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By Antonio Litterio |
Category: Christina Hollis
Writing (and Rewriting) Romance As Ebooks…
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Photo by Bertil Videt |
I love putting my own spin on historical events by using them as the background to romance. At the beginning of my fiction-writing career, I wrote six books for Harlequin Mills and Boon’s Masquerade imprint under the pen name of Polly Forrester. These were originally only available in the UK so I’m currently working to introduce them to a wider audience by bringing them out as ebooks. Lady Rascal is already available and my next title, Jewel Under Siege, is due for release later this summer.
If You Want To Write…
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by Sandro Botticelli |
- LOVE – of words, and of reading. Playing with language and seeing how others create characters, mood and atmosphere will help you develop your own style. It isn’t the number of words you write each day, or the length of them but the feeling you put into your work. If your writing comes from the heart, the chances are you’ll speak directly to the hearts and minds of your readers.
- COMMITMENT – anyone can call themselves a writer, but only when you actually complete the story that’s been begging to be told will you feel you’ve earned the title. Always start with a fixed end in mind, whether it’s entering a short story competition, or writing a book. Don’t let anything distract you from your goal. Write every day, and get a first draft down as fast as you can. Then go back over it again and again, improving your work every time.
- PATIENCE – once your work is as good as you can make it, put it away and start on something new. After a month, go back to your first piece and re-read it aloud to yourself. If you’re aiming for publication, when the re-writes are finished, give your manuscript to a trusted friend who reads the type of work you’ve written. Accept their constructive criticism as part of the learning progress – it all helps to please your eventual audience.
Happy Easter!
I hope you’re having a lovely day, and that you can spend it exactly as you like (with plenty of treats on hand, of course).
My Easter Day wish is for good weather. There are two baptisms taking place during our big morning service, so the village church is going to be packed. I can predict it will be wonderful – it always is, as we’ve got a great team working behind the scenes as well as behind the altar – but today will be extra special. There’ll be a sea of new faces, and we’ll all have a terrific morning.
Have a happy and peaceful Easter.
New Year, Fresh Start
