RITA ® Award-Winning Author of Fantasy Romance
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Tuesday sees the release of PRISONER OF THE CROWN! There will be print (POD) versions available, too, but they won’t appear on the retail sites until release day, Tuesday, June 12, 2018.
Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is: What’s the single most helpful thing you do to keep from being stuck in a story? Or how not to paint yourself into a corner. Come on over to learn what I do!
//Romance is often criticized for being “formulaic”—but what do you really know about writing romance?
The truth is, the genre is just as exciting and inventive as any other. And here to prove it is Jeffe Kennedy, a RITA® Award winning author of fantasy romance, contemporary romance and erotic romance. In this three-week workshop she’ll give a broad introduction to the romance genre, and its subgenres.
She’ll cover the basic expectations of the romance genre—including the HEA (happy ever after) and HFN (happy for now)—and discuss in detail how to employ tropes. From there, the class will move into structure, including internal and external conflict. In the third week, the discussion will expand into subgenres like Fantasy Romance or Romantic Suspense—and how to weave romantic arcs into other genres effectively.
Students will participate in exercises to practice skills and will be able to submit short scenes to the entire group for feedback. Kennedy will also provide detailed feedback to posted work. All skill levels are welcome, but this introductory class will be directed toward the romance newbie.
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I’m hard at work writing THE ORCHID THRONE, the first in my new trilogy for St. Martins Press. So, naturally, I had to impulse-buy this gorgeous orchid from Trader Joe’s. It’s my new desk ornament, following the USB-plug in Christmas tree, cherry blossom tree, and foaming cauldron. This one notably does NOT require electricity, which seems appropriate for the world I’m writing. However, it does require attention to be kept alive. So far my record with orchids is pretty abysmal. (Don’t tell this gal!) We shall see. Any tips for keeping orchids alive in a desert climate?
Last week I traveled to Phoenix to give a presentation to the Desert Rose Romance Writers. This one was “A Taoist’s Guide to Staying Sane in the Writing Business.” I talked a whole lot about how the relentless push to get rich can make us crazy, and how to find a peaceful place of sane creativity in the midst of that. But, during the great discussion at the end, one gal asked if I had advice about family who don’t believe in your career, who actively interfere or dis what you’re doing, or who won’t approved of your eventual story.
This is, of course, not an easy question to answer, though several gals in the room had advice for her, too. It’s also our topic at the SFF Seven this week: How much space do you give non-writing emotional labor – or how do you save mental space for the work with a head full of mortgage and other people’s expectations? I’d call this a coincidence, but I’m a Taoist I know it’s not. Come on over to find out more.