#Thursday13 - Random Notes From Conference
Okay, I'll just come out and admit that I did a terrible job of taking notes at conference.
I've been promising and promising that I'd share some of my notes from various workshops and I have now reviewed my notebooks and half the time I didn't even write down which workshop I was in or who was speaking.
Occasionally--I remember this much--I would drift off into my own genius thoughts about what might make a good blog topic, or how to resolve an issue in my WIP, or an epiphany would strike that was vaguely connected to whatever was being said, but it was my own interpretation that made sense only to me.
I think 1 & 2 are Hugh Howey. I know the next few were from a workshop on emotion that I entered late. The last three are from a workshop on writing a series. Here ya go:
The authors making six figures a month are outliers. Most writers are never going to make a living at it.
Writers who give themselves a break between books just have more time off to hate themselves.
Stories are about people being uncomfortable.
Readers come to story for what's below the surface.
Story = what we say aloud vs. what we're really thinking.
Inside I'm a raging mess and I'm trying to keep you from seeing it. (Where does the mess come from?)
"...the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." ~ TS Eliott
What does our specific past teach us will happen? This forms a misbelief that helps us for a while, but now it no longer does. Write the scene where the misbelief took hold.
Be Specific
Readers turn to story to be vulnerable with the characters because they don't want to be that vulnerable in real life.
Release on a consistent schedule as quickly as possible.
Build a rich world with layers and compelling problems. Build a website for it. (hahahaha.)
Love your characters.
Honestly, I expected more from myself too. I missed a couple of workshops I really wanted to attend. No, I wasn't drinking. Conflict of commitments. It happens.
My next assignment for myself, and this one genuinely is more detailed, is to transcribe my notes for the various proposals I sketched out while I was away. Sorry, but those will have to go through due process before you see them. By that I mean, you'll have to wait for the book(s).
But believe it or not, I'm really pleased to have gone through my notes at all. It's one more thing off my To Do list and that stuff on emotion was really interesting. I was peeved that I arrived late and missed her lead-in. And no, I can't figure out what it was called. I just spent five minutes looking through the whole schedule.
And it's late and I'm tired and just remembered as I was shutting down my computer that I hadn't posted today and didn't want to blow it off.
But the rest is all about reruns on excerpts so if you've read them all, you can close out and come back for #SampleSunday this weekend.
~ Excerpt Links ~
Want a sneak peek at my next book? Here's a #SampleSunday for Hometown Hero. It releases Sept 29th at 99c for the first two days, then it goes up to $2.99. These excerpts will continue until Sept 28th.
Want more? I got more:
Book Blurbs - for all five of my summer titles
#SampleSunday - An Heir To Bind Them - Six consecutive excerpts from my June Harlequin Presents. Post includes links to the previous five.
#SampleSunday - The Ultimate Seduction - final instalment from my August Harlequin Presents, includes links to previous.
#Thursday13 - The Secret In Room 823 (part of
Mills & Boon's The Chatsfield series).
#TeaserTuesday - Mastering Her Role - the first book in my 2in1 Erotic Romance Collection. Post includes links to previous.
#TeaserTuesday - Playing The Master - the second book in my 2in1 Erotic Romance Collection. This post includes links to all the previous.
I have a Goodreads giveaway starting Sep 23rd, but if you like free books, please join my newsletter for a chance to win a copy of my next print release The Russian's Acquisition. I always draw from my subscriber list.
Want to just buy one of my books?
For earliest delivery on my Harlequin titles, buy from Mills & Boon UK site, eHarlequin and Mills & Boon Aus as they appear there soonest.
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These other fine retailers have my books too:
Nook | Kobo | ARe | BooksaMillion | ChaptersIndigo | iBooks
Have a great evening.
