My favorite bon mot about writing (this week) is this frequently quoted little gem from W. Somerset Maugham: "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." Talking about writing methods is like talking about religion and...
One of the most often over looked, but critical tasks all authors should engage in is reading. Sometimes authors—as well as instructors—focus on craft issues and the work produced by the individual writer at the expense of neglecting reading other authors' books....
I learnt an important lesson this month. Well, in truth, I learnt several important lessons. Never test if the iron is still hot by using your tongue on the plate. Just because the words "fat" and "jolly" go together in common collocation, it doesn't mean that tubby...
I have found, in the business of epublishing, that both authors and publishers have been known to enter into their business relationship with expectations that might not be completely reasonable—or sometimes even feasible. In order to get an article as well-rounded as...
Romance writing and erotic romance are competitive niche markets for writers, both for finding reputable publishers with good sales records and for finding a reader base. A rapidly rising segment of those markets is the male/male erotic romance genre. My name is Laura...
One night some years ago, my husband rented the movie Hard Target. Never having been a huge Jean-Claude Van Damme fan, I was disgruntled but resigned; after all, he—my husband, not Jean-Claude—had been pretty cool about Sense and Sensibility. You've been there. Then...
You've written, revised, and edited your lesbian erotic short story and are ready to send it off into the world—hopefully, to be published. You've got a copy of the current calls for submissions in front of you. Now what? Don't take a deep breath or get distracted,...
In past articles, I've talked about the pros and cons of epublishing, researching and choosing an epublisher. Of course, the goal was always to find an epublisher to submit to. And, hopefully, get accepted by. I didn't talk about the submissions process in epublishing...
The manuscript critique process is a critical tool for every writer who wants to develop her craft skills and polish her techniques. Since writing is by its nature a solitary act, I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of having someone read your manuscript...
Think of this as the interlude between informative articles, the public service announcement, the after school special with a meaningful message (remember those?)...well, you get the picture. I'm taking a break from discussing epublishing and finding the epublisher...