Failure as the Key to Success

I stole that title from Matthew Wright. Yes, while I was working from home this morning, I had the TV on for company. Nobody believes me when I say that, but I find working in a quiet house is very creepy and get much more done if the telly’s on in the background.

At one point today, Matthew Wright grabbed handfuls of his own moobs to demonstrate how big they were. Not pretty. I had to stop working for a full ten minutes and have some chocolate to get over the shock. But don't worry, that's not what I'm going to talk about here.

On the Wright Stuff, Matthew and guests discuss news stories. Topics today included a newspaper headline where an Oxford girls’ school is setting impossible tests to show 11-year-old pupils that it’s OK to fail. Read the story here (it’s the Daily Mail). It’s my personal feeling that this is bonkers and if my daughter went to this school I’d be asking for a refund of fees. But this is supposed to be a writing post not a ranty mama post, so I'm not going to talk about that story, either.

However, ‘failure as a key to success’, now that’s something I can relate to – particularly in terms of my writing. And I didn’t need anyone to teach me how to fail. I found out all by myself.

Only writers don’t call it failure – we call it rejection.

And rejection is part of writing. Or at least it is for most of us. I know there will be the odd superstar who will have sold everything they’ve ever written, but they will be exceptional. The rest of us will have had to deal with the dreaded R. Some of us on more than one occasion.

Success from failure is possible as many writer have found out, but it requires a few things. And I have prepared one of my beloved lists:

1. Firstly, tenacity: Don’t give up. Keep writing, keep submitting.

2. Secondly, flexibility: If one kind of writing isn’t working, try another for a while. A different publisher. A different genre. A different type of writing.

3. An ability to learn from mistakes: This can be a hard one and most of us need help with it. Which leads me neatly onto...

4. Luck: I’ve been very lucky – I have Minxes to rely on for feedback for novels. And I have short story writing friends for (surprisingly) short stories. I’ve also been extra lucky with editors – particularly the very lovely Shirley Blair at The People’s Friend, because not everyone finds an editor who is prepared to guide them through rewrites so that rejected stories are turned into something suitable for the magazine.

5. Finally, stubbornness: This is linked to tenacity. Do not give up. On a story or on yourself. Rewrite as though your life depends on it. My greatest day with short stories was seeing one published five years to the day after it had first been rejected by the same magazine. And with novels it has to be Trust In Me – this went through several rewrites to the extent that it was no longer the same story by the time I eventually sold it. The first version had a different title, a different hero, a different heroine and a different setting – and there weren’t even any donkeys.

Do you have any ideas for using failure as a key to success?

PS for British blog visitors: Brendan from Coach Trip is one of Matthew's guests tomorrow, but I won't get to see it because I'll be working in a proper office and my colleagues would frown on anyone watching TV. Really not happy. Someone watch it for me, please, and tell me if it's good? I love Brendan.

And, for those of you who don't know, this is Brendan, the host of Coach Trip, which is a reality TV version of the film Driving Aphrodite (aka My Life In Ruins) which I also love.

Top Ten Writing Snacks

One of the questions in my Minxy interview was to do with writing snacks. I named a few, but really, I have many, many favourites...

Here are my current top ten:

1. Violet Creams
2. Thornton's Fruit Creams
3. Orange Matchmakers
4. Chocolate Raisins (these are great - eat enough and they can count towards your five-a-day)
5. Milky Bar White Chocolate Buttons
6. Cadbury's Chocolate Buttons
7. Thornton's Vanilla Truffles
8. M&S Ginger Chocolate Biscuits
9. Fry's Chocolate Cream
10.Sour Cream and Chive Pringles

Fry's Chocolate Cream would have been at the top, but you need two hands to handle the wrapper and break bits off - one-handed snacks are much more conducive to fast typing.

Do you agree with my choices? What's your own favourite keyboard snack?

Author Spotlight - Suzanna Ross

More Minx success? Hey, why not? I'm delighted to welcome another minx to the author spotlight spot today, yes, it's lovely Suz, also known as Suzanne Jones/Suzanna Ross Jones! Suz's new release, Trust in Me, has had a paper release as a My Weekly pocket novel in the summer, and is now available on Amazon as an ebook!

Now, straight on to the questions:
Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I’ve written for as long as I can remember, but only started to be published regularly a few years ago. Funnily enough, around the time I met the Minxes. I wonder if there’s a connection.
I write short stories, articles...anything, really, but my first love is romance.
I live in Scotland, not far from Edinburgh. With dramatic hills, mysterious lochs and romantic castles on my doorstep, I can’t help but be inspired.

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
First book published. Nth written. I honestly can’t remember how many manuscripts I’ve finished – I have a submissions book that goes back a number of years, but I know there were at least a couple before I started keeping records.

Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?
I’m never tempted to buy shoes – I have horrible feet. Honestly. I was so disappointed not to get a part in the new Hobbit film because they wouldn’t have needed make-up (although, thankfully, they’re not hairy). You’re right, though, it is very difficult to write some days and I find ideas need to stew: I can’t force a story and I have to let it form in its own time

What is your top promo tip for other authors?
I’m afraid I don’t have any tips for promo – I’m still trying to find my own way. If anyone has any advice for me I’d be very grateful.

How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
Between a two-hour-a-day school run and the day job, writing has to fit in around me at the moment. I dream of a time I can sit at home in lounging pyjamas and please myself – which would mean I’d write – but I suspect that’s a long way off.

Do you write every day?I think about my wip every day. And that’s sort of writing, isn’t it? I did start a spreadsheet at the beginning of the year, to keep a note of my daily totals. There are gaps for days where I haven’t actually increased my word count, but I’ve managed just over 140,000 words since 1st January. And they’re mostly redrafted, ready to go/sold words, so I’m happy with that.

What was the most fun part of writing this book? 
Finishing it. I don’t know who said ‘I don’t like writing, but I like having written,’ but that’s much how I feel at times. Actually, forget that, the fun moments have to be when I got the covers. And I’m very lucky that this particular book will have three covers in total: The My Weekly Pocket Novel cover, the E-scape e-version cover – and, sometime next year, the large print cover. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of the thrill of seeing a cover with my name on it for the first time. Is that sad?

Have you ever written a hero you'd be happy to run off with?
Yes, my Biker Boy, Nick Rudd. Even though he’s way too young and he’s spoken for. Well, actually, I wouldn’t do that to his lovely heroine, Emma. But, if he was free, I’d run off with him in a heartbeat. He’ll be hitting the shelves in the pages of a My Weekly/Bridges&Knight Caress novel in January. And I hope to have him online at some point after that. Although I’m a little worried people won’t love him as much as I do.

Writing snacks – what are your favourites?
Today, my writing snack of choice is a big bag of Starburst. Normally it would be something chocolate. And, if anyone’s offering, I’m in the mood to accept a box of violet creams. (And then I wonder why I’m fat.)

Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
If I’m really stuck, I’ll put the story to one side and work on something else. Short stories, normally. The subconscious is generally wonderful and I find that if I don’t fret about the problem, the answer will arrive as if by magic.

Thank you so much for having me here today. It’s odd being on this side of things, but it’s been fun, too.
You can find out more:
On my own blog: here 

When faced with the prospect of being thrown out her home by a handsome stranger, Rosie Farnham's solution is to refuse to budge. Never mind that multi-millionaire Theo has every right to demand vacant possession - or that he's as gorgeous as sin - she will not leave her home just because he's brandishing ownership papers.

As Rosie refused to move out of the Manor, Theo decides he'll move in. This is no great hardship - even though she's prickly as a hedgehog, there's something about Rosie he finds intriguing.

Can the undeniable attraction between them bring their lives into a new stage?

Trust In Me is available from: Amazon.co.uk , Amazon.com

Trust In Me - a Minxy release!

We are exceptionally proud to announce a new Minxy arrival!

Trust in Me, written by our very own Suzanna Ross (aka Suzanne Ross Jones) was first published in print by DC Thompson's My Weekly Pocket Novels, and makes its eBook debut through E-scape Press today.

Trust in Me

When faced with the prospect of being thrown out her home by a handsome stranger, Rosie Farnham's solution is to refuse to budge. Never mind that multi-millionaire Theo has every right to demand vacant possession - or that he's as gorgeous as sin - she will not leave her home just because he's brandishing ownership papers.

As Rosie refused to move out of the Manor, Theo decides he'll move in. This is no great hardship - even though she's prickly as a hedgehog, there's something about Rosie he finds intriguing.

Can the undeniable attraction between them bring their lives into a new stage?

Trust in Me is available from Amazon and Amazon UK.


Please join the Minxes in a great big "Woohooo!!" for Suz. 


We just know you're going to love this book as much as we do, and watch this space, because there's more to come from the lady we affectionately refer to as Prolific Minx. (Though this is her first full-length release, Suz has had more sales than all the other Minxes put together!)

Hot news straight from the press ... Suzanna Ross has sold another book to DC Thompson, which will be available in UK stores in early 2013. You heard it here first.

Again, well done, Suz. We love you!

More fantastic news!

We affectionately titled 2012 theYear of the Minx,and we were right: this year has been fantastic for The Minxes. And this week will go down in history as the Week of the Minx.

Because we've had not one, not two, but THREE sales this week.

First up was Maya Blake, with a new 4-book contract for Harlequin Presents, then Sri Pammi with her first sale (also to Harlequin Presents) and now...

Suzanne Ross Jones has sold!!

This book, affectionately known in Minxy circles as The Biker Boy, is Suzanne's second sale to DC Thompson's My Weekly Pocket Novels.

Well done, Suz,and thank you so much for keeping the champagne flowing this week!

Courtesy http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Keeping things professional. Or not?

A couple of us were chatting the other day, about projecting a professional online image. Opinion seemed to be you should keep personal stuff out of blogs and off Facebook if you want to be perceived as businesslike.

I can see the sense in this. Unfortunately I like to talk - and I'm probably more guilty than most of talking about my private life online. There won't be many who read my blog who don't know about my love for John Barrowman, or my constant battle with my legendary giant backside. And I've taken great delight in discussing my various encounters with customer service departments over unsatisfactory dealings (Amazon's customer service team came out very well - some of the others didn't).

I completely understand why writers might want to talk exclusively about writing, but I view my blog as a personal site rather than a professional one. Which I know is daft because I can't control who reads it and it's all out there for anyone who wants to use a Google search engine to see.

There are, of course, some things I'd never discuss on my blog (a Minx has to have some secrets). But even today, the tone of my post - while making a tiny reference to my writing - is mainly personal.

So, am I making a mistake in viewing my blog as my own space?

Should I stop talking about family? My shopping experiences? My giant backside? Should I stick to business and blog only about my work?

Tell me honestly - I won't be offended - what do you like to see in a blog?

The Embarrassment Of An Inappropriate Crush

I was listening to Liza Tarbuck was on Radio Two a couple of weeks ago. I like Liza. She's jolly and funny and around my age (as opposed to everyone else in the known universe who is now at least a decade younger). I imagine she'd be a laugh if we went out for a coffee.

On her show, she asked listeners to phone in to admit to inappropriate crushes.

One woman phoned in to confess to fancying Dougal from The Magic Roundabout when she was younger.





A man admitted a crush on Marina from Stingray.

I'd think they were making it up, but I do actually know someone who used to fancy the Columbia lady when he was younger (yes Camera Boy, I'm talking about you).

 And my very best friend growing up had a soft spot for Joe90.

As for me, well, where to start... My taste in men has always been considered slightly odd - and it started with (in the best firemen-loving Minxy tradition) the firemen from Trumpton. Yes, the whole lot of them - Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb. With the possible exception of Barney McGrew - who I think might be the one with the beard (an older guy was one thing, but a fireman with a beard was not attractive to a young girl - and, in my defence, I was very young).

With age, my tendency towards inappropriate crushes is improving - in that those crushes are now, embarrassingly, out of control inappropriate. Take Flynn Rider from Tangled - I'd run off with him in a heartbeat, despite the fact it's wrong on so many levels (he's too young, he's spoken for, he's a thief and...he's an animated character).

Then there's the illustration of the hero in my story in The People's Friend Annual 2013. Seriously, he might be a drawing, but he's knitting pattern gorgeous. (Unfortunately, I can't show you here because it's inside the book and I haven't cleared copyright with the artist.)




And Severus Snape - I'd knock him flat in the rush even with his greasy hair. Always.





Of course, no list would ever be complete without the wildly inappropriate John Barrowman. He might be age appropriate, but he's spoken for and... Well, here in his own words (at 2 minutes 15 seconds) is exactly why I'm not right for him:




So, who's brave enough to join me in fessing up? (Please do or I'll just end up feeling incredibly foolish.)

Does anyone remember...?

I've been a Mills&Boon addict since I was a young teen. Along the intervening decades, I've read some books that linger, half-remembered in the back of my brain. These are the keepers that I've lost along the way (don't worry, am not going to turn this into another rant about my ex and the skip - we all know what happened).

With most, I don't recall the titles, nor the writers, but only half snatches of the story. It's infuriating.

Here are three I'd love to read again:

The first is a story about a heroine named Anne. Anne worked as a nurse and there was tragedy in her past - a stillborn baby and a failed marriage. Then, one day, Anne sees an advert for a nanny for someone she is convinced is her own child - the one who had supposedly died. She takes on an assumed name, borrows references from a friend and applies for and gets the job. As far as her husband was concerned, Anne had walked out on him and their newborn daughter on the day of the birth and he can't understand why she's back. Until his evil, but now repentant, mother confesses she had told Anne that her baby had died and the husband wanted nothing to do with her.

The second, involves a student named Gemma, who is convinced to take part in an experiment on dating for a fellow student's thesis. This involves dark haired and dark eyed Gemma wearing a blonde wig and blue contact lenses so that she fits the bill as the ideal physical type for the target man. They go off to Switzerland, where Gemma is thrown into the path of this man with the expected consequences.

The third has a heroine who takes a job with a farming family as a general domestic worker. She's been well educated by her wealthy family, but does all she can to fit in with her employers. It turns out the mother of the family is also her own biological mother and she was given up for adoption as a baby. The romantic interest is provided by the family's step-son who assumes that she is a rich man's plaything when he sees her with her adoptive father.

If these stories ring bells with anyone, please let me know. I'd love to be able to track down copies and replace them in my collection.

And what romance novels have lingered in your mind long after you've closed the covers?

Man Of The Month

The winner of the last poll, with 28% of the vote, is Joe Manganiello (who I actually had to google, because I'd never heard of him), so well done to him.

This month, having thrown the challenge open, we've received some very interesting suggestions.

First, for Rachel, is David Gandy in pants (who I also had to google - sorry Rachel).

Then we have the very lovely John Barrowman for Sadie (and for me - look, how pretty).

Caroline suggested a hot detective and, because I am a minx of a certain age, I've chosen a detective of a certain age - step forward Gene Hunt from Life on Mars.

Next we have Sawyer, for Anna.

And Glen the Scottish Beef Guy for Aimee.

Maya asked for a cowboy, so I've chosen Jake Gyllenhaal in a lovely hat.

And, finally, A man called Valance, who happened by our blog and left a message. Follow the link to find out all about him.

Looking for a man... - And news of a fabulous freebie (for today only)

As the title says, I'm looking for a man. Specifically a hot man. Or, rather, several hot men - to grace our Minxy March Hot Man Poll. It's my turn and I've run out of inspiration, so I'm turning the challenge over to you.

We've done a variety of nationalities, we've done sportsmen and actors. We've even done hairy men. And now it's your turn to let us know who makes your heart beat a little faster as you gaze at their likeness?

Find me hot men by my next post, the Friday after next (please), and I'll organise the poll.

And the fabulous freebie? Well, it is indeed fabulous. The Morning After, written by very lovely minx, Sally Clements, is free to download today. Follow the link to find out more about the book. While you're there, have a look at the gorgeous cover - I smile every time I see it. And what's inside that cover is so good I've read it twice already.

Click here to snap up 'The Morning After' for free, but be super fast as it's only for today!

Ten Mysteries of Writing

1. Why is it so difficult to get down to when it's supposed to be fun?

2. Why, when I hate housework and adore writing, do the washing machine and the hoover exert a strong magnetic force capable of pulling me from the keyboard?

3. Why does it take so long? I have a fairly decent typing seed, but some days it can take me 5 hours just to write 500 words.

4. Why is the first draft always rubbish of the highest order? Even if I know what I want to say, it always translates as gobbledygook that needs to be beaten into submission.

5. Why is it that, in the face of relentless rejection I still keep hurling work out there? I sometimes worry I'm like one of these x-factor wannabes and just can't see how average I actually am.

6. Why can some people managed 10K words in one day, yet I can't manage that in a week? (The answer to this is probably somehow related to number 3.)

7. Why is it that, even though it's the most fascinating and interesting occupation in the world, other people's eyes glaze over when I try to talk about it?

8. Why is it that, when I reveal I sometimes get work published, everyone immediately suggests I write their story? I have my own ideas, thank you very much. If you want to see your story in print, write it yourself.

9. Why do some people think making money from writing is the easy option? I still freely admit I could happily swing for the ex friend who, when I told her I'd sold a short story, said she was thinking of getting a little job, but wasn't qualified for anything, so was going to write a story, too.

10. And, if it's so difficult, what is the compulsion that makes me want to keep writing?

Suzanne's Minxy Guide to dealing with the dreaded R

After more than 700 rejections (and 107 sales in various guises - thank you very much), I have perhaps had a bit more experience than most of dealing with my work being hurled back at me. Sometimes with a speed that leaves me reeling. (Actually, I'm exaggerating with the 700 Rs - but only because some people don't reply and about half of the submissions were never heard of again.)

Just now, as I celebrate the thirteenth month anniversary of my partial - which was REQUESTED by a big publisher - I'm bracing myself for another big R. They say it's still under consideration, but the cynic in me suspects this is their way of saying it hasn't been looked at yet.

In my vast and varied experience of these things, a reply after this length of time can only have one outcome: Even if they might have been interested had they looked at it when it was submitted over a year ago, by now times have moved on and they will be looking for something completely different.

So, how to cope with that number of knock-backs without going completely bonkers?

1. The chocolate cupboard. Everyone knows chocolate makes things better. Even good days can be enhanced by its consumption. Dedicating a cupboard to it will ensure your supplies never run out and there will always be some sweet stuff to hand when it seems the world doesn't love your writing.

2. Have lots of stories in lots of baskets. If all your hopes are chained to one submission, then if it's sent home with a 'no thank you' letter, it will break your heart. But, if you have other stories under consideration, then only a fraction of your dreams will be tied to each one, so it stands to reason the Rs will sting a little less.

3. Try different kinds of writing. For years, I only wrote category romances. But when I tried short stories, I was astonished to find that not only where they quicker to write (what an idiot) but I also managed to sell a few. I then tried writing other things - such as articles and fillers. My only rule was (and is) that the market I'm aiming for pays. The thrill of seeing your name in print is hard to beat - and sometimes it doesn't matter how you get there. And once you've sold a piece of work, and you realise an editor likes your words enough to pay, it will give you confidence in all your other writing.

4. Never use rejection as a reason to give up writing. If that's what you truly want to and love to do, then carry on regardless. Accept that there are any number of reasons why an editor might decide a project wasn't right for them - and some of them will have nothing to do with your writing.

5. Target your work. There are some markets I'm pretty sure I'll never break into. But that's okay, because there are others who buy a very high percentage of everything I send them. (Can it be a coincidence that these are the stories I like to write best?) So now I make sure most of what I write is targeted to these markets. But I'm also aware market forces and tastes are apt to change, so if these markets start to reject, I'll widen my net again until I find somewhere else my work's suited to.

6. Make plans. My highly anticipated R won't be the end of the world when it arrives, as I'm already planning to tweak and rewrite it for another market.

7. Find a support network - join critique groups and make contact with people who understand. Step forward lovely Minxes and other writing friends - who have held my hand and offered encouragement and advice (and sometimes cake).

It's taken me a very long time to reach this level of acceptance and to view rejections as just another part of the writing/submitting/getting published process. Those of you who've known me a while will probably remember I submitted my first romance for consideration when I was 16. It was written on an antiquated typewriter, over many, many months and returned in the blink of an eye. Even the lovely and encouraging two page rejection letter didn't help. I cried for weeks and went off in a huff for two years.

My giant sulk after the second rejection lasted another two years - during which I wrote nothing. In a parallel universe, where the middle-aged me was around to offer my teen self advice, I'd have gone straight back to the typewriter and be world famous by now. Well, a middle-aged girl can dream.

The waiting though, that's still very hard to deal with, because, despite deep down expecting that R, until it actually arrives that glimmer of hope still lives in my heart, making it impossible to move on properly. And getting on with other things doesn't make you forget your baby's still out in the world awaiting it's fate.

Look out for that invitation to my partial's thirteen month anniversary party.

Writing versus Real Life

Don't you sometimes wish you could redraft real life? That clanger you dropped, written out of history? That embarrassing mistake erased from being? The unsuitable men you dallied with, gone forever?

I've lead a fairly quiet life, but my list of mistakes makes me wince nonetheless. And I frequently rewrite my past in my own head. Every incident is mentally edited so unreasonable points of view are wittily countered with word perfect arguments. And as for those unsuitable men...well, I can just tell them where to go before things get too serious.

Of course, it's too late to make a real difference. And nobody but me will ever know that, in my imagination, I've won every quarrel retrospectively. Unless I write about it in a story, of course.

And that's why, in my opinion, writing will win over real life every time. With writing, I can redraft until I present the perfect version of every event. What's more, I can wreak revenge on every single person who has ever annoyed me.

The girl who tried to bully me at school? Well, she lost her job in the very first short story I sold. The creep who tried to spike my drink at a party? I've murdered him in another short story. The best friend who had an affair with my husband? I have a lot of nasty stuff planned for her - probably enough for a full length novel.

As for the lovely people I've met (and thankfully there are many more of them), in my stories these wonderful beings are rewarded with all the terrific things they deserve.

If only it were so easy in the real world.

Short Story Writing

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. There are a frightening number of others who have sold many, many more short stories than I could ever dream of. But, I have sold some. And I've done a lot of research. So I'm going to see if I can convince any of you to have a go.

The link between Minxes of Romance and short stories isn't as tenuous as it might seem. I'm not the only Minx to have been published in this form and (stating the obvious here) some short stories can also be romances.


I write short stories for lots of reasons:

• Quick turnaround - you can write a short story in an afternoon and a sale can quickly follow. The fastest acceptance I've ever had was just two days from date of submission.
• Fast payments - some magazines can pay within days of an acceptance.
• They're lots of fun to write and they're the ideal outlet for all those ideas that keep me awake at night.

 And, because they're quick to write:

• It's possible to write and submit lots of them in a way that would be hard to do with longer work. And, of course, if you have lots 'out there' the chances of a sale are greatly increased. It also means that if an R arrives, it's not the end of the world because there's always more work under consideration.
• They give a sense of satisfaction for completing a project - and that doesn't happen as often with longer work.
• Because less time and emotional energy is invested, it's easy to try lots of different styles and genres.

And there are other positives, too:

• Magazines will pay.
• Details of published short stories are great for the writing cv and for including in query letters to agents and publishers.
• The buzz of seeing your name in print is hard to beat.
• Womag writers are a friendly bunch and eager to help each other and I'd defy anyone not to make friends within this community.

But there is a downside (you knew there would be, didn't you?).

• The markets for short stories in women's magazines is shrinking daily.
• Competition is fierce and the number of short story writers is scary. Amanda Brittany has compiled a list on her blog - if you're feeling brave have a look here. 
• Because of the first two points, you have to be prepared for rejections. Lots of them. On the upside, the experience will desensitise you to the dreaded R - I've had so many they barely sting these days.

So what's the best way to break into this satisfying market? Preparation is all if you want to avoid all the wasted attempts I made. Before you start writing, there are things you should do to make sure you're targetting your work correctly.

• First stop should be Womagwriter's blog as she's done most of the research for you (how I wish she'd been around when I first started writing). On this blog you'll find details of magazines currently accepting fiction, word counts and where to send your work. Really, if you're planning to write short stories, the best advice I can give you is to follow this blog. The information you'll find is invaluable and everyone reads it - established writers, fiction editors as well as beginners.
• When you've identified the magazine you want to write for, read lots of issues all the way through. Womagwriter has done a lot of the hard work for you, but nothing beats first hand knowledge and you'll need to learn who the readers are - who you would be writing for.
• You'll then need to analyse the stories. Who are the main characters? What jobs do they do? What kind of situations do they find themselves in? This will give you and idea of who your own characters should be.
• Join a critique group. There's nothing like contact with other writers to encourage and provide support. I'm a member of an online private group and we post every two weeks. This has concentrated my mind like nothing else and my output has increased considerably. I don't manage to post every time, but I do try to write at least one new short story every month and that's a lot more than I used to manage.

And now you're ready to begin writing your story...

Evolution

We all know writing is rewriting. At least I know it now. Time was I used to unleash first drafts onto poor, unsuspecting editors - and then I was surprised when my work didn't sell.

By chance I discovered, while writing short stories, that any work I rewrote had a greater chance of making it into print. It can occasionally take up to ten drafts to do the trick and get my story into a reasonable kind of order. In some of these drafts I'll only change a word or two, in others, complete chunks will be rewritten.

Applying this principle to longer works, I reasoned that rewriting might well make my manuscripts more saleable. But where to stop?

One of my current longer WIPs has been rewritten to death over many years. I just can't let the story go. But, in the reworking, it has evolved into something completely different - different heroine and hero, different setting, different secondary characters, different conflicts and storyline.

Nothing remains of the original idea or the early drafts. Nothing at all.

So, am I really rewriting the same book? Or am I now writing a different one? And how many books have I written in between?

I'm still unable to comment on most blogs, but thank you all for your messages on my previous posts. If you are able to comment here, I'd love to know how many drafts you write before submitting a story.

The Attraction of a Hairy Man

It's no secret I'm not fond of an overabundance of body or facial hair, but there's something about a man with a hairdo long enough for a ponytail that really does it for me.
I'm going to take you back into the mists of time today, to visit my first celebrity crush: Shaun Cassidy. Yes, I have to admit, when I was 14, the younger half-brother of David - and Hardy Boy extraordinaire - made my teen heart race. You might say I'd set the bar quite low on that one, but compared to the boys at school he was definitely an improvement. And he was the inspiration for some of the heroes in the (dire) short stories I scribbled in my exercise book when I should have been doing maths.


He looked a bit like a girl with his big eyes and long hair. And, I suppose, the reason I liked pretty boys was because they were non-threatening - not like manly men. Manly men were scary.

By the time I was 15, my tastes had matured: Step forward Marvin Lee Aday. Otherwise known as Meat Loaf. Mr Loaf also had long hair, but in no way could he be described as girly. And, if I'm honest, I love him still. Although, he's never provided inspiration for one of my heroes - not yet, at least, but there's still time.






Then there was Robin of Sherwood. Did any man ever look as good in a tunic as Michael Praed? He was a real pretty boy - so pretty I could never have gone out with him because he was much better looking than me (and he didn't ask - but we'll gloss over that). He's inspired several heroes. And look, there's the long hair again. We saw him recently in a stage version of The Sound of Music - and he's still very easy on the eye (although, sadly, he no longer has long hair).



To this day I love hairy men:






The very lovely Josh Holloway - who is very welcome to star in any of my stories. And he's so gorgeous, he's even forgiven the facial hair.

But, sometimes, only a manly man will do. Very occasionally, a non-hairy hero will make it onto my list:

(A quick apology before I go - I still can't comment on blogs. I've tried to follow several suggestions with no luck. Will keep at it - but just want to say thank you for all the comments on my previous posts and I'll reply as soon as I can.)

Should you keep a secret?

If a friend told you something in confidence, something that would make a terrific starting point for a story, would it be okay to write about it? If that friend had no interest in your writing, never read your work, and you could change the name and details, weave the secret in around a fictional world so nobody knew it was her, would you?

That's my current writing dilemma. I want to be a good friend, I really, really do. I want to keep my lips tightly sealed and, in real life, I wouldn't dream of telling. But this secret is so juicy I'm itching to get started on a story around it.

None of my non-writing friends ever read anything I write - not even the published pieces. In fact, I've never seen most of them read anything at all. So you could say it would serve them right if I did write about them.

And I've used conversations in the past - those with my own friends, those I've overheard - without a single moral twinge. I've written about a friend who was fed up of being treated as the baby of the family. Another who was prepared to leap into a fast flowing river to save the family pet. And yet another who moved into a new house to find the dog next door shared the same name as her baby daughter.

But these stories weren't secrets. And they certainly weren't scandalous.

What if I let time pass before I use it? A year? Two years? Would it be okay then?

Sadly, even if the friend never found out and nobody was hurt, it would still be a betrayal - and I'd know. So I think I must let this one go.

But I'm thinking I might write about a writer who betrays a confidence in one of her stories...if only I can think up an interesting fictitious secret.

How fast do you write?

Thanks to my daughter, I've recently become hooked on this test. For a minute of your time, it will reveal your typing speed.

When I put my mind to it, I can reach a fairly consistent and comfortable typing speed of 70 words per minute - which puts me some way off the top score, but also a long way from the bottom. So I'm happy.

This means, in an hour of typing (allowing for a ten minute break - I don't want to risk a repetitive strain injury), I should be able to write 3,500 words. So I should, in theory, be able to manage the first draft of a 50,000 word romance in a little over two working days.

I'm sure I don't need to tell you I can't write a first draft anywhere near this quickly. In fact, my output on the writing front can be pretty dismal: I missed my 35,000 word target in our Minxy April Word Count Challenge. And I failed the 50,000 word requirement of Nano a couple of years back, which is shocking when you think that, going by my theory, if I'd written for 7 hours every day for 30 days I should have produced an impressive 735,000 words. Honestly - I've double checked - 70 words a minute x 50 minutes out of every hour x 7 hours in every day x 30 days in November is equal to 735,000 words.

Of course, I have a day job. But, if I maximised output every writing hour, the Minxy Challenge and Nano should have posed no problem.

So, why can't I write a faster first draft? The best I've ever managed is 1,200 words in 55 minutes - a long way off what should be my personal best.

I know you have to factor in thinking time, but surely I should be able to think faster than I can type? And generally the idea is fully formed by the time I sit down at my keyboard, so those words should surely fly onto the screen. Perhaps if I didn't waste so much time on novelty websites I might be able to get more work done.

Did I tempt you to check up on your typing speed? Let us know how you got on. And, how quickly can you write a first draft?

PS: Last week's spotlighted author, Wendy Marcus, has announced her contest winner as Jennifer Probst. Jennifer please contact Wendy through her blog.

Man of the Month Poll: Welshmen

Firstly, an important announcement: The winner of our first Minxy Man of the Month poll is...

The very lovely Jonathan Rhys Meyers, with a very impressive 66% of the votes.

Now, I'm way too old to be a fangirl, but if I was going to adorn my bedroom walls with any man, it would be Jonathan. I freely admit I think him so beautiful, just looking at him makes me want to cry. Here's a reminder just how beautiful (as if you need one):

Watch out for a special post soon, entirely dedicated to him. Sigh.



And now, Welshmen: Wales is a tiny country - only 160 miles long by 60 miles wide and with a population barely above 3 million. You wouldn't expect a lot to be going on, but Wales does have more than it's fair share of buff young men. For this month's hot man poll, the Minxes have cast all other duties to one side (well, all other duties apart from dealing with proofs and work requested by editors) and bravely trawled through countless photographs of the fittest males to hail from this principality, to bring you five to chose from:

First, a duo of Jones boys:

Steve and Gethin

(Sadly no relation to myself, so I can't promise to introduce any of you.)

Actors, Ioan Gruffudd and
Owain Yeoman

And for those of us who prefer our men to be of a certain age, the man I'd most like to see in a bare chested fight with Daniel Craig for the title of Best Bond: Timothy Dalton

Vote for your favourite and we'll let you know the results soon.

Suddenly I feel very homesick for Wales.

PS Here's a photo of Tom Jones - especially for LilyS (see comments):

I'm saying nothing.

And, after a special request from my lovely friend, Judy Jarvie, here's Shakin Stevens;

My mother always said Shaky was better looking than Elvis Presley. I'm not sure about that, but he was rather easy on the eye in his younger days.











And, for Sue:

Michael Sheen                                                           and    Gareth David Lloyd

As Sue pointed out, Gareth was Ianto in Torchwood. How could I have forgotten him? And with me calling myself Welsh and a John Barrowman fan, too.

Finally, for Chris:

Mike Phillips                                              

and another lovely Jones boy, Kelly:

Monday Minx: Suzanne

This isn’t going to be personal, I already give out way too much information on my own blog so, if you’re after salacious gossip, you should stop reading now.

Still here? Good, then pull up a chair and I’ll begin...

Today, I’m going to talk about the compulsion that drives me to commit words to paper, the burning ambition that urges me to write romance manuscript after romance manuscript even while the world cares not one jot.

To start at the beginning of this sorry tale, we must travel back in time, to when I was fourteen. This is when I first fell in love with Mills and Boon romances and, somehow, I never quite managed to fall out of love again.

In the tradition of the best stories, this love is unrequited – despite my utter devotion, Mills and Boon have never loved me back. From the age of 16, I’ve submitted a number of manuscripts to Paradise Road, only to have them hurtling back with such speed, I sometimes found them waiting for me when I arrived home from the post office. Of course, these days with that newfangled e-mail thingy, things are not quite so bad – at least I’m able to enjoy a cup of tea before they ping back.

So, why do I do it? Why do I keep going and persistently subject myself to heartache that would fell a less stubborn writer?

Everyone who reads romance novels will be aware these books are entertainment with bells on. Between the pages of a romance novel, you’re guaranteed the read of your life – gorgeous heroes to fall in love with, feisty heroines to live vicariously through, locations so far removed from school runs and supermarket shopping they might as well be on another planet. In other words, these books transport the reader from everyday drudgery to the kind of elegant living only enjoyed by the mega rich in the real world. What’s more, the type of love that most people will only experience once in a lifetime – and that’s if they’re lucky – can be experienced time after time, just by delving between the covers of these books.

That’s why I want to write romance, I want to be able to create the kind of magic that makes a reader identify with my heroine and fall in love with my hero, just as my favourite authors do every time they write a book. Can you even begin to imagine how wonderful that would be?

Besides, now I’m a Minx, I’m having far too much fun to stop.