I love you now as I write this, and I love you now as you read this
Above all, a query letter is a sales pitch and it is the single most important page an unpublished writer will ever write. It's the first impression and will either open the door or close it. It's that important, so don't mess it up. Mine took 17 drafts and two weeks to write.
Writing the last page of the first draft is the most enjoyable moment in writing. It's one of the most enjoyable moments in life, period.
I don't write fantasy, I write reality. Also, my novels have roots to Greek tragedies and as such, there has to be tragedy.
When I write to you, I feel your breath; when you read them, I imagine you feel mine. Is it that way with you too? These letters are part of us now, part of our history, a reminder forever that we made it through this time. Thank you for helping me survive this year, but more than that, thank you in advance for all the years to come.
Publishing is a business. Writing may be art, but publishing, when all is said and done, comes down to dollars.
Dramatic fiction - William Shakespeare made his biggest mark writing dramatic love stories.
write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.
The inspiration for my novels comes from the depths of a creative well, based on asking myself questions over and over. I try to write something different each time I sit down to write; I try to surprise the readers.
My novels are in the literature section as opposed to the romance section of bookstores because they're not romance novels. If I tried to have them published as romances, they'd be rejected. I write dramatic fiction; a further sub-genre would classify them as love stories.
I'm a novelist at heart. My sole intention is to write the best novel possible. I don't think about the film potential at all.
There's always pressure, a great deal of pressure, when writing, since my first books were so successful.
I write 2,000 words a day when I write. It sometimes takes three hours, it sometimes takes five hours.
I'm writing a new love story, set in eastern North Carolina. Surprise, surprise, huh?
You can't be a writer if you don't write, it's just that simple.
Too many writers think that all you need to do is write well-but that's only part of what a good book is. Above all, a good book tells a good story. Focus on the story first. Ask yourself, 'Will other people find this story so interesting that they will tell others about it?' Remember: A bestselling book usually follows a simple rule, 'It's a wonderful story, wonderfully told'; not, 'It's a wonderfully told story.'
By reading a lot of novels in a variety of genres, and asking questions, it's possible to learn how things are done - the mechanics of writing, so to speak - and which genres and authors excel in various areas.
Focus in on the genre you want to write, and read books in that genre. A LOT of books by a variety of authors. And read with questions in your mind.
I suppose more than anything, it's the way of life in this part of the country that influences my writing. In Eastern North Carolina, with the exception of Wilmington, most people live in small towns.
In all love stories the theme is love and tragedy, so by writing these types of stories, I have to include tragedy.
As I write, I am struggling with the ghost of someone I loved and lost. I now understand more fully the difficulties you were going through, and I realize how painful it must have been for you to move on.
I don't write romance novels.
I have certain moral parameters that I do not cross in writing; I don't write about adultery or kids having premarital sex.
What's the challenge in writing a novel that few people will read? I'm more than happy writing what I do and have no plans to change that.
Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, that way, we’ll be with each other all the time, even if we’re not with each other at all.
