Romance Novelist Gives Readers Recipes Used in Gripping Story

Interview conducted by Irene Watson Managing Editor of Reader Views with Jane Marie Malcolm, author of "The Goodbye Lie."

Irene: “The Goodbye Lie” is your first installment of a historical series set on Florida’s Amelia Island. Please give us an overview of this romance novel.

Jane Marie: Eighteen-year-old Breelan Dunnigan and her cousin decide they need one last adventure before they marry husbands they have yet to meet. Under the watchful eye of an attractive ship’s captain, they sail to New York City to visit family. With her cousin’s innocent encouragement, Breelan makes some serious choices, which follow her home to Amelia Island. The consequences are dramatic and very deadly.

Irene: What inspired you to write “The Goodbye Lie”?

Jane Marie: I never had any intention of becoming a writer until I found out my husband was going to be transferred from Amelia Island. I knew I'd be desperately homesick, so I began thinking how writing a book about the island would be a great way to remember the place.

Irene: Please tell our reading audience how you came up with the characters, and did you model them after any particular people that you know?

Jane Marie: Before I could put pencil to paper, a fisherman selling his catch walked into the store where I was working. He was wearing a yellow slicker, had craggy skin, auburn curls any woman would envy, and powder blue eyes, the color of a husky dog. When he left, I realized I had the first character for “The Goodbye Lie.” I named him Catfish.

I can tell you that the matriarch in “The Goodbye Lie,” Miss Ella, is based on my wonderful mother. She prizes her family above all else. She's a strong woman, able to endure when those around her shatter.

Irene: Does your mother know that you based one of the characters after her? If she does, what is her reaction?

Jane Marie: No. My mother passed away long before I ever thought about writing "The Goodbye Lie." The book is dedicated to my father, so he knows, and is very pleased and proud. He sees shades of his wife in Miss Ella.

Irene: Quite often a writer will put some of their own personality into the character. Is there one in particular that alludes to your own experiences?

Jane Marie: Breelan plays hand bells, has a cat, and writes like I do. I can be impetuous at times as is she, but Bree's recklessness mars her life, whereas I've been much more fortunate.

Irene: Readers can browse your website and find jewelry as well as recipes that relate to the story. Tell us more about the experience readers can have besides just reading your book.

Jane Marie: I am proud to have over 50 articles on our website, http://www.graciousjanemarie.com/ (my sister / partner gave me the title of gracious because I love times past when romance was disguised with a stolen glance or a brush of a hand on an arm), that tie into “The Goodbye Lie.” If you're reading the book and Grammy is serving her Coffee-Roasted Beef for Sunday dinner, the recipe is on site for you. Instructions for making a braided rug, church pew hankie doll, potato stamps, a tussie mussie, plus the history of joggling boards (also called courting boards), the Amelia Light (lighthouse), and Victorian theatre etiquette are just a few of the fun articles available for readers to continue the “Goodbye Lie” experience. I’m doing the same thing with the second book in the series, “Velvet Undertow,” which will be available in the late summer of 2006. Martha Bear™, the mascot and spokesbear for our site, makes a cameo appearance in each of the novels in the series. At RascallyReaders.com, Martha Bear and her critter friends star in my silly short stories designed to encourage family reading. As children listen to / read Martha's adventures, they learn simple lessons about the core values of home, family and friends.

“The Goodbye Lie” Jewelry Collection is designed and handmade by my sister, Nancy Kamp, to honor the women in the story from Breelan and cousin Nora to sister Carolena, Aunt Noreen, Aunt Coe, Miss Ella, and even Grammy and Peeper, the friendly-fussing grandmothers.

Irene: Are the recipes your own creation or some of your favorites?

Jane Marie: Deviled Eggs are from my mother, Roasted Chestnuts from my father, Ham & Bean Soup from my husband, the Coffee-Roasted Beef is a cowboy recipe from his aunt in New Mexico. I've culled recipes from all over and worked them into the story. I wanted everyday home cooking that people like me could and did prepare. The recipes bring life to the story because readers can actually make, eat and enjoy some of the same foods the characters do.

Irene: Gerri Smith, a reviewer for Reader Views commented, “You are saddened, thrilled, surprised and angered,” as she read the book. Obviously these emotions come up for most readers. Please tell us how you combine all the emotions into one plot in order to keep the readers turning pages.

Jane Marie: After the tornado in the opening scene, I introduce the large Dunnigan family as they go about their every day lives, squabbling, and laughing. My intention is to lull the reader into the easy living setting of a seaside town in 1882. The real adventure begins the first moment Breelan leaves the security of her little city. I want the reader to get angry at the foolish choices made, be saddened by the unexpected, be thrilled by the danger, and surprised by the conclusion.

Irene: How much and what research did you have to do for the story to happen in the late 1800s?

Jane Marie: I've always loved history, but I particularly enjoy the later 1800s. I took the classes offered at the Amelia Island Museum of History that focused on the town of Fernandina on Amelia Island. I learned, among other things, to look up at the interesting architectural elements of the still standing buildings down our Centre Street and around town. I incorporated some of actual people from the past into the story to add "fictional authenticity." I've spend countless hours doing what I love- discovering details of times gone by, to fill notebooks with lists of period social customs, activities, clothing, weather, politics of the time, food, etc. After the basic book was written, I went back and punched it up to add detail that turns a reader's black and white mental image to one bursting with textures and colors and the feeling that you're in the very parlor, the preverbal fly on the character's wall.

Irene: What is the difference between a historical romance novel and any other romance novel?

Jane Marie: In historical romance I have so much more to work with in regard to background material. Instead of the present day heroine going with a date to the hamburger stand and a movie where they might "make out," my historic heroine must prepare for the ball. This would include writing her r.s.v.p., choosing the perfect gown, tying her hair in rags to curl it, bathing not showering, a dusting of powder, all the proper layers of undergarments, donning her gown, gloves, and cape, being accompanied by a chaperone, filling out her dance card. All this, and she may only be touched by the gloved hand of her dance partner. The idea is to transport readers back in time so they, too, are fascinated by the lost glories of the past.

Irene: Do you have a particular romance novelist’s writing that you admire and why?

Jane Marie: I saw the movie, “Gone with the Wind,” when I was nine-years-old. That's when I fell in love with period romance, clothing and customs. I've been a "Windie" ever since and have a "Gone with the Wind" section on our website dedicated to Margaret Mitchell’s masterpiece. You can read about my unforgettable experiences of attending the 50th anniversary costume balls in Atlanta, Georgia to honor the release of the book in 1936 and the film in 1939.

Irene: Did writing “The Goodbye Lie” have a broader mission than just being a good romance novel? If so, what was your mission in writing it?

Jane Marie: I wanted to say that no matter your misdeeds, the love of family is forever.

Irene: This is the first of a series of historical novels. Are you planning to use the same characters throughout the series?

Jane Marie: Yes. I purposely gave the Dunnigan family four children, a mother, father, two grandmothers, and a pesky aunt and her family next door so I would have plenty of folks with which to work. Remember, there are generations, past and present, I haven't mentioned in the story so far. My series can go on indefinitely! All the novels in the series stand alone. You will be able to read them out of order if you want to.

Irene: When will your next novel be published?

Jane Marie. The target date is early August 2006.

Irene: Thank you Jane Marie. Is there anything else that you would like your reading audience to know about you or your book?

Jane Marie: Thank you, Irene. Frankly, I just wish I could meet all potential readers out there because I've been told my enthusiasm and sincere love for my imaginary characters gets most folks I talk to all fired up and anxious to enter the “Goodbye Lie” world. So, here is a warm welcome to all.

Irene Watson is Managing Editor for Reader Views based in Austin, TX http://www.readerviews.com

Why I Love to Write Romance

Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to be a writer. From silly stories and poems plucked out of thin air in elementary school, to thoughtful human interest stories in the college newspaper, my range is varied and extensive. Only recently, though, I have found comfort in writing romance stories for a growing readership. With Valentine's Day so close, it seems only appropriate to expand upon the reasons I have fallen, literally and figuratively, for this genre.

I love writing romance because of the opportunity to tell a heart-warming story. At the heart of each romance story is what writers in the business call the HEA: the happily ever after. Readers feeling down from the strife of everyday stress and troubles need only to pick up a book and let positive energy flow. Romance in particular does wonders for the soul - it heightens mood and feelings of sensuality which are then transferred to real life. The happier a person become, the better life can be. Anyone experiencing a low point need only to pick up a romance to help chase away the blues.

I love writing romance because of the opportunity to create endearing, delightful characters. Readers who are familiar with contemporary stories know now that the prime cast of a romance novel need not be limited to damsels in distress. True, while most romance covers depict hunky, Alpha male heroes with long hair flowing in a Scottish breeze, romance couple come in a variety of personalities these days. There are kick-butt heroines who double as undercover spies, sensitive males who seek the pleasure of their partners, and even vampires searching for a soul mate. Readers interested in meeting new fictional heroes should look no further than a compelling romance.

Lastly, I write romance because of the flexibility such stories present. Romances are no longer relegated to bleak, English moors. They happen in corporate boardrooms, small town newspaper offices, police stations, and even outer space! Romance may be combined with fantasy or mystery, inspiration or western settings to create a unique story for even the fussiest readers. Bookworms looking for something original should browse the romance shelves once in a while and see what is available.

Romantic holidays like Valentine's Day may only be fleeting, but romance should last all year long. Keep the good feelings alive by supporting your favorite romance author.

Kathryn Lively is the publisher of Phaze, romance novels in eBook and paperback. She offers free book promotion tips and advice for authors, and has edited and written numerous romantic novels and novellas.

Romance Novel with Relationship Advice is a Cult Classic

Book Review: "Opening Love's Door:The Seven Lessons" by Dr. Diana Kirschner

The author's main point is to help Janna in finding love in the romance novel, “Opening Love’s Door: The Seven Lessons.” Kirschner, carrying out the purpose very well, shows how you have to control all the aspects of your life in order to bring love into it. I feel that the author carried out the purpose of this book very well. The lessons that Raphaela taught to Janna can be used by anyone, whether you are 20 years old or 90 years old, male or female, professional or blue collar, millionaire or in poverty. If you want to better your life and bring the love that you have always wanted into it, then this is the book for you.

The writing by Kirschner was done very well. Each lesson was clearly stated as was how to incorporate it into your daily life. One of my favorite quotes is, "Fear is the signal, the alpha point, while mastery is the omega or end point. Fear tells us where we need to look. It can uncover what we truly desire. Then it becomes a call to action and that is a spiritual gift. The very thing you're afraid of is the key to the next step of your growth."

My favorite part of the book was when Janna confronts her uncle about abusing her, starting when she was ten, right after her mother's death. Janna was able to tell him exactly how she felt about what he did to her with the help of Raphaela. Through these lessons, Janna was able to face her past and move on to her future.

This book was absolutely wonderful! I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. There are very few books that have touched me the way this one did. The seven lessons that Raphaela taught to Janna are amazing. She taught Janna how to confront her abuser, air out her differences with her father and comfort her best friend through her death. This spiritual journey that Janna took helped her to put her personal life into focus along with her business. Perfect book for anyone! Five Stars!!!!

Featured as “Book of the Week” on Reader Views January 9, 2006.

Irene Watson is the Managing Editor of Reader Views, an online book review service. She is also the author of "The Sitting Swing." http://www.readerviews.com

Characters In A Romance Novel

Before you even begin writing your novel, you need to know who your characters will be. Minimally, you would want two major characters, the hero and the heroine. They will interact mostly with each other throughout the novel. How they interact with each other will determine the outcome of the story. Will they resist each other in the beginning of the story and by the end, fall in love? Or will they fall in love in the beginning of the story and then be driven apart by conflict? Once you’ve chosen them, then you need to decide what age they are, their personality traits, and their names.

AGE

Age-appropriate actions are paramount to development of the character. If the heroine is in her teens, she will react differently to situations than if she is in her late twenties. The same goes with the hero. In a romance novel, the typical heroine is in her early twenties, while the hero is older. If he is in his twenties, he shouldn’t be shown as a tycoon, unless of course, he inherited the wealth. If he is in his thirties, he shouldn’t be shown doing activities that are immature for his age.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

A character in your novel needs to have distinct personality traits that make them unique. By distinguishing them from the other persons in the novel, you can create all kinds of situations based on those traits. Personality traits are typically revealed in the story through actions, dialogue with other people in the story, and sometimes through flashbacks that may reveal how that person became the way they are.

If you are not familiar with personality traits, you can begin by studying the psychology books that describe them. Some examples of personality traits are introvert/extrovert, obsessive-compulsive, Type “A”/Type “B” personalities, etc. For example, an introverted person would appear shy, doesn’t speak much, and shuns being in social situations, whereas an extroverted person would be gregarious, out-going, and usually a partygoer.

There are many types of personalities that you can choose from for your heroine, but typically, a “romantic” female would include the following: kind, young, nurturing, loving, warm, single, sensual, doesn’t fool around, and attractive. For your hero, the characteristics could vary even more, and usually include being: older, decisive, powerful, kind, caring, single, gentle, and handsome.

Typically, you should have well-rounded characters. However, beware of making them too perfect. Readers prefer reading about realistic people, and yet at the same time, want to escape a little. Leave some room for improvement to allow character development to take place. As a writer, you will have to do some mental gymnastics to allow this to happen. Maybe she is stubborn and headstrong, and doesn’t listen to other people’s advice. Maybe he doesn’t trust anyone, so he is wary and cautious. That’s fine. Once you decide on the traits of each character, then the next step would be to envision how they would react to certain situations. For example, an impulsive person would probably react differently than a cautious person to the same situation. Be prepared to get into the shoes of your character and feel what they would feel. When a hero and heroine get together, they may help each other overcome their character flaws by the end of the story. Through their love for each other, they help each other grow as human beings, and at the same time, accept each other’s flaws and imperfections. Of course, there will be some type of conflict in attaining their love. What story exists without conflict? But by the end of the story, they realize the importance of each other in their life and cannot live without the other, no matter what the price. Ahhh, true love!

NAMES

Once you have the age and personality trait of each character, then you need to give them a name that fits them. If the male character is a warrior or has a tough-minded personality, you wouldn't want to give him a name that sounds feminine, like Jean or Francis. Also, be sensitive to the setting, locale, and the time period, when deciding upon names. In addition, the names of your other characters should not overpower the hero/heroine’s names.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Once you have your main characters, then think about whom else will be in the novel. What role will these other players maintain to help the hero or heroine go forth? If you just add someone in the novel because you like him or her, but they don’t help the story, then rethink on how they could be useful to the story. Maybe they know something that might be useful to the hero or heroine, then add that into the story.

Cardboard characters are a result of focusing on one dimension of a character. The cardboard character can be either totally evil, good, funny, sad, etc. They don’t waver much from that description. Sometimes they are added in the novel to prove someone's character. For example, an evil cardboard character makes the hero look good by battling with him. That's the only purpose the evil character has, to show the hero's good side. We don't try to develop the evil person's character so that he/she is less evil. However, in recent literature, one sees more sympathetic looking evil people doing their bad deeds, yet somehow managing to make the reader feel sorry about them. Those complex types are not considered cardboard characters.

BALANCING ACT

No matter how well you think you are writing, always go back and double check your work for consistency. Make sure that if your hero has blue eyes in the beginning of the story, that he still has blue eyes by the end of the story, etc. Also, make sure you know your characters before you write. If you don’t, it will show up in your writing. Throughout the story, you have to carefully describe the real person in all their glory, as well as their character flaws. When I went back and read the first draft of my romance novel “Lipsi’s Daughter, I found that I tended to lean more towards making my characters too good. I then went in and deliberately inserted a fault or two. Those faults also help with the conflict. Conflict drives the story forward.

The final balancing act will come at the end, where you will have created, or synthesized a whole new person that has evolved into a better human being from the lessons they learned in the story. So now that you've read this section, go ahead, write your characters. Make them come alive!

About The Author

Patty Apostolides is the author of the novel Lipsi's Daughter. She is in the process of writing a poetry book and a second novel. For more information, visit her website: http://www.geocities.com/10500bc/index.html
liendou@Writing.Com

Making The Time To Write That Novel

Finding the time to write a novel is one of the major issues confronting writers, particularly those who haven’t been published yet. How does one justify to themselves, or to their loved ones, that they need time to write if they have demands on their time, like a job, or a house to be cleaned, a family to be fed, or shopping to do? They make the time.

To make time, one would have to sit down and plan it. If this is not done, then writing will become a haphazard event, dictated by a whim, or a passing urge, rather than a scheduled time. This often results in the book never really being finished. You do want to finish that book, don’t you? Below, I have my own suggestions as to how to make time.

1. Think about your daily schedule, just like when you do a budget, only instead of money, you’ll be budgeting time.

2. Then get a nice large desktop calendar, the ones that cost about two dollars. Begin filling in the mandatory slots for the week. Do you have a work schedule, or a doctor’s appointment, a meeting to go to, etc.? Then write these times down.

3. Next, fill in the times for meals, showers, shopping, socials, etc.

4. Now look at the times that you are free. Please don’t say there isn’t any time left! There will probably be some time available somewhere. Maybe it’ll be at lunchtime, if you are working, or after dinner, or even during the day if you’re a stay-at home parent (when junior is napping).

5. If you are a new writer, start slow. Maybe find one hour a day and reserve that for your writing. Go ahead and write the date in the calendar. You just made an appointment with yourself. Now do it for every day of the week. You decide if you want to work the weekend or not.

6. If you are a more seasoned writer, you will probably need more time. I find that I need a minimum of three hours a day to write. Sometimes I may also use this time doing research for my book.

Once you make that appointment with yourself, that’s the easy part. Next, you have to keep that appointment. There are so many instances when something else interferes with your designated time. I know, I’ve been there. Therefore, you need to have some flexibility. Always have a reserve time slot handy in case you don’t make your date. Although I was pretty regular and rarely strayed from my afternoon schedule, there were times that I just couldn’t stay on track. I learned to be flexible and wrote in the evenings. The important thing to remember is to not stray too far from your schedule, because it defeats the purpose.

Once you’ve scheduled your writing dates, then prepare your work area. Try and have it ready before your designated time. If you have a computer, make sure the printer has enough paper, and there’s a floppy disk available to save your Word files in. If you use a pen and paper instead, make sure you have them handy. Also, make sure you have enough lighting in the room. You wouldn’t want to strain your eyes. Make your writing area as comfortable as you can.

Now try writing for a week. How did it feel? If you’re like me, it felt great. Not only did it feel great writing, but I quickly found out it wasn’t enough time! One does need time to get into the story, to think about the dialogue, to write that chapter. Sometimes you'll be so absorbed in your writing, that you may surpass the hour you designated, and that’s fine if you go beyond your scheduled time (unless it affects your other activities). There will be other times when you’ll sit there doodling, trying to write something, and it won’t be easy, so you’ll probably finish quicker than the allotted time.

The important thing is to write on a consistent basis. It’s similar to exercise. In order to see results, you have to do it persistently and over a long period of time. A novel can never be written in one sitting! Over the course of your writing, you’ll be learning valuable skills that can only come from experience. Also, you’ll notice that the more you write, the easier it’ll become.

As you follow your daily writing schedule, you will show your loved ones that you are serious about your work, and more importantly, prove to yourself that you can write that novel!

I wrote my first novel in 1-½ years. Being a stay-at-home mother gave me the opportunity to write during my baby’s naps, which averaged about 2-3 hours each afternoon. It is very rewarding to see your novel taking shape. If I could do it, then so can you!

About The Author

Patty Apostolides is author of Lipsi's Daughter. She has published several articles and poems. Her website showcases her works: http://www.geocities.com/10500bc/index.html
Liendou@Writing.com

Writing Twenty Novels (In Ten Easy Steps!)

During a recent telephone conversation, I mentioned having sent off the last revisions for my twentieth novel, “Great Sky Woman.” There was a silence on the other side of the phone, followed by the question “How in the world do you do that? Twenty novels!”

The truth is that I know many writers who have written far more than twenty novels. It is not that unusual. In fact, if you are a working writer, the “perfect” output is very close to a book a year. Less often than this, and the readers stop anticipating your next book, and wander to another writer’s literary pasture.

There is a commonality to the behavior patterns of successful writers, and a commonality to the behavior patterns of writers who just can’t get started, can’t get finished, or stall out at their first or third book.

Successful, prolific writers:

1) Write every day. That’s EVERY day. They sit down, open their veins, and bleed into their computers. Yes, it can be painful, but if you don’t maintain this kind of regularity, rust creeps in. The connection between heart, mind and fingers is broken. And we mistake the struggle for our natural state.

2) Read every day. Reading is priming the pump. It is modeling successful behavior. It is increasing vocabulary, studying plot and characterization, and entertaining the little subconscious demons and angels who actually do the deep work. Never neglect this.

3) Set deadlines and quotas. There is a certain amount of work to be done, on a daily basis. It need not be some huge amount—a page a day will create a book a year!

4) Create a writing space, a place that feels comfortable to them. This is both a physical space (a desk) and a psychological space (created with music, posters, familiar objects, etc.) It may also be a temporal space—a specific time of day or night that they write.

5) Have specific goals. They have committed to being professional writers. This is how they define themselves, and they never forget it. If you accept this definition, then you MUST behave as a professional writer, on a daily basis, or it causes emotional discomfort. They are willing to accept this friendly prod.

6) Don't listen to the negative voices in their heads. Everyone has them. The voices tell you you can’t, you mustn’t, it isn’t good enough. You must find a way to tell the voices to shut up, to ignore them, or to quiet them. Any flow-based activity will help here: meditation, Tai Chi, yoga, running, Sufi breathing exercises, martial arts…the list is endless. Find one.

7) Are committed to the long-term. They know that if they spend an hour or three a day, every day, for a decade, they will build their career.

8) Expose themselves to criticism and rejection. In other words, they FINISH their projects, and then SUBMIT those finished projects to editors and agents.

9) Involve other people in their “master mind” group. Successful writers know other writers. And readers. And editors. And agents. They befriend them, recruit them, get feedback from them, and listen to the feedback. This is their “brain trust.” Unsuccessful writers hide in their offices, never finish their work, never send it out to risk rejection.

10) Have W.I.T.---they will do Whatever It Takes to ethically reach their dreams, to become the best they can be. They never quit. They know that success is based less on talent or “who you know” than persistence, hard work, and honesty.

There are more distinctions, but I’m out of time—got to start working on book twenty-one!

About The Author

Steven Barnes

NY Times Bestselling writer Steven Barnes has lectured on storytelling and creativity at USC, UCLA, Seattle University, and the Smithsonian Institute. Creator of the first whole-mind high performance system for writers, he can be reached at: http://www.lifewrite.com and http://www.lifewriting.biz.

Ten Tips to Help You Finish Writing Your Novel

1. Set aside a time to write and keep it sacred.

Make this a time when you know you are at your best and feel most creative -- Saturday mornings, late at night, whatever works for you. Make writing a priority and arrange other parts of your schedule around it.

2. Remove all distractions while you write.

Turn off the television. Don't answer the phone. You may need to set your writing time at a time when no one else is around to help you avoid being distracted.

3. Outline your plot.

Know generally where you want your story to go. Sometimes stories and characters develop in unexpected ways, and you need to allow for that. But keep your guiding plan in mind.

4. Avoid the intimidation of a blank computer screen.

Just start writing. Try freewriting about the plot of the story or a character to get "the flow" started. Begin a dialogue between two characters and see where your flow takes you. Sometimes that ends up in an embarrassingly bad scene, but that bad scene may just have the seeds of something a lot better in it. Once you've got something written, you can always improve it, but you have to get something, anything, written first.

5. Keep a draft mentality.

Nothing you write has to be permanent. Everything can change. If you get into a good flow and there's a word that you just can't think of, don't interrupt the flow by pondering over the word or going to the thesaurus. Leave a blank space and keep writing. There will always be time to go back and look up that word. At this stage, spelling and grammar don't matter; just write and create.

6. Don't feel compelled to begin at the beginning.

You don't have to write your story in chronological order during the drafting phase, especially if you know the main events you want your novel to cover. Work on the chapter you feel like working on. The first sentence and the first chapter will probably require the most work, so don't get frustrated by trying to get them perfect before you write anything else.

7. Organize your files, especially if you are not going to write in order.

Create a different file for each chapter you write. That way you can dip in and fool around with a few words or draft a scene and then save it, close it up, and move on to a different section of the story. When you can easily work on what you want, you are also preventing writer's block.

8. Revise, revise, revise.

Someone once said, "Writing is revising." Change and polish and delete and rearrange and change some more until you like the sound of the words. Often the best way to revise a sentence is to delete it.

9. Don't be afraid of putting yourself out there.

Make a list of writers who have written mediocre books (the incentive: "If HE can do it, so can I.") Be emboldened by writers whose works don't impress you much. The only thing they have over you is their persistence. There will always be critics, but you have to separate the wheat from the chaff: some people's criticism means something; most people's criticism is just so much noise. People keep writing novels despite the criticism. You might as well be one of them.

10. Only you can determine when you are finished.

Show your writing to a trusted friend, preferably one who knows about writing. Friends are likely to tell you how wonderful your novel is, as friends will do, and this of course is not helpful at all. Read between the lines of their compliments. Ultimately, you have to be the judge of your own writing.

Make up your mind to finish your novel, and you can do it. The only thing standing in the way is you.

About The Author


Ann Roscopf Allen is a college writing instructor and the author of the historical novel A Serpent Cherished, based on the true story of an 1891 Memphis murder. Visit her website - http://www.aserpentcherished.com/pages/1/index.htm

info@aserpentcherished.com