Writing in an accent that’s not yours

The first manuscript I wrote – First Aid for a Broken Heart – features an American heroine and a British hero. Throughout the story, I tried to make sure that Spencer doesn’t just speak like a Brit but thinks like one, while Caitlyn thinks and speaks like an American. Weirdly (considering I’m American), Spencer’s voice… Continue reading Writing in an accent that’s not yours

Tools for heating up the (fictional) bedroom

If you write romance, chances are you’ll find yourself pondering how best to describe genitalia and different sexual positions. After all, who wants to read about boring sex? Having read romance for twenty years, I’ve seen the way sexual descriptions have changed. I still remember one novel where the hero and heroine made love on… Continue reading Tools for heating up the (fictional) bedroom

Describing how a man smells

One thing I hate to read about is a musky man – partly because it’s become hackneyed, and partly because the word conjures its original use. The musky scent in colognes used to come from a glandular secretion from near the musk deer’s rectum. According to Wikipedia, the word ‘musk’ originates from the Sanskrit for… Continue reading Describing how a man smells

Prune your prose

Speaking of being overly wordy, here’s an online workshop that my RWA chapter is running soon. It’s as if they’ve been reading my blog and came up with the class just for me. Thanks, guys. ***** Permission to Forward Granted ***** RWA® Online Chapter presents: PRUNE YOUR PROSE! Ten Tips to Tighten Your Fiction Writing… Continue reading Prune your prose