Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

“Don’t fall prey to believing everything you read in Craft books or hear in workshops is the only way to do things. Always remember that what people tell you works, is what works for them – and what works for them might not work for you. You may be different, and forcing yourself to do things in a way that isn’t natural to you will only hurt your writing. Ultimately you have to learn to Trust in yourself, and your own process.”

Visit Sasha White’s website at www.sashawhite.net
Sasha’s latest release, One Weekend is out today at Samhain Publishing!

“Form a network with other writers. This can be in person at local writer’s meetings, or online on forums and websites, or some combination of the two. More heads are better than one when it comes to knowing about new opportunities for authors or hearing about changes in the industry (and there are always changes). It gives you people to bounce ideas off of or to ask questions of that might not be appropriate for editors or agents. It also gives you a social group in this crazy world of writing. As important as it is to have non-writing friends to keep you grounded, you also need people who understand the process you go through every time you sit down at the keyboard.”

Visit Crystal Jordan’s website at www.crystaljordan.com
Purchase Crystal’s next release, In the Heat of the Night

“Go Low Tech

I don’t know how anyone ever managed to write and revise a novel before the invention of computers (laptops!) with word processing. The speed and maneuverability, the way you can lift whole passages out and slot them in somewhere better–it’s fantastic.

It can also be a little paralyzing. When I get stuck and realize I’ve been staring at that blinking cursor on my white screen for too long, I close my laptop and grab a pen and a spiral-bound notebook. (Some of my writer friends go for legal pads or composition books, whatever works for you.) I take my low-tech tools out of my office, curl up on the couch, and think about the scene. Something magical happens! It’s as if being unchained from my computer frees my mind to see the story from a new perspective. I might sketch out snippets of dialogue or notes on character motivation and interaction; I might even write a couple pages of the scene out longhand. But invariably, the change of pace from computer to paper engages a different part of my brain that helps me push past whatever was blocking me, and I discover something new. Then I can go back to my office and push forward.

I could never give up my iBook; I love all its bells and whistles, its cute, sleek styling. But when you need a jolt of creativity, nothing beats plain old paper and pen.”

Vist Louisa Edwards’ website at www.louisaedwards.com
Purchase Louisa’s latest release, On The Steamy Side

“My simple tip for writers is this: write. Write every day. Don’t let your internal critic talk you out of it because you still need to learn this or that skill, or you haven’t got that perfect synopsis yet or the ‘just right’ computer to get started. Tell that fussy critic to shut it. Learn from action. Set up a word count goal and meet it by writing X number of words daily. If you can’t hold yourself accountable, then do a check-in with a writer friend, and be honest when you don’t meet your quota. If you miss your word count, make it up the next day. Keep track of your progress in a notebook. Writing down your daily word count number is a kind of positive reinforcement, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you accumulate 20 thousand words, 40 thousand, 60 thousand. Don’t get side-tracked by the glittery stuff associated with being an author. Writers write, and if you want to publish, you need to create product.”

Visit Beth’s website at www.bethkery.com
Release, Berkley Heat, February 2, 2010
Sometimes you have to let desire run wild.

Read an excerpt of Beth’s latest book, Release

Yesterday my post was about flaws and faults in heroes. One flaw I didn’t mention in my post was that of infidelity.

Infidelity is a real hot button when it comes to romance readers. Some people have experienced infidelity in real life, and betrayal of this nature isn’t something they want to read about for relaxation. Personally, I don’t think romance and infidelity fit well together. I mean how can a book be a romance if it’s about infidelity? It doesn’t seem right at all.

One of the writers I use to critique with said up front that she wouldn’t critique or work with me on any story where one or both of the characters were unfaithful to each other. It was a hot button for her.
If a plot does use infidelity, it usually happens off stage and is part of the hero or heroine’s back story. Or it’s a subplot that occurs in the life of a secondary character.

For example with Scarlet Woman, the first book in my Middlemarch series, my heroine was in a bad marriage where her husband was constantly unfaithful. He cheated on her several times. Just before the start of the book, her husband had died in a motor vehicle accident along with his current girlfriend. Her husband’s death was the impetus she needed to make some changes in her life. She wanted to have some fun and met Saber Mitchell at the Middlemarch Single’s ball. Things went from there. Of course, her husband’s infidelity made it difficult for her to trust Saber and to take a chance on their relationship.

Despite my thoughts above about romance and infidelity, I’ve been toying with using infidelity as part of a plot for a book that’s been swirling around inside my head. I know if I go ahead, I’ll have to give my character excellent motivation and try to make my character sympathetic to readers. A tall order, which is making me hesitate about using this particular subplot. I’ll have to give it a lot more thought.

What do you think about infidelity and the romance genre? Would you read a romance where one of the characters was unfaithful? Can you think of any romances you’ve read where the hero or heroine is unfaithful to the other?