Kelly Wallace-Sensual Romance Author

1. Write your story straight through without editing as you go along. Leave your story alone for a couple of weeks, then go back and edit. This does wonders in helping to spot errors, breaks in rhythm, and other problems. This cooling off period is essential.

2. Use specific images so readers can actually see, hear, feel, taste and smell what's going on. Okay: "It smelled bad." Better: "It smelled like sour milk."

3. Avoid using many clichés. (Hard as a rock, thin as a rail, sick at heart, etc.) Make your writing your own.

4. Avoid heavy sprinkling of these overused words: Just, even, like, also, although, besides, almost, maybe, and, if, but, too, unless, sort of, that.

5. Try not to use: Appears, seems, as though, seemed like, seemed as though. These make your story weak and unreal.

6. Stay away from suddenly and similar words. "Suddenly there was a gunshot!" This only expresses a thought. Try to impress, not express.

7. Try eliminating these "to be" verbs: is, am, was, were, are, will, be. Add commas as needed and/or turn sentence around to make it stronger.

8. Be simple and clear. Avoid long sentences, long words, long speeches. Readers tend to skip over these.

9. Grab your reader with the very first paragraph of your story. Better yet, capture their attention in the first sentence. It?s said that you have just three seconds to hook the reader, so make every word count.

10. Don't let your characters sit and think too much. Show thoughts through action, such as a smile, a frown, a sigh, throwing a glass at a mirror, etc. The more you have your characters interact, the more you keep your reader interested.

What are some of the top reasons manuscripts get rejected?  How can you avoid these mistakes and have a better chance of hearing "yes" instead of "Thanks, but not for us"? 

1.  Read the guidelines!  Be certain of what the publisher is looking for and how to submit it.  If a publisher specializes in historical romances, don't send in your paranormal novel, no matter how good it is.  If your book has over 100,000 words, but they take only shorter works, send your story elsewhere.  If they require submissions through agents only and you don't have one, move on.  There are plenty of publishers out there and you're sure to find a fit for your story.

2.  Hook the reader with a great beginning.  Often we start our "real" story several pages or even a full chapter after we've droned on and on to "set things up."  Start off with that bang!  Take a look at the first part of your story.  Where does it start getting good?  Start there!  Put your character right in the middle of conflict and you've hooked the reader.  Weave in bits of background later. 

Be sure to pace your story as well.  You don't have to keep your characters in that constant state of stress.  Give them, and the reader, time to catch their breath, but don't let things drag too long.  Think of a story as a roller coaster ride with hills, valleys, twists and turns. 

3. Heavily sprinkling a story with numerous adjectives and adverbs show that we writer's are there in the background making the story happen instead of allowing the reader to get lost in our characters and their unfolding drama.  Look for strong nouns that say what you want them to say instead of using adverbs and adjectives as crutches to hold them up and make your point.  That's not to say that they should all be omitted, but go through your story and see just how many are being used when a more simple sentence with strong nouns would get your point across.

Also, don't be afraid to say "said".  Saying, "she articulated, he ranted, she whined, he uttered" just shows that we're trying to find another way to say "said" or to get the emotion of the character across.  Using "said" is simple and gets your point across, but many times you don't have to add any tag at all if you SHOW what your character is experiencing or doing.  Such as, "I've had it!"  Mary threw the crystal vase across the room where it hit the wall and burst into a million tiny pieces.  There's no reason to write, "I've had it!" Mary retorted angrily.  We can see she's spitting mad by her actions! 

4.  Too much detail and narrative is another big problem-- and one I was guilty of in my earlier days, and still can be to a point.  Be sure to break up narrative passages with action and dialogue.  Don't let the characters be inside their heads for too long or everything just stops.  It's true that your characters have an internal life and a life before the story began, but it's best to weave in details here and there instead of boring the reader with long passages. 

When giving background details, only include what's important at that moment.  When a character enters a room, what does he/she first see?  What's important or what sticks out?  Describing a room or scene down to the last speck of dust has the reader turning pages to get to the action again.  When we view rooms, scenery and people in reality, we don't make a mental note of every detail.  We choose a few things that stand out to us. 

5. Flat characters are another sure way to get that rejection. Be certain that your characters are people your readers will care about.  The reader has to care about your character and what will happen to him/her or there's no reason for them to keep reading.  Give your characters values, dreams, faults, quirks...make them real!

Be sure that your character's motivations are clear.  The character must want something, but something or someone is preventing him/her from getting it.  Your characters should literally take over the story as you write.  Sit down and just watch what your characters do and relay that onto the computer.  If we start manipulating them, forcing them to do something, the story loses its pacing and it ends up flopping on its face.  Characters MUST have a compelling goal and conflict to keep the reader interested.

6. No plot to the plot, or using worn-out plots is another problem area.  True there are only 20 basic plots, but use your voice and your ideas to breathe new life into them.  Give your characters something they want desperately but can't have at the moment.  How will they get what they want?  Who or what stands in the way?  How will your character get around it or through it?  

Editors and readers want characters with strong personalities, not wishy-washy wimps.  And they want stories that have something new to say.  Just because there are thousands, if not millions, of vampire novels out there, with your ideas and your voice you can add a uniqueness to it that makes it brand new. 

My greatest method of moving the story along and creating a good plot?  Ask yourself lots of questions and answer them.  "What if a woman was lost in the middle of the jungle?  How did she get there?  Who is she?  What is she after?  Who's there with her?  How will she get out?"  By starting out with a simple two word question, you can generate a plethora of ideas for a novel!

7.  Always read!  Read what's being written out there in the world.  Read for pleasure, but also read to learn.  Whatever genre you're interested in writing, read as many books as you can that are in this line, especially if you enjoy the author's writing style.  These people are in print and there's no reason you can't be too.  As you read, make mental or physical notes of the characters, the pacing, the background details.  What do you like?  What could be better? 

I have a highlighter with me every time I read a book--provided it's my book!  If there's a good line of dialogue, something that piques my interest, a good lesson in writing in detail, flashbacks, conflict, love scenes, you name it, I highlight it!  This has offered me more inspiration and more guidance than any nonfiction book on "How to Write."             

Although these tips won't guarantee that your book will be published, but by following them you have a much better chance at signing a contract than you do at adding yet another rejection to the pile. 

Happy writing!

Kelly

People always ask me where I get the ideas for my stories.  That's both easy and difficult to answer!  There's no one method that works for everyone, you simply have to try various things and see what works for you.  I get my ideas all over the place.   

The idea for Love Immortal was developed after I had watched a B horror movie in the 80's that revolved around a virginal vampire.

The Chosen One was conceived after I read two National Geographic stories, one about surreal sculptures in a Mexican jungle, and another about a man who created a luxurious home in a cave.  Months earlier I had watched a news story about an American child who was reported to be a reincarnated Dali Lama.  All three of these quickly and effortless wove themselves into a story for me.  (You can tell when a story works because it writes itself!)

Braving the Storm came from my own workaholic personality mingled with my interest in Alaska and wilderness survival.  I thought about what it would take to get me to relax.  Something far away from civilization without the lure of computers and work.  Some place that would force me to slow my fast pace.  But...would it last?

Reaching for the Stars was sparked because I had watched the movie, "Making Mr. Right," along with my interest in wondering what life forms exist on other planets in other galaxies. 

Invisible Evidence was created out of my knowledge and experience in the psychic field, along with my tremendous curious streak to solve crimes.  Rebel cops are always fascinating, as well.  Look at Dirty Harry!  You never forget someone who doesn't play by the rules yet gets the job done.

Generating Scene Ideas For Novels

Sometimes I get my ideas by thumbing through the dictionary.  I choose 4 words at random.  Each word will represent a scene in the chapter.  Unless it's a very simple word, I tell myself I must use it.  I enjoy doing this because it really gets my creativity up and running.  It generates ideas at an amazing rate, as well! 

For instance, say I choose these four words completely at random: hospital, lettuce, opal, and fog.  The four scenes could be my detective questioning the victim at the hospital.  In the next scene he may be at a restaurant poking at his salad while he's deep in thought about the case.  A clue that may turn up could be an opal that fell out of a ring.  Fog...that's easy to use for atmosphere!  But you can see how it's easy to get your creativity and the ideas flowing by using this method.  It's also GREAT if you have writer's block.  Give this a try!

Dialogue and Description in Novels

For bits of dialogue and description I keep a notebook and write down anything I hear or see out in public, on TV, or read in a book that piques my interest. 

Okay, I lied.  I don't really keep a notebook.  I'm not very organized and have countless scraps of paper with notes jotted down.  These scraps are found everywhere around my house.  My kitchen drawers, purse, desk, under the couch...I never know where they'll turn up!  I don't worry about lost gems though since most things I write down are safely tucked in my memory bank and withdraw themselves at just the right time, sparking an idea for a scene here, a scene there, or an entire novel.     

Find What Interests You And You Find Your Muse!

What common theme do we see here as to how and where I get my ideas?  It's simple.  Something MUST interest you.  If it doesn't light a fire inside of you, even the smallest flicker, chances are you won't use it at any point in time.  With me, I absolutely have to feel passionate about my writing or it loses its flavor, its spontainiety, its magic.

I also stick with subjects that I find interesting and intriguing.  I MUST feel eager every morning when I wake up, knowing that I'll be sitting at the computer for many hours working on my current novel, interacting with my characters, letting them take over as I simply report what's going on. 

If I'm not obsessed over a current project, I lose steam fast and the unfinished story sits there collecting dust.  For me, that is time wasted.  I can't imagine writing science fiction any more than a Sci-fi writer could imagine writing romance.  Someone who writes mainly historical romance may cringe at the thought of reading paranormal romance, not to mention writing it!

No matter what seems to be hot right now, if it doesn't appeal to you, you'd be beating your head against a wall every step of the writing process.  Christian romance is hot, but I couldn't write it. 

However, I do feel that in many cases it's easy enough to slant your novel to what is currently the trend.  For instance, I concentrate mainly on suspense, thrillers, horror, and paranormal with a strong romance at its core.  The current trend is toward the more erotic stories.  And, although I blushed bright-red the first few times I typed up those steamy love scenes, I've opened more doors for myself by slanting my work toward the growing market in this area.  It has also broadened my writing skills.

Keep Notes For Future Reference

Keep your eyes and ears open for anything that seems promising to you for a story idea, scene, dialogue, etc.  File them away somewhere and look through them periodically to see if they spark something within you.  (Hopefully you will be a bit more organized than I am.  Although, this is real life, we aren't perfect and do what works for us.)

Sticking to what you enjoy writing about, yet being flexible enough to perhaps shape your stories around what is most popular, could benefit you greatly by increasing your writing skills and sales.

I hope this information has helped you.

Happy Writing!

Kelly 

I've been writing for well over 15 years and have read a lot of books on the craft.  Some are lifesavers, other have a few pearls of wisdom, while some aren't worth the time or money.  Thereare some that leave you feeling defeated and wanting to throw your computer, along with your dreams of becoming a successful writer, out the window.   

I don't have any books on my list that cover the basics, such as The Elements of Style,etc.  I will assume that you know the essential mechanics of writing, know how to form cohesive sentences, blah, blah, blah.  These books will giveyou the shot of adrenaline you may be in desperate need of to keep going, keep pursuing, and keep following your writing dreams!

On Writing by Stephen King

This has got to be my number one book on writing.  The first half is an autobiography. I found his writing to be very real and from the heart. I laughed and even felt a bit saddened at times. You read about his childhood, his first attempts at publishing when he was in grade school, and all of the hard work, long hours and dedication he put into his writing career.  This in itself gave me hope that I could someday be a successful author as well!

The second half of the book is a no bull, no fluff guide to writing.  What I like most about it is that he doesn?t bog you down with rule after rule, and strict organization. Forget outlines and note cards and character sketches.   He recommends that you just sit down at your computer, go with your muse and see where he/she takes you.   He tells you what you need to know from idea to sale, as well as a few simple considerations and rules. He uses examples of his own work and that of others to show what good prose is and what's not. He offers some exercises as well.

My writing has flourished because of this book.  It?s spontaneous and real.  When I sit down at the computer I don?t even know what the next scene will entail, but I?m always amazed to see what my inner self can come up with once I get out of my own way.

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Be prepared! Ray Bradbury will take you by the hand and leave you breathless in this little book!  I can honestly say that I?ve never felt more exhilarated or had more ideas popping into my mind than after reading this book.  He advises you to stay drunk on writing because it saves us from reality, to writeat least a thousand words a day every day, to write from real life, and much more.  What I liked most about this book is the way I felt after reading it. Zen in the Art of Writing is like having Ray Bradbury right there with you, guiding you, cheering you on, urging you to stop creeping and start flying!

Much in the same vein as Stephen King's book, this gem is not about rules that fence you in and leave you no room to breathe, but in letting loose the inner writer.  It draws that fine line between genius and insanity.  I loved it! 

My creativity has soared because of this book.  I highly recommend it.

Happy writing!

Kelly