Giving a Free Seminar

I'm giving a free seminar at Coffee Time Romance on Project Management for Writers.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1186

Stop by and see what we're talking about. So far, I posted two lessons:

Lesson #1: Writing is an Art -- Publishing is a Business
Lesson #2: A Goal is a Dream with a Deadline

I love workshops, both taking them and giving them. I learn even when I'm giving one. It's great to review things. And the students always have new/brilliant insights that I never even thought of.

My favorite books on writing

These are my favorite books on writing, the books that helped me to get published in the first place. However, I just realized that it's been years since I've bought a how-to book on writing and I'm not familiar with the new ones. (I've been writing 4 books per year, reading romances to keep up with current trends etc., which kind of kept me busy.) So if you have a favorite that's not listed here (especially if it's somewhat newer) would you please tell me about it? I'm going to put them on my Santa list :-)

So this is what's on my bookshelf:

•Ansen Dibell: Plot

I found this book immensely helpful and would recommend it to every aspiring author.

•Christopher Vogler: The Writer's Journey

Based on Joseph Campbell's work, written in a more digestible format.

•Debra Dixon: Goal, Motivation & Conflict

A must read.

•Donald Maass: Writing the Breakout Novel

Solid advice from a knowledgeable industry professional. Every writer should read this book.

•Dwight V. Swain: Techniques of a Selling Writer

This is one of my favorites. Solid advice.

•Eve Paludan: Romance Writer's Pink Pages

A wonderful reference book that includes publishers' guidelines and tons of other industry information.

•Joseph Campbell: The Hero with a Thousand Faces

A super book, but not an easy read. Would recommend to advanced writers.

•Julie Checkoway: Creating Fiction

A collection of essays from writers' workshop. Angled toward literary fiction.

•Kathryn Falk: How to Write a Romance and Get it Published

A classic.

•Leonard J Rosen: The Everyday English Handbook

A concise guide to grammar.

•Linda Griffin: The Writer's Guide to Critique Groups

Excellent source, written by an editor.

•Linda Seger: Creating Unforgettable Characters

The title says it all. One of my favorites.

•Linda Seger: Making a Good Script Great

Whether you're writing scripts or novels, I think you'll find this practical guide useful. Full of illustrations from well-known motion pictures.

•Marc McCutcheon: Building Believable Characters

A great guide for beginning writers.

•Margaret Shertzer: The Elements of Grammar

•Noah Lukeman: The First Five Pages

Excellent advice! Take it to heart.

•Noah Lukeman: The Plot Thickens

Lots of exercises to sharpen your fiction.

•R. Browne & D. King: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

A must for every writer. It will help you make that all-important good first impression on editors.

•Robert McKee: Story

A super book, but not an easy read. I'd recommend it to the advanced writer.

•Sol Stein: Stein on Writing

Would recommend to advanced writers.

•Stephen King: On Writing

A wonderful insight into the life of a mega-author. He has a lot to teach, and it's all in easily digestible, no-nonsense prose.

•Sue Crafton: Writing Mysteries

A collection of essays by top writers of the genre.

•Syd Field: Screenplay

Great for plotting. A classic.

•Valerie Parv: The Art of Romance Writing

A great book for beginning romance writers.

•W. I. Strunk & E.B. White: The Elements of Style

A classic for good reason.

HAPPY READING!!!!

promotion

What's more important, to write a great book or to have great promotion? What if the two are mutually exclusive? Promotion is taking major time away from writing. PR is definitely my Achilles heel. I don't know how to do it and I don't enjoy doing it. So for the last couple of years, I've all but ignored it. Which is showing up in my book sales.

So over the last few weeks, I had to put away my bestseller project and have been doing promotion instead. I'm now on Twitter and Facebook and even blogging at eHarlequin. (Please find me and friend/follow me. Pleeeaase!) I'm also taking two classes on social networking/PR, one from Beth Barany, the other from Marcia James. I love both. I'm taking copious notes and making lots of plans. And hoping that I'll have the time to put what I learned into practice. Learning about >>meme<< tonight. Well, trying to. My brain is fried and I'm so not getting it. So far, it seems like a virtual chain letter. Will give it another try tomorrow.

If you're a writer, what do you do to promote your books? If you're a reader, what makes you to pick up a book from a writer you haven't read before? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm soooo out of my depth here. Feel like I need to go back to college and get a marketing degree. Unless I win the lottery and can afford to hire a PR manager.

the purpose driven life

Still trying to decide how to write a bestseller. Been sidelined by home renovations, a waterpipe bursting and the stomach flu.

Hubby and I had a discussion last night whether it's better to live a purpose driven life (my theory), or just float along and be open to opportunities, but not go out of your way to swim against the current (his theory).

To my mind, if you don't know where you're going, you'll end up where everyone else wants you to be. And, pray tell, how am I going to end up on the bestseller list without making a plan and working it? Does anybody just ever floats there? Do olympic athletes float to the top of the podium? I think not!

On the other hand, life could be sure less stressful if I wasn't so dang goal oriented. So maybe I will give this floating and open thing a try.

So, UNIVERSE, here is my notice. As of now, I'm open to wonderful opportunites! I'm giving up all my goals for a month and will keep an eye open for the unexpected :-)

What's your life theory?

Discovering the deep pools

"...we live and work so fast we rarely have time to go deep. Such is the maddening pace of our life that we are often too manic, too busy, and too hyper to really get to know ourselves. Occasionally, we may enjoy some fleeting awareness of our true talent, but these peak experiences are not normal. Mostly, we get by and make do with the little we know about ourselves, and rarely if ever do we dip our toes into the deep pools of vision and creativity and beauty that exist inside us." Robert Holden

So this is what I want to do with my books, I think. Discover the deep pools of my characters. Which, I think, requires that I discover the deep pools in my own life first.

Boy, this is going to be slow going! I'm used to writing 4 books per year for Harlequin Intrigue.

A famous author once said in Oprah magazine that a writer should spend 3 months writing a book, then the rest of the year editing it. I laughed long and hard at that. But now I think I'd like to try it. Spend proper time on planning, even just on selecting a project. Really figure out a direction I want to go to for the next stretch.

It's a little scary to committ that kind of time to a book that might or might not get published. Especially since I like to eat regularly and the bills keep coming right on schedule.

So here is my question: Is it better to leap off the cliff and risk crashing, or never leap and go through life without ever finding out whether you could fly?

Almost ready

OK, so I'm almost ready to start on my bestseller project. I'm tying up some previous projects, finishing up two thriller proposals to send to Intrigue. Plus my office is being painted. Well... almost. I unpacked and moved out over the weekend per the painter's vague promise that he'll come this week. Today he told me something came up and he won't be able to come until next Wednesday. I hate when they do that!!!

So back to thinking about writing bestsellers... I've been reading a book from Al Zuckerman, Ken Follett's agent, about how to write one. And by coincidence, Rebecca York posted a wonderful blog today at NINC about Ken Follett's workshop at Thrillerfest over the weekend. I like his advice. Will incorporate it into my plot.

Also, Tess Gerritsen is talking about thrillers and Ken Follett here.

My current quest is to find out what kind of books make the bestseller list. You'd think it would be easy, just look at the list. Trouble is, I don't know if a book is on there because readers by the million automatically buy a beloved author. There are authors whose books I'd buy sight unseen. What I need is books who are breaking onto the list. Do you know any author's whose first book made the list?

super secret writing template

While I'm pondering on how to write my first bestseller, I thought I'd post my novel structure table that I put together through the years for my own use and also because I used to give writers workshops and I needed a tool that showed the novel's structure in a logical way.

So here it is. Let me know what you think. Do you have any tools/outlines you use for writing? Any useful writing tips? http://danamarton.com/tmp/Novel_Template_3.html