Top 20 things one MUST do to become an awesome writer!

Just sharing great information with my fellow writers!

Top twenty things one MUST do to become an awesome writer in no particular order as long as you're actively working on all twenty :)

1.     Become an active blogger (don’t have a blog, start one now!).

2.     Use self-imposed word count per hour, per day.

3.     Accept all forms of criticism and learn to grow from it.

4.     Edit, edit, and edit again.

5.     Live passionately!

6.     Write without distractions (and yes, that means no Internet).

7.     Listen to how people talk.

8.     Read lots of books, both good and bad.

9.     Avoid passive voice.

10.  Limit the use of adjectives and adverbs.

11.  Make writing a priority.

12.  Keep squeezing words out even if you feel uninspired.

13.  Tell everyone: “I’m a writer.”

14.  Recognize your fears and overcome them.

15.  Join a writing group.

16.  Break out of your comfort zone.

17.  Deconstruct and analyze books and articles you enjoy reading.

18.  Socialize with other writers.

19.  Stretch or exercise in between writing.

20.  Take risks – don’t be afraid to shock!

“you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” --Stephen King

Thank you to Mary Jaksch at www.writetodone.com for the inspiration!

Until next time friends!

I know what you are, but what am I? Erotica, Sensual Romance, Smexy??

Okay, so we write smut, that much is a given, but do you ever find yourself asking "Okay, so I write romance, but in what category does my writing really fall under?" Well here's my quick and dirty rendition of some of the most popular sub-genres in modern day romance. I know some of you will disagree with these descriptions, but IMO these are pretty much on the money.

Erotica
Erotica contains minimal if any emotional attachments between the leading characters. Erotica is also sexually explicit (language) and the plot is driven by the sexual relationship/s. The sex in erotica can also take on different aspects, including dominance, bondage, voyeurism, poly-amorous relationships, and so forth. The story may/may not have HEA for the characters and if the story does include HEA it might not be in the traditional romance sense.

Erotic Romance
Erotic romance exists when the story line contains a love story. Erotic romance is romantic just as it is sexually explicit. In erotic romance, both the sexual and emotional aspects of the relationship are integral to the plot. Also, in erotic romance the sex may deviate from the conventional and may include three or more partners. The story can and normally does have HEA for the characters, and typically the HEA occurs in the traditional romance sense.

Sensual Romance
Sensual Romance is spicy and steamy, but not necessarily sexually explicit (language). Sensual romance may include fantasy and games, passionate activities that are a bit naughty. Sensual romance is driven by the romantic relationship and normally contains lots of sexual tension. In sensual romance the relationship is primarily monogamous. The story does have to have a HEA for the characters, and the HEA almost always occurs in the traditional romance sense.

Contemporary Romance
Contemporary romance is set in present time and focuses primarily on the emotional attachment between the leading characters. Contemporary romance is heavy on the relationship and not very sexually explicit. In contemporary romance the relationship is primarily monogamous and the sex doesn't normally deviate from the conventional  The story does have to have a HEA for the characters, and the HEA almost always occurs in the traditional romance sense.

Smexy Romance
Smexy is a blend of smart and sexy as defined by Wikipedia. Elements of smexy romance occur when the characters (hero/heroine) are smart, sassy, and of course very sexy. A lot of smexy romance is attributed to Chick-Lit since the 'sassiness' that’s brought forth from the leading men and women are often humorous in nature. The story may/may not have HEA for the characters and if the story does include HEA almost always occurs in the traditional romance sense.

Hope this helped some of you better of classify your writing. Until next time friends!
Maria

The Golden Era of Flash Fiction!

Flash fiction has been around for many years (reportedly since the early 1990’s), but has become increasingly prevalent in the literary community in the last five to seven years. Once regarded as ‘lazy’ work flash fiction is now considered quite the opposite: intellectually challenging storytelling. So big in popularity is this flash fiction that in modern day, dozens of literary publications (both print and online) have shifted their focus to include flash fiction and in many cases exclusively feature works in flash fiction format.

Note: other names for flash fiction are short-shorts, short story, micro fiction, novelette, postcard, pocket-size story, and minute-long story.

What is flash fiction?

Flash fiction is a short form of storytelling defined by the number of words and/or sentences, which of course differ from writer to writer. All in all, flash fiction is any writing material more than 75 words up to 1,500 words, some flash fiction writers stretch the limit as far as 2,000 words.

Though by definition the context of flash fiction is to remain extremely short, it is not a venue that tolerates fragmented writing. The challenge of flash fiction is to tell a complete story in an well-expressed, concise fashion in which every word is absolutely essential.

Why write in flash fiction format?

A year ago I read and an editorial piece that claimed we live in the Golden Era of Flash Fiction.

It made sense to me when I read the article how this flash fiction format would take off. We do after all live in a society where people want and expect information at lightning speed so it stands to reason that with flash fiction providing instant gratification to readers that the medium would gain popularity. Oh, and if you don’t believe me just do a search on Amazon for anthologies (collection of short stories) and see how many results come up.

Now stop reading this article and go put some short stories down on paper :-)

That’s all for now folks. Take care and until next time!