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Look at What Our Members are Doing...

CONGRATULATIONS to our Golden Heart Finalists Donnell Ann Bell and Jean Willett in Romantic Suspense Jen McAndrews and Shea Berkley in Young Adult.

Sue Fineman signed with Wild Rose Press, to publish The Mitchell Money in their Last Rose of Summer line.  No release date yet, and the edits went quickly. 

Kathy Holmes’ romance, The Tom Jones Club - has found a publisher with Siren Bookstrand, and is due out in November.

Miriam Newman has signed a contract for her new historical, The Comet.

New Releases:

Don’t forget to check out Autumn Jordan’s Evil's Witness and Vicki Batman’s Shorts:
"A Cake for All Seasons" in July 2010 True Love
"Running to Love" in August 2010 True Love
"When You Least Expect It" in August 2010 True Love

JENNY GARDINER has new book out: SLIM TO NONE. The book has a Kindle exclusive till July, then will be available through all e-readers.
Here's the Amazon link:

The book has lots of yummy recipes in it!

LongandShortReviews.com published VICKI BATMAN’s short story, OUCH on April 15., click Free Short Story in the box on the left, and voila! the story appears.
Her A CAKE FOR ALL SEASONS will appear in the July 2010 True Love

CAROLYN MATKOWSKY w/a CARA MARSI’s BREWED IN LOVE will be published as a short coffee story in the June True Romance. Her short story, REUNION OF HEARTS is now available in the April True Romance.

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• Upcoming Events

RWA National Conference – July 28-31, has moved to Orlando Florida

• Published Authors Network

During the March meeting, the RWA Board of Directors amended policy to clarify that, if a chapter wishes to include "PAN" in the name of its published author groups/functions, it may do so only if the chapter's PAN membership criteria are consistent with RWA's PAN membership criteria. Allowing differing criteria for PAN membership at the chapter and national levels causes confusion and dilutes RWA's purpose. RWA is not prohibiting chapters from having a program to recognize published authors in some other manner. However, if your chapter program uses the term "PAN," eligibility requirements must be the same as RWA’s standards. The definition of PAN and eligibility requirements can be found on the RWA website at

http://www.rwanational.org/cs/pan_membership.

The RWA PRO Community is pleased to announce HelenKay Dimon will be awarded the 2010 PRO Mentor of the Year during the PRO Retreat on July 29, 2010 at the RWA National Conference in Orlando, Florida.

• RWA University

Do your members know about RWA University? RWA U is a self-directed program, meaning you can read through the available information at any time after it’s posted. We plan to have industry professionals give presentations online, and lots of links to other sources on the sub-topics will be available. We’ll also run periodic RWR articles on these topics as well. Visit RWA U at www.rwanational.org/cs/RWAU. Tell us what you think or any program topics you’d like to see covered by sending an email to RWAUniversity@RWA.org.

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J D Spikes's entry The Shadow Journal has finaled in the Young Adult category of Central Ohio's "Ignite the Flame" contest.

Sandy James’ Murphy's Law has won the Holt Medallion for Best Long Contemporary Romance. Her Free Falling is a finalist in theDetroit RWA Booksellers' Best Award Contest.Her All the Right Reasons won the Single Title category of More than Magic.

Misty Evans’ Soul Survivor place First in Utah RWA’s 2010 Great Beginnings Contest Published Category.

Sharon Hamilton’s Angel placed Third in the Paranormal category of River City RWA’s Annual Duel on the Delta contest.

Nancy Naigle’s Out of Focus place Third in the RWA San Diego’s Spring into Romance contest in the Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category.

Sherri Buerkle’s  Mist on the Water tied for Second in the Young Adult category of Oklahoma RWA’s Finally a Bride contest.

JEN McANDREWS placed Second in the YA category of the 2010 North Texas RWA Great Expectations Contest.

MARY JO SCHEIBL w/a CASEY CLIFFORD’S October 2009 Romantic Suspense finaled in WisRWA's Write Touch Readers' Award.

MICHELLE MILES’ sci-fi, ANGEL AND THE DEADMAN, finaled in the Stroke of Midnight contest in the Futuristic/Fantasy/Sci-fi category.

SANDY JAMES’ ALL THE RIGHT REASONS is a mainstream finalist in the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence
Also, Both TURNING THIRTY-TWELVE and FAITH OF HEART are finalists in the Write Touch Readers Choice Awards.

MAGIC SCHOOL DROP-OUT by LIESE SHERWOOD-FABRE placed first in the Young Adult category of the The 2010 Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest for unpublished writers.

MISTY EVAN’S OPERATION SHEBA placed first in the 2010 New England Reader's Choice Bean Pot Awards and is a finalist in the URWA Great Beginnings Contest in Romantic Suspense.

NANCY NAIGLE’s OUT OF FOCUS placed First in the 2010 Write Stuff Contest’s Mainstream with Romantic Elements.

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By Ann Charles and Wendy Delaney

In the recent Winter Olympics, gold was the goal. Maybe the “gold” you would like to go for is a first place finish in a major contest—maybe even the Golden Heart. If that’s the gold you seek, we have some tips and techniques to help make your contest entry shine.
The Basics- Top 10 list
You’ve heard them before, but a recap never hurts.

1. Beware of bad grammar, typos, poor punctuation, etc.
2. Use standard formatting. 
3. Check each page to make sure your printer did not delete any lines or run out of ink.
4. Do not use an excessive amount of exclamation marks.
5. Avoid clichés.
6. Learn to accept critiques and feedback on your work.
7. Avoid back story and start your book in the right place.
8. Make sure your conflict is strong enough to carry the reader through to The End.
9. Avoid the overuse of introspection.
10. Do not over-describe your setting in your story.

Beyond The Basics- Top 10 list
Things you can do to enhance your submission’s shine factor.

1. Make your opening stronger.

Story Openers
Dialogue, narrative, or action—which is the best way to start a story? There is no best way. You have to grab the reader’s attention on the first page and make them want to read more. Connecting your opening hook to your main plot or story question (will the protagonist achieve his/her goal?) can help to capture the reader’s interest.
What Is Going On?
Remember, the reader needs to know in the first couple of pages the five W’s:

• “WHO are these people?”
• “WHERE are we?”
• “What time of the day is it?” (aka WHEN)
• “WHAT are we doing here and WHY do we care?”

2. Don’t fall in love with a word or phrase.

Unique Words
Unusual, unique, and funny words or phrases are memorable for entirely wrong reasons when overused.
Repetition & Redundancy

• You do not need a recap of what happened in the prior chapter.  
• Eliminate exposition that repeats the same information your characters provided via dialogue.  
• Avoid unnecessary repetition of the same name or bit of description.

3. Use enough details to paint the reader a picture. 

Infuse your writing with vivid, meaningful details. Be specific, but don’t bog down your story with pointless details. Remember, if your writing is stale, then your book will likely end up being a wall-banger rather than a best-seller. 

4. Edit your story to make it shine.

Word choice

• Kill most of your adverbs—look for the ‘ly’ words.  
• Choose the correct word. Spell Check does not always catch incorrect word usage such as there/their/they’re.
• Pack meaning into your words. Whether your heroine walks, bursts, saunters, or glides into a room, word choice helps reflect character and mood.

Similes and Metaphors
A simile is a comparison of two things using like or as. A metaphor is an implicit comparison without the use of like. Used well, similes and metaphors help convey images and ideas to your reader.

• Simile example: Superman has strength like steel.
• Metaphor example: Superman is the man of steel.

Smooth Transitions/Sequel
Setting or time changes can jar your reader out of the story. Bridge two scenes with a sequel, where you can summarize and skip time, giving your focal character an opportunity to react to what just happened as well as pave the way to the next scene. Or, link two scenes with a transition line like, By the time she pulled into her driveway that night…, indicating a passage of time.

Read Your Work Out Loud
Pay attention to the rhythm of your words. Do your ears hear a clunker of a line that your eyes did not see? Is the same pattern or rhythm repeated over and over? If so, fix it.

5. Make your book a page turner.

Pacing is a key element to learn and use correctly in a story. Have you ever read a book that seemed to make time slow down? That is an example of slow pacing.
End Scenes and Chapters with a Hook
Just as you started your story with a hook that makes the reader want to read more, you need to end each scene and chapter with a hook that makes the reader want to keep turning pages.
Use Scene and Sequel to Keep Your Story Focused and Compelling
Scene and Sequel is the concept of using stimulus and response (action and reaction) to build a story with compelling forward movement. Scenes consist of a goal, conflict, and disaster; sequels contain the character’s reaction to the scene’s disaster, his/her dilemma regarding it, and his/her subsequent decision, propelling the reader into the goal of the next (or a subsequent) scene.
Cut, Cut, Cut!
Cut everything that does not move the story forward. Read your story and ask yourself the following questions for each sentence. If your answer is “no” to either question, cut it.
“Is this sentence necessary?”
“Does it move the story forward?”

6. Avoid playing the role of the author instead of the storyteller.

Learn to avoid filling pages with too many fabulous authorly phrases that might distance the reader. Allow the characters to breathe and the story to unfold. Drop in some subtle hints, add one or two brush strokes of specific detail, and let the readers draw their own conclusions and fill in the big picture. If your readers are allowed to help tell a story, they'll enjoy it more.

7. Think goal, motivation and conflict as you write and/or edit. 

Are your characters properly motivated? Are the scene goals important enough to keep the reader turning the page? Make sure your scenes work for you and your story. If you have a scene that is not pulling its weight, it’s probably weighing down your pacing. Again—cut, cut, cut!

8. Avoid instant lust (unless it is erotica).

Your reader is willing to suspend her disbelief to a point, but do not ask her to buy into a relationship (or any action in your story) that has not been properly motivated or you risk irritating your reader.

9. What is the story question?

Will the protagonist defeat the antagonist and achieve her goal? This is the question that the reader should formulate after she reads your story opener. You want your reader to latch on and journey with your characters to The End to find the answer.
Also, each of your characters should have their own story questions that may or may not be related to the book or protagonist’s story question, giving your readers a reason to care what happens to every character. That is your job as author—Make the reader care.
Finally, make sure you have enough at stake with each story question to make the story compelling. Characters’ goals shouldn’t come easily. Compelling fiction is filled with strife. Get your characters up a tree and throw rocks at them.

10. Trust yourself. Trust your voice. 

Do not let other people (including well-intentioned critique partners) dilute your voice. Think of your favorite author and the way his/her writing sings to you as your turn each page. Your writing should also sing—but in your voice.
So, trust yourself, write your story, and make it shine.    

Ann Charles writes mysteries full of mayhem, fun, and romance. She has a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) from the Univ. of Washington. A former Golden Heart and PNWA Literary Contest finalist, she’s been a member of RWA for many moons, serving at her local chapter as Vice-President, Conference Chair Assistant, Editor/Agent Chair, and Contest Chair. Ann has written several contemporary novels and is currently toiling away on her next while her agent works on selling her manuscripts. When she’s not dabbling in fiction, she penning writing-related articles or standing on her workshop soapbox, sharing what she’s learned over the years about craft and self-promotion.www.anncharles.com

Former Golden Heart finalist and Emerald City Opener winner, Wendy Delaney writes fun-filled romantic mysteries. A long-time member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she has judged and coordinated numerous RWA contests. She regularly partners with Ann Charles to present writing workshops and has authored several newsletter articles. Wendy makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and has two grown sons. www.wendydelaney.com.

"The Four Agreements for Writers" by Misty Evans here

"What's on Your Roadblocks List?" by Cara Marsi here
(AKA Carolyn Matkowsky)

"The Three I's of Query Writing" by Misty Evans here.

"Ten Life Lessons I Learned" by Cara Marsi (aka Carolyn Matkowsky) here.

"Don't Quit Your Day Job" by Lois Winston here

"Free-Lance Writers and Taxes Hobby or Business?" by Linda Burke here.

"Erasing IT" By Autumn Jordon here

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