Congratulations to our three place-getters and to all who entered.  Synopses aren’t easy for most writers, but a very handy skill.  Good on you for having a go, those who did!

Thanks, as always, to all our volunteers who make our contests happen and to Joel Naoum of Momentum for being our final judge for this one.

And now, a drumroll please for….

First Place: Margaret Swan

Second Place: Nicole Grant

Third Place: Enisa Haines

Applause and Kermit flails to you all!

Registration Deadlines:

Registration Fees for Members:

Professional Development Day

Friday Craft Workshop

Saturday/Sunday Conference

Gala Awards Night:

Keeping Up Appearances

• Paramatta City Library

Are holding an event in March with three romance writers, Paula Roe, Amy Andrews and Ainslie Paton. Full details are located here. The event is being held in conjunction with Harlequin M&B and Escape Publishing and they are hoping to get a great audience so they can do more romance events in the future.

• Anna Jacobs

Anna will be giving a talk at the Mundijong Library at 6.30pm on Thursday March 27.

Writers Festivals 2014

Adelaide Writers Week
March 1–6

Newcastle Writers Festival
April 4–7

Sydney Writers Festival
May 19–25

Word Storm, Darwin
May 29–June 1

Bellingen Writers Festival
June 7–9

Mildura Writers Festival
July 17–20

Byron Bay Writers Festival
August 1–3

Melbourne Writers Festival
August 21–31

Brisbane Writers Festival
September 3–7

RWA Contest Season

Closing dates for the 2013-14 contest season:

Writer’s Classes, Groups, Library Events & Workshops

• Writers Victoria

Writers Victoria have some great courses lined up for 2014. Head over to their website for more information.

In Person Events

Online Events

• Lawson Writer’s Academy 

Classes are run from Margie Lawson’s website using on-line teaching software used by universities. Take a cyber tour before you start your class and introduce yourself.

• Savvy Authors on-line writing courses

Affordable forum-style writing classes

• Announce Online Writing Classes

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie  teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers.

To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Contests

• Stephie Smith’s Contest Chart

Stephie has a useful chart on her site with information on upcoming contests for 2014.

• Romance Writers America

Visit there website for a list of 2014 contests

• Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media

Chanticleer presents The Chatelaine Awards: Romance Fiction Writing Contests 2014 currently accepting entries.

Deadline: May 31, 2014

Two Divisions: Published (Legacy, Indie, Self-Pub, Small Press, E-pub) and Manuscripts

• Writers Reign (UK)

Writers Reign have a list of short story competitions on their website

250 Editions that is.  Take a look back at the journey from 1992 till today.

Run Your Own Conference

If you’ve ever thought about running your own conference have we got the volunteer positions for you.  The Clayton’s Conference needs a team.

Magic 100

Marion Lennox has just released her 100^th novel, Waves of Temptation.  Wow.  I can’t write any more about that because it’s made me tired.

Restructuring RWA

An important update from Nikki Logan on the new membership structure.

The Write Craft

Michelle Diener talks about adding motifs to your work to enrich a storyline.

Romance Rocks Conference

Vital registration detail and program information for the 2014 conference.  Get your sticky hands on this now.

A Writer’s Life

Annie Grace talks about the rituals, routines and stories we tell ourselves about how we write.

 Tips and Hints

 Everything you ever wanted to know about formatting using Scrivener.

The Writing Journey

JM Bray in the hot seat.  He’s American and it’s a lot about happenstance.

News Bites

We have lots of interesting news on the publishing industry, RWA award winners, coming competitions and events

Plus, look at all the pretty, pretty covers

For full articles and regular columns, go to our website.

]]> http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/2014/03/01/hearts-talk-membership-update-conference-program-issue/feed/ 0 rwahtw http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/cruisin-with-rwa-112/ http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/cruisin-with-rwa-112/#comments Wed, 26 Feb 2014 20:00:44 +0000 http://romanceaustralia.wordpress.com/?p=19292 ]]> Enrico and Clint have put in a request for a new limo. They’ve worn out the engine on the old one Cruisin’ the Blogs. Here’s what they’ve picked up on their run down the highway…

Cruisin’ the News

We love celebrating success. Our members are encouraged to send in their New Release news for publishing in Hearts Talk and the New Releases blog. Don’t miss the deadline! Send in your new releases by the 8th of every month to: newreleases@romanceaustralia.com htgoodnews@romanceaustralia.com Of course, the Cruisin’ Crew don’t want to miss out on the celebrations, so drop Clint and Enrico an email with your blogs, new contract, first sale, new cover or release news at cruisin@romanceaustralia.com. Don’t forget to come back on Sunday for a list of exciting writing-related events delivered by our members.

On the Bookshelf

• Jenn J Mcleod

THE SIMMERING SEASON has arrived and Simon and Schuster have three copies up for grabs.

New Covers

• Maree Anderson

Has a lovely new cover for OPAL’S WISH (Book 4 of The Crystal Warriors Series) plus, a release date of March 31, 2014.  It’s available for pre-order .

• Little Gems Moonstone Cover Contest

Congratulations Sheridan Kent, the winner of our Little Gems Moonstone Cover contest.

New Contract

• Susanne Bellamy

is delighted to announce she has signed two contracts, the first with Escape Publishing for her Melbourne story, renamed BETTING ON THE BOSS. This offer arrived the same afternoon as one from Entangled Publishing to become part of the Emerald Quest continuity series. Susanne is metaphorically jumping for joy.

Trending

• Juliet Madison

got the surprise of her life when her Romantic Comedy FAST FORWARD made the Top 100 on all paid Kindle books on Amazon.com.

Contests

• Society of Women Writers Tasmania

Thanks to Mary Hawkins for bringing this little gem to our attention:

I am a member of Society Women Writers Tasmania and would hate any of my writer friends to miss out on this opportunity.  With the help of a grant from Launceston council we have organised the inaugural Tasmania Literary Award, 2014. It is now up and running and open to everyone. Details for entries are now available on the SWWT website. Entries close at midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time, on Friday, June 13, 2014.

Enquiries: enquirelauncestonliteraryaward@gmail.com

RWA Competitions

The Valerie Parv Award

The Valerie Parv Award offers the winner a year of mentorship with bestselling Australian romance author Valerie Parv. Enter the first 10,000 words of your romance or romantic elements manuscript (40K+) along with a 1,000 word synopsis.

Opens:  18 April 2014

Closes: 2 May 2014, or when contest fills.

Enter: first 10,000 words (max) + 1000 word (max) synopsis of your unpublished romance/romantic elements novel (any length 40K+) by email only.

Maximum TWO entries per person

Open to RWAustralia members and non-members; unpublished writers only

Final judges: Valerie Parv will rank the 6 finalists

Prizes: 1st – 1 year mentorship with Valerie Parv, plus $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100

Formatting sample

Sample score sheet

Questions to rwa.vpa@gmail.com (Erica Hayes, contest manager)

Cruisin’ Member Blogs

Are you an RWA Member? Share a link and a short blurb here each week by emailing the details to us at: cruisin@romanceaustralia.com.

• RWA Blog

February 25 – Little Gems Cover Contest Winner Announced

February 26 - Seven Spots your Trailer Should be Seen

March 1 – Hearts Talk: Membership Update & Conference Program Issue

March 2 – Event Announcements

March 6 – Cruisin’ with RWA

• All the World’s a Page

HOT ROCK rock star seeks mate, no matter when she’s living. Will use ley lines to travel. Come meet Davy Morgan, rock god and Bowie contemporary, a man who will wait forever for his woman. Annie Seaton introduces the hottest rocker ever over on All The World’s a Page.

A great line up of more heroes follows through March:
March 8-9 – Misty Dietz and COME HELL OR HIGH DESIRE

March 15-16 – EE Carter and MOONSTONE OBSESSION

• Cathryn Hein

Want a luscious recipe that’s easy to make and bound to please all the family? A romantic fantasy to warm your heart? Then Friday Feast is the place for you. Author JM Bray is sharing a treasured heirloom recipe and giving away an ebook copy of his debut novel TEARING THE SHROUD. With a great book and comfort food on offer, you’ll be in a tearing hurry to visit!

• Darkside Down Under

February 26 - A Bite Of… Forget Me Not

February 25 – Good News Day

February 22 - Enchanted Orb with Claire Boston

February 21 - What we are reading

• Eleni’s Taverna

Blogs from Fantasy and Paranormal Author Eleni Konstantine

• Iris Blobel

Lisa Orchard will drop by to talk about the SUPER SPIES book, one of her daughter’s favourite book series.

Iris is visiting Sandie James talking about what she’d cook for dinner if Hugh Jackman came over. There’s a chance to win a copy of her latest release MORE BEGINNINGS.

• Jenn J McLeod

Katherine Howell at the bar having a tar with me and answering the hard questions like “An author, an agent and a chicken walk into the bar… how do you know which one crossed the road?”

It started out as a regular author Q&A, but Rowena Holloway (a wonderful wordsmith herself) added a little magic. See the result…

Jenn’s Goodreads Giveaway is NOW ON. Simon & Schuster have 3 copies of Simmering Season to give away. Find link here.

• Sandie James

• SARA – Sassy in the South

February 17 - SARA News

February 21 – Southern Speak – The Dreaded ‘S’ Word: Synopsis

• The Other Side with Juanita Kees

The Naughty Ninjas took over my dojo on The Other Side this week. Come on in and see what they got up to.

Enrico’s Pick Six

Submit your blog site link to cruisin@romanceaustralia.com to share with our readers. Enrico hand picks six blogs to showcase every week. Enrico’s Pick Six this week:

1. Michelle Diener
2. Sara Hantz
3. Teen Fiction Cafe
4. We Love YA
5. Yvonne Lindsay
6. Wink Girls

Have a great week and happy writing!

Trailers are kin to the bookmark, tote bag, coffee mug et al, but trailers work differently from those “Goody Bag” type things. They are a more direct link to the book, BEFORE you get to it.  Trailers cast a direct line from the product (book) to the target (reader/shopper).  This connection is via the senses of sight and sound so they need to be dynamic, time-conscious, memorable and really importantly, accessible.  (It doesn’t matter how good your trailer is if no-one sees it! Ed.)

To be accessible, trailers need to be actively used. Not rest on their hands, so to speak. So here are some places where it’s a good idea to have your trailer…

1. Your website homepage. As we all know, if you don’t have a website, then you could be behind the eight ball. Your book’s trailer should be on your homepage amongst all the other content you hold dear. And don’t forget the write-up of your trailer. e.g. “Here’s a taste of my latest, Love Is All Around Us“. If you’re getting a trailer professionally made, direct the producer to your website for them to have a look around – they should appreciate it.

If you have a webpage dedicated to your titles then I don’t have to tell you what you should include on those pages… this is a no-brainer, folks. And don’t forget to put the how-to-buy button somewhere super easy to get to.

2. Social media. Hello Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and such like. These places are prime spots for the trailer’s links and especially good for bread-crumbing. Interact with users, use the trailer for giveaways e.g. ‘tell us what dog is at a minute fifteen seconds to go into the draw to win a whatever’. Hosting an event? Use that space for your author talker trailer or bread crumb. Use the trailer over and over in places like Facebook and Twitter.

3. Publisher website. Same deal here as for your own website. If your publisher has a page for your book (which they would) then they should have the trailer visible as an embed… most times it is technically possible providing your publisher is happy to do so.

4. If you’re indie… All of the above – realistically speaking – should be compulsory. You have to get your message out amongst the stream of traffic.

5. Going to a have a booth at a convention or a signing? Swing your player around to face the crowd and play your trailer … on loop if necessary. You don’t have to have the volume up but if your trailer catches the eye of a passerby then you just may have an in. Tablets, laptops and the like are really good for this sort of thing!

6. Author speaking engagements are of course another no-brainer. Trailers make good introduction theatre. Your host may say: “Here’s the trailer for our guest’s upcoming release, Love Is All Around Us.” Most venues have big screens you can plug your device into, thereby creating a bit of entrance impact for you. And that’s always good when you are trying to be remembered for the sake of your book.

7. Blog hops, magazine and E-zine interviews, special online “appearances” and the like are often done by authors. Every occasion you have to “put your shingle up,” so to speak, is one that should be utilised. Interviews for online versions of magazines and E-zines should be able to have your trailer embedded.  It would be likely that it would be magazine policy only – not technology – that declines such a request by you as their subject. Blog crawls, guest spots and even those tag events where you’re sharing snippets, covers and all those sorts of cross-pollination activities are a perfect opportunity for your trailer to be embedded. If you’re going to put your cover up, put the trailer up too… it’s that simple really!

Get the most out of the effort that has gone into making or having your trailer made. Trailers aren’t meant to just sit around on your desktop, they have to be shouted from the rooftops just like ever other advertisement.

Happy Trailering!

And come back next month for Common DIY Trailer Mis-hits and a peek at some of our members’ trailers!

This year’s theme is Moonstone and the designer who was judged to express it best was… drumroll please…

Sheridan Kent!

This is Sheridan’s third win at designing the Little Gems cover and her second in a row.  She also designed the cover for the Garnet edition in 2011 and last year’s Sapphire Little Gems.

Congratulations to Sheridan and thanks for another lovely cover with our first Little Gems kissing couple!

Keeping Up Appearances

• Noelle Clark

Noelle will be speaking at local libraries in South East Queensland throughout the month of February:

When: February 27 at 11am

Where: Russell Island Library, Redland City

FMI and Bookings: 07 3829 8305

• Phillipa Fioretti

At the Adelaide Writers Week I will be chairing a session with Kimberley Freeman, talking about her work. It’s at 10.45 am on Saturday, March 1 .

• Paramatta City Library

Are holding an event in March with three romance writers, Paula Roe, Amy Andrews and Ainslie Paton. Full details are located here. The event is being held in conjunction with Harlequin M&B and Escape Publishing and they are hoping to get a great audience so they can do more romance events in the future.

• Anna Jacobs

Anna will be giving a talk at the Mundijong Library at 6.30pm on Thursday March 27.

Writers Festivals 2014

Perth Writers Festival
February 20–23

Adelaide Writers Week
March 1–6

Newcastle Writers Festival
April 4–7

Sydney Writers Festival
May 19–25

Word Storm, Darwin
May 29–June 1

Bellingen Writers Festival
June 7–9

Mildura Writers Festival
July 17–20

Byron Bay Writers Festival
August 1–3

Melbourne Writers Festival
August 21–31

Brisbane Writers Festival
September 3–7

RWA Contest Season

Closing dates for the 2013-14 contest season:

RWA Conference 2014

Romance Rocks!

4 days. 30+ workshops. Over 300 writers, editors, agents and publishing industry professionals. One epic conference.  Join us in Sydney with guest speakers; thriller writer and writing craft author, James Scott Bell, along with award-winning, best-selling romantic adventure author, Cherry Adair.

When: August 7-10 2014
Where: Novotel Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush

Keep an eye out for updates on the blog and website for more information.

Writer’s Classes, Groups, Library Events & Workshops

February 2014

• Writers Victoria

Writers Victoria have some great courses lined up for 2014. Head over to their website for more information.

• The Australian Writers Centre

Course: Write Your Novel with Pamela Freeman – FULL
Starts Monday 24 February 2014 (6 month program)

Overseas writing tours

Writing About Food in Vietnam with Carli Ratcliff

When: Friday 16 May to Saturday 24 May 2014

Writing the Senses in Bali with Patti Miller
When: Saturday 12 July to Saturday 19 July 2014

Writing in Oxford with Kate Forsyth
When: Sunday 7 September to Sunday 14 September 2014

Memoir Writing in Paris with Patti Miller
When: Thursday 23 October to Saturday 8 November 2014

• Gold Coast Writers Workshops

15 March – Alan Close – Fiction or Memoir

Presenter: ALAN CLOSE

Topic: Fiction or Memoir? Writing A Story From Your Own Life

Time: 9.15 am to 4.00 pm

Date: Saturday 15 March 2014

Place: St John’s Anglican Church Hall, 14 Park Avenue, Burleigh Heads

Cost: $95 which will include morning and afternoon tea

Book:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/alan-close-fiction-or-memoir-writing-a-story-from-your-own-life-workshop-tickets-9430393561

12 April – Trent Jamieson – Short Story Writing

Presenter: TRENT JAMIESON

Topic: Short Story Writing

Time: 9.15 am to 4.00 pm

Date: Saturday 12 April 2014

Place: Fradgley Hall, above Burleigh Heads Library, cnr Park Avenue and Connor Street, Burleigh Heads

Cost: $95 which will include morning and afternoon tea

Book:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/writing-short-stories-trent-jamieson-tickets-10651909147

Online Events

• Lawson Writer’s Academy 

Classes are run from Margie Lawson’s website using on-line teaching software used by universities. Take a cyber tour before you start your class and introduce yourself.

• Savvy Authors on-line writing courses

Affordable forum-style writing classes

• Announce Online Writing Classes

A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing for over ten years. Julie  teaches a variety of workshops and is the moderator of the Announce Online Classes email loop, which promotes online classes for writers.

To subscribe to the Announce online Classes email loop, send an email to: Announceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Contests

• Stephie Smith’s Contest Chart

Stephie has a useful chart on her site with information on upcoming contests for 2014.

• Romance Writers America

Visit there website for a list of 2014 contests

• Chanticleer Book Reviews and Media

Chanticleer presents The Chatelaine Awards: Romance Fiction Writing Contests 2014 currently accepting entries.

Deadline: May 31, 2014

Two Divisions: Published (Legacy, Indie, Self-Pub, Small Press, E-pub) and Manuscripts

• Writers Reign (UK)

Writers Reign have a list of short story competitions on their website

Cruisin’ the News

We love celebrating success. Our members are encouraged to send in their New Release news for publishing in Hearts Talk and the New Releases blog. Don’t miss the deadline! Send in your new releases by the 8th of every month to: newreleases@romanceaustralia.com htgoodnews@romanceaustralia.com Of course, the Cruisin’ Crew don’t want to miss out on the celebrations, so drop Clint and Enrico an email with your blogs, new contract, first sale, new cover or release news at cruisin@romanceaustralia.com. Don’t forget to come back on Sunday for a list of exciting writing-related events delivered by our members.

New Releases

• Danielle Belwater

Announced the release of her first book, OF FIRE AND ROSES

New Reviews

Cover Reveal

Pop over to Cathryn Hein’s blog for a peek at the cover for ROCKING HORSE HILL on sale from April 23.

RWA Competitions

The Valerie Parv Award

The Valerie Parv Award offers the winner a year of mentorship with bestselling Australian romance author Valerie Parv. Enter the first 10,000 words of your romance or romantic elements manuscript (40K+) along with a 1,000 word synopsis.

Opens:  18 April 2014

Closes: 2 May 2014, or when contest fills.

Enter: first 10,000 words (max) + 1000 word (max) synopsis of your unpublished romance/romantic elements novel (any length 40K+) by email only.

Maximum TWO entries per person

Open to RWAustralia members and non-members; unpublished writers only

Final judges: Valerie Parv will rank the 6 finalists

Prizes: 1st – 1 year mentorship with Valerie Parv, plus $300 2nd – $200 3rd – $100

Formatting sample

Sample score sheet

Questions to rwa.vpa@gmail.com (Erica Hayes, contest manager)

Cruisin’ Member Blogs

Are you an RWA Member? Share a link and a short blurb here each week by emailing the details to us at: cruisin@romanceaustralia.com.

• All the World’s a Page

All the World’s a Page welcomes Melanie James in an author interview this weekend, 22-23 February. Her latest release is A VALENTINE’S SURPRISE.
Annie Seaton is rocking hard with the release of HOT ROCK on 1-2 March. Want to know what a rock god and a hero have in common? Davy Morgan is the answer! Find out more as a Month of Heroes continues.

• Cathryn Hein

Need a bit of magic in your life? Of course you do! And thanks to acclaimed young adult author Ebony McKenna and her gorgeous Ondine series you can have it. Come a-dipping in the land of Brugel with Ebony’s latest release THE WINTER OF MAGIC, then follow up with a delicious coconut-chocolate fondue. Plus share your fondue fondness and you could win not one, not two but THREE Ondine ebooks! 

• Darkside Down Under

February 12 – A BITE OF… Hidden Mortality by Maggie Mundy

February 13 - MAGIC THURSDAY – with Claire Boston

February 18 – GOOD NEWS DAY compiled by Nicole R Murphy

• Ecstasy Files

Scorching Book Reviews are doing a Valentines Romance … My Way blog hop. Over 40 participating bloggers, reviewers, authors are talking about their favourite romance tropes. Heaps of bookish prizes to be own and a $50 Amazon gift card.
My favourite is a little dangerous. Find out about it on my blog, leave a comment and go I to the drawer for a digital copy of THE YEARNING. See ya on the hop!

• Eleni’s Taverna

February 8 – Bringing Awareness to CHD

February 10 – Fall in Love with Musa Publishing (Rafflecopter giveaway)

• Hunter Romance Writers

February 13 - Linda Charles with a post titled ‘Make Em Laugh’.

January 11 - Sandie Hudson with a post titled ‘Writing Three Dimensional Characters’.

• Jenn J McLeod

Zena Shapter is visiting Calingarry Crossing pub to share a beer nut and a chat. If you don’t know her for being a serious author with great writer advice on her blog (founder of the Northern Beaches Writers’ Group), you will love meeting the whacky, party Zena who enjoys a little Gangnam style!

• Sandie James

Sandie’s been cooking up a storm!

Sunday Supper -  a Victorian menu for 18 people

Friday: Happy Valentine’s Day – The Legend

Tuesday: Tasty Tuesday – A Valentine’s Feast

• SARA – Sassy in the South

February 10 – SARA News with Eleni Konstantine

February 14 – Southern Speak with Khloe Wren

• Sarah Belle

Elise K Ackers was in the limelight on Sarah’s blog giving away 3 copies of her latest release, DEAR STRANGER.

• Sasha Cottman

visited Elizabeth Darcy’s blog this week, talking writing, coffee and sharing an excerpt from Letter from a Rake.

• S E Gilchrist

S E Gilchrist has a quite a few posts happening at the moment to celebrate her latest release, Star Pirate’s Justice, including a rafflecopter giveaway contest which closes midnight 16th February. Click here for the giveaway post. Her most recent posts have been on: Susanne Bellamy’s blog (with a character interview with Volkar), Juanita Kees’ blog and Nicole Hurley-Moore’s site.

Next stops are on 13th Feb (both US time): Manga Mania Cafe and Chuck Wendig’s blog - 5 Things I Learned.

Elise Ackers is on S E’s blog this week and is celebrating Valentine’s Day and her latest release with a rafflecopter giveaway contest. Click here for link to this contest which runs for all of February.

Enrico’s Pick Six

Submit your blog site link to cruisin@romanceaustralia.com to share with our readers. Enrico hand picks six blogs to showcase every week. Enrico’s Pick Six this week:

1. Juliet Madison
2. Mel Teshco
3. Rhian Cahill
4. Sandie Hudson
5. Tamara Gill
6. Valerie Parv

Have a great week and happy writing!

Chasing Inspiration

For writers, inspiration is everywhere: a song lyric, a real-life event, a what-if question born from something ordinary. Sometimes these inspirations lead to a short story, novella or novel, other times they are a fleeting intrigue.

In my experience, inspiration comes to me. Often when I’m driving and I can do nothing about it short of pulling off the freeway. But this year, I’ll be chasing my inspiration.

All the way to the spectacular coastlines and ancient wonders of Turkey.

To give you a bit of context, I recently finished writing my first new adult manuscript, and it was based loosely on my backpacking and tour group experiences through Europe. I spent five weeks on a Contiki coach in 2007, and I knew at the time that I would one day write about it. Almost seven years later, I managed to get out of my own way, and I believe that it is my most diverse, culturally rich and surprising book to date.

In the midst of research about all things international, I became enchanted with the idea of writing a book whilst travelling. Of capturing the nuances and details the internet could not give me, and twisting them into fiction.

One eight page itinerary and a lot of money later, I will be doing just that. Come May, I will be exploring Istanbul, ballooning over the moon-like landscape of Cappadocia, and sailing the coast with a bunch of strangers I’ve already decided will be my new best friends. I will also be writing about John and Kayla, two long-standing friends with benefits who find themselves beginning a relationship in reverse.

Because I understand that travel by its very nature is distracting and exhausting, I’m not challenging myself to write an entire book whilst I’m over there. Instead, I’ve given myself a goal to return home with a story skeleton. This work in progress will be heavy on location and description, light on plot. Plot can come later when I’ve got my feet up at home. As of right now, I have an outline, a cast of characters, and a lot of room to move. Where inspiration leads, I will follow.

I read an article in a recent edition of Heart Talk (RWA’s member newsletter, Ed.) about two RWA ladies who challenged themselves to Tough Mudder, with the view to put their experiences into their books. I thought that was an excellent idea, and the whole point of my blog post today is to reinforce that message.

You are surrounded by inspiration, in almost every imaginable form. And whilst there’s something to be said for sitting your butt in your chair and knocking the words out, don’t forget to leave the house and chase your muse down. Writing a scene at the beach? Get thyself to the sand. Our imaginations are remarkable things, but sometimes reality gives us something we might never have thought of ourselves. Tiny details which make great scenes remarkable, sensations or observations which bring settings alive.

You don’t have to fly to Turkey – I may be crazy, time will tell. But if you want to write a hilarious camping scene, for example, maybe bully your family into embracing the great outdoors and wait for the chaos to present itself. You may return with scenes you might otherwise never have imagined.

Get out there, take something to capture your ideas, and find inspiration in its natural habitat.

(And keep your receipts, because I’m pretty sure stuff like that is tax-deductible!)

For inspiration that came from a little closer to home, you might like to check out the print edition of Elise’s three-novella series, jointly titled Ask Me to Stay.  Here’s a blurb:

Ask Me to Stay

In Australian country towns, everyone knows everybody else’s business. Nothing is private, and escaping the past is difficult if not impossible. But how much of the truth does anyone ever really know, even about those closest to them? 

When family tragedy brings Ethan Foster home, he doesn’t expect a warm welcome. In the small town of Hinterdown reputation is everything – and Ethan’s was ruined long ago. His family and friends don’t want him around, and nor does Sam O’Hara, the girl he left behind.

In this tender and heartwarming romantic trilogy, a funeral, a wedding, and a homecoming spark a series of events that prove that love can find a way, if only given a chance. 

Includes the stories Ask Me to Stay, Ask Me for More and Ask Me for Tomorrow.

About Elise:

Elise K. Ackers is a romantic suspense and contemporary romance author based in Melbourne, Australia. She is print and ebook published with Penguin’s Michael Joseph and Destiny Romance, and ebook published with Harlequin’s Escape Publishing. Elise is a 2013 Romantic Book of the Year finalist, and is known to do some pretty strange stuff in the name of research. Like fly to another country on a whim.

You can find Elise here:

http://www.elisekackers.net

http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/author/elise-k-ackers

http://www.destinyromance.com/contributors/6985/elise-k-ackers