Writer in the Making

What if you’re still struggling with your characters’ wounds? What’s wrong with them? Will you ever pinpoint it? Patience is key. How do I know? Remember goals, motivations, and stakes. Have a listen.

Wishing you all a happy new year! Any goals this year? What did you accomplish last year?

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday! Enjoy your family and friends. Be blessed!

How do you choose a wound that best suits your character? How do you know it’s them? Will it fit in the story?

We made it! We’re in act three of The Princess Bride (1987) film using the Save the Cat Beat sheet. Never forget that endings are just as important as the beginnings. Learn how to bring your stories to a satisfying climax! savethecat.com is mentioned in this episode.

We’re in act two of The Princess Bride (1987) film using the Save the Cat beat sheets. The middle is roughly fifty percent of your book. No one wants a “saggy” middle. Have a listen.

It’s the holidays already? Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you enjoy the holiday with you and yours.

I’m going through the beats of The Princess Bride (1987 film) using the Save the Cat beat sheet. I hope this will help authors even more as they plot their novels. savannahgilbo.com and Blake Synder’s Save the Cat are mentioned in this episode.

Thanks to fellow authors, I’ve discovered Romance Rehab. Not does this site offer book reviews, but it includes help with your book blurbs. Have a listen in case you didn’t know! romancerehab.com is mentioned in this episode.

I haven’t been able to actually write my story until now. Here’s some encouragement for us all. Keep going writers! The words will come.

In between writing my novels, I’m working on short stories and novellas. This one here is a new novella I hope to have in time for Christmas. Christmas Connection soon!

I’ve recently been using Save the Cat to help plot my work. Learn all 15 beats here! Do you need all 15 beats? Not necessarily, but at least you have a system to follow. Savannah Gilbo’s “How to Plot a Novel with the Save the Cat Sheet” and YouTube video “Breaking Down Plot Structure: Save the Cat” by Reedsy are mentioned in this episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8FNu_J4aTY

When writing Christmas Therapy, I struggled with raising the stakes with my characters. I didn’t want the worst to happen to them, but that led to readers calling my work predictable. So... what was my solution to this? After participating in the romance writer’s summit, my decision to raise the stakes was reaffirmed. Was it worth it?

Round two of revisions are underway for Christmas Therapy! I haven’t set a release date as of yet, but it’ll be announced soon. So excited for this story!

National Novel Writing Month is almost here! Are you ready? Am I ready? Have a listen.

If you’ve been keeping with the Romance Summit this week, you’ve been learning different ways to craft your stories better. What was a takeaway for me? Have a listen.

I signed up recently for the Romance Writers Craft Summit. This week videos are live and taught by experts from world building to creating tension for your stories. Have you signed up? www.romancewriterssummit.com is mentioned in this episode.

Finally the first round of revisions are done! I’ve sent Christmas Therapy to my critique partner! How do I feel? Have a listen.

Recently I have discovered a guide that helped me in writing sweet romance. Victorine E. Lieske’s How to Write a Swoon-Worthy Sweet Romance Novel. Have a listen.

I have another book review! An Unforgettable Christmas by Ginny Baird is a available now! Check out my review for Hallmark Publishing on my blog dariawhite.com, Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble! I enjoyed it and I hope you do too!

Sometimes it feels like revisions will never be over! Well, I’ve been in the revision cave all month. I have 14 scenes left to revise! Christmas Therapy is coming soon!

Have you read A Royal Christmas Wish by Lizzie Shane? I had the privilege of reading this book for Hallmark and I loved it! Check out my review at Amazon, Goodreads, my blog dariawhite.com, and Barnes and Noble! Amazing read! Enjoy!

Is a reader magnet necessary? As I build my newsletter, now almost 700 subscribers, did a reader magnet make a difference? For me, yes! Whether it’s a short story, novella, or even a full length novel, have something for readers to take a chance on you. It’ll be worth it in the long run.

I have another review for Hallmark; A Gingerbread Romance by Lacey Baker! This was a Christmas movie that aired last year starring Tia Mowry. Hallmark Publishing turned it into a book so I was excited for the chance to review it! My review will be posted on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble!

Looking for a cozy mystery? I recently reviewed Tracy Gardner’s Out of the Picture from Hallmark Publishing. Check out my review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, and my blog at dariawhite.com