The beginning of the school year is another chance for you to start anew with your writing dreams. In order to get your aspirations off the ground you need to work SMART. Teachers learn about goal setting in their classrooms. TSWBAT stands for The Student Will Be Able To…and then an achievable, concrete goal is developed, one that has a measurable outcome.
We can take this concept and apply it to our writing using the acronym SMART.
S-is the goal specific? Is it designed to stretch your abilities? I will be able to write 500 words a day five days a week is specific.
M-is the goal meaningful to you as a writer? Will the above goal get you to your over arching goal-that of completing a story or novel?
A- is the goal achievable? Can you measure your progress? Is the goal too easy, or too difficult? A goal should stretch you but not discourage you. It may take a bit of trial and error to refine an achievable goal.
R-Is it realistic? If your goal is achievable, do you have a plan for getting there? If you set a goal of 5,000 words a day, have you exercised your writing muscles enough to get there or do you have to work up to it? if you’ve never written a word before 5,000 words is not going to be realistic.
T-is your goal timely? Do you have an end date you are aiming for? Will the goal you’ve set be something you can accomplish by the end date? Do you need to rethink either the goal or the date you’d like it to be finished by? Do a little math. If you have a goal to write a 60,000 word novel by the end of the year, how many words do you need to write in a week? How many days of a week are you willing to write?
If you are SMART you can set stretchable, achievable goals and look forward to a bevy of accomplishments.
Welcome to the Aspen Mountain Press blog (stop#2) via the 1RomanceEbooks.com Happy Anniversary contest and the last blog you visited at Cherie De Sues.
When my husband, Jeff, started 1RomanceEbooks a little more than a year ago, he worked hard, trying to make a re-seller site as user friendly as possible for both publishers and readers.
He would know.
He helped build the Aspen Mountain Press web site and saw first hand the successes and frustrations that I experienced as a publisher.He took all the lessons I could give him from Aspen Mountain Press and applied it to 1RomanceEbooks persevering against the road blocks and hurdles set before him. When giving up would have been easier, he stayed the course.When sales were low in the beginning, he created plans to encourage readers to find 1Romance and buy stories from to fill the need for romance in our lives.
Now on the eve of our 24th wedding anniversary, the 4th anniversary of Aspen Mountain Press and the 1st anniversary of 1RomanceEbooks Jeff’s hard work is paying off.I’ve never been more proud to be associated with a man of integrity, honesty and honor.A man who understands good customer service, a man who works tirelessly to provide a good experience for all those who visit the site and one who supports a future and a vision for eBooks.
To celebrate the myriad events occurring this summer Aspen Mountain Press is proud to give one lucky winner a signed print copy of DEAD Done Right, a contemporary vampire romance by Lizzie T. Leaf.The book includes two great stories available NOW as eBooks at Aspen Mountain Press.
In Waking Up DEADDeb Stein wakes up to the scent of pine and the discovery that her life has changed forever.Now instead of the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs, she’s in the spotlight as Lovey Divine who takes it off for a room full of lusting strangers, her one goal to seek revenge on the man who turned her into one of the undead.
And, as a vampire what could possibly be worse than fainting at the sight of blood?Yet that is precisely what happens in the novella DEAD Faintwhen Billie Joyce comes to New York City only to be turned into a vampire .
The Aspen Mountain Press blog also has information regarding the upcoming Aspen Mountain Press anniversary bash in which we will be giving away an eReader, gold aspen leaf jewelry, beautiful picture frames, keepsake boxes and more.In order to win a prize, you must be a member of our newsletter where you will receive more information about how you can win these fabulous gifts.
To win a copy of DEAD Done Right, be sure to leave a valid comment about this post or any others here, along with your participant number and an answer to the following: name one other Lizzie T. Leaf title now available at Aspen Mountain Press other than the ones mentioned in this post.
The next stop of this blog tour will be #3 with Teresa D’Amario.
Congratulations to the man I love and the wonderful company he is building. May there be many, many more anniversary celebrations.
4. Participate in the AMP Anniversary bash partyon Sunday August 1 at the AMP Community Loop from 7 to 11 pm EST at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AMP_Community/?yguid=323193151. We’ll have a thread specifically for entries there where you’ll have to shout out.
And that’s all you have to do to win a Nook e-reader from Aspen Mountain Press. Other prizes like downloads and gift baskets will be given away at specific chat events.
Tomorrow, at LR&M E-cafe, the Aurora authors are chatting from 10 am to 5 pm. Your first chance to win is at the Aurora launch party–we’ll be giving away a “Good Night With a Historical Romance” basket with downloads, a hot chocolate set and a FIRST EDITION Georgette Heyer! Gift basket is worth $100! So show up at the Love Romances and More E-Cafe for your chance to win.
Next week, you can chat with AMP authors including Cynnarra Trenarth, Maura Anderson, Lena Austin, Lizzie T. Leaf, Celina Summers, Marguerite Butler, Kimberly Nee, Arabella Sheraton, Colleen Stormer, Dominique Eastwick, V. Mark Covington, Raine Delight, Kara Griffin, Viki Lyn, Cynthia Vespia, Jade Buchanan, Barbara Custer, Sloane Taylor and Chris Morrow. We’re giving away downloads from most and many other prizes as well. You can find them at chats–TRS Blue on July 27 from 12 to 8, Romance Excerpts Only all day on July 28 and Love Romances and More on July 30 from 8 to 5.
So the first step is to post a comment to the blog posts. Then sign up for the newsletter. Then the Aurora Regency/ Aurora Regency Historicals authors tomorrow at the Love Romances and More E-cafe! And good luck!
Yesterday, I learned about the evils of clutter when I purchased an outdoor trashcan and attempted to load it into my Honda Fit. It looked so easy. Folding down the back seats would give plenty of room for my purchase…except so much stuff had congregated in the back seats and floor. Bending the trashcan wasn’t an option; I had to move all my stuff into the front seat. A Christopher Columbus expedition followed where I discovered books, throw rugs, pillows, magazines, tools, bags of old clothes, and more. All up, it took ½ hour to clear enough space for the trashcan.
Then I got to thinking about the clutter in my stories and the way I try to jam my characters so that they’ll fit into the clutter, and then wonder why the story doesn’t make sense. In any novel, you have your central plot, with the subplots revolving around it. Let’s say a vampire flees his land and attempts to live among humans until his enemy catches up with him. Then you add subplots – perhaps the vampire falls in love with his neighbor, then he gets a night job, perhaps his enemy tries to steal his girlfriend. The clutter starts if you throw in werewolves, aliens, and a plethora of “walk-on” characters without duly preparing the reader for them. And whatever goes down, your character has to act true to his role. You can’t have someone with a phobia of heights climb the side of a building unless you’ve motivated and prepared him to do this way in advance. If your character prays in a monastery on one page, and then on the next, he commits a mass murder, you’ll lose your reader unless you’ve set up the story in a way that your reader might expect this.
At the last writer’s conference, a workshop leader gave me wise advice. Don’t just write a resume for your character. Take your character out to dinner. Watch TV with him at home. Bring him to work and family functions. Observe in your mind how he might interact with family members, what foods he might like, etc. Then let him tell you the story. This will help you avoid extraneous scenes that clutter your story, and the reader will keep turning the pages.
With the lessons at the conference and shopping trip in mind, I’m cleaning out the clutter from my present work in progress, and scolding myself in the process. That is my biggest challenge – the mess! It will take longer than ½ hour to clear it, but clear it I will.
What do you find most challenging about rewrites? Does clutter creep into your tales? How do you address it?
Aspen Mountain Press’ fourth anniversary is coming up in July and we’ve got lots of presents for you, the AMP loyal reader.
Have you been looking for historical fiction and traditional Regency romances? Well, Aurora Regency and Aurora Regency Historicals is the e-publisher for you. We’re bringing high quality historical novels and novellas to you in the convenience of electronic formats! And on July 23, we’re offering you a sneak peek into the line and the fabulous books we are offering there.
The first Aurora Regency release is Compromising Prudence, by Marguerite Butler. A wonderful madcap Regency in the grand traditions of Georgette Heyer, Compromising Prudence is the first book of her Regency series.
Prudence Wemberly is desperate. Her reputation has been damaged by a cowardly suitor and her overbearing father will disown her when he finds out about it. She musters her courage and flees to the house of the most notorious courtesan in London. If she’s ruined, why not become a courtesan herself and have a little fun for a change? It sounds like a reasonable idea—after she has her third glass of sherry.
Charles Hatterly only wants to pursue his passion for ornithology, but his family expects him to marry and manage the family estates. He needs to find a well-behaved girl who will be content to marry him—and then leave him alone.
For a gentleman scientist in need of a wife and a ruined miss in need of a future, there is an obvious solution. If Prudence and Charles can make it to the altar despite their meddling families, unscrupulous rakes and the brewing scandal that has the ton talking, they just might find more than they bargained for. Can true love bloom amid the catastrophes that arise from compromising Prudence?
The second Aurora Regency release is The Dangerous Duke, by Arabella Sheraton. If you love the lovely, delicate heroines of Barbara Cartland and the Byronic hero, you’ll really enjoy this amazing return to the emotional oceans of serious Regency romance.
When the beautiful but impoverished Fenella Hawke takes up the position of Companion to the elderly Dowager Duchess of Wyndlesham, she is unprepared for the hostile attitude of the current Duke. The handsome and arrogant Devlin Deverel suspects Fenella has secrets to hide. From the moment they meet, Devlin and Fenella experience an overpowering and frightening attraction.
They try to fight their growing arousal, but find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. However, when Lady Penelope Vane, Devlin’s extremely jealous mistress, discovers that Devlin’s attentions are wandering, she sets in motion a ruthless plot to discredit Fenella, with the help of her ally, the rakish Sir Marcus Solesby.
The first Aurora Regency Historicals release is The Pursuit by Kimberly Nee. A sweeping story set as the first book of a grand family saga in early America, The Pursuit takes the reader into the involved and sensual realms of historical fictions–reminiscent of both Stephanie Laurens and John Jakes in scope.
Born into privilege, Katherine Bainbridge never thought the day would come when she would be happy to find work as a maid. But having fled London to avoid being tried, convicted and hanged for murder, she will take whatever work she can get, even if the offer comes from the most beautiful man she has ever seen.
Garrett McKenzie needs to staff his new home, but when he sees Katherine, the position that comes to mind does not involve mops and buckets. Determined to woo his lovely new maid into his bed, he will do whatever necessary to keep her there.
But when Katherine’s past comes back to haunt her, Garrett will do whatever he has to in order to prove to her that she can trust him with her life, as well as with her love.
I’ve been very excited working with these three talented authors–and even more excited about other authors who will be coming on board the Aurora imprints as the year progresses. Our grand launch is slated for October 15, 2010–with another traditional Regency romance from Marguerite Butler–Becoming Mr. Brooking–and an incredible surprise for our readers as well.
I am delighted and thrilled to announce Author Jennifer Horsman, the popular and beloved writer of Crimson Rapture and A Kiss In The Night, has signed with Aurora Regency and will reissue her popular and beloved novels from the 1980s and 1990s in e-publishing formats. Ms. Horsman, who published with Kensington/Zebra and Avon, is not only a pleasure to work with but an absolute doll to know. Her first reissue, Magic Embrace, will be released upon our grand launch on October 15, followed by A Kiss In The Night in November. We will release one of Ms. Horsman’s novels every 4-6 weeks, bringing her fans the comfort of these familiar and revered books to meet the convenience and ease of the e-reader, the i-pad, and the computer.
So keep an eye on Aurora Regency and Aurora Regency Historicals! Now only are we bringing you the writers of the future in historical romance but we’re reacquainting you with the pillars of the genre–one book at a time! In the coming weeks, we’ll have introductory interviews with the new AR/ARH authors, guest blogs, blurbs, excerpts and all sorts of fun. On July 15th, the Aurora authors and I have taken over the Love Romances and More e-cafe all day, where we’ll be discussing the new imprint and giving away lots of great things.
And happy fourth anniversary from Aspen Mountain Press! Stay tuned to this blog for more details on other presents we’re giving out for our anniversary–presents for YOU.
I’m writing this from the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus, Ohio where the Romantic Book Times convention is going on.
After a tiring travel day Tuesday, the RT Convention started off with several emotional, heart felt tributes to editor Kate Duffey.
AMP author, Celina Summers finaled in a comepetition that could garner her manuscript a review by an agent with the possibility of representation. You go girl!
A beautiful poster featuring the covers for Bride of Death by Celina Summers and Cover Me by L.B. Gregg adorn a large column in the 2nd floor bar that nearly everyone has to pass through to get into the main convention area.
Authors ZA Maxfield, Celina Summers, Laura Baumbach, Helen Hardt, Sam Cheever, Lizzie T. Leaf, Lucynda Storey, and Cynthia Vespia have all represented Aspen Mountain Press at this event and have been a delight to hang out with.
Finally, I am tickled beyond belief that a stranger felt comfortable approaching Cynthia, Celina and I (later joined by Laura) in asking us how to make the most of his RT experience. The stranger, is no longer a stranger but a friend who introduced us to two more of his friends. We are thrilled to have added to our list of compadres Brett Battles, Robert Gregory Browne and James Scott Bell. They’ve shared with us their zany sense of humor and a little bit about the world of thriller writing.
We are already making plans to be at RT next year where it will be held at the Westin Bonaventure in L.A.
So many of us are pushed for time these days. Families demand our attention as do our civic commitments. We get up early trying to get one extra thing done. We stay up late trying to finish just one more thing from our ever-extending to-do list.
We need more time we groan. And it’s true, we do need more time. But…how much time do we manage to waste in a day?
The first thing you need to know is when is your most productive time of the day? Early morning? Mid afternoon? Late at night when even the mice are sleeping?
Second, limit the number of items on your ‘to-do’ list to four or five of the most CRITICAL items. If you absolutely MUST pay your utility bill or be shut off, that becomes a critical item. Forwarding on the latest Maxine cartoon is not. (more…)
Sometimes selling e-Books isn’t as easy as the media and others would like us to believe. Despite the fact that nearly two million new e-readers were sold by the end of 2009, a lot of people you might talk to on the street, in your place of worship, at work have not heard of them.
Many people are just now hearing about these portable devices thanks to commercials showcasing the Sony reader and the Nook from Barnes and Noble.
But how will these new clients look for content for their readers?
That is where you, the author, need to think about the content of your story.
There are loads of products available via the web on how to promote your writing, but a good three quarters or more are dedicated to non-fiction writing. So how can you take that information and apply it to your fiction work? (more…)
If you really want to make your writing stand out, you need to actively hunt for clichés in your prose. Clichés are tried and true, yes, but they are also boring and lazy. You are a writer who wants to tell the best possible tale…do so by hunting those cliché’s down and killing them.
This may require another author’s eyes. A critique partner, even a beta reader if you tell them in advance that you want them to look for clichés.
What are some clichés you can look for? Here are a FEW. There are thousands, if not more.
A breath of fresh air.
Dumb as a rock.
Dog tired.
Dog days of summer.
Fresh as a daisy.
Sardines in a can.
Sharp as a tack/pin.
Played like a violin/Stradivarius.
As cold as ice.
Better late than never.
Time flies/time flies when you’re having fun.
Old hat.
No bones about it.
Like the pot calling the kettle black.
Dead as a doornail.
Stiff as a board.
Bored stiff.
Bored to tears/death.
I think you get the idea. These things creep into our writing without us being aware of them. Frequently, it takes another set of eyes to reveal these clichés.
You can take some of these and turn them on their head. What if you said, “Dead as a zombie”? This is fresh. This gives you a different picture of someone that may be dead and just extremely tired. If you are writing a zombie story, this would be a phrase we’d identify as a thematic phrase because it echoes what your tale is about…zombies. And, of course, if you use this phrase, you get a very different sort of picture as zombies aren’t entirely dead. Your character could be telling another character that this person who is dead as a zombie isn’t really dead.
Have fun killing clichés. Doing so will improve your writing and make it fresh and memorable.
Now that Bittersweet is out, I’ve had some questions about it and wanted to share what happened during the writing of Brand and David’s story. It taught me a few things, trust me.
When I signed up to write two stories for the Hot Comforts anthology from Manlove Romance Press, I pitched the ideas for Giving Thanks and Bittersweet. Several other authors also joined the anthology and it was scheduled for around Thanksgiving 2008. Aspen Mountain Press had agreed to release the stories as standalone ebooks as well.
Because these stories are part of an anthology, it means they really can’t be too long. 20,000 words is a LONG story to have in an anthology. So there’s a maximum reasonable size the editor and publisher expect.
Giving Thanks went pretty well and relatively quickly. I’m happy with it and it really told the whole story I wanted it to.
Bittersweet is a whole other case. I knew a bit about the conflict and the fact it’s very much based on not judging someone by their appearance or what you think they might be like. When I started writing the story, though, I really got into these characters. I sent the first chapter to my test readers and one of them immediately replied that this was NOT a short story.
But it had to be. It needed to be. I literally spent months fighting with this story and trying to force it into an appropriate size and structure. But it fought back. Every time I tried to force Brand and David to get in bed, it came out horribly. Every time I tried to gloss over their personalities and foibles, they seemed like plastic characters. I rewrote it so many times I delayed the whole damned anthology. My deadline was blown and I was so frustrated and in despair it was awful. There’s just no way these characters would behave that way.
Finally I had to step back for a bit from my attempts to force my will on the story and I wrote another chapter, letting myself write what was demanding to be written. There’s a lot of background. There’s a lot of detail and some scenes that don’t have to do with sex but let the readers learn more about who these two people are.
I liked it. It flowed again.
So I finally accepted I could not shoehorn a Happily Ever After into this story. I took it to the point of a Happily For Now but there’s a lot more of this story to come. I’m going to write the rest of their story and see if I can sell it because I want to tell it. There’s pain, misunderstanding, assumptions, sex and love to go.
I know I’ve seen one opinion so far that there wasn’t enough sex and I spent time on things that didn’t matter. I hope that’s not the majority opinion because I love these two characters and the have a compelling and beautiful story to finish. But I did want to share what happened to me while I wrote this story
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