Once upon a time, there was a postgraduate student who was writing a novel as part of her thesis. She had a scholarship that paid for her living expenses, allowing the as-yet-unpublished student to pretend that she was a full-time author. She loved it. But she knew that when her scholarship ended, she would have to get a ‘regular’ job in order to pay the bills . . . unless she could find a way to make money while writing. Enter digital self-publishing. In 2015, she (okay, I admit, it’s me). In 2015, I attended a class on eBook publishing facilitated by …
Three things I learned while writing… Always a Princess
Welcome to our first ‘Three Things I Learned’ blog for 2021. Meet Clyve Rose, who believes in writing about love in all its various, glorious forms, Clyve has come to share her three things she learned from writing her recent novel ‘Always a Princess’! Welcome, Clyve!
Kiss and Tell |Penelope Janu
Rural romance author, Penelope Janu, threads a love of the environment and horses through all her stories, with her latest novel – Starting From Scratch – tying both themes together in a warm, fresh and fun read. With a natural bent towards educating readers, Janu makes us care for the characters and their causes.
Three things I learned while writing… Her Cowboy Prince
Welcome to our last ‘Three Things I Learned’ blog for 2020. And we intend to go out with a bang—of the cowboy variety! Two time RITA finalist and Ruby award winner for ‘Breaking Good’, Madeline Ash loves a hero with a kind heart. Madeline has come to share her three things she learned from writing her recent book ‘Her Cowboy Prince’! Welcome Madeline!
Kiss and Tell |Sandy Barker
Sandy Barker’s latest novel, The Christmas Swap, was the perfect tale to get me in the festive mood. Telling the story from three different perspectives, the novel bounced between Colorado USA, a the UK and inner-city Melbourne.
Christmas Edition: Three things I learned while writing… Xmas Dust, Elsie Creek Series #4
And we are so close now – can you smell the Christmas cookies baking? Can you see the Christmas lights on your neighbours homes? Are you up to your ears in Christmas spirit and full to the brim of Hallmark movies? Well there’s always room for more HEA! Please welcome our third 3 things – Christmas edition blog, with Mel A Rowe! 1. Finding a town’s backstory helped create an authentic setting in a rural romance series. Readers, from all over the world, consistently ask if the fictitious small town of Elsie Creek is real. Some of it is true. …
Some Pitfalls in Editing Your Own Story by Wendy Lee Davies
I’ve worked as an editor on all sorts of documents. And now I write romance stories, something that sounds easy, but isn’t. And I’ve made all kinds of mistakes while creating and then editing my stories. So, in the hope you can learn from my missteps, I’ve outlined some of the pitfalls I’ve encountered, along with suggestions on what to do. One niggly pitfall that’s difficult to overcome… One of the first things I discovered when I transitioned from being an editor into a romance writer was I can’t see my own mistakes. Editing my own writing is like suddenly …
Three Things RWA Helped Me Discover by Caylee Tierney
Until around three years ago, I was the kind of aspiring author who wrote surreptitiously. I didn’t tell anyone I wrote (thank you imposter syndrome). I wasn’t interested in the other activities writers do. And I certainly didn’t share my writing. For whatever strange reason, I honestly thought I could write in my little bubble and send my stories off into the world just like that. Now, I’m the kind of aspiring author who is at least somewhat clued into the lay of the land. I’m trying to balance understanding craft and understanding the business/professional sides of writing. I know …
How it all began – getting hooked on romance books by Jan MacNally
The first ‘romance’ novel I ever read was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, when I was a bored young teenager at a loose end one cold weekend. The edition had a plain mustard coloured hard cover, without a dust jacket, and inside was a black and white illustration of a tall, slightly sneering gentleman (who reminded me of Basil Rathbone) holding a letter out to a young lady, and the caption, “Will you do me the honour of reading that letter?” Intrigued, I began reading that most famous of quotes, “It is a truth universally acknowledged…” It didn’t take me …
Things I do when I’m not writing or volunteering by Shelagh Merlin
Hi, I’m Shelagh Merlin and I love being a volunteer. I firmly believe that you get back tenfold what you put in. Through my volunteering roles I’ve made wonderful friends and learned many things. I’m retired but my various volunteer roles keep my mind and body active. I’ve been a member of RWA since 2016 but before I joined I volunteered as a judge of the RuBY competition for several years. As a member, my focus changed slightly. I was the member services coordinator from August 2016 to August 2018 and what a fabulous opportunity that role provided for learning …