Coming July 30th… FOMO

July 29, 2017August 5, 2017Leave a comment

The urge to do it all can be stressful and tiring. In truth, we don’t have time to do everything, and sometimes what we’re not doing can haunt us when we’re not seeing the results we’d like to see. Worrying about what we’re missing out on is normal, and in this chat we’ll talk about those worries to see if they’re real, or just fear-based. Maybe the thing you’re worried about doing isn’t really right for you anyway!

Come chat with us about the fear of missing out. Sunday 7pm ET/4pm PT.

See you then!

ICYMI: “Starving Artist” & Other Damaging Creative Myths Storify

July 4, 2017July 16, 2017Leave a comment

If you weren’t able to catch last Sunday’s chat on damaging creative myths, RWchat co-host C.L. Polk created a Storify highlight reel. During the chat, we talked about creative myths like the “starving artist,” the “rich writer” (we’re looking at you Richard Castle and Carrie Bradshaw), and “selling out.”

Join us for the next chat on July 9th, where we’ll talk about summer goals!

ICYMI: Heroes and Heroines Storify

July 2, 2017July 16, 2017Leave a comment

If you weren’t able to catch last Sunday’s chat on main characters, RWchat co-host C.L. Polk created a Storify highlight reel. During the chat, we talked about our favorite character archetypes, developing backstory, and choosing names for our characters.

Make sure you also check out LaQuette’s guest post on selecting names that speak to the heart of your characters.

What’s in a Name?

June 20, 2017June 20, 20175 Comments

This week on #RWchat, we’re talking about heroes and heroines, and today’s guest post comes to us from LaQuette. We asked her to talk about the thoughtful and meaningful names in her Queens of Kings series. Take it away, LaQuette!

Hello, I’m LaQuette, your friendly erotic romance author, embracing my crazy…one character at a time. Speaking of crazy and characters, I’m here to talk to you about my process of name selection for the crazy folks running around in my head.

I was attending a reader/writer event last year when a reader by the name of Shona asked me a thoughtful question about my characters. She’d read my romantic suspense series, The Queens of Kings, and asked, “You named the Amare family members, Hunter, Law, Free, Justice, True, and Heart. How did you come up with such unusual names, and what if any significance did the selection of those names have?” If I didn’t mention that I have smart and perceptive readers, let me tell you now, my readers are the business.

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Coming June 25th… Heroes & Heroines

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017Leave a comment

Graphic by Alexis Daria

Our main characters are tricky to create. What kind of people they are – whether they follow a trope or not – they’re the foundation of the romance. How the plot and the relationship develops is entirely dependent on who they are. Come chat with us about how you make decisions about who your MCs will be.

Next Sunday 4pm PT/ 7pm ET.

~Robin Lovett

Balancing the External Plot: Take the Lead

June 13, 2017June 14, 2017Leave a comment

This week on #RWchat, we’re discussing the non-romance plots in our romance novels. In other words, what do the characters do other than kiss? Yesterday we heard from C.L. Polk about Witchmark. Today, Alexis Daria talks about the external plot in her upcoming debut, Take the Lead.

How did you come up with the non-romance plot?

I’m a huge fan of Dancing with the Stars, and I was originally inspired by some of the stories they tell through their dances. I made a list of routines like the one in the video below, with the intention of using them as writing prompts.

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Balancing the External Plot: Witchmark

June 12, 2017June 14, 20171 Comment

This week on #RWchat, we’re discussing the non-romance plots in our romance novels. In other words, what do the characters do other than kiss? Author C.L. Polk talks about balancing a mystery plot, a fantasy world, and romance in her upcoming novel, Witchmark.

How did you come up with the non-romance plot?

I knew I wanted to write a romance plot, but I really wanted them to have an adventure while they fell in love even though Tristan and Miles are from very different worlds. It took a long time trying to put the pieces of the story together because it’s a mystery that reveals terrible secrets at the end. I had some images firmly in my mind, like Miles’ tiny office at work and Tristan’s townhouse full of mirrors. The story didn’t come together until I had a vision of Miles being horrified, watching his fellow soldiers marching in their victory parade. When I figured out why, all the pieces fell into place, and I was ready.

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ICYMI: Author Responsibility Storify

June 12, 2017June 12, 2017Leave a comment

If you weren’t able to catch last Sunday’s chat on Author Responsibility, RWchat co-host C.L. Polk created a Storify highlight reel. During the chat, we addressed how much responsibility romance authors have in areas like HEA/HFN, safe sex, and representation, and shared gifs depicting our hopes for the evolution of the genre.

ICYMI: Romance Stereotypes Storify

June 6, 2017June 12, 2017Leave a comment

If you weren’t able to catch last Sunday’s chat on Romance Stereotypes, RWchat co-host C.L. Polk created a Storify highlight reel.

Which romance stereotypes would you pay money to have people stop saying to you?

Coming June 11th… Author Responsibility

June 5, 2017Leave a comment

Graphic by Alexis Daria

We romance writers have a responsibility to readers to get things right. There’s a lot of power in what we write – the power to educate, inspire and change lives. How we navigate subjects like representation, safe sex, healthy relationships and beyond is important.

Come chat about how we do this, the decisions we make and why, on the next #RWChat, Sunday 4pm PT / 7pm ET.

~Robin Lovett