I’ve been writing my entire life. When I saw my first publication, a short story called It Happened One Night, in a loosely compiled school collection in first grade. I knew at fourteen that I wanted to write for Harlequin someday. And with 130 published Harlequin books, I can safely say that I’m living my very best life. I can also promise that I’ve learned some things along the way. I’m sharing my top tips with you, with the caveat that not all writers are the same. If my ways don’t work for you, don’t sweat it. Move on to what does.
Don’t Quit, Just Move on By
Read the above! Learning your craft is crucial. But not every lesson pertains to your particular way of crafting. If something doesn’t work for you, don’t let it convince you you aren’t a writer.
Don’t Sit Down to Write a Book
Sit down to write a sentence, a paragraph, a page, a scene. Whatever you can face with ease. Feel good about getting that done. And if time permits, write one more. I’ve come into the office facing twenty page days to meet a deadline, and I sit down to write just one paragraph. There are days that that’s all I can see. Anything else freezes my mind, my emotions. But that one paragraph, it eases the way into twenty pages. Every single time.
Control What You Can Control
Give yourself every step up you can by being in control of the things you can control. Your writing environment can ease the writing or hinder it. I tend to my five senses. My writing space is filled with things that make me feel good when I look at them. (Sight) To some it might seem cluttered, to others too regimented, and for me, I feel good when I walk in the room. When I’m struggling to get down into the story, I sit at my desk and look around me at all of the things that build me up, make me smile, feel loved, and successful. I have a full library of music that has been carefully collected. (Hearing) Every day I choose music that plays softly in the background as I write. There are playlists for suspense, for straight romance, for calm, for passion. And I have scents that complement the sound. (Smell). I’m a long-time student of essential oils. I use lavender when I’m on a tight deadline for its calming influences. Lilies raise the passion, the joy. Spearmint to keep me energized, awake. Eucalyptus makes me feel cared for. And I tend to my desk chair, my keyboard, my screens. (Touch.) They are all chosen carefully to fit my needs perfectly. Writing as much as I do, the ergonomic keyboard was a godsend. And I keep healthy treats that I look forward to at my desk. (Taste) My current go to – Frosted Mini Wheats. And mints. Spearmint as it keeps me focused and fully awake.
The First Draft is Sacred
No judgement. Just write. The joy of writing is often defeated by criticism and your own internal critic is often the harshest. After the story is complete, you can edit, revise, fix.
Learn from Rejections
Submit when you’re ready. Learn from rejections. But don’t quit. A rejection means your submission doesn’t meet the current expectation for that particular reader base. Not that your story isn’t good enough.
The latest Montana Mavericks, Maverick’s Full House, is out now!
Cowboy Noah Trent can do hard things. The divorced dad is raising triplet toddlers on his own and helping his folks run Stargazer Ranch. Kids and cows—those he can handle. Lucy Bernard is another story. She’s the boys’ day care teacher, and it would be way too easy for Noah to fall for her. But sorry experience has taught him that love doesn’t last. Lucy, however, is all in. She knows she belongs with the Trents, and she will do whatever it takes to convince the stubborn rancher she’s ready to take on parenthood, ranch life—and him!
