Roni Loren, Author - Writing

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Publishing Links of the Week

Roni Loren — Fri, 25 May 2012 12:57:51 +0000

Need to catch up? It's that time of the week again--best links!

But first, I'm a guest over at the Save the Cat blog today talking about Why Your Writing Process Shouldn’t Be Sacred. Yes, I fangirled about Save the Cat so much online that they invited me over, lol. But seriously, that book changed my writing life. I'm a believer. :)

On Writing/Publishing:

On Social Networking:

Reading:

Looking for Some 50 Shade of Grey alternatives? The USA Today Happy Ever After blog asked romance authors for their recommendations. (I'm happy to be on the list, but they also list many of my personal favorites too. Great list!)

What You May Have Missed Here:

From Terrified to Teaching: My Writer's Con Journey
Alex O'Loughlin - Boyfriend of the Week via Sharla Lovelace
What Will Make An Agent Gong Your Pages
Spice It Up Thursday: The Real Girl's Guide to Lingerie
In Denial About Summer
(posted on the parenting blog Peanut Butter on the Keyboard)

So that's what I've got for the week. What were some of you favorite links this week?

What Will Make An Agent Gong Your Pages

Roni Loren — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:51:37 +0000

This past weekend I attended the DFW Writer's Conference. And one of the most entertaining sessions of that conference is the Gong show. They did it last year and I wrote a post on it here. So I thought I'd do the same thing again since I think it's a really helpful exercise.

So basically this gong show consists of a panel of agents who sit at a table in front of the audience. They are each given their own personal gong to hit. Then either queries or first pages are read by a moderator. Everything is anonymous. And the agents hit the gong at the point they would stop reading. Once three agents have gonged, they give their explanation as to why they would've stopped reading.

I imagine this is pretty painful for those writers who volunteered their pages, but it's a fantastic learning experience. And it makes me realize that even over the past year, my own internal editor has gotten more refined because most of the time, I mentally "gonged" for the same reasons the agents did.

So what were some of the mistakes that got gonged?

In queries...

1. Starting with a question - Have you wondered what the world would be like if...

This is an old one (and was on last year's list), but apparently people are still doing it. One agent said that if you start with a question, 99% of the time, the answer is going to be 'no.'

2. Not giving the meat of the story - And he transforms into something no one expected...

You don't have to give away the ending, but if you're hiding the twist or the really interesting part because you don't want to "spoil" it, you're hurting yourself. If you don't hook the agent in that query, they're not going to ever get to those pages you want to surprise them with.

3. In YA, sounding like an adult trying to speak teen (or sounding patronizing).

4. Complaining about what is already out there. There is a void of really meaningful vampire stories out there, my story will change that...

This starts you off with a negative and makes you seem pompous. Don't tell them what you think is wrong with your genre. Just show them why your book is worth reading.

5. Using vague language or meaningless words. A story of love and betrayal, deep inner turmoil, and forgiveness...

What is your story about? Give the nitty gritty not all these vague themes.

6. Going on for too long and not getting to the point.

They want short and sweet. Give the main driving story of the novel and get out. You don't need to go into every subplot and every character.

7. Wasting words

One agent was particularly sensitive to things like, "I am writing you in hopes that you will consider..." All those extra words and stating the obvious made him think you may not write tight.

8. Zombies

Zombies were this year's "vampires". Not all the agents gonged them, but there was a definite aversion from some.

9. In YA, the guy/girl moving to a new school or the guy/girl discovering they have a power they never knew they had.

These are getting clichéd in YA.

On the opening page...

1. Not grounding the reader

For instance, starting with dialogue but we get no sense of where the people are or what's around them.

2. Starting with someone being chased through the woods, waking up, dreaming...

All these are cliché and will get you an immediate no from most of the agents present.

3. Using clichéd language.

Your writing needs to sound fresh. It's easy to slip into cliches because they are the first things that come to our mind. I seriously recommend checking out Margie Lawson's lecture packets about fresh writing. It will scare you off clichés forever and make you want to work harder.

4. Showing too much of your research.

This is like your slip showing. If you have to do research for a novel, you don't have to show the reader all of it. Leave some things tucked under your skirt. Only give the reader what they need and move on. Historical authors are particularly prone to this.

5. Not getting to a hooky moment fast enough.

This was the most common reason. They want conflict and action on the first page. It was okay to set up something in the first or second paragraph, but then they wanted to see the reason why they were supposed to be reading this story. Dumping in a bunch of character descriptions or yammering on about setting got old quickly. What is interesting on that first page?

There were more, but these are the ones that jumped out and got mentioned more than once. (Thanks to the brave souls who volunteered their queries and pages so that everyone else could learn.)

So what do you think? Any of these surprise you? Do you think you've fallen into any of these traps?

From Terrified to Teaching: My Writer's Con Journey

Roni Loren — Mon, 21 May 2012 13:22:42 +0000

Apparently, I'm a hand talkerThis weekend I had the privilege of attending the DFW Writer's Conference. It's a fabulous con and one of the biggest in the area, so if you ever have a chance to come, I suggest you do.

Three years ago DFW Con was the very first writer's conference I ever attended. I was a brand spanking new writer. I had just finished my first manuscript (the YA that now has permanent residence in the depths of my hard drive) and I was ready to absorb every ounce of information I could.

And I was freaking terrified.

I'm an introvert and was still coming to terms with calling myself a "writer" out loud. So walking into a room with hundreds of people, some who REALLY knew what they were doing and were already published, was one of the most intimidating situations I'd ever been in. So I went into recluse mode, sitting at a table, simultaneously hoping someone would talk to me and worrying about what I would say if they did.

And of course, I quickly discovered that though we're often the "quiet ones", writers are some of the friendliest people out there. Plus, get us talking about books or writing and we don't shut up. So I ended up managing a few conversations and met some other people. Apparently, I wasn't going to be allowed to survive in "just go to the classes and not socialize mode". :)

I also remember being completely in awe of the published authors and the people teaching the classes. I was too nervous to talk to them. I mean--hell, they had actual books in actual stores. But I sat there like a sponge, absorbing all the fabulous info (and realizing--oh crap, I have done a lot wrong with my book, lol.)

I left that conference completely overwhelmed and totally inspired. (And it turned me into a total confernce junkie.)

So fast forward to this year and I found myself at DFW Con for the third time. But this time, instead of being the girl who was afraid to talk to a published author, I was a published author. And instead of the shy girl who was freaked out by a crowd, I was the one in front of all those people, teaching. (And enjoying it--imagine that, lol.)

Total outer body experience.

I know I'm still at the beginning of my publishing journey, but having that kind of full circle moment was pretty amazing.

So thank you to DFW Con for inspiring me three years ago and making me feel welcome. And thank you for inviting me this year to teach a few classes.

And most of all, thank you to every writer who came to my classes, asked great questions, and made this shy girl feel at ease in front of a group. You rock. :)

(Oh, and for those of you who bought my book: *tackle hug*)

Have you ever had a full circle moment? Have you ever been the shy guy/girl at a conference? What was your first writer's conference experience like?

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Publishing Links of the Week

Roni Loren — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:26:39 +0000

Need to catch up? It's that time of the week again--round up day.

But first, a quick reminder that if you're at DFWCon this weekend, I'll be teaching two workshops (How To Write Love Scenes and Erotic Romance 101), so I'd love if you checked them out. I'll be giving out a "Why Does This Love Scene Suck?" checklist and possibly a book or two, so how can you pass that up? :)

AND, if you didn't see the annoucement on Twitter, I sorta sold another novella this week. So yay! From Publisher's Marketplace:

National Bestselling Author Roni Loren's NOT UNTIL YOU, the next in her Loving on the Edge series, to Kate Seaver at Berkley Heat, for publication in 2013, by Sara Megibow at Nelson Literary Agency (World English).

Alright, enough about me, now for the good stuff...

Writing and Publishing:

33 things to do when you are feeling a bit angry with your novel via YA Highway

On The Privilege Of Being A Writer via Chuck Wendig

Kate Hart: Uncovering YA Covers: 2011 <--really interesting stats and cool graphics

Author, Jody Hedlund: Everyone Gets Jealous, Even Published Authors

Jungle Red Writers: Control Your Social Media So It Doesn't Control You by Elizabeth Craig

When Self-Publishing Is More Useful As a Marketing Tool | Jane Friedman

The Correct Way To Share | Kait Nolan <--great post about re-blogging etiquette

In E-Reader Age of Writer’s Cramp, a Book a Year Is Slacking - NYTimes.com <--This has definitely been my experience so far

A tale of two royalty statements « Courtney Milan’s Blog

5 Undying Myths About Published Writers And Their Eerie Powers via Warrior Poet

Keep Money in Its Place - Rachelle Gardner <--on not counting on publishing a book to get you out of a financial crunch

The Intern: Publishers Weekly: The Deals You Don't See

On Other Stuff:

Tim Gunn and me via Janet Reid

MANday: Rugby | Jillian Dodd

What You May Have Missed Here:

Made of Win Monday: People Who Can Laugh At Themselves

Patrick Stewart - Boyfriend of the Week by Leah Petersen

Follow At Your Own Risk: Why My Social Media Shouldn't Have To Be G-Rated

Alright, that's all I've got for the week. Hope you have a great weekend!

Follow At Your Own Risk: Why My Social Media Shouldn't Have To Be G-Rated

Roni Loren — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:01:09 +0000

Yesterday, the lovely Jody Hedlund--one of my favorite bloggers--did a post on her 10 Social Media Pet Peeves. Now, Jody and I almost always agree. We've seem to have followed a similar blogging journey along the same timeline and often I find myself nodding along with her posts. And this post was no exception...for nine of those ten points. But number 4 gave me pause and thusly, inspired this post.

Here's her number four:

Pet Peeve #4: When followers use graphic pictures. This applies mostly to Pinterest. Soon after I joined, I quickly realized I couldn’t auto follow back. I was getting some very steamy pictures in my nice “happy” homepage stream. My laptop sits on the kitchen table in plain view of my kids, and I don’t want to have to worry about what they happen to see as I browse my SM sites. Even if a writer’s brand is erotic, I still think it’s wise to be sensitive to the fact that many of us are Moms with kids running around us.

I was with her until the "even if a writer's brand is erotic" part. :)

See, here's the deal. Your "brand" as a writer should be closely aligned with your style of books. If you're writing children's books, then you're not going to be talking about politics and sex on your blog. If you're a Christian writer, you're not going to be blogging about how drunk you got last night.

I write erotic romances that have explicit sex scenes in them. Kink is part of my books. People who read them know that and like those kinds of stories (or else they wouldn't be reading them.) So my readers aren't going to get offended if I post Boyfriends of the Week or shirtless men on my Pinterest (or even sexier stuff on Tumblr). In fact, not only are they not offended, but those boyfriends are the posts that get the most hits by far. So obviously, a big portion of people who follow me are into it.

But I know I also have a portion of followers who are writers who started following me when I was running Fiction Groupie. They are here for the writing posts and aren't necessarily interested in reading my books. That's fine. I even have a separate RSS feed for those who want only writing posts and no mancandy in their inbox so that they don't have to worry about it.

But if you go follow me on Pinterest or Tumblr without looking at the types of things I post, then that is on you. If I have a board named MELT INTO YOU Inspiration, which is a book about a BDSM menage relationship, you can probably guess the photos aren't always going to be G-rated. Hell, my book covers aren't even G-rated. If you choose to follow, that is at your own risk.

I make no secrets about the kinds of books I write. Look at the tagline up at the top of the blog. I'm not going to apologize for posting things in line with my brand. In fact, next week I'm starting a series in prep for STILL INTO YOU's release that is going to be about fun ways to spice up your marriage or relationship. These posts are going to be tasteful, but they're not going to be G-rated. They shouldn't have to be.

Yes, I know people have kids around their computers. I have a four year old. I get it. But it is not MY responsibility to cater this blog (or any of my other social media sites) to keep things away from your child's eyes. That's like saying I shouldn't write erotic romances because a child might pick up their mom's book. My only responsibility is keeping it from my kid's view. I know which sites not to click on if he's sitting next to me.

My brand is sexy romance. It shouldn't be a surprise if I sometimes post about sexy things. Just like if a Christian writer is posting about a bible passage or their religious journey. If I'm following them and not of that faith or whatever, I have no right to get offended. Their brand is clear. If I chose to follow the person, that was at my own risk.

And if someone is posting stuff you don't want to read or see, don't follow them. I've unfollowed a fellow erotic writer for being unnecessarily graphic and cursing nonstop (and believe me, I'm not easily offended.) But it was too much for me and I was getting nothing from their feed. I've also unfollowed people who spout off poitical stuff that ticks me off. I don't need that stress in my day. Was what those people were posting wrong? No. It just wasn't for me. They have the right to make their image and brand whatever they want them to be. I have the right not to buy into it.

For my own blog, I have lines. I don't post nude mancandy pics since I prefer photos that leave something to the imagination. I occasionally curse, but usually keep it at a PG-13 level or ** out the words. I try to keep everything tasteful and classy even when I am talking about a racy topic. Why? Because that's what I want my place on the web to be like. The way I discuss things on here is how I would discuss things in person.

Jody responded to my comment on her blog with, "Obviously, if we're trying to reach our target audience, then we'll try to brand our Pinterest boards to our books. That makes sense. Nevertheless, I do try to be sensitive to the fact that I have numerous followers from all spectrums of life."

I see where she's coming from (and of course I still heart Jody), but I also know that trying to please and cater to "everyone" is an impossible task. Try doing that with your novel and see how well that goes.

Different people want different things. A fellow writer is going to want something different from me than a pure reader will. A romance reader will want something different from me than a suspense reader. You can run the risk of becoming too generic or safe in your brand. That's what was happening with me at Fiction Groupie. I felt restricted because I only posted about writing. I was afraid to post romance-y stuff because some people would've been turned off. So it boxed me in to only talking about writing. That's something I love to do, but it was becoming a very one-dimensional version of me. And where does that leave the readers who could give a crap about how-to writing posts?

So this is me and this is my brand. If you only want writer me, you have the option to just follow those posts. If you want to follow me on Pinterest, cherry pick the boards that appeal to you. If you want to follow me on Tumblr, read the 18+ and NSFW warning at the top. If you want to follow G-Rated mom me, follow my group mommy blog Peanut Butter on the Keyboard. If you want to follow me on Twitter, you'll get a little bit of it all. But I'm not going to apologize for what I post. You've been warned. Follow at your own risk. (But I do hope you still follow.) ;)

So what are your thoughts? Do you think we should keep everything PG even if our books are not? Has anyone ever surprised with something you didn't want in your feed? Do the mancandy posts make you happy or make you nervous to view my blog?

Fill-Me-In Friday: Best Writing Links of the Week

Roni Loren — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:05:22 +0000

Need to catch up? Since I skipped last weeks links post, I have a biggie for y'all today. Hope you enjoy!

On Writing:

Race and Romance: Choosing Between White, Off-White, and Beige via Heroes and Heartbreakers
The 13 Most Common Errors on a Novel's First Page via Book Eval
People In Glass Houses… « Wolfson Literary Agency
How to Keep Writing When the S*** Hits the Fan | Nathan Bransford, Author
What If My Agent Doesn’t Like My Next Book? via Rachelle Gardner
The Search-and-Find Feature via WordServe Watercooler
Writer Unboxed » 5 Ways Novelists Can Benefit from Watching Movies and TV Shows

On Publishing:

On Social Media/Promotion:

Because It Was Interesting:

'Losing Yourself' In A Fictional Character Can Affect Your Real Life via Research News
Smutketeers » Blog Archive » BDSMapalooza!
Welcome To Studio Smexy Saturdays with Jenn LeBlanc (Book cover creation)
Lizz Winstead's ShamWow Book Promo With Brian Unger (VIDEO) - Huffington Post
Always carry a book via Redlines and Deadlines <--book purses
Team Stickers | I'm Loving ♥ Books Blog (I want team stickers for my heroes.)

What You May Have Missed Here:

So that's what I've got this week, what were some of your favorite links of the week? Hope you all have a great weekend!

Can a Love of Reading Develop After the Formative Years?

Roni Loren — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:23:35 +0000

So, I'm sure this is the most obvious statement in the world, but I love reading, have always loved reading. I can think back through my childhood and mark time based on the books I was into during that stage--fantasy in elementary (The Wrinkle In Time series, The Never Ending Story) along with a bazillion Babysitter's Club books, gothic romance and YA horror in middle school, then adult horror, romantic suspense, and paranormal in high school. So books have always been a huge part of my life.

That came from having a mother who was and still is an avid reader. Books were always around the house and a trip to the library was as excitig as a trip to the mall. So on this upcoming Mother's Day, I need to not just thank my mom for being so supportive and fantastic, but also for giving me the foundation for this career. I never would've found my way to writing, if she wouldn't have role-modeled a love of books.

But here's where my question comes in. Most avid readers I know have similar stories to mine above. They found their way to books very early and were already avid readers by high school. But what about those who weren't "born" readers. Maybe because they didn't have parents who read for pleasure or maybe because there was more emphasis on other activities like sports or music, etc. This seems to happen a lot with boys--whether that's because boys are more drawn to other activities or we just don't encourage boys enough when it comes to reading for fun, I don't know.

But my husband is one of these people. He's intelligent, did well in school, absorbs information like a sponge, is introspective--has all the makings of a bookworm. But he's never been a reader. He can probably count the number of books he's read for pleasure in adulthood on two hands, maybe one hand if you take out non-fiction business books and books I've written.

And this makes me sad. Not because I need him to like the things I like, but because I feel like it's tragic to miss out on the magic of a book sweeping you away. He works hard, has a stressful job, travels a lot, is bombarded with cell phones and tvs and radios and computers all day long. Getting lost in a book could be such an escape. I feel compelled to drag him over to my side of the reader/non-reader fence.

He is open to it. I wanted to get him a Kindle Fire to see if that would make reading a viable option when he's traveling, but we ended up with an I-pad. Which is great, Ipads are fantastic. But they also offer a lot more distractions that can be more tempting (to a non-bookworm) than reading a book. So I don't know if that's going to make any significant change.

Part of me thinks that if he finds the right kind of story, he'll get hooked, realize he's been missing out all these years. But maybe not. Maybe avid readers are developed early and once people are adults, they're too set in their ways to get passionate about books. But I hope not.

So what do you think? Do you think it's hard to become an avid reader later in life? When did you fall in love with books?

Drowning in Blogs: How Do You Keep Track of Your Favorites?

Roni Loren — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:48:07 +0000

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that I've been writing a LOT this week. I've written about 11k words on my new novella in five days. However, that also meant I wasn't surfing the web and clicking twitter links all week, so my saved list of favorite links is too short for a Fill-Me-In Friday post. I'll save them and have an extra big one next week.

So instead of the links round up, I'm throwing out a question to you guys.

When I started blogging, I followed everyone who followed me and then some. My google reader ballooned to well over 300 blogs, which of course means it became a useless tool. Now I'm left keeping up with blogs mostly through seeing random Twitter links. But that's hit or miss of course.

I need a better way to organize myself if I want to read blogs. So I'm asking y'all...

How do you keep up with your favorite blogs? Email subscriptions? Google reader? Triberr? Some other brilliant method? Help!

Before Fingers Touch Keyboard: My 6 Pre-Writing Steps

Roni Loren — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:24:39 +0000

Right now I'm writing a brand new novella, and as soon as I finish that, I'll be jumping right into book 4, CAUGHT UP IN YOU (which, for those of you reading the series, will be Kelsey's book.) This means I've been in the phase of story planning.

Now I'm a pantser, so even that word "planning" kind of makes my writing muscles quiver. But I've learned over the course of writing...six books--whoa, when did that happen--that jumping in like a blindfolded monkey isn't the way to go. At least for me.

With each completed novel, I've learned a lot and am constantly honing and refining my process. It's not perfect. I still hit a big, fat wall of writer's block with my last book and ended up being over deadline. But that was less about my writing process and more about me going through The 5 Emotional Stages of a Book Launch for the first time and not knowing any better.

But I figured I'd share with y'all what I do as of right now when that seed of an idea blooms in my head and I decide if it's going to be a story.

My 6 Pre-Writing Steps

1. I spend days of "thinking" time. Running the story in my head, getting a feel for who the characters will be, how it will connect with my series, etc.

These usually feel like unproductive days because I'm just sitting and staring, discarding ideas left and right, shifting things around in my brain. But this step is, of course, crucial. It's story birth--messy and primal.

2. I find my hook.

What is going to be the hook of this story? What's that quick logline? If I can't find one, then maybe this isn't a story idea to pursue. There has to be something that makes someone go--oh, I want to read that. For instance, my novella coming out next month, STILL INTO YOU, my hook was "A husband who loves his wife but knows his marriage has lost its fire hears his wife call into a relationship radio show and admit she almost cheated on him. Knowing that they may be on the verge of divorce, he comes up with a dramatic plan and brings her to The Ranch where any fantasy can be had. Three days. No rings." See, it's a little long and clunky. If I had to pitch it to an agent, I'd have to refine it but the hook is there.

3. Fill out the Beat Sheet from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat.

As I've mentioned before , Save The Cat! totally converted me from my full pantsing ways. I don't think I'll ever be an outliner or someone who writes thirty pages of synopsis. But this simple one sheet way of plotting using screenwriting techniques speaks to me. I can roughly plan the story on one piece of paper and it doesn't take much time at all. You can see the Beat Sheet on Blake's site but you'll need to read the book to understand what those beats mean.

4. I flesh out my characters using a technique I learned in a Michael Hauge workshop (another screenwriter).

This is another one page deal. Each main character gets one sheet--so usually hero, heroine, and antagonist. And then I write out the following things--Need/Longing, Wound, Belief, Fear, Identity (their face to the world), Essence (who they really are). This gives me the main building blocks and makes me think more deeply about who this character is and what their arc will look like. What their hair color is or what kind of movies they like isn't all that important until you know these underlying things first. Everything will grow out of these roots.

5. I write out a brief one page synopsis for my editor.

I used to freak out at the thought of writing a synopsis after I finished a book. And I would've had a panic attack if you'd told me I'd have to write one BEFORE I wrote the book. But now it's part of the deal. Your editor wants to see your idea before they pay you to write it. And let me tell you, writing it beforehand is SO much easier, especially once you get the hang of the Beat Sheet or 3-act structure. I now can whip out a synopsis in an hour or two because the pre-work is there. (That's not to say things in the synopsis won't change once I'm writing the story, but if you keep the story strokes general enough, it usually still fits within the original idea.)

6. I come up with a hooky opening scene and spend some time visualizing it.

Usually the opening scene or ideas for it come to me early on in step one of this process. Often, my story ideas are born from first getting an idea for an opening. And almost always, that first chapter is one of the few that never change, even in revisions. There may be a tweaked sentence here or there, but I've never changed major content or cut my original first chapter in any book so far. That's my mental anchor for the whole story.

Then after all those things are done, I start writing. The stuff in between the story beats, I pants my way through and inevitably discover new directions. And things shift along the way--a change in character motivation means I rework the character worksheet, a change in plot means I tweak the beat sheet. It's all very organic.

So that's my whackadoodle process, what's yours like? Do we share any steps? Are there things I do that would totally freak your writer brain out?

Xtra, Xtra: Best Writing Links of the Week #atozchallenge

Roni Loren — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:45:26 +0000

It's that time of the week again--best links! (And yes, I'm stretching the a to z challenge thing today, but come one--it's X. Ugh.) So here we go...

On Writing/Publishing:

For Random Fun and Info:

The Real World Book Deal Descriptions – Whatever by John Scalzi
10 movie poster cliches (with plenty of examples) - 22 Words
Dawson's Creek Reunion: Michelle Williams "Totally Up" for It—But What's the Glitch
Author Eden Bradley Busts The Myths Surrounding BDSM | RT Book Reviews
Ellen "auditioning" for the audiobook version of Fifty Shades of Grey
(thanks Jen Zeman for the link!)

What You May Have Missed Here:

Shameless Saturday: Saved By the Bell Greatness

Testing Your Opening Scene - 5 Steps

Vin Diesel - Boyfriend of the Week

Under the Hood: How I Built My Author Website

Why I Walk Away From Bad Reviews...

Enough with the “Mommy Porn” Label – Moms Are Still Women

(my post at Peanut Butter on the Keyboard)

Alright, that's all I've got this week. What have been some of your favorite links of the week?

Have a great weekend!