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Showing posts from 2018

Pantser + Plotter = Plantser >>> Thank you, Ms. Higgins

On November 3, 2018 I attended RWA/NYCs romance conference at the Fordham University campus in The Bronx. The conference was informational as it was fun and we were fortunate to have had on hand several best-selling authors, icons really, and for that I’m eternally blessed.  Recently, I got to thinking about a comment Kristan Higgins said during one of the workshops: Not a ‘pantser’, not a ‘plotter’, but a ‘plantser’. Several of us laughed out loud, “Yeah, that, that’s me!” By design I am a pantser and enjoy making up stories as I ‘go’ rather than creating outlines as do my plotter counterparts. As you might imagine, the first draft of my novellas are quite messy as scenes are often deleted/added along the way. Second and third drafts are marginally better. I think many pantsers will tell you that allowing our imaginary friends to direct the course of a book is the most exciting aspect of the writing process. Pantsers might also tell you that this technique is equally frustra

Author Spotlight >>> JL Regen

JL Regen is a published photojournalist and has taught special education and English as a Second Language to students around the globe. How long have you been writing? I've been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I knew at ten that I wanted to be a novelist. I started out as a journalist and am proud to say that I've taught many students the nuances of creative writing—here in the States and overseas. Who’s your favorite author? One of my favorite authors is Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I've read all of his books. Dostoyevsky was a master at combining drama, suspense, and heart-stopping action. I started reading Dostoyevsky when I was nine years old; I was riveted to the page, still am, especially The Brothers Karamozov. What are you working on currently? Right now, I'm editing my WWII historical suspense (with a romantic element). This is a labor of love and a tribute to my beloved uncle, who served in WWII as a medic and earned a Purple Heart.

NaNoWriMo is almost here...who's in?

Hello friends, As an unofficial kickoff to NaNoWriMo, I want to share with you where I’ll be spending a lot of time in November. This space is my writing sanctuary, it is the place where I escape from the ‘real’ world and my mind is free to wander and create. I look forward to writing my next book during the month of November. I also look forward to 2019 when I’ll embark on the next stage in my writing career: finding an agent. Please follow this blog or follow me on Twitter . Thank you. Happy writing, Maria

Why write? It's cheap therapy!

I write to stay grounded. I write to say what others can’t or won’t. I write because it is my passion and it is also my therapy. World Mental Health Day Happy writing, Maria

Author Spotlight >>> JN Welsh

JN Welsh is a native New Yorker. She writes entertaining, often humorous, and provocative tales about strong, career-driven, multicultural heroines who are looking for love. Her punchy, flowing dialogue and big city stories are heartwarming and stick to your ribs. When she's not writing she can be found dancing, wine-ing, rooting for her favorite baseball team, and/or indulging in countless guilty pleasures. Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like? I really think a lot about a story before I write. I don’t necessarily write everything down but sometimes I write down lines or scenarios and then just write from that. I have learned over the years to really think about my characters in deeper point of view, which has helped my storytelling tremendously. Additionally, I always have to have music. Nowadays, I create a playlist for my manuscripts; music helps me get 'a feel' for scenes. What are your favorite genres? Why? I like coming o

Author Spotlight - open!

Regardless of the industry, I think we can all agree that helping our fellow colleagues is an act of kindness that has far reaching effects. In my line of business (writing) we definitely depend on each other for more than just a pat in the back, we need each other to grow. Not only does the initial draft of a book take blood, sweat and tears but the revision process is grueling; it is madness, but I could not imagine a life without writing. Recently, I wrote an article titled It Takes a Village to be a Writer, something I discovered to be a universal truth years ago. In the spirit of camaraderie, I’d like to introduce a monthly Author Spotlight segment. If you’re interested in being featured on this blog, please contact me via email at maria@mariacox.net. Genres I’m accepting.: Contemporary Romance  Erotic Romance  Romantic Suspense  Women's Fiction  Look forward to hearing from you! Maria

Author Spotlight >>> Gemma Snow

Gemma Snow is an erotic romance writer, traveler, journalist, and reader. How long have you been writing? I’m really lucky. I grew up in an artistic family, so I actually started writing when I was around eight years old. My mom taught poetry and creative writing classes for kids and teens and I essentially studied with her until I outgrew it. My folks were great about pushing me to follow writing, but to be smart and make a career out of it so I studied journalism and publishing in college. I absolutely love writing romance and would likely do it anyway, but it really helps that it’s a commercial genre with potential for success. I officially started writing romance professionally in college, so it’s been about four and a half years. Tell us a little bit about your writing, what is the process like? Honestly, it depends on the book. I’m usually thinking of a story three or four books ahead of actually writing it, so I’ll have a general vibe by the time I get there. It’s p

End of summer blues...or not

E ach season brings forth its own charm. As autumn draws near and leaves turn a shade of copper thoughts of cooler nights and pumpkin-spiced everything emerge.  Personally, I'm excited for this end of year as I will be attending the New Jersey RWA conference in October and in November I will join fellow writers for NaNoWriMo. Also, as 2018 winds down I'm equally as excited to take stock of my writing goals and this year I’ve reached a few milestones.  In January when I formed an Accountability Partner (AP) relationship with author JN Welsh we were both seeking a ‘partner’ to keep us honest and on track.  I’ll say that this AP relationship worked out very well for us as we were both deadest on attaining several important goals. So we both made a commitment to be each other; and by commit, I mean we made it a point to meet on a regular basis, weekly, monthly, whatever time we managed to carve out of our hectic schedules. The point of an AP is for that person to be a

What I learned from the NPR Raccoon

Move over soaps; forget daytime television shows, here comes the newest hit sensation: NPR Raccoon! When I got wind that a raccoon was climbing the UBS building in St. Paul, Minnesota, I turned to the Internet just like thousands of other people. At first, the raccoon’s notoriety was limited to ogling bystanders, but within a couple of hours cameras were positioned at every angle.   CNN and Fox News and all major networks were covering the mammal’s every move, the hashtag # nprraccoon started trending getting thousands of hits, and then we all held our breaths.  Not knowing much about raccoons, I did a search online to find out what might have driven this furry little creature to act in such a way. One researcher stated, “…not sure if raccoons possess intelligence in a critical thinking way so much as an “insatiable curiosity” which leads them often enough to success.” Very interesting. I’m currently in the throes of writing my next romance book and I need to take

Why Writers Write

Recently, while doing research I found several excellent articles about women and writing. I also found a set of TedTalk podcasts from two well-known women writers, Isabel Allende and Amy Tan. It was Ms. Tan’s account of childhood experiences and Ms. Allende’s Tales of Passion that got me thinking about how our experiences shape us and how they bleed into our own unique creative realm. As such, each story we weave has the potential to invoke a wide range of emotions in our readers. As one would imagine writers from all walks of life have very different reasons for writing. Below is a common thread among modern day writers: Leave a legacy If you write a book  well  and publish it, you may actually leave something behind that can last forever. Incite Writers write what the world is like as  they  see it. Writers ask the difficult questions. And, this boundless curiosity is the foundation that opens the doors to discussing difficult topics. To stay sane To write the en

Galentine’s Day

For several weeks whenever I walk into a drugstore in Queens I'm subjected to an explosion of everything pink and red, this could only mean one thing:  Valentine’s Day is around the corner. The funny thing about Valentine's Day is that most of my adult life I have recognized the holiday as romantic in nature, but in recent years with the inclusion of friendship, I’ve come to appreciate Valentine’s Day as a general day of Love. In fact, I send Valentine’s Day cards to close family and friends (yes, I do!).   Recently I got to thinking, how many women and men go out of their way to celebrate special people on this day. A lot, it would seem from an online search. One celebration which resonated with me the most was: Galentine’s Day. What is Galentine’s Day, you ask? This term was coined a few years back by Leslie Knope - a fictional character from the popular sitcom Parks and Recreation. Leslie declared, “Every February 13th, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and ou

Writing Takes Center Stage

It's a brand new year...ah the possibilities! I am thrilled to start this year with a renewed sense of purpose. Already, I started the road back to writing every day, I'm also committed to: journaling, blogging, writing articles and book reviews; all this is sure to keep the creative juices flowing. As an author I've set daily and weekly writing goals. Below is my Done list: Pulled out the Idea Board Developed a writer's schedule Enlisted an Accountability Partner (AP) Signed up for the 2018 Goodreads Book Challenge Whatever your goals, set a plan in motion today. Write your plan down then tell your family, your friends, even co-workers. "Why?" you ask. A month from now when life settles back into a routine and the well-intentioned resolutions fall by the wayside, you'll need the accountability factor. So when your neighbor asks "How's the writing coming along?" you'll proudly say, "It's going great!" Happy Wr