Posts tagged with: Autumn Jordon
Posted by Autumn Jordon Jan 16 2013, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, Create, creativity, motivation, Yanni
It is because of you that I am.
The above line sounds like a perfect line in a romance novel, doesn’t it? Perhaps it is. I’m sure there are probably hundreds of lines that are similar and hold the same meaning, like the Jerry Mcguire line “You complete me.”
Anyway, it just came to me when thinking about something Yanni said during one of his concerts. Yeah, I’m a Yanni fan. Old Yanni and New Yanni. I’ll clue you in on what he said later.
Now, I want you to take the above line and add the word A to it and then finish it by adding a noun. Any noun. Make a short list of five. Go ahead, I’ll wait. I promise I have a point to make.
Waiting…
Waiting…
Waiting….
Okay, my short list:
It is because of you that I am a light bulb.
It is because of you that I am a wheel.
It is because of you that I am a calendar.
It is because of you that I am a laptop.
It is because of you that I am a song.
Every one of those nouns at one point in time didn’t exist. They were once the idea of its creator—an idea that came to them while they were living life, watching the sunset or as children rolled a log down a mountain side. And they came about because the person had this insatiable drive to bring their brain child to life. To present it to the world.
By this time, you’re wondering what does that have to do with writing a novel? Well, besides the obvious that we always start with an idea, it is my belief that nothing has been created without trial and error, without studying the problem and its effects, and without lots of pondering. Writing a great story takes all of those steps.
Now, for my point today. Don’t beat yourself up for not having your fingers on the keyboard 24/7. I hear a lot of writers chiding themselves for not writing a word for a day or days. Your story hasn’t stilled. It’s growing inside you. A worthy story takes thought and research and study to create. It takes time to get to know your characters just like it did for you to get to know your hubby and friends. Take the time you need. And allow yourself to fumble, just don’t allow yourself to quit.
Okay, here is what was said and got me thinking.
“Creating is one of the most powerful, deliberate acts that human beings can do. It is one of the most important reasons to exist. If I do my job right, my listeners will experience what I experience while creating.” Yanni
Creating is one of the most important reasons to exist. Love it!
Until The Last Moment Yanni- You Tube
Posted by Autumn Jordon Dec 6 2012, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, CIA, Coast Guard, FBI, research, romantic suspense, US Marshals, writing romantic suspense
Romantic suspense readers are savvy. They know their stuff.
Some RS readers enjoy reading stories set on foreign soils. The unfamiliarity of the setting might add to the reader’s intrigue. Or, this reader feels more comfortable knowing the danger the characters face is far away from their safe world. Others, on the other hand, might get an extra charge knowing the dangerous world unfolding between the pages could be set in their own neighborhood. These are the readers that sleep with their lights on and double check their locks. You the author must decide what is the best location for your novel, and know stuff.
What stuff? Well, besides general setting, which is a no-brainer, and since we’re discussing romantic suspense, you need to know what law enforcement agencies are found in the region you’re using, and, very important, which agencies would be involved in your case at the particular time frame of your plot. Nothing is more annoying to a savvy RS reader than the author using the wrong agency.
Has it happen? Yes. It did for me and I promptly returned the author’s work.
Did you know…
…most cases are initially handed at a local level. Under certain circumstances state or federal agencies are involved. There are many partnership tasks forces in place. That is not saying the state and federal resources and data banks are unavailable to the local agents. Those data banks are always available. Always check state and local procedures to involve federal agents.
…the CIA and FBI are both members of the U.S. Intelligence Community. The CIA, however, is not a law enforcement organization. Its function is to collect information only regarding foreign countries and their citizens and analyzes the information vital to the formation of U.S. policy, particularly areas that impact USA national security. It is said, that the CIA is prohibited from collecting information regarding “U.S. Persons,” (U.S. citizens, resident aliens, legal immigrants, and U.S. corporations, regardless of where they are located.)
…The FBI is a primary law enforcement agency for the U.S. government, charged with enforcement of more than 200 categories of federal laws. The FBI task forces have proven to be a highly effective way for the FBI and federal, state, and local law enforcement to join together to address what are called concurrent jurisdiction cases, where a crime may violate local, state, and federal laws all at the same time. Task forces typically focus on terrorism, organized crime, narcotics, gangs, bank robberies, kidnapping, and motor vehicle theft. To learn more about what the FBI investigates visit; http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/what_we_investigate
…Single-mission agencies such as DEA which is in charged with enforcing drug law and the ATF, which enforces federal firearms statutes and investigates arsons and bombings works closely with the FBI on cases where jurisdictions overlap.
…US Marshals Service (USMS) is the nation’s oldest and most multi-talented federal law enforcement agency. The Marshals occupy a uniquely central position in the federal justice system. Its mission is to protect, defend, and enforce the American justice system. It is the enforcement arm of the federal courts, and as such, it is involved in virtually every federal law enforcement initiative. The U.S. Marshals Service has been designated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as the primary federal agency for apprehending fugitives that are wanted by foreign nations and believed to be in the United States. Additionally, the Marshals Service is the primary federal agency responsible for tracking and extraditing fugitives who are apprehended in foreign countries and wanted for prosecution in the United States.
…there were five branches of the armed services. Yes, five. Marines, Navy, Air Force, Army and the Coast Guard. The United States Coast Guard is the one branch of the armed services that does not trace its chain of command through the Department of Defense. It falls under the Department of Homeland Security and as such it is responsible for protecting our shores and inland waterways. As we all know, the Coast Guard does so much more.
When I brainstormed the plot for my most recent RS release, SEIZED BY DARKNESS, I knew three things. One, I wanted the story to be set in my backyard, northeast USA. Yup, I’m a making-sure-my-doors-are-locked-and-gun-loaded kidda of girl. Two, the story was going to be about a kidnapping victim reclaiming her life, which meant the FBI probably had been involved in the case but since years had passed my heroine’s case was probably buried under thousands of others. Finally, I wanted the hero to be a part of an elite division of a U.S. agency. But which agency?
Since I was planning a series revolving around a top task force, I needed an agency that is constantly involved in a wide array of cases and the setting could be anywhere in the world. After some research, which led me to the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act of 2006, the decision was a no-brainer for me. I went with the US Marshals and my C.U.F.F. team came to life.
As a result of the Adam Walsh enactment, the USMS established the Sex Offender Investigative Branch (SOIB) in August 2006. The USMS is the lead law enforcement agency responsible for investigating sex offender registration violations under the Act. This information and more took my story on a different path—a more emotional one.
So far I’ve referred to USA law bureaus, but if you’re writing a foreign setting you’ll need to know the appropriate law enforcement agents there. A simple search, as I posted below, can start you on your way to learning facts that will set your novel apart from others and ensure accuracy.
Did you know…
… it is the French DST, “Département de la Sûreté/SécuritéTerritoriale” (Department of Territorial Safety/Security), commonly referred to as la Sûreté that is equivalent to the American FBI.
…the equivalent to the CIA in China is guó ān bù 国安部. Qíng bào bù 情报部 is military intelligence.
…In Britain SOCA (serious organized crime agency) are the UK FBI equivalent. MI5/ 6 are the equivalent of the CIA. (Enter James Bond.)
Once you know the agency, you can gather details about the organization and their agents that will enhance your story and bring your characters to life. Taking the time to research will earn you the respect of serious RS readers.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Nov 14 2012, 12:04 am in author branding, Autumn Jordon, branding, Christmas romance, Contemporary Christmas Romance, Holiday Romance, Perfect, Vermont Christmas
Last Thursday, Ruby sister June Love started the awesome, lively discussion on how writers handle writing through difficult times, and many writers offered great advice. I stated that my writing was an asylum for me during difficult times, which was indeed true.
My life has been in a funk, to say the least, the last few years. Sometimes, I don’t know which way I’m going and for what reason. I’m sure many of you, if not all, have had times when you’ve felt the same way.
Several months ago, after some heart-wrenching news, I opened my file to continue work on my next romantic suspense—because you need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, you know— and the words simply weren’t there. Tears rolled down my cheeks and my chest was so tight with pain. My fingers were stilled on my keyboard. I just couldn’t bring myself to write and put someone in danger. I needed laughter and love in my life at that moment. So, I did what any sane writer should do. I closed my romantic suspense file and started a new work. It was the best thing I could’ve done.
I found myself submersed in the lives of one down-on-her-luck Charleston, S.C. restaurateur and one yummy maple tree farmer who had one goal.
No. Not to fall in love.
After totally screwing up Thanksgiving, Dylan’s goal is to make Christmas special for his two, small nieces whose parents were deployed overseas and would be absence for the holidays. However, when Darcy Witherspoon arrives in Black Moose, Vermont, his thoughts do turn to the forever kind of love that suddenly seems apparent all around him. My fingers flew across the keyboard, and with my crazy-ass schedule in a little over six weeks I wrote the end to my new holiday novella, PERFECT.
Now, some might question whether writing a contemporary holiday novella, with not a suspenseful word in it, will dilute my brand as a romantic suspense author. BRAND seems to be big a BIG word in the publishing world—a rule of sorts for marketing. To them I say, “I don’t know. I like reading both. Maybe, I’ll bring a non-romantic suspense reader over to the darker side.” And, actually, I think I’m marketing myself—a unique writer with many likes.
All I know is if I hadn’t written PERFECT, I might still be sitting in front of my laptop, getting frustrated, and perhaps depressed because I needed happy, happy and wasn’t listening to my own needs. Instead, I went with my gut, finished a novella that made me chuckle, and while doing so, the oddest thing happened. Near the end of PERFECT my muse turned back to my unfinished romantic suspense. I’m now ready to dive back into the second of the C.U.F.F series with renewed enthusiasm. I hope to finish the rough draft before the Christmas holiday hits, so that I can work on C.U.F.F.’s third book during the Ruby Writing Fest.
I truly believe if you listen and give yourself what you need, in the end you will be a much happier person.
What do you think about the question of an author diluting their brand by writing in different genres?
PERFECT BLURB:
Dylan Kincaid totally screwed up Thanksgiving and now he’s faced with Christmas. Thrown into the frightening role of both mother and father while his brother and sister-in-law are off serving their country, all Dylan wants is to make Christmas perfect for his two nieces. But time is running out.
Down on her luck Charleston, S.C. restaurateur, Darcy Witherspoon is licking a wounded ego when she arrives in Black Moose, VT and meets the handsome Maple tree farmer. Wanting a happy holiday herself, she teams up with Dylan to make a perfect Christmas.
Neither is interested in a holiday affair, but the magic of Christmas has something more everlasting in store for the couple. An absolutely perfect love!
I hope you’ll check out PERFECT over the holidays. It’s available at AMAZON and will be available at B&N.com soon.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Sep 20 2012, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, characterization, craft, golden heart, inspiration, Movitation, muse, Point Of View, Seasonings, Seasons, writer's advice, writer's journey, writer's life, writing romance, writing tips, writing tools
If you’re thinking this blog is about setting, you’re totally wrong. Maybe I should’ve changed the title so you wouldn’t have thought so, but after I started brainstorming ideas for a blog it actually fit.
My original idea was to write about two lessons I learned many years ago from my creative writing professor which, yes, would’ve pertained to 
setting, but then two of my Ruby sisters had also mentioned on our private loop that they planned blogs about the subject. Although I knew we’d approach the subject matter from different angles, I kind of figured our readers would say enough already. So I’ll save my thoughts on setting for another time.
Anyway, going back to my creative writing classes— since I know you’re all dying to know what they were—the first one was free writing. We all know what that is, right? You just write whatever comes to mind without stopping for a length of time and the writing doesn’t need to follow rhythm or reason. It’s a way of freeing your muse. Thinking about that lesson helped me put a twist on the second lecture, which was setting sense and had to do with experiencing your world, and ‘Wala’ I think I came up with unique tutorial for our awesome followers.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Aug 31 2012, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, Beginnings, craft, openings, romantic suspense
To open a can of flat worms you need a nail, hammer and a flat-head screwdriver. The extraction should be done outside, because flat worms are smelly buggers, and man, can they move fast. You wouldn’t want to find them slithering between the sheets later. They like 800 count Egyptian cotton.
Did I get your attention? Good because that is what this post is about, openings which grab you and hold on.
There is no one set rule for beginning your story. Story telling is an art and as we have seen countless times since woman first poked her man to pick up a chisel and strike rock that the artist who breaks the presumed rules and creates in a heartfelt manner is remembered long after his or her demise. With that said, it is important to remember the purpose of starting a story. A story is a journey. The reason for any passage is to reach a destination. Finding excitement, joy, wisdom, or love along the way, is a huge plus and makes the trip an enjoyable adventure. And who doesn’t love an adventure.
Our job, as an author, is to create a beginning that will entice our readers to come along for the ride. But how do we convince them our story is the excursion for them? From our first line and every line after, we show them that the world we’ve built is interesting, we introduce them to characters they can relate to and root for as they change and grow, and we intrigue them with a story line that lets the reader escape from their own world.
I don’t know about you, but I agonize over my opening. I did for this blog and I’m still thinking I could do better. I think my first line is the most rewritten line of any. A great hook is a must. The line can be action or dialogue or internalization, as long as it is intriguing and sets the tone of the story. And more often than not, my first draft opening (which could be one or more chapters) ends in the trash or finds a place somewhere else in the book. Openings are hard.
The following is my short list for writing a great opening.
1) Openings should introduce the main character because the first character presented to a reader is usually the one they bond with. Connection is key. Characters need to be flawed and they need to do something we could do ourselves. So if you kill that character off, you better be writing romantic suspense and/or have a reason for doing so. The reader will be leery of investing in another character.
However, shocking the reader is another way to drawn them into the story. Choice your POV carefully when writing the scene this way.
2) The author reveals secrets, asks an intriguing question or creates high stakes. GMC, right? I always think of Romancing The Stone when thinking about this one. In the first moments of the movie we learn Jean Widler’s heart’s desire— to have a hero of her own— and that her sister’s life is put at risk. The screenwriter used all three. What’s the third you ask? Will Joan answer the call to adventure?
3) Introduce the reader to a strange new world in little interesting bits, so that they want to learn more. This advice is not just for paranormal or fantasy authors. Every world written is different from the ones in which we live, in some ways. Every section of New York City is unique. Your world could be a planetary station, small town in USA, large city, foreign soil, somewhere in the future or the past. Build the world through different characters’ POV. I see walking through the forest as enjoyable and relish the coolness and peace, but someone else could see it as frightening, looking for snakes and bears and slapping at deer flies. Also, remember we came to learn our world through our senses.
4) An author can briefly start their story in the ordinary world. The optimum word here is briefly. Once, I heard an editor panel discussion where they stated that by page two you better turn the character’s world upside down with an enticing incident or you’re done. Editors don’t have time for more and readers want to escape now. Not after the character gets up, has breakfast, takes the bus to work, greets her co-workers, etc. That is boring. Drop into the story near the moment everything changes and make the disruptive incident so unpleasant your characters will want to turn back time and gain their safe world back.
5) The opening should show your voice. This part of the promise you are making to your readers. You don’t want to open with a comic scene and then the follow chapters turn dark. The dark element should be part of your opening, if that’s the case. If it’s not, you might need to rethink opening POV or ditch the scene altogether.
6) Don’t use the opening for an information dump on character’s backstory. Reveal bits of necessary information over the length of the book.
Okay, that is my short checklist. Does anyone else have suggestions for making openings great? Oh, and FTW, I have no experience with flatworms.
Visit Autumn at www.autumnjordon.com . Her new release Seized By Darkness is available on Amazon and B&N.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Mar 22 2012, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, Bob Mayer, Depression, Indie Publishing, Passion, The Golden Heart/Rita Countdown
My @# *&^! Can the clock move any slower?
It’s only four days until the RWA National representatives call those who are the 2012 Golden Heart® and Rita contest finalists and already you’re grabbing Tums or sipping wine to calm your nerves. You’re four days away from realizing your dreams and you wish you could control time. HA!
I’m writing this blog not to put a damper on the fantastic party we’re going to throw next Monday but to advise many because that is what the Rubies are all about—helping other writers. And, just so you know, I speak from experience. I sat next to the phone a few years waiting for the call from RWA and didn’t get it, and ended up in a dark place for a while. I don’t want that to happen to you. My Ruby sisters don’t want that for you, not for a minute. That is why I decided to post this blog today.
Keep in mind only 10% of those who enter this respected contest final and a lesser percentage win the golden necklace. Only about half of the finalists get a serious look at by agents or NY editors, including those who have won the necklace. And, only a small number of writers, in all the decades of this competition, got a huge contract.
With that said, here is my suggestion. Get ready to party, but have a Plan B in place. I think Bob Mayer would agree with me, along with other authors. You must realize the Golden Heart ® is not the only way to publication, especially in today’s industry. There are so many paths to take if publication is your dream. Larger houses are still looking for new talent-golden necklace optional. They’re opening new e-lines which will allow them to pick up a number of great authors. Small publishers are also looking for fresh, exciting writing. And finally, there is the way of indie publication, which many NY bestselling authors have gone with their back-lists and new works.
Just three years ago when we, the Ruby Sisters, received our calls, we didn’t have open to us the many fabulous dream reaching options you have today. The Plan B we offered our readers in the past years was first, restrain yourselves from throwing the keyboard out the window, next dive into a huge bag of chocolate, (which led to a number of blogs offering advice on healthy living), take some time to wallow in your sorrow over this little speed-bump and then remember why you write in the first place. For yourself. It’s your passion.
It’s your passion. The words are worth repeating.
With that said, today, I’ll offer this advice. If you don’t receive the call next Monday, look out the window and note the sun is still shining in the sky and the world is still moving. Then put this Plan B into effect. Take your polished work and submit it everywhere it is a fit. Don’t wait for the next contest results. Don’t wait to go to RWA Nationals in California where you’ll snag an editor or agent appointment. Don’t wait another day. You have options. Get your work out there. You’ll feel much better and won’t gain a pound. Then, get back to work learning your craft and writing the next story. An author needs a back-list to make a living.
Ruby Sister Autumn Jordon, know as the sly Ruby, is the author of His Witness To Evil, In The Presence of Evil and Obsessed By Wildfire. Visit her at www.autumnjordon.com You can follow her on Facebook, and Twitter as Ajordon.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Aug 11 2011, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, conflict, In The Presence Of Evil
There is so much to learn about crafting a great book, including having sufficient conflict to carry your plot for the number of necessary pages. If you didn’t know, I’m here to tell you conflict is a necessary element in commercial fiction. No book will get published without it.Fortunately, there are numerous industry professionals willing to help you. Each use their own terms and methods. It’s easy to get confused which is the best. Well, there is no best. What works for you is what is best.
Thinking of ‘Life sucks’ moments is the way I come up with conflict for my characters. The main conflict should always be made clear and remain the core dilemma throughout the story, but adding minor struggles (especially those that are universal which a majority if not all readers can identify with) adds to the drama and drama drives the plot forward. Caution; too many mundane issues can confuse or bore the reader.
In the beginning of my new release, ‘In The Presence Of Evil’, Gina, my heroine, has a bad day and it only gets worse as the story evolves. Within the first act, I have the following six examples of conflict, some which pin Gina against other characters, including the hero. Some are minute and common, but they do add to Gina’s angst and the story’s tension.
1) Gina has an argument with her boss and puts her job on the line.
2) The day gets worse when, Cole, the man who she loved and who left her behind returns to town.
3) Now her holidays, which she planned to spend with her new boyfriend, are ruined by his presence.
4) Then Gina finds her boss dead.
5) When she becomes the main suspect in the murder investigation, her reputation is in the toilet.
6) Finally someone threatens Gina’s life.
Since I write romantic suspense, there are two main conflicts in ‘In The Presence Of Evil’. A murderer threatening Gina is my suspense conflict which is external. Resolving the issues between Gina and Cole is the romance conflict and referred to as internal.
In my world, every character’s life sucks. Here is a list of Cole’s problems. Some which pin him against Gina, or the story’s villain, or causes torment for himself.
1) Cole is an injured solider, returning home. His injury becomes an issue when protecting Gina.
2) He has to face Gina the woman who betrayed him and then feels her rejection.
3) Cole finds out Gina has a boyfriend and he forms a low opinion of the guy.
4) Cole is a protector. When Gina becomes a murder suspect he steps up as her alibi, and comes to her rescue when her life is threatened, putting himself in the line of fire.
Yes, villain’s life’s suck too.
1) The bank president’s death (Gina’s boss) jeopardizes his money laundering scheme.
2) A special ops soldier- injured or not- presents another problem.
3) Gina’s life endangered means an enemy within his organization is close at hand.
Conflicts should play off each another. Example: In the opening scenes, Gina is having a really bad day at work and in walks the man who abandoned her. She loved Cole with all her heart. Put yourself in her position. Would you be in any mood to play nice? I think not. Neither does Gina, thus feeding Cole’s feeling of lost and rejection.
Another example; Someone wants Gina dead and Cole sees her boyfriend as a joke. Cole puts his feelings for Gina aside and becomes her body guard because that is what a good soldier does. However, Gina doesn’t want his help. Conflict!
Making a list of how life can suck for my characters helps me in plotting out my stories.
Does anyone else have any other suggestions for coming up with conflict for their characters?
Posted by Autumn Jordon Jul 29 2011, 12:58 am in Autumn Jordon, Ruby Sisters Slipperhood, RWA Nationals, secrets, The Road To Novel Completetion, time management
Can you believe it’s been a whole month since the NY RWA Nationals? That means only two months until the Golden Heart contest opens for entries and eleven months until nationals heads to California. Will you be ready for either?
Five Ruby Sisters presented a workshop in NY entitled ‘The Road To Novel Completion’ where we shared specific personal challenges which demands our attention and often takes priority. Things like family, work, chores, handling finances, schoolwork (our own or our childrens’), job loss, serious illnesses (ourselves or a family member), death, births, divorce, accidents and pets. Then there is the whole social media thing we must do.
After our large, fabulous audience (thank you so much for attending) heard first hand that we weren’t just blowing a smoke screen and were just like them, struggling to find time to write, we got down to business and discussed the ways and when we carve time out of our busy lives to finish the books that you see scrolling across the bottom of the Ruby home page. Take a peek. I think we’re nearing seventy published works since July 2009.
Rather than listing what we had in our handouts in New York let’s open the floor to all the Rubies and our readers and share the ways we get and kept our hands on the keyboards, and where do we find the extra minutes to write.
I’ll start with two ways that I didn’t share in NY. First, this is no lie. I wrote the first chapter of my 2009 golden heart entry, Evil’s Witness, while my DH drove the eight hours home from our vacation. I often write while he drives. I get car sick, so I pop a Dramamine before we take off and the problem is solved and words are on the page.
If the dust bunnies are singing “You can’t get me” and I’m shaking with angst to show them how good I am, I set a timer and promise myself if I write at least 250 words I can take them down, and then enjoy a Hershey Kiss, or two. Really It works.
Now, Rubies and guests, please share your secrets in finding precious minutes to work on your novels.
ps: To see the fabulous pre-workshop presentation created by our lovely Vanessa Barneveld please visit
http://vimeo.com/27042969
Posted by Autumn Jordon Oct 12 2010, 12:01 am in Autumn Jordon, characterization, craft, golden heart finalists, Men and the things they do, romantic suspense
Recently— Actually, two months ago, I read a story in which one male character, an ex-marine, was so in-tune with the heroine’s wants and needs that I found him totally unbelievable. I know good guys, I’m married to one, but in all my years, I haven’t met one man who totally understands what it means to be a woman, especially a pregnant one.
Yes, I understand we’re writing romantic fiction and we have the right to create our fantasy men in our heroes, but we also have the obligation to our readers to write characters they’ll buy into. Men are different than women, it’s a fact.
Alpha, Beta and Gamma males don’t worry about cleaning the house because company is coming. It’s his cave. If they don’t like his cave, it’s their problem. Men certainly don’t worry about choice of pillows for his guests.
A meal is a slab of meat (bread optional) not a four course dinner. Setting the table means putting the meat on it—(silverware optional).
His idea of organizing is to pile items somewhere on a shelf in a specific 10’ X 10’ area. His hope to find the item later is to ask his woman where she put it.
Men don’t remember to pick-up the dry cleaning unless it’s the only chore on their to-do list, which is pinned to their shirt, and there is not a bar, hardware or sports store on the direct route to the cleaners.
In conversation, they tend to use simple words and less of them. Women rationalize, offer direction or explanation while men just get to the point. Men also use lots of fighting four letter words and more often than women.
Men don’t bond with other men by sharing. They bond by competing with each other.
Men zoned out when resting and they fall to sleep faster than women. Our minds continue to work—probably wondering what they will do or not do next.
Men saunter, swagger or strut. They don’t pad across the floor.
They scratch and it not always their heads above.
They hook their leg over the other, not cross them. If he sits with his legs wide, he is interested in you.
When asked to describe a car, they don’t start with the color. It’s usually make, model and engine size.
The Crayola® eight pack contains their realm of color descriptions. No man says teal or fuchsia. Exception; they might, however, say cherry.
Watching a baby, means he needs a babysitter.
They’re particular about their razor, jeans, footwear and choice of alcohol. Anything else, they’ll make do.
My brief list is not meant to bash men. They’re known facts. The point I’m trying to make, I read this story written by a NY Times author two months ago and still the fact that she dropped the ball in a big way disappoints me. Faulty characters, written over the top, cardboard or totally off can and will cost you readers.
Research your material. Watch the guy who thinks he has the power over the TV remote. Remember you know where he stored the fresh batteries.
Posted by Autumn Jordon Aug 6 2010, 12:37 am in 2010 RWA conference, Autumn Jordon, Industry news
The 2010 National RWA conference is over. From all the posts that came to us who stayed at home, it was a fabulous event. You didn’t have to be in Orlando to feel the energy. It sizzled across the net.
Kudos to the RWA staff for pulling off this super conference after the tragic flooding in Nashville. You are amazing and thousands of RWA members are truly indebted to you for your dedication.
We now know the names of the published and unpublished RWA members who’ve been chosen as the best of the best by their judges. Congrats from the Ruby-Slippered Sisters. You’ve achieved a level many only dream about.
And speaking of dreams, I’m sure many came true on the magical grounds of Disney. Congratulations to all who threw off their introvert capes and shined and brought home requests.
Now, I want to know the dirt on the conference. If you have a success story and want to share, the Ruby Sisters will squeal with you again. If you learned interesting industry news, please share, or if you just have an entertaining story please tell. Is there something you missed out on and want to know, ask.
My first question for those of you who went to editor panel discussions, what is the new hot? I heard chatter it’s small town stories. Is that true? And who was looking?
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