ISBN-13: 9781119989035 / Angielski / Miękka / 2023 / 384 str.
ISBN-13: 9781119989035 / Angielski / Miękka / 2023 / 384 str.
Introduction 1About This Book 2Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Welcome to the World of Romance Writing 5Chapter 1: Romance Writing at a Glance 7Tuning in to the Market 8Defining a romance 8Subdividing romances into genres 9Practicing Your Craft 10Everything starts with characterization 11It's all about emotional tension 11Plotting, pacing, and point of view 12Choosing Indie Publishing or Traditional Publishing 13Exploring the pros and cons of each 13Choosing your path 13Best Practices of Indie Publishing 14Working with editors and graphic designers 14Marketing and selling your book 15Submitting Your Manuscript 15Choosing the right publisher 15Putting together a selling submission 15Chapter 2: Romancing the Marketplace: Identifying Your Options 17Knowing Your Reader 18Meeting the romance reader 18Meeting the romance reader's expectations 19Starting from Square One: Reading 20Drawing up a reading list 20Reading like a writer 21Getting to Know Your Genre 22Historical versus contemporary 22Mainstream versus category 25Subgenres and niche markets 28Related women's fiction markets 35Choosing Your Subgenre 37What do you like to read? 38How do you fit into the market? 39Chapter 3: Setting Up for Writing Success 43Finding the Perfect Time to Write 44Making time to pursue your dream 44Creating your writing routine 46Building a Writer's Tool Kit 48Sharpening up your office supplies: More than just pencils 49Stocking the shelves: Your home library 49Booking it: Accurate financial records 50Accessing Resources for the Would-Be Writer 51Joining writers' organizations -- romance-related and otherwise 51Going where the writers are: Conferences and more 52Taking advantage of courses and critique groups 52Online resources 54Part 2: Laying the Foundation: The Building Blocks of a Great Romance 57Chapter 4: Creating Compelling Main Characters: Alpha Males and Fiery Females 59Depending on Your Characters 60The Key to Every Romance Is the Heroine 61Drawing the reader into your story 61Making your heroine feel real 61Introducing imperfection 63Naming your heroine 64Creating Your Hero 66Heroes are for loving 67Holding out for a hero: Alphas and others 69Looking for love in all the wrong places 74Hello, my name is 74Keepin' It Real: Secondary Characters 76Remembering their roles 76Avoiding stereotypes 77Speaking up 77Naming the baby (and everyone else) 78Factoring in the future 78Laying Concrete Strategies for Creating Characters 78Chapter 5: Crucial Ingredients for Every Plot: Conflict, Climax, and Resolution 81You Can't Have a Novel without a Plot 82Where do ideas come from? 82Letting your characters drive the plot 85Suspense: Every Story Has It 86Using romance to create suspense 87Other ways of creating twists and turns 88Making Sense Matters 89Creating Emotional Conflict and Tension 91Emotional versus intellectual conflict 91Internal versus external conflict 95Personal versus situational conflict 95Handling Conflict Effectively 96Keeping them together 96Letting conflict complicate your plot 97Taking two steps forward and one step back 98Using sexual tension to deepen conflict 100Dreaming of love 101Saving "I love you" for the right moment 102And They Lived Happily Ever After 103Making your reader believe 104Dark moment: Where all is lost 105Climax: Timing is everything 105Resolution: Endings made easy 106Epilogue 107Chapter 6: Setting the Scene 109Deciding Where Your Story Takes Place 110Following the lead of your characters and plot 110Joining the real world or living in your imagination 112Keeping your setting in check 113Telling Time 114Using Your Setting to the Fullest 115Illuminating your characters 115Making your setting a character 119Chapter 7: Outlining versus Discovery Writing 121Identifying What Kind of Writer You Are 121Outlining methods 122Discovery writing methods 123Outlining: Mapping Out Your Story 124What can an outline do for you? 124What belongs in an outline? 125Using your outline effectively 126Listening to your creativity 127Discovery Writing: Letting Your Story Unfold 127Letting the characters guide you 128Plotting as you go 129Getting stuck in the rewriting trap 132Part 3: Putting Pen to Paper 133Chapter 8: Finding Your Own Voice 135Speaking Up for Yourself 135Revealing where readers hear your voice 136Making the language your own 138Choosing your words wisely 139Mixing what you say with what your characters know 140Putting the Show in Show and Tell 141Knowing what you need to say, and then saying it 141Speaking metaphorically 142Describing your characters 143Making every word count 143Talking too much 143Telling It Like It Is 144Keeping your writing clear 144Moving right along 145Chapter 9: Letting Your Characters Speak 149Giving Your Characters Voices 150Making every character unique (and real) 150Giving every character a consistent voice 153Meeting the secondary-character challenge 153Writing Great Dialogue 154Using dialect and accents effectively 155Keepin' it cool: A word about slang 156Using dialogue to convey information naturally 157Putting dialogue on paper 158Choosing and Using Point of View 160What are they thinking? 160Knowing whose voice to use 162Internal monologues and how to use them 165Chapter 10: Pacing: The Secrets of Writing a Page-Turning Romance 169Pacing Doesn't Mean Racing 170Pacing and Plotting: Two Halves of a Whole 170Knowing what readers care about 171It's not only what happens, it's when and where 174Knowing what to tell and what to leave out 177Avoiding the Dreaded Sagging Middle 178Recognizing a sagging middle 178Stopping the sag before it starts 179Dealing with it 180Show It, Don't (Always) Tell It 181Harnessing the power of dialogue 181Telling it like it is: Using narrative effectively 183Finding the balance between showing and telling 185Prose That Goes and Prose That Slows 186Chapter 11: Taking It All Off: Writing Love Scenes 189Comparing Sex and Romance 189Knowing Where and When 190Creating sexual tension 190Deciding when the time's right 192Using love scenes to increase the tension 193Using love scenes to support your pacing 195Writing the Scene 196Knowing your market 196It's not what they do, it's how you describe it 197Part 4: Putting It All Together: Mechanics Count, Too 201Chapter 12: Starting and Stopping 203Mastering the Winning Beginning 203How to hook your reader 204How to bore your reader 206The cute meet: Necessary or not? 207Putting Theory into Practice 209Finding your starting point 209Backtracking to the background 211Opening lines that work 214Constructing Can't-Miss Chapters 216Viewing every chapter as a new beginning 217Leave 'em wanting more: Effective chapter endings 218Keeping transitions fresh 221Moving from Scene to Scene 222Stringing scenes together 222Seeing scene endings as mini-chapter endings 223Intercutting scenes 223Chapter 13: Getting Your Story Straight: Doing Research 225Getting It Right: Priority Number One 226Making Research Work for You 226Figuring out what you need to know 227Avoiding information overload 229Getting Down to Business 230Timing is everything 231Organizing like a pro 231Finding the Facts 233Surfing the Net: Great information (and misinformation) 233Supporting your local library and bookstore 235Developing a nose for news 237Taking time to stop, look, and listen 238Traveling for fun and profit 238Talking to experts 239Getting Permissions 240Determining when permission is necessary 240Filling out the paperwork 242Chapter 14: Neatness Counts -- and So Does Grammar 243Knowing the Importance of Good Writing 244Finding good references 244Using grammar and spell-check programs 245Taking a course 246Asking a friend 246Making a Point with Punctuation 246Comma placement 246Using ellipses and em dashes 247Talking about Dialogue and Narrative 249Making Thoughtful and Relevant Word Choices 250Don't choose a fancy word when a simple one will do 250Don't use incorrect synonyms 251Watch for repeated words 251Formatting for Success 252Setting your margins 253Using the right fonts and spacing 253Breaking your story into paragraphs 253Avoiding common formatting mistakes 254Formatting with indie publishing in mind 255Checking Your Work One Last Time 256Part 5: Traditional Or Indie Publishing -- Which Is Best for You? 257Chapter 15: Choosing Your Publishing Path 259Weighing Your Options 260Knowing the pros and cons of how you publish 260Changing course 261Staying on top of a quickly changing landscape 262Comparing and Contrasting the Paths 263Traditional publishing 263Indie publishing 269Becoming a Hybrid Author: The Best of Both Worlds 271Chapter 16: Finding Success in Indie Publishing 273Defining Your Success 274Creating a Professional Product 275Judging a book by its cover 275Writing a tagline (it's all in the hook) 277Writing blurbs 278Building your website 279Creating Your Launch Team 279Sending out ARCs 280Finding helpful services 280Forming Your Launch Plan 281Networking 283Boosting your sales 284Building Momentum 285Building a newsletter 285Giving away a reader magnet 287Purchasing an ISBN 288Registering your copyright 289Obtaining a Library of Congress Control Number 290After You Publish 291Doing market research 291Paying for ads 291Understanding the power of free 292Chapter 17: Selling Your Manuscript: Traditional Publishing 295Submitting Made Simple 296Doing your research 296Writing a successful query letter 297Deciding Whether You Need an Agent 299Understanding an agent's job 299Finding an agent 300Sizing Up the Contract 303Coming up with questions 303Reading (and rereading) the fine print 306Getting help 307Strategies for a Win-Win Negotiation 307Working with Your Editor 309Making the relationship work 309Revising your book one last time 310Line editing set straight 310Chapter 18: Handling Rejection 313What the Rejection Letter Is Really Saying 313Regarding rejections 314Revising and resubmitting 315Understanding the Revision Process 316Addressing editor queries 316Using an incremental approach 317Being timely 318When great minds don't think alike 318Handling the resubmission process 319Identifying Common Issues 320Your heroine isn't as sympathetic as she needs to be 320Your pacing is erratic 320Your hero's too strong/arrogant/tough 321Your plot lacks the necessary complexity 321Your characters' motivations aren't clear 322Your characters seem more like types than real people 323Maximizing Your Chance of Success 323Keeping a positive attitude 323Dealing with rejection, emotionally and professionally 324Dealing with bad reviews 326Part 6: The Part of Tens 329Chapter 19: Ten Tropes Every Editor Knows -- and Why They Still Work 331Marriage of Convenience 332Stranded with a Stranger 332Runaway Bride 333Secret Baby 333Second-Chance Romance 333Back from the Dead 334Mistaken Identity 334Woman in Jeopardy 334The Dad Next Door 335Even Sketchier Setups 335Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Coming Up with a Successful Title 337Speak the Reader's Language 337Know the Long and the Short of It 338Try Single-Word Titles 338Match Title and Tone Perfectly 339Use Keywords 339Consider Alliteration 340Coin a Cliché 340Name Names 340Make Connections 340Follow in Others' Footsteps 341Chapter 21: Ten Tips for Avoiding Common Writing Mistakes 343Remember the Reader's Expectations 343Don't Overwrite 344Love It or Lose It 344Let Your Characters Drive the Plot 344Know That Effective Conflict Comes from Within 345Make Sure You Have Enough Plot 345Keep Your Story on Track 345Keep Your Reader Interested 345Don't Forget the Details 346Keep the Story Moving 346Chapter 22: Ten Questions Every Romance Writer Needs to Ask Herself 347Should I Write Romance Novels? 347Why Can't I Get Started? 348What Can I Do When the Ideas Don't Come? 348How Can I Focus and Stay Positive When Things Go Wrong? 348When Is It Research and When Is It a Waste of Time? 349When Should I Publish or Submit My Manuscript? 349Do I Need an Agent? 350How Do I Handle a Friend's Success? 350When and How Do I Follow Up on My Book's Status? 350When Do I Let Go of a Book? 351Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Beat Writer's Block 353Work Your Way Through It 353Select a Different Scene 354Look at the Last Scene You Wrote 354Write a Scene That You Won't Use 354View the Scene from a Different Angle 355Don't Focus on Perfection 355Stop in the Middle 355Analyze Your Outline 355Re-energize Your Creative Instincts 356Start Another Project (If All Else Fails) 356Index 357
Victorine Lieske is a New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 romance novels, as well as several books on writing. She loves all things romance and watches While You Were Sleeping about once every six months. When she's not writing, she's designing book covers or making something with her extensive yarn collection.
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