Announcement: Contemporary Romance Writers Is Now A Standalone Writing Organization
As a former chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Contemporary Romance Writers (CRW) membership voted in September 2021 to disaffiliate from RWA. Notice was given, as were the final results of the vote, and RWA removed CRW from its list of affiliated chapters before the end of October 2021. The Future of CRW Board […]
Wait. Do I Need New Shoes?
~ By Melina Kantor I used to feel like I knew how to “conference.” At one point in my life, I attended RWA Nationals three years in a row. I knew people. I had an RWA chapter. I had business casual clothes. Oh. And I was writing. And not just sometimes. And then. I moved […]
Food Glorious Food
Brazilian Feijoada Recipe and Memories of my Time in Brazil ~ By Katie Baldwin In my latest book, A Ghost of a Chance, there is a lot of talk of food. I love to cook, and that love has spilled into my romances. My stories often feature characters happily cooking in the kitchen. I have […]
How to Make Writers’ Conferences Work for You
~ By Katie McCoach Note: This post originally appeared here. Conference season is upon us! Okay, yes, it’s pretty much a year-round thing, but because my favorite conference is coming up (RWA), I’m feeling the conference vibes and want to share some thoughts with you. There are hundreds of conferences, day-long events, workshops, and online retreats that […]
So You Want To Diversify
~ By Meka James So, if you read my title and thought this would be some odd post on financial portfolios you would be mistaken. First you do NOT want me giving financial advice. LOL Numbers seriously make my head hurt. Secondly, this is a writing blog, so you probably know where this is heading. […]
10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Writing
~ By Brighton Walsh 10. This business is a whole lot of hurry up and wait. And, okay, that’s probably not a new one for you. I’m sure if you’ve read even one author’s blog, you’ve heard this. But I cannot stress it enough. It’s basically one giant waiting game—waiting for the call, waiting for contracts, […]
How Do I CAST My Story?
~ By Jeff Salter This post originally appeared here. First of all, let me say that it’s not particularly easy for me to delve into the “how” and “why” of what or who I write. Not that I’m trying to keep big secrets here… more like I just don’t think about the process all that […]
Congratulations Unpublished Finalists!
Contemporary Romance Writers is pleased to announce the unpublished finalists for the 2019 Stiletto Contest. Thank you to all who entered. Good luck to our unpublished finalists! Short Contemporary Final Round Judges: Meghan Farrell (editor – Tule Publishing) and Veronica Park (agent – Fuse Literary) Fit For Love by Karina Coldrick Bidding On Her Ex by Betsy […]
Write like a Marketer: How to Build your Writing Brand through Blogs
~ By Sofia Sawyer I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, first starting with some pretty basic poems when I was in grammar school all the way to full-length manuscripts by my early twenties. I was creative, always looking for ways to tell a story. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties when I […]
Writing Fresh and Cliché Busting
~ By Rita Henuber This post originally appeared here. Ever been dinged in a contest or in a critique for using a cliché? I sure have. What is a cliché? Here are a few general definitions I found. A cliché is an analogy characterized by its overuse. It may be true (‘Fat as a pig’), no […]
Know ‘Em, Break ‘Em
~ By Brighton Walsh I think I’ll start this post off with a bang while quoting Nora Roberts from a past RWA conference: “If anyone tells you there is a ‘right’ way to write they are a lying bitch.” Yes, yes I do believe you are correct, Nora. One of the things I love most about […]
The Garden Tea – A Friday Writing Prompt
Happy Friday! And happy spring! ? We figured this would be the perfect time for a writing prompt. Ready? Your protagonist, in addition to being busy with a fulfilling yet exhausting career, really loves to cook and bake. She has a new apartment that she really loves, and she’s especially proud of the private patio […]
