Romance Writers on the Journey

Rejection. It’s part of a writer’s life.

It happens. We put our work out there and end up hearing the words we dread.

“Your story lacks originality.”

“Your characters aren’t engaging.”

“We have all the [insert your sub-category] we need.”

Or we receive the form letter reply with no reason given at all.

I’m going to share three steps that can help us handle rejection:

• React
• Reflect
• Rebound

Let’s look at the first step:

React

Realize that rejection happens. We can’t avoid it.

It hurts, so allow some time to react. Indulge in a few tears if that helps. I’m not saying to dwell on the rejection or throw a pity party, but realize you suffered a blow.

Allow yourself a reward for taking a risk.

• Rent a movie.
• Take a bubble bath.
• Eat something yummy, like chocolate.

If action works better for you:

• Go for a run.
• Do some yard work.
• Clean off your writing desk.

Maybe you’d rather talk things out.

• Vent to an online writing partner.
• Call an RWA chapter mate who can buoy you up.
• Go to lunch with a supportive girlfriend who’s a great listener.

It can help to remember that just like the sweet smell of cinnamon, the pain of rejection only lasts a short time.

Once you’ve allowed yourself time to react, you’re ready to move on to step two:

Reflect

Once the initial emotional response has passed, it’s time to look at the situation with objectivity.

Author James Lee Burke says, “There’s nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.”

Begin by asking yourself what you did well. Look for the positives.

• Did the agent/editor like your storytelling ability?
• Did s/he compliment your snappy dialogue?

On the flip side, examine negative feedback with an open mind. See what you can learn from it.

• Did the agent/editor help you identify a potential plot weakness?
• Did s/he suggest you read a book on character development?

After you’ve reflected on the comments you received and learned all you can about your strengths and weaknesses, you’re ready for step three.

Rebound

Now it’s time to get back to the serious business of writing.

Young multimillionaire, author, and Distinguished Toastmaster Bo Bennett says,
“A rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.”

It’s important to remember that only losers avoid rejection. You may be afraid to try again, but anxiety can be an ally, helping you to perform better.

One yes erases a lot of no’s.

Set small goals. Say to yourself:

• I’ll send out one query this week.
• I’ll read one book on craft this month.
• I’ll start that new story I’ve been thinking about.

Another technique you can try is to use reverse psychology to turn rejection into a positive.

Ask a trusted friend to hold onto a $50 bill and not return it until you’ve suffered an agreed upon number of rejections. That way you’ll be more willing to endure them.

In spite of the pain you endure when turned down, don’t stop trying. Rebound from rejection, give it another go, and you’ll be on your way to more successes.

In closing, the next time you hear those words, “No, thanks. We’re not interested in your manuscript” remember the three steps to rejection deflection:

• React
• Reflect
• Rebound

You’ve succeeded at endeavors you’ve undertaken in the past, and I know you will again. After all, you’re creative, clever, courageous people up to a challenge.

You’re romance writers!

• • •

How do you deal with rejection? How long does it take before you’re ready to put fingers to keyboard again after receiving bad news? What techniques do you find most helpful to move beyond the pain and embrace the possibilities yet to come?

The phone threatened to tumble from Keli Gwyn’s trembling hand as she pushed her reply to the nurse past the boulder lodged in her throat. “Are you telling me it’s time to . . . gather the family?”

What’s going on here? Who is Keli Gwyn? Why is her hand trembling? What did the nurse tell her? Is someone gravely ill? If so, who?

And where’s the interview you’re used to seeing on this blog?

Good questions. I’ll answer the last one first.

From time to time, I post articles of interest to my fellow romance writers in lieu of the usual interviews with my wonderful guests. Since many of us are swamped this time of year, including possible guests, I’m going to provide posts on different topics that relate to romance writing over the next two weeks. Consider them my Christmas gift to you. On January 5, my first guest of 2009 will be interviewed, debut author Kaye Dacus. Until then, I hope you enjoy the articles.

And now back to the questions that may have you wondering if I lost it, or if I plan to go somewhere with this post . . .

My goal was to write an opening that grabbed your attention. I also wanted to leave you wondering what was going on, what had happened before, and what was yet to come. (And, for the record, I cheated, using two sentences. Great writers can capture their readers in one.)

Now for some answers, and then we’ll move on.

I’m Keli Gwyn, keeper of this blog and romance writer seeking publication. The opening sentence for this post describes what I experienced the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in 2001 when the cardiac nurse from our local hospital called to inform me that my father-in-law not only had pneumonia, but he had congestive heart failure and wasn’t expected to make the night. Since we were operating under the impression that he was on the road to recovery, the news came as a shock.

My family lost a special man the next morning. And I learned how one phone call can change a life forever.

Are you feeling sad about now? Then I succeeded in evoking emotion with my opening and making you want to know more. And that, my dear visitor, is what this post is about.

To engage a reader, a writer must reel her in right away. Over and over we hear that if we don’t capture agents or editors’ attention with our first lines, they may not read any further. Sometimes they admit to giving us a paragraph, but in many cases not any more.

I used to balk when I read such statements. How could one possibly judge my masterpiece based on a single sentence? I mean, really. Judging a story from one line seemed shortsighted and downright unfair.

Over time my perception changed, and I began to understand why the opening of a book is so important. I attended Angela Hunt’s awesome fiction writing workshop at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in March 2008. One of Angie’s many excellent exercises was to listen to her read first lines anonymously contributed by our fellow workshop participants. Our job was to raise our hands if what she read made us want to hear more.

That day I saw for the first time what I’d been told repeatedly. (Ah, yes. Showing versus telling works in life as well as in my writing.) Some of the first lines Angie read solicited lackluster responses. But then she’d share an amazing one that grabbed us, and hands would shoot up all over the room.

At the same conference, I attended a class, Surprised by Detail, taught by Andy McGuire, an editor at Moody Press. He said editors want to be surprised. And so do readers. I spent an enlightening hour hearing examples of what openings had worked for him and why.

This fall I judged my first contest entries and saw for myself exactly what Angie and Andy had been saying. I could tell from the opening if an entry had the extra Wow Factor that made it stand out from the rest. Those writers who pulled me in from the beginning delivered a great read and left me wanting more. Those whose openings had a ho-hum feel generally told a nice story, but often I finished the entry without a burning desire to find out what was going to happen to their characters. Those writers had failed to gain my attention from the start.

After these lessons, my perception of the importance of first lines did an about face. I’m now a firm believer in the value of a brilliant, stand-out-from-the-crowd opening. I don’t profess to having mastered the writing of them, but I aim to produce the best openings I can.

A great opening has one major job: keep the reader reading. What goes into such an opening? Basically you want to surprise her, show change taking place, pose questions she wants answered, and/or drop her in the middle of the action.

There are myriad blog posts and craft books that cover the topic in greater. Since I’m no expert, here are some links to check out.

My Book Therapy: How to Hook your reader!! by Susan May Warren

Rants and Ramblings: Write a Captivating First Line by Rachelle Gardner

Suite 101: Crafting a Riveting Opening Hook by Camy Tang

Writing Fiction: That All Important First Line by Crawford Kilian

* * *

And now, a couple of questions for you . . .

What is a memorable line you’ve read from a published work that pulled you into a story, and why do you think it works so well?

What’s a opening line from one of your stories you’re happy with and/or has captured your readers’ or critique partners’ attention?

Rebecca J. Clark, known to her fellow 2008 Golden Heart finalists as Becky, sold her finaling manuscript, Borrowed Stilettos, to The Wild Rose Press just two months after attending the Romance Writers of America® national conference in San Francisco.

Rebecca J. Clark

Although she writes about stilettos, you won’t find Becky in them. Why? Her day job is fitness trainer and instructor, and heels just don’t cut it. She’s held positions prior to this one, which didn’t require stilettos either. Before being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, she worked in graphic design and PR.

When I asked Becky to share an interesting fact about herself, she came up with something no other writer has shared. To capture the full flavor, I’ll quote her. “I love cemeteries. I’ve streaked through them, had pizza delivered to them, and played hide and seek in them. You’d think I was a paranormal writer, wouldn’t you?”

And now it’s time to learn more about this “author of sizzling contemporary romance.”

•Becky, your journey to publication is a story of perseverance. You wrote for 15 years before you sold. You started when your oldest was, as you called her, the “Alien Toddler,” and didn’t sell until she was an “Alien Teen.” How did you stay focused all those years?

First of all, thanks for having me here, Keli. And congratulations for the milestone of 10,000 hits on your blog.

Staying focused all those years was tough—I won’t pretend otherwise. I wanted to quit many times, but just couldn’t do it. Somewhere along the way, I realized I didn’t feel complete unless I was writing. Once I knew that about myself, I knew I could never give up. Ever.

This business is all about tenacity and perseverance … with a bit of luck and good timing thrown in. I used to joke that when the sun, moon and stars aligned, I would sell. Luckily for me, they finally aligned.

•How do you balance motherhood, work outside the home, and your writing?

I’ve learned to work in small increments, wherever I am and whenever I can. When I first started writing, I needed at least a two-hour block, and it had to be quiet in the house. Now, I’ve taught myself to write with my laptop in the middle of the living room with kids and hubby going about their normal, loud lives.

I also learned to prioritize. I don’t have much of a social life, and I don’t spend much time online (at least I didn’t before I got my contract. Now it’s all about getting my name “out there.”)

Becky at the Awards Ceremony at RWA Nationals in August 2008.

•You sold your Golden Heart finalist story just two months after RWA® Nationals. Did you receive The Call, or was it The Email, as I’m learning is happening more often these days? When it came, what was your reaction? Did your happy dance lean more to a mellow expression such as you teach in your Pilates classes, or did you jump about wildly and throw in some impressive moves more like you’d demonstrate to your Kickboxing students?

“The Email” just doesn’t have the same ring to it as “The Call,” does it? My reaction was a bit subdued. I was on the phone with my sister and checking email at the same time. When I opened up one from my now editor, I told my sister, “I need to hang up. I think I just sold my first book.” I was calm while she was freaking out on her end. I went up to my husband who was working at home that day, and said, “Get off the phone. Now. I just sold my book.” Again, I was nice and calm.

After so many years of hard work and frustration, when the big moment came, it was kind of surreal, like I didn’t know how to react. You think I’d be jumping up and down, screaming, crying, dancing around the room. Of course, I did do all those things later, after it had sunk in that I had finally, finally, FINALLY realized my dream.

•Your debut novel, Borrowed Stilettos, due to be released by The Wild Rose Press for digital download and paperback in 2009, has garnered some nice awards. What aspects of the story are you happiest with?

I love this story because it’s fun—it was fun to write, and hopefully it’ll be fun to read. One big-time agent (who ultimately rejected it) said she was smiling the whole time she read it. My editor said it was the most fun she’s had editing a book in a long time. Have I used the word “fun” enough? Fun, fun, fun.

•What gave you the idea for this story?

I grew up with a sister who I thought led a charmed life in high school. She was naturally thin and beautiful (and still is, which really ticks me off), a cheerleader, and very popular. She was your basic teenage nightmare to an insecure and shy little sister like me. On several occasions, boys acted interested in me to get to her. A few years ago, I told this to a writer friend, and she made me promise to put it in a book someday. (Thanks, Charli!). In my story, Audrey gets to change places with her sister.

Becky's debut novel.

•A book’s title is so important. Your debut novel was first known as Oops! Wrong Sister, which tells a great deal about the plot. Now, however, it bears the name, Borrowed Stilettos. When did the name change and why?

I’d originally written this story as a sweet book (ie: no sex) and had no luck selling it or placing it with an agent. About a year ago, I met with an agent at a conference and asked her advice about selling in this market. She told me to write hot. I’d always thought about making this story hotter, but you can’t just throw in a bunch of sex scenes and expect it to work. I had to change much of the plot, the characters, their GMC’s … basically, I rewrote the whole darn thing. It became a brand new book, thus the title change.

•The main character of Borrowed Stilettos is Audrey, half of a set of twins. She’s the mild mannered one, whereas her sister is flamboyant and yet cowardly. Which of these two characters are you most like?

I’m more like Audrey. I’m very sensible and practical; some people might call me boring. And I consider myself mild-mannered … although my husband of 21 years might disagree with that assessment.

Which did you find the most fun to write, and why?

I really enjoyed writing both characters. I like Audrey because she’s more like me, but she gets to do things and say things I never could. I like Ava because she’s so outrageous. In fact, I enjoyed Ava so much she’s getting her own story.

•Are you a stilettos gal, or are tennis shoes more your style?

I’ve never owned a pair of stilettos, and probably never will. I’m 5’ 8” and have no desire to be taller. Besides, I work on my feet at a gym, training and teaching fitness classes. If I ruin my feet by stuffing them into pretty but painful shoes, I can’t work. See? I told you I’m sensible (and boring).

•With Borrowed Stilettos sold, are you hard at work on revisions? Once they’re completed, what will you be working on? Do you have a work in progress, or has your editor at The Wild Rose Press suggested a possible new project?

I just sent in the first round of revisions to my editor this week. As soon as revisions are completely done, I’ll get a release date.

I have several works in progress. One is Ava’s story, which promises to be sexy and fun. And I’m in the middle of a single title contemporary romance with a touch of the paranormal.

•And now a question just for fun. If a generous benefactor financed a new fitness center and put you in charge, where would it be built, what type of classes and equipment would it hold, and what eats would you offer in the on-site café?

First of all, being in charge of a big fitness center would be my biggest nightmare. I could never be a manager of anything other than myself—even that is a stretch sometimes. I’m way too unorganized and right-brained to run anything … unless it was into the ground.

However, since you asked … I’d offer classes to teach people that fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. I’d also offer cooking classes to show that healthy eating can be delicious.

And the on-site café would offer just one food: chocolate. But it would be a new kind of chocolate that’s as good for you and as low-cal as broccoli.

It’s been great having you as my guest, Becky. And now, in closing, is there a final comment you’d like to make or a question you’d like to ask?

Question #1: What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a pair of shoes?

My answer: $50. Did I mention I was cheap?

Question #2: What’s the least you’ve ever paid for a pair of shoes? (Receiving them as a gift doesn’t count.)

My answer: $2.50 from the K-Mart clearance rack. What’s funny about this is I wore those shoes to an RWA national conference a few years back. I swear every time I was on the elevator, someone complimented my shoes. My cheap, little secret.

Leave a Comment for Becky

Becky will be dropping by throughout the next two days to chat.

If you don’t see a comment form below, please use the link by the post title.

Win Cool Prizes!!

I’m holding a drawing. Two lucky winners will get to choose between a $5 Borders gift card or a set of ten stiletto note cards made by me, your resident blog host and scrapbooker. If you leave a comment with your email address in the appropriate field, your name is entered in the drawing. (I don’t share your address. If you’d rather not enter, just say so in your comment.)

I’ll conduct the drawing on 12/17 for all those entered through 12/16. See prizes below.

Congrats to the two winners, Erin Charles and Tracy!

Option 1 - $5 Borders Gift Card

Option 2 - Set of 10 Handmade Stiletto Note Cards

Learn More About Becky

Visit her Web site – www.rebeccajclark.com.