.

If three out of four say something is wrong, then something may be wrong, but you have to trust your instincts on how--of if--to fix it. This isn’t a democracy. You are the empress of your own work. But you can’t discount these people out of hand--you have, remember, chosen them to help you in your career. Maybe the problem is not what your critique partners has identified, but something else that relates. Bottom line is that the work is ultimately yours, with your name on it.

Without meaning to, critique partners can critique “out “your voice...and voice often comes from the choices you make as a writer--not just the writing style. So that trust in number six applies to yourself as well. Let your critique group speak their piece, then trust your own instincts about how to proceed.

9. Critique sessions should be professional, with little chit-chat.

True...but it won’t happen!

Schedule in time for socializing...this builds trust. Designate someone to keep the discussion on target, so everyone gets a chance and alternate who this person is every week, so no one has to play hall monitor every time. And watch the clock! If your time isn’t productive, the critique group could fall apart.

10. In today’s competitive marketplace, every author should work with a critique group if they want to sell or continue to sell.

False.

Critique groups don’t work for everyone. That’s the honest truth. Some people who THINK they don’t need a critique group actually do, and vice-versa. If you are published and publishing regularly and well without a critique group, you’re likely okay without one. If you are unpublished and have tried more than one critique group with no success, the process may not be for you. Don’t feel better or worse about your writing because you “don’t play well with others.” Everyone has a different style.

11. Accepting critique or “rewrites” word-for-word from your critique partner is less work and better for your writing.

False.

Your critique group can’t write in your style...and shouldn’t be expected to. Reword when needed. Sometimes it is easier, and the more you trust, the more you can accept changes without making any alterations. Sue and I trust each other pretty implicitly after all these years...I often go through her critique and put in her line edits without a second glance. However, when it’s whole sentences, I know I have to rewrite. Her voice and mine are very different, as it should be!

12. Once you start with a critique group and the dynamic works, you should remain with this group for as long as you can.

True...and false.

Consistency is good, but lack of growth is not good...sometimes you may need to work with someone else for fresh perspective. Also, this business is very hard on people and a lot of writers don’t last. So change is inevitable. Besides, you might outgrow the group...that doesn’t mean you have to leave the friendships behind, but you might have to save your critiquing for someone who better fits you at the current time.

13. Honesty is the best policy.

True.

The truth sometimes hurts. Get over it. However, everyone can learn to critique with kindness. The main focus should be to keep your eyes on the prize--publication, improved writing, a stronger readership. Someone who is just going to tell you how brilliant you are isn’t going to be of any use to you because trust us, editors are not put on this earth to stroke the egos of writers. Believe me, you’ll have readers for that. But first, your book has to be its best, and that means subjecting yourself to honest critique. On the other hand, you also need to help your critique partners develop a tough skin to match yours. Criticism comes easier from trusted critique partners than from editors!

14. Refusing to make changes makes you a bad critique partner.

False.

You have to trust your own instincts, too. It’s your book. However, pay attention. If you are CONSTANTLY refusing to make changes...why are you in a critique group? Are you simply wasting everyone’s time and ratcheting up the tension in the group? If so, bow out graciously. It’s the professional thing to do.

15. Critique groups should be very aware and conscious of not trying to dictate, change or influence an author’s voice.

TRUE!!

Next to trust, this is the most important aspect of critiquing. Of course, you have to understand what voice is in order to protect it. Voice is not equal to bad or difficult to understand writing. Voice is not equal to characters who are unsympathetic or situations that are unbelievable within the realm of fiction. Voice is a combination of many things that makes your book yours...and it rarely has to do with one or two words here and there. Learn about voice. Read the article about it here on my webpage, or from other authors. Then, once you know what voice is, protect yours AND your critique partners. Understand their voice. Learn to recognize it. Once you do, your group will be a finely-honed, critique machine!

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Today, I did something horrible. Something that would bring terror into the souls of the most stalwart writer--I started to clean my office. No, I wasn’t procrastinating the end of a book. In fact, I’d just finished. On the eve of each of my last four deadlines, I’d promised myself I would clean my office before moving onto the next book, but things never quite worked out. Galleys would come, we’d take a trip, I’d take a few days catching up on a month’s worth of soap operas then -- BAM! -- I had a deadline again.

This time, I had incentive. My husband.

My husband is a wonderful man and I love him. But he’s a Virgo. Anyone who is a Virgo or knows a Virgo understands that many times, this particular sun sign can be, well, neat. Organized. Anal-retentive (and I say this in the most loving way.) Usually, he leaves me alone when it comes to my domain, but when outdated computer peripherals and boxes start spilling into the hallway, he has to draw the line. I’m okay with that. If not for his Virgo personality, I’d never clean anything.

So I started with the toughest job--going through my books. Hi, my name is Julie, and I’m a bookaholic. I can say that here because most writers and readers I know are bookaholics, too. I think the politically correct term is bibliophile, but the bottom line is that I often buy more books than I can ever read. I love books, I love authors. I support authors by buying their books. I once made the mistake of counting my To Be Read pile and was depressed for days. Unfortunately, because of my taxes, I also know how much I spend on books every year. It’s scary.

Now, it’s time for me to part with books that while I’d love to read them, reality is slapping me in the face with a big fat, “Get Real” sign. Others I’ve read and loved--but maybe they aren’t quite qualified for my keeper shelf. Keepers, to me, are books I intend to read again. Let’s not discuss the probability that will ever happen, okay? I need some fantasy in my life.

Going through the TBR and the already-read piles, creating stacks to ship to the library, the used bookstore or voracious reading friends is relatively easy...until I come across the books I can’t bear to part with. Can I?

The keepers? No, they are safe, tucked in my closet. My own books? No, those I inventory and will use to run a new contest on my website. The books that cause me great angst are the books I’ve bought from other authors, autographed to me.

Some I’ve read. Some I haven’t. But the thing is, my name is on the title page, most with wonderful, personal inscriptions. At the time I bought these books, I shared something very personal with the fellow author on the other side of the pen. I could probably tell you something special about each and every person who ever signed a book for me.

But reality is looming like my Virgo husband on the other side of the hallway. I cannot keep all these books!

Yet how can I part with them? What would happen if a friend went to the used bookstore and saw my personalized books sitting on the shelves? I’d be horrified and embarrassed. Or worse, what if I give the books away to readers and they end up on eBay, creating profit for some entrepreneur, but not for the author? Short of finding someone I trust named Julie to share them with, what do I do?

The library is a good option, right? Except that most libraries treat paperbacks like recycled goods, left in a bin at the front entrance, free for the pickin’ of anyone who walks in off the street. Garage sale and Flea Market nightmares enter my mind.

I have a serious problem. And I know other authors do as well. I mean, many of us are friends. We truly care about one and another and our careers. Over the years I’ve been published, I’ve rarely run into incidents of true professional jealousy or back-stabbing (we won’t talk about the years before I was published.) So what do I do with these books?

Took a lot of thought and chocolate, but I decided two things. One, I already supported the author by buying the book in the first place. I showed up at the signing, usually stayed a long time chatting, or often, was signing right along with this author. They already received the sales benefit of my purchase. Two, these books aren’t doing anyone any good sitting on my shelves. The author has no idea if I treasured or trashed her work...only I know that I treat these books with great conscience and care.

What’s the best thing I can do for these books? I decided that getting them into circulation is best. Giving another new reader a chance to discover the brilliance of my fellow authors, even letting them read how thoughtful, kind and wonderful these authors are in their inscriptions. But I’m not going to go the used bookstore route (sorry, but I don’t need to profit off of someone else’s work) or the library (too hit-or-miss). Instead, I’m giving them to a neighbor’s mother. She’s an avid reader and reads three to five books a week. When she’s done with the books she buys, she passes them along. To friends, co-workers, neighbors, nursing homes, where ever she thinks the books will be read and appreciated.

Am I passing the buck? Maybe. But by following this route, I know that at least one reader will give these books a chance and that instead of sitting on my shelves, booklovers like me will have discovered the works of authors I care about, even if we only met once at a booksigning. I’m not ashamed to have my name inscribed on the title page--in fact, I’m proud.

So, for anyone who ever met me at a booksigning and was generous enough to buy a book of mine, I hereby give you my expressed permission to pass it along to a friend, even if you never cracked open the cover. If you can pass along my book to a reader who will give me a fair shot, then you’ve done me a great service, above and beyond.

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