Turn to A Treasure Trove of Golden Heart Advice
This is Golden Heart season, the perfect time to force yourself to finish that manuscript and enter it in the Golden Heart. We at the WNP are great believers in the power of the GH contest; we came together because of the contest, after all!
We have some great advice about the GH for you to turn to. In 2007, our blog focused on the Golden Heart and we had some pretty spectacular advice to offer. The great news is, it's STILL available to you.
Keep in mind, though, that this is 2007 advice. Pay close attention to the
2010 Golden Heart rules to make sure that what we said is still true.
Here's why you should enter the Golden Heart:
Why Enter the Golden Heart? by Debra Holland Oct 1, 2007
Good Things Can Happen from The Golden Heart by Diane Gaston (moi!) Oct 2, 2007
Using the Golden Heart to Your Advantage by Anne Mallory Oct 11, 2007
Okay. That's the why. Now how about WHERE to enter your manuscript?
(Remember, this was 2007, so be alert for any changes in the categories)
Strong Romantic Elements Category by Esri Rose Oct 16, 2007
Contemporary Series Romance by Jill Monroe Oct 17, 2007
Historical Categories by Diane Gaston Oct 18, 2007
Inspirational Category by Merrillee Whren Oct 19, 2007
Paranormal Category by Esri Rose Oct 20, 2007
Young Adult by Trish Milburn Oct 15, 2007
Romantic Suspense by Trish Milburn Oct 217, 2007
Writing Tips for the Golden Heart:
Opening Lines by Trish Milburn Oct 22, 2007
Writing Tight by Theresa Ragan Oct 23, 2007
Synopsis by Delle Jacobs Oct 24, 2007
Be Kind To Your Judge's Eyes by Karen Potter Oct 25, 2007
9 Mistakes Contest Entants Make by MJ Frederick Oct 31, 2007
Dialogue by Norah Wilson Oct 29, 2007
That should get you started! There is more, though. To find our previous Golden Heart advice, scroll down all the way on this page and look at the right for Blog Archives. Our Golden Heart focus was Oct through Dec 2007, but there are some under Oct 2008, too.
I urge you to turn to this treasure chest. You won't be sorry.
If any questions arise, ask them here and I'll try to answer. It will help if you reference which blog your question is from. Or ask a general question. I'm easy....
My website now has an
excerpt of
Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady and a new
contest!
Labels: Golden Heart
Q&A Friday
Happy blustery Friday, Noodlers and readers! It is cool and windy in Atlanta, definitely what Pooh would call a blustery day.
As we head into the last week of November, I'm thinking about the progress I've made this year and about what I can do in December to make sure I hit my goals. I'm going to do BIAW to finish the short contemporary I started this summer.
What about the rest of you? What goals did you set for yourself this year? Have you achieved them? And those of you involved in NaNo or getting those Golden Heart entries finished before the deadline, how's it going?
Labels: Golden Heart, NaNo progress, writing goals
Making the GH a Priority - Esri Rose
Time flies like an arrow.
Fruit flies like a banana.
- Groucho Marx
My last post was about how to take a more relaxed attitude toward your contest entry, but I don't want you to be too relaxed. Your entry fee has to be in by Nov. 17th. Your partial has to be there by Dec 2. How are you doing on time?
Figure out what you still need to do and how long you think it will take you to do it -- just your best guess. Get a calendar, subtract the mailing time for your preferred method, and do some division. If you can build in a week safety margin, that would be good. Kids get sick, you get sick, and plot problems bubble to the top. How much do you need to accomplish each day?
Don't become paralyzed.
If deadlines freak you out, then adopt an attitude of "What's the worst that can happen?" The worst that can happen is that you miss all deadlines and lose fifty bucks. Not the end of the world, and it rolls around every year. Just give it your best shot, realizing that the more you divvy it into small chunks, the more relaxed you can be during the process.
Do become inspired.
Here's a fun exercise. Take five minutes before your GH work for the day, and do a little work on your acceptance speech. Add to your list of what you can do with a Golden Heart final or win under your belt, in terms of agents and editors. Plan what you'll wear at the ceremony. All this becomes possible when you get that entry polished and in on time.
Make it a priority.
You're always busy, but some things can be let go a little, just for the next month or so. Let the house get a little dirty. Ask your husband and kids to pick up some of the slack. Buy more frozen food. Make your fun time-wasters a reward. I have a system that works particularly well. I get up, write five pages, and don't allow myself to get online until that's done. Not only do I accomplish more, but I enjoy my online time more because I don't feel guilty. After lunch, I get back to writing and don't get online until evening. Don't feel intimidated. I don't this every day, but when I do do it, it works like a charm.
Now go. Do it. I'll look forward to seeing your picture on that big screen!
Esri Rose's 2003 GH finalist was her first published book, Bound to Love Her. More information can be found at ElvesAmongUs.com.
Labels: Golden Heart, Golden Heart contest, RWA, writing
The Golden Heart – You Have Nothing to Lose but Money
It’s only money! I’m teasing, of course. Believe me, you’re not the only one feeling the recent economy crunch. I haven’t entered the 2009 Golden Heart yet because I am still pinching pennies and saving up. But if you can manage and you really think your book is ready for the big time then you don’t want to miss entering the RWA Golden Heart.
Finaling in the Golden Heart is a lot of fun. If you get really lucky you could make a sale! That’s just a rumor I heard. It took me FIVE attempts before I finaled for the first time in 2003. Since then I have finaled six times. I’ve been writing without selling for so long, I need all the motivation I can get.
Once you’ve made the decision to spend the money, you need to decide how many books you’re going to send in. If you’re like me and you’ve been writing for a while, deciding which book(s) to enter won’t be easy. IMO, you should send in ANY and ALL finished manuscripts that you think are ready to be published. If you have a manuscript that finaled already, keep entering it! Unless you WIN the Golden Heart, the rules state that you can enter the same manuscript again and again. Some people have a problem with this, stating we need to make room for others. I say forgettaboutit. Until I sell, I’m going to keep on entering. You never know when an editor might finally take notice and you need to take advantage of all opportunities out there. I have a friend who won the Golden Heart in 1999 and just last week she sold that book! That’s almost 10 years later. Most people would have told her to shove it under the bed, but she believed in her book. It was just a matter of timing and luck. If we don’t believe in ourselves, who will?
If you have ANY questions at all about the Golden Heart, please ask! The Noodlers are here to help you!Labels: contest, Golden Heart
Imperfection is Okay - How not to lose your mind when entering the Golden Heart. - Esri Rose
During Golden Heart preparation month, we spend a lot of time answering questions about picky rules, encouraging you to be picky about your writing, and offering critiques. This is all valuable. But for those of us whose pickiness might lead to paralysis, now is a good time to remind ourselves of the following:
There is no such thing as a perfect synopsis, a perfect partial, a perfect contest entry, a perfect completed manuscript, or a perfect book.
If you find yourself shaking your head in denial at this suggestion, then this blog is aimed directly at you, and I’m the one to deliver it.
Hello. My name is Esri Rose, and I’m a perfectionist.
Here are my credentials. Although I compulsively edit my emails and am the first person to straighten brochures at a check-out counter, I sometimes ignore an easily corrected problem on purpose (a crooked placemat, for example). Why? Because perfectionism is a flaw. So I consciously cultivate imperfect moments in my quest to become a more perfect individual. Wrap your head around that.
Am I suggesting that you leave out a paragraph in your GH submission? Of course not. But in the interest of preventing you from breaking into sobs at two in the morning because your caffeine-addled hand can’t properly fill out Federal Express forms, I offer the following list of acceptable imperfections.
Things You Can Let Go.
1) You can’t come up with a title that perfectly encapsulates your story, and you know the judges will hate what you have. You loathe and despise it.
You will find something to dislike about all of your titles, the titles suggested by your friends, and the title eventually pressed on you by your publisher. Now is a good time to get over it.
2) You realize you’ve used the passive tense in your opening paragraph, but try as you might, you can’t come up with a better way to say what you want.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.
If Charles Dickens could start his masterpiece with an entire paragraph of passive tense (not to mention repeated words), you can get away with the occasional use. Anyway, by the time the judges finish your entry, they won’t remember the first paragraph.
3) Your office-supply store is out of 60-lb. linen paper.
For every judge pleased by the white opaqueness of premium paper, there will be another who thinks you are an environmentally irresponsible poser. Plain old printer/copy paper goes unremarked by everyone.
4) You don’t have a colored piece of paper to separate your synopsis from your chapters. You don’t even have a sticky note!
The judges can tell where your synopsis ends and your manuscript begins. Really. No entry will be close enough to yours in every other respect that having to shuffle a few pages will make them subconsciously mark you down.
5) You ran out of binder clips. Not only won't the pages stay as square with your big paperclips, but the only ones you have left are old and oxidized and leave a little gray mark at the top of the page.
The judges with carpal tunnel syndrome will be pleased that they don’t have to squeeze a binder clip. Any metal smudges will soon be unnoticeable beneath chocolate smears, pet hair and coffee-cup rings.
6) You forgot to enter online, and now your Internet is broken. You’re mailing your submission and payment together, only you made a mistake in the written amount of your check and it’s your last one. You corrected and initialed it, but what if RWA thinks you’re a forger and won’t take the check?
They’ll take it. Even if a new strain of ink-eating bacteria gets inside your envelope and consumes every trace of the writing, RWA will call you and ask for some other form of payment. Same goes for if you forget to sign the check, which is a lot more likely.
7) After sealing your contest package, you turn around and find the entry form on the floor. That was your last big envelope, so you slit open the bottom with a craft knife and insert the missing piece, then neatly tape up the slit. Only now it kind of looks like terrorists tampered with it, making you worry that the post office will hold your envelope to check for anthrax spores, and you’ll miss the contest deadline.
The government is too broke to check for anthrax spores anymore.
So relax, and good luck!
P.S. I’m guest blogging at Yankee Romance Reviewers today, asking what kind of paranormal heroine you'd like to be and why. You also can read the first-ever excerpt of Stolen Magic (May 2009), the second in my series of urban-fantasy, romantic-suspense comedies. One randomly selected commenter will win a copy of Bound to Love Her and some minor swag. You can always find me at ElvesAmongUs.com.
Labels: contest, Golden Heart, humor, writing
Agent Kelly Mortimer Talks About the Golden Heart
Kelly Mortimer of the Mortimer Literary Agency represents clients in both the ABA and the CBA. Kelly gives each client personal attention, including manuscript editing. She’s in the top 10 of the Publishers Marketplace Top 100 Dealmakers - Romance Category, a two-time nominee for the American Christian Fiction Writers “Agent of the Year” Award, and her agency is Romance Writers of America recognized. Kelly writes a monthly column for Christian Fiction Online magazine called “Gotta Get It.” Kelly is also President and CEO of Underdog Press. And if you're looking for up-to-the-minute publishing news, subscribe to her Perils of Publishing newsletter.
Kelly is referred to as "The Extreme Agent," and after hearing the story of her first Golden Heart experience with a client, you'll understand why.
---------------------------------------------------
Ah, the Golden Heart...
I’m going back to a time when my life was simpler. I’d made the switch from writing to become an agent. My first client: one of my writer-friends. Her manuscript made the finals in the GH, and we were ecstatic. Buuut, her manuscript wasn’t as good as her partial.
Problem number one: What to do? She’d sent her full to a Steeple Hill editor before I signed her. (Rejection.) She’d sent this same manuscript to the Golden Heart judges. RWA allows finalists to send in a cleaner copy of the full, if they have one. Yikes! We didn’t have much time.
Me being an editing agent, I went to work. Some of her scenes went into graphic medical detail. (Cut ’em.) I found a subplot that didn’t work. (Ditched it.) Needed some work on mechanics. (Fixed all.) We worked through the wee hours of many mornings to meet RWA’s guidelines, but we made it.
Problem number two: She was going to the RWA National conference. (Not me.) I wasn’t looking for an agent anymore, and I couldn’t take appointments, as my agency wasn’t RWA recognized at the time. My friend/client begged me to go on more than one occasion, but I’d vowed I wouldn’t use household money for agency-related expenses. I told her, “No dice.”
Disappointment isn’t a strong enough word, for either of us. If she won, I’d forever regret I’d missed her shining moment, but what could I do? Wait a minute; I could do anything if I believed I could.
I checked out fares for the flights. Yikes! I talked to RWA, who informed me registration was closed, and there were no hotel rooms left. (No problemo.)
My friend/client invited me to share her room every night except for Saturday, as her hubby would be there. I went on a chapter loop to see if I could find someone who’d share their room for the other night. (Bingo.) You didn’t read this, but I managed to get RWA to register me. (Impossible feat for nearly everyone but moi.) But what about the money for the flight? Hmm. I even figured that one out. I sold my wedding china on eBay. Sigh.
When her category came up I sat with clenched fists, breath held … waiting. SHE WON! Boo-yah! She thanked me for my “eagle eye for editing” in her acceptance speech, and my heart nearly burst with pride for her.
Couldn't find her after the ceremony, then someone almost knocked me down from behind. (Guess who?) And that wasn't the best part. After we got home, a Steeple Hill editor called me. They’d read the manuscript I’d edited that they’d previously rejected, and made an offer. (Double sigh.)
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Now that's working the contest. Any questions for Kelly?
Labels: agents, Christian fiction, Golden Heart, Kelly Mortimer, romances, writing
Why You Should Enter the Golden Heart Contest
As November 17th rolls around, it’s time for unpublished writers to consider entering RWA’s Golden Heart contest. The Golden Heart is RWA’s most prestigious unpublished contest. Finaling not only opens doors for your writing career, but is a LOT of fun.
When the GH call comes, the good news gives you a happy, bubbly thrill. It’s a great feeling to share with your family and friends. The high can last for weeks. The days after the GH results are announced are a good time to send queries to agents and editors about your finaling manuscript. Finaling makes your queries stand out, leading to quicker responses. It also gives agents and editors more of a reason to request your book.
If your manuscript is already with an agent or editor, it’s good to call or email with the news. This can motivate the agent or editor to hunt through their slush pile to find your manuscript, instead of waiting the months, or even years, it might take them to get to it.
It’s not uncommon to have five to ten finalists sell their books in the months between the announcement and the national conference. During that time about the same amount of writers also sign with agents.
Sometimes an editor who is judging the contest likes what he or she is reading and directly buys the entry--before the winners are even announced at the awards ceremony in the national conference.
The finalists organize themselves into a yahoo group and begin to get to know each other. They share stories of their “call” and of their books. They support each other through rejections and acceptances and celebrate if one of them sells. By the time the conference rolls around, the group has become friends.
At the national conference, GH finalists get to wear pink finaling ribbons on their name badges and be princesses for five days. The ribbon identifies them to other conference attendees, agents, and editors, and they get a lot of people asking about their entry. There is also a special reception for the GH and Rita finalists.
At the awards night, the finalists dress up in beautiful formal gowns and sit in reserved seating in the front of the theatre. As each finalist’s name is announced, two overhead screens show her professional photo and the name of her book--a great way to build name recognition.
Winners receive a beautiful necklace with a golden heart. Once a winner places that necklace around her neck, she is forever a Golden Heart winner. The necklace is a symbol of her accomplishment that other writers can recognize whenever she wears it. However, it’s also a tangible reminder when future doubts creep in--yes, she is a good writer.
As I see it, there’s only two cons to entering the GH. One is the entry price. $50.00 can be a bit steep on an unpublished writer’s budget, especially in this economy. Multiple entries can really add up. Make sure you follow all the rules. If you break a rule, your manuscript will be disqualified, and your money won’t be refunded. The second drawback of the GH is that the only feedback you will receive are numerical scores. You’ll never know why you received a 9 from one judge and a 4 from another.
How do you know if you are ready to enter the Golden Heart contest?
Is your manuscript completed or nearly completed? A completed manuscript is a requirement for the GH, making it different from RWA chapter contests. This weeds out the people who have completely polished the first few chapters and synopsis of their books, and enter them in all the local contests, but have never completed the manuscripts. These entries might be multiple winners in local contests, but the GH is for finishers, which gives you a different caliber of competition, and much more respect when you final.
I have used entering the Golden Heart as a spur to completing a manuscript. As a finishing-the-book tool, this has worked very well. Actually there have been several years when I was writing right until the deadline to overnight the entry in order to have it arrive the next day. In other words, the ending was done, but not polished. However, one of these books still finaled, and the other finaled the next year when it was polished. But don’t do this unless you are confident you can finish. Otherwise, your entry will be disqualified.
Make sure the first fifty-five pages, including your synopsis, are polished. Have a critique partner or two or ten go over your entry. In the first round, it won’t matter how much you’ve edited the rest of your book. The first round of judges only sees the first fifty-five pages, which includes the synopsis. You probably won’t win if the quality of the rest of the manuscript isn’t as good as the beginning, but winning is just a bonus to being a finalist.
So challenge yourself. Get out those manuscripts, finish them, polish them, and enter the Golden Heart Contest!
!!!!! YOU CAN WIN A CRITIQUE OF YOUR ENTRY BY DR. DEB JUST BY BLOGGING A RESPONSE TODAY!!!!!!
***
Debra Holland is a three time Golden Heart finalist. In 2001, her book, Wild Montana Sky, won the short historical category.
Labels: Dr. Debra Holland, Golden Heart
This Week on The Wet Noodle Posse
Noodlers finish up Writers' Health Month, and we begin a new topic, dear to our hearts, Golden Heart Contest Preparation.
Here’s what’s on the calendar for this week:
Monday, September 29th: Norah Wilson “Today Was a Good Day”
Tuesday, September 30th: Guest Blogger Bonnie Vanak, Author of Egyptian Historicals for Dorchester and Werewolf Paranormals for Silhouette Nocturne
Wednesday, October 1st: Priscilla Kissinger “Golden Heart Preparation Month Introduction” & Raffle winner for September Announcement
Thursday, October 2nd: Debra Holland “Why Enter the Golden Heart Contest”
Friday, October 3rd: Noodler New Releases for October
Labels: Bonnie Vanak, Debra Holland, Golden Heart, Norah Wilson, Priscilla Kissinger, Writers' Health
The Call - Or Why Does My Answering Machine Always Get The Fun?
Out of my GH Call and first sale call - my answering machine has always had the honors. In fact, I've only been home for one call, and almost didn't answer that because it was during dinner (I have a strong no phone policy during the one family meal we sit down to eat together).
Okay, so the GH was my first missed call. I have entered the Golden Heart approximately 1, 345 times without a single call. Okay, not really but pretty darn close! I actually began a policy of not being home when the GH calls go out (something I highly recommend). GH Call weekend usually falls on my birthday (not finaling can really put a damper on the festivities) and 2003 was no different. My family had taken me out to lunch, and when I cam back - hang-up call. Thank you Caller ID!
Typically when a Board member calls you to let you know you final, they don't leave a message (I guess they want to hear the screams). But I just hit redial on the ID machine and reached the Board member. I told her my name and that it looked like she'd called me (stating the obvious). She said, "Hello Golden Heart finalist!" I tell you, she was so fun - she made something really exciting all the better.
The book that finaled in the Golden Heart eventually became my first Harlequin Blaze (second book sold) called
Share The Darkness. I wasn't home for that call either - my agent left a message on my machine. Then I called her back, and left a message on her voice mail. The agony of waiting to hear back from her was, well, agonizing!
This is almost the anniversary of The Call. The answering machine had the honor of speaking to Brenda Chin at Harlequin on Dec. 18, 2003 while I was a my child's class party at school. And what do you know - today is the class party day, too! The message said "it worked" and to call the next day.
What does "it worked" mean? Should I really wait until the next day? What would I do all night thinking about the next day? Maybe it was revisions...maybe it was better.
I called Gena Showalter, my new best friend, who'd sold her first book earlier that year. "Should I call her right now?" I asked her.
"Jill," she said. "Hang up the phone with me right now. Call her. Now."
So I did. Luckily Brenda Chin was still in the office, and she wanted to buy what became Never Naughty Enough, which came out just one year later in December 2004. My husband was taking his last college final ever that night, so I took the kids and we celebrated at McDonald's.
Someone asked me if other calls are not as exciting at that first. You know what - they are. Each one of them is special and something I hope for you in the future! Good luck and Happy Holidays!
Labels: Golden Heart, The Call
My GH Call & First Sale
I returned from a hike up Stone Mountain with my Brownie troop. The hike wasn’t exactly as I’d planned. The marshmallows for the S’more’s weren’t roasted due to balking from the man I asked to start the charcoal at the picnic area. Yes, my husband. And the birds I thought were hawks turned out to be buzzards. Needless to say, when I arrived home to a blinking answering machine, I didn’t expect it to be good news. It was a call from then treasurer Connie Newman. My first thought? Could I have finaled in the Golden Heart? My second thought? It’s too early for calls, and with my day so far, I probably didn’t renew my dues when I was supposed to. I called Connie back, and she told me that I didn’t have a problem with my membership. Amid the Shadows had finaled in the Long Historical category. I don’t think her eardrums have been the same since!
As to the call selling my first short story, it wasn’t a call. It was an e-mail from the late Virginia Ellis. If you haven’t read her novel THE WEDDING DRESS, you’re missing out on a fantastic read. Anyway, I saw Gin at our chapter’s conference Moonlight and Magnolias, and she encouraged me to try my hand at a short story for MORE SWEET TEA. The hobgoblins of doubt hounded me, but I discussed the possibilities for stories with southern themes with my husband, who also likes the title of muse, and we agreed the story of moving his father’s grave, which I fictionalized in places, would be a good one. About two weeks after mailing it to Gin, I saw an e-mail in my “in box.” My heart pounded as I opened it. I probably screamed with joy. I remember sharing that joy with the noodlers, who promptly congratulated me. The best part of the e-mail was that Gin wanted me to write another story as well, which I did and sold. The second story “Hair Today, Gone Tommorow” was actually published first in MORE SWEET TEA (2005) and the first story I wrote “The Good Son” came out in ON GRANDMA’S PORCH this past June. Since my first sold stories, I’ve written five stories for the Mossy Creek series, two of which are available free on the BelleBooks website (“A Very Mossy Christmas” and “Be Mime”). I’m currently writing a story, “A Tale of Two Kitties,” for the seventh book in the Mossy Creek series.
Labels: First Sale, Golden Heart, Short stories
It's Q&A Day
Our GH Q&A day was so popular, we're having another. Just ask your questions in the comments section, and our Noodlers will do their best to answer them!
Here's our first question:
What is the best way to mail your GH entry? How soon/late do you mail it?
Labels: Golden Heart
Common Errors of Contest Entries
By Debra Holland
I’ve judged a lot of contests and invariably keep marking certain grammatical errors or weaknesses of writing. In this last Golden Pen contest, I had five good paranormal entries--great plot, voice, characters, and writing. Most of them were so good, on my comment sheet, I offered an introduction to my agent. Yet, I still returned them full of yellow highlights, crossed out words, and comments. I believe, if they take my edits to heart and do another round of polishing, these writers will sell. They will also probably final in the Golden Heart contest.
I always take the time to explain and give examples, which takes from two to five hours of editing per entry. (So the more writers who know about these problems, the less work I have to do.) I’ve gotten many grateful thank you letters. Some of the writers commented that their first reaction was anger, but, when they took the time to study my feedback, that anger changed to appreciation.
Often my feedback is nitpicky. But who’s to say you won’t be submitting to a nitpicky editor?
You don’t want to give an editor any reason to reject you. The following are 10 pet peeves, taken from actual contest entries collected over the last few years. Some of these points other members of the WNP have mentioned in their GH blog entries, but they are worth going over again.
1.
Showing, not tellingAll the techniques from her self-defense class came to the fore--she didn’t get an A in class for being cute, but she could have.
(Start fighting already.)
Already standing on his square, her opponent gestured to her position without a word. The warlock was enclosed in dark robes, a golden helm covering his head. Spell casters needed to visualize their adversary to execute powerful sorcery but her piercing glare couldn’t discern his form or face. Many of her most strategic enchantments would be worthless.
With a stab of fear, she realized she couldn't discern his face or form. The lack of definition rendered her most strategic enchantments worthless. For the first time, doubt crept into her mind.2.
AS in the MIDDLE of a sentence“As” in the middle of a sentence often throws off the timing. When you place “as” in the middle of a sentence, be sure to check that the second sentence doesn’t belong first.
A silence grew as he hesitated.
(His hesitation is what makes the silence grow. As he hesitated, the silence grew.)
A chime sounded as he entered Mistress Sirena’s Shop of Quiet Contentment.
(He needs to enter before the chime can ring.)
3.
TelegraphingWhen you have more than two characters in a scene, you need to have some kind of gesture, action, or facial expression before they speak so you know who is speaking.
4.
IT and FELT Usually you can find a more expressive descriptive word than “it” or another way to convey emotions besides “felt.” Only use “it” or “felt” if you can’t think of any other word to use instead. Here’s some examples where the writer needed to work a little harder.
Her mouth watered at the sight of his manhood. Flaccid though it was, it was still impressive. She wondered how it would look in all of its aroused glory.(Penis might not be the right descriptive word for a romance, but 5 its…)
Soon, it began to recede. But slowly, always slowly, like the creeping of the tide. God, he hated the static. Hated not knowing what caused it or when it would stop. Hated that he couldn’t predict it. Hated that even though he’d spent months pursuing an answer, right now he couldn’t even name it.(Hard to figure what “it” is.)
Within seconds, it all passed.(All what passed?)
It felt as if he was speeding on a roller coaster, yet with no wind, no sound, no sense of movement, only a vibration all along the front of his body.(An it and a felt together.)
Lexy felt a dark clawing fear when she saw the ragged gash in his dark shirt.(Also a timing problem.)
When she saw the ragged gash, stark fear clawed at Lexy.
5. Was/Were
Her head was spinning and she couldn’t form a single, coherent thought.
(Her head spun, and she couldn’t form a single, coherent thought.)
Nearly all of California, Oregon and Washington State were destroyed by the earthquake.
(The earthquake destroyed most of California, Oregon, and Washington State.)
The look John was giving him was decidedly unfriendly.
(John shot him an angry look.)
6. Separate his/her actions/thoughts/words/dialogue
Keep each characters' thoughts, feelings, reactions, dialogue in a separate paragraph.
Here are two examples where the writer had one block of text. The new paragraph (NP) inserts are added by me.
He watched in dismay as Sirena’s smile drooped into a bitter frown, her hope for restitution withering, and along with it any desire to speed him on his way.
(NP) “I can’t meet your price,” he said, “but I can offer an alternative that’s almost as good.”
(NP) Her purple eyelids blinked in suspicion, and
(NP) he quickly added, “I can let you live in the Mayor’s Hall and Residence.”
(NP) Her eyes brightened.
(NP) “For a month,” he specified, though it would probably seem more like a year.
He responded with a wolfish appraisal, his awareness flicking hotly from her lips to the tips of her breasts and back.
(NP) She felt the heat of his gaze like a caress. Good God. She felt attractive.
(NP) “I have no doubt about that,” he murmured.
(NP)She flushed with an errant arousal.
(NP)“Was it wonderful?” he asked. “Was it amazing? Was it everything you’ve ever dreamed it could be?”
(In addition to keeping each person’s dialogue and responses in their own paragraph, readers want more white space on the page.)
7. Compound sentences
When two complete sentences are joined, a comma belongs in between. I think compound sentences are the easiest comma error to spot. Just look for two complete sentences, which are joined into one. The following sentences all had missing commas:
Her breathing hitched, and her head suddenly snapped forward.
There was a soft knock on the door, and David came in
She had no good reason to be here, and this guy could probably sense it.
8. Made up words with no meaning
This is usually a problem in paranormals. Many times you can get the context of a made up word from the surrounding words.
He pushed the hood of his cloak from his head. Deep ebonharde eyes captured hers before she realized her own egress from the rules. His rich, svarkened hair with highlights of deep nezarine indicated his Fastian heritage.
(Fastian is the only word I would have kept because you can get some meaning from the word “heritage.” I might have gone along with ebonharde if the writer had used the word “dark” instead of “deep.”)
9. Using “eyes” rather than “gaze”
Her eyes wandered to the floor beneath her.
(Her gazed wandered to the floor.)
The guard’s eyes locked on the jerky rise and fall of her chest, then flew to her face.
(Nothing like flying eyeballs. :)
10. Mentioning that a character’s watching another character do something
He watched as Jude’s expression changed from dreamy abandon to intense embarrassment.
(Jude’s expression changed from dreamy abandon to intense embarrassment.)
Anne watched as Trudy fussed with the teapot, then poured more tea.
(Trudy fussed with the teapot, then poured more tea.)
These are all relatively easy edits to fix in your manuscript. What ones do you have problems with?
Labels: Golden Heart, writing
Our Latest Line-Up!
Here we go:
November 12 - Trish Milburn - HOW TO WRITE A GH ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
November 13 - Theresa Ragan - GET YOUR QUERY LETTER READY
November 14 - Debra Holland - EDITING PEEVES
November 15 - Dianna Love Snell - POWERFUL OPENINGS
You won't want to miss the 16h. We'll be having another one of our Q&A days. It was very popular last time, so come back on Friday and get those questions started!
Labels: Golden Heart
What To Do When The GH Call Doesn't Happen
When I was in college, I was applying for a work scholarship that I really REALLY wanted (and needed). At one point in the process, all the administrators would leave us alone with the students currently working under the scholarship. They called it Realities of the Job.
The energy and excitement about entering the GH has been great on this blog, but there is a sad reality - there's only so many finalist spots, and most of those who enter won't final. I'll raise my hand and say I entered way more times than I ever finaled. In fact, several years ago, I participated in a blog challenge where authors posted the first bit of their writing. I posted the prologue of my first book, the one I couldn't wait to finish because I was going to enter it in the Golden Heart. I received not one but TWO scores of
1.
Ouch. If you're a glutton for punishment, I dug up that old blog entry -
it's here.
So since I am a member of the Wet Noodle Posse, obviously my first suggestion is to enter the Golden Heart again the next year if you're still eligible.
Second, realize that the Golden Heart, like any contest, is a crapshoot. You get five judges, who may or may not be the best judge, and who all have to pretty much agree (although standard deviation is used).
Get other feedback. When I wrote the book that scored 1's in the Golden Heart, I didn't have a critique group, nor had I entered any other contests. Chapter contests costs can add up, but you can really get the kind of objective feedback you might need. I have a critique group, but lots of authors don't (NYT Bestselling author Sharon Sala comes to mind). Even if you don't have the time or energy to commit to a full group, I'd advise finding one person whose opinion you trust (and is familiar with the genre) to give a fair read.
Dig In. Not finaling might just the thing to prompt you into writing more. I know it does for me. Anytime I received a poor contest result or a rejection, my first reaction was to go, "oh yeah?" and try even harder. I took a long, hard critical look at my writing...was I writing something different with a unique spin? Or was it more of the same? Did my writing prompt someone to keep reading or was it a snoozefest of boring things happening to boring people?
This is a great time for you - change genres, look at your plot and when something looks to be going one way, switch it to keep your reader guessing. My critique partner, Gena Showalter, often says she likes to write herself into a corner. Write yourself into a corner, then write yourself back out! Have a goal of being ineligible for the Golden Heart next year.
Acknowledge that it stinks not to final. I know it is so disappointing when you don't final - believe me, I was there. You have a lot of hope, a lot of yourself is invested in finaling. You hear all these great stories about the GH call leading to sales. That's your dream, too, and now you'll have to wait an entire year to try to achieve it. Give yourself one day. One day to be upset, mad, angry whatever. Eat something filled with carbs. Gripe to your best friend. Then the next day, get right back and start writing - maybe even into a corner. Work to make yourself ineligible for the Golden Heart! (Do you see the pattern?)
Don't Be In The House. Really, just be away from your phone and e-mail the day those calls go out. You'll drive yourself crazy. Every time the phone rings, you'll jump. Every time you get a new e-mail, it's another person announcing they finaled. Go out. See a movie, just do something. Really, coming home to a message on your answering machine is far better than waiting by the phone that's not ringing and getting down.
Make The GH Final Gravy.
I'd never heard this phrase until I met my husband, but it's a good philosophy to have. Have other writing irons in the fire - queries out, other projects going, set yourself up with all kinds of rewards for setting writing goals. In other words, get your potatoes mashed, salted and buttered just the way you like them. Then, if the GH call does come, it's just gravy. One more thing to make those potatoes (your real meal) good.
Finaling in the Golden Heart is great, but it shouldn't be your goal. Writing the best work you can and getting published should be. Many, many people get published, hit NY Times, you name it without ever finaling in the GH. A GH final is fantastic, it gets your writing in front of an acquiring editor, but so does a lot of things. So my last suggestion is to keep working on those other things.
With that said - good luck!
Labels: Golden Heart, Jill Monroe
Jill Monroe Intro
Jill Monroe finaled in the Golden Heart once, but her first ever score was so low, the combined total didn't even go into double digits!
She'll be talking about what to do when that GH Call Doesn't Come, a topic she is, sadly, familiar with.
Labels: Golden Heart, Jill Monroe
The Judged Also Judge - But How?
When you enter the Golden Heart, RWA also asks you to judge. What do you do when you don't exactly feel secure about judging?
First, remember this blog is here. It will be a while before you receive your Golden Heart entries to judge. More importantly remember that RWA has a nice list of
GH Judges' FAQs. The Judges' FAQs cover such questions as how to use the 1 to 9 scale, how to decide what the scale means, what to do if an entry doesn't meet the guidelines, formating issues. It is a must to read before judging, so remember it is there.
I'm going to tell you my philosophy of judging and you are free to use it or discard it. There's nothing official about this; it is just my opinion. Much of my opinion is based on RWA Judge's Training that my friends
Pam Palmer and Denise McInerney give each year for Washington Romance Writers. (Pam is a 2005 Golden Heart Winner, by the way)
1. Start with the impression that this is going to be the best entry you've ever read. If you start from the perspective of Positive Thinking, you are more apt to see what the writer does well. Be rooting for this person. Rather than worry about finding fault; focus on what is right.
2. Make your own 1 to 9 scale. Decide ahead of time what a perfect 9 would be and how bad an entry must be to make a 1. RWA
wants you to use your own judgment, bearing in mind that the
"judges should evaluate entries as though each is ready for publication, but lacking only the benefit of professional editing granted published work." Not the best book you've ever read, because that book would have had the benefit of professional editing, but a book you think worthy of being in print.
So your 9 could be, something like: "Hey, I want to see this one in print!"
An 8 could be: "Oh, this is so close..."
I think it is harder to go down the scale. What is a 5? How is a 5 different than a 6? What is a 1?
Don't sweat it, is my advice. The important scores are at the top of the scale, because those determine who finals. So your standard could be: 9 - This entry MUST final; 8 - I wouldn't mind if this one finaled; 7 - This entry is close, but I don't think it is quite close enough to final.
Below 7 just take your sense of where the manuscript is and don't worry about it...I always consider 5 as average, by the way, my "average" meaning this is what I expect of most beginning writers.
3. When should I give a 1?
My answer to this question is almost never (in my opinion). I think an entry that deserves a 1 is not likely to be entered in the Golden Heart. It would be a totally incomprehensible entry on every level. In fact, I'm hard pressed to give out 3s and 2s. I can't forget that there is a person behind the entry, a person whom I cannot tell why I am giving a low score, a person with
feelings. In the absence of feedback, my philosophy is to give the person a score that clues them in to the fact that their entry needs work. To me, an average or slightly below average score will do that. Heck, even a 6 or 7 will do that! (Although I reserve those scores for entries that almost are making it)
This is just my style, my opinion. I'm not saying you should do this, too. RWA does give permission to score entries the full range of the scale and stresses that you are supposed to use your
own judgment .
4. There is nothing I could find on the website that discusses the use of fractions or decimals - giving an entry an 8.9 or a 6.3, for example. If the final instructions include the use of decimals, by all means use them. Again, I advocate not agonizing over this. Go with your gut....or make yourself a detailed guideline of what each of the decimals mean to you...but don't worry so much about scores below 7. If you can't decide between an 8.3 and a 8.4 or an 8.8, remember that entries can miss the finals by one tenth of a point, then decide if you want this entry to have the higher score or not.
5. Try to keep your personal tastes out of your judging. This is admittedly a hard thing to do. It is made even harder, because you probably won't be judging the category you like the most and know the most about- the category you entered. Think about what you believe are the elements of good story, things like character, conflict, plot, dialogue, word usage, and judge the entry as to whether it meets those elements. For example, I personally do not read much paranormal, especially vampires (exception being
Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Chronicles, which I adore), werewolves, and such, but I've judged paranormal contest entries. I try to look at the entry in terms of my standards for
story and if the writer meets those standards, then I score high. For the Golden Heart, I would ask myself,
"Should an editor should buy this?" not,
"Do I like this story."
6. Judge each entry on its own merits. DO NOT compare your packet of entries and judge them against each other. You are not ranking the entries; you are judging against a standard, and it is possible that all your entries are 9s. If they are all 9s, by all means give them what they deserve.
So when you open your packet of Golden Heart entries, think, "Goody! I'll bet these are all 9s!" then carefully read the RWA judging instructions. Next, look up the
GH Judges' FAQs, and if you need more, come back to this blog.
The judging will be a piece of cake.
What is your philosophy of judging? Do you think of the task differently than I do?
What trips you up the most when you are judging?
Read
Diane's bio here and visit her
website for a new contest in the countdown to
The Vanishing Viscountess, January 2008.
Labels: Diane Gaston, Golden Heart, Judging
Another Great Line-Up
With all the participation and continued questions, we've been asked to keep the Golden Heart discussion going. We have topics lined up for next week, too - so keep checking. Here's what's in store for this week!
November 5 - Charity Tahmaseb- FINAL ROUND JUDGING
November 6 - Karen Potter - WHAT TO DO UNTIL THE RESULTS COME IN
November 7 - Diane Perkins - JUDGING THE GOLDEN HEART
November 8 - Jill Monroe - WHAT TO DO WHEN THE GH CALL DOESN’T HAPPEN
November 9 - Delle Jacobs - PACING
Labels: Golden Heart
What's On Board This Week
We have another great lineup this week, and some more Noodlers are making their first appearance!
October 29 - Norah Wilson - ASSESSING YOUR DIALOGUE.
October 30 - Trish Morey - THE DOWNUNDER FINALIST - WAS IT WORTH THE COST OF ENTERING?
October 31 - Mary Fechter - TOP TEN (OR MORE) MISTAKES AN ENTRANT CAN MAKE
November 1 - Janet Mullany- POST GOLDEN HEART DEPRESSION
November 2 - Lee McKenzie - GOLDEN HEART MOTIVATION
Keep those comments coming for a possible critique!
Labels: Giveaway, Golden Heart
It's Question and Answer Day!
Now is your chance to ask any question and the
Noodlers will answer. Just leave a question in the comment section, and it will be answered shortly! You CAN ask anonymously - no worries.
So, three questions were asked ahead of time here we go:
1. How many times can you enter the GH with the same manuscript? Should you change the name? Or continue to enter it with the same title? I send the MS out and have received feedback on what the story needs to make it better. So I go and revise it…..which changes it from what I entered in the previous GH.
Am I wasting my time? Should I just shelve it and not bother to enter the GH?
2. The limit for a synopsis is 15 pages... now, what do you think is an acceptable minimum number of pages? I have a four page synopsis that covers the main characters/villain GMC, the inciting incident, turning points #1, 2, 3, the development of the romance, black moment,
realization, and resolution. I really don't want to mess with this by adding in some of/all of the scenes that take place between the turning points. But if it would help, I will. What do you think?
3. How "completed" does "completed" have to be? Suppose I have a manuscript which is finished--as in, I wrote 95,000 words starting from "Chapter One" and going to "The End."
Of course, six months have passed and "The End" is not as final as I once thought. There are giant things that need to change--the role of characters, the hero's motivations. I have a huge list, and a revised synopsis, and I'm in the process of deleting a bunch of extraneous cast members, bringing one of the subplots to the fore and pushing what I thought was the "main" plot to a subplot, and ramping up the conflict (lots of this).
There is no way I will have all the edits done by the GH deadline. Is it okay to enter the GH with a full manuscript that will show an obvious--and I do mean REALLY obvious--discontinuity where I stop editing?
Labels: Golden Heart
The Importance of Opening Lines
By Trish Milburn
We’ve probably all heard that editors/agents only give a manuscript five pages, two pages, a page, insert small amount of our total work here, to make a good impression, to make them care enough to keep reading. Though we might not like this statistic, it’s a fact of the publishing life. So if you want to make your work, including any that will go before judges of the Golden Heart, stand out, start by focusing on your very first line. That first line or opening paragraph will set the tone for the entire book. It’s your manuscript’s first impression, and we all know how important those are.
How you craft an opening line depends on the type of story you’re telling, but regardless of the sub-genre you need it to instantly draw your reader in and give her a tiny snapshot of the type of story that follows. Here are some samples of great opening lines which members of the Wet Noodle Posse used in their Golden Heart-finalist manuscripts.
Want to convey humor right off the bat? Let Esri Rose show you how:
“Claire Pike could not believe her job was in danger because of a man who basically stuffed weasels down his pants.” -- Telling Lies, 2006 Novel with Strong Romantic Elements finalistIf you’re writing novels with romantic suspense or adventure elements, you may consider an opening that causes tension in the reader, like Mary Fechter created in her 2006 single title finalist,
Don’t Look Back:
“The attack took place shortly after the morning bell,” the Secretary of State told the roomful of presidential advisors. Dr. Liv Olney gripped the edge of the conference table as she watched the attack on the wall of TV screens behind the Secretary.There are first lines that practically beg us to read on to find out the meaning behind the author’s catchy and succinct opening, such as Lorelle Marinello’s 2003 romantic suspense finalist,
Fairhope:
“Fairhope, Texas had Baptists, Methodists, and ghosts.”What if you’re writing a little on the steamier side and want to make your reader’s temperature rise from the word “go”? Check out this sample from Jill Monroe’s
Share the Darkness, an April 2004 Harlequin Blaze that finaled in the Golden Heart in 2003 as
Longest Day of the Year:
“Ward Cassidy could think of better uses for an ice cube.”For historicals, a sense of time and place, as well as story, are important. Delle Jacobs conveyed these as well as the hero’s goal in the first line of her 2005 Golden Heart winner,
Lady Wicked:
“He’d have to marry the richest heiress in England if he meant to salvage this crumbling pile of rocks.”A mixture of young adult and paranormal? YA is often in first person, so I used that and a hint that all is not normal in the most recent version of my 2007 YA GH winner,
Coven:
“Hot tears burn my eyes as I watch the last of the black hair coloring disappear from the tips of my long, blond hair, draining away into nothingness.”Remember that the first line, at most the first paragraph, is often all you get to make a first impression on contest judges. Yes, they have to read the rest of the manuscript, but it’s hard to recover from a bad first impression. So spend the time and effort necessary to make your opening lines sparkle.
~~~
Opening lines aren’t just important in the Golden Heart. In fact, the first round of the American Title contest, in which my manuscript,
Out of Sight, is a finalist, is focusing on first lines. Check out all the finalists’ openers and cast your vote
here.
Labels: first lines, Golden Heart
My website now has an excerpt of Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady and a new contest!
