Upcoming Pitches

If you're an aspiring writer but are feeling intimidated to put yourself out there, see if your work qualifies for any of the "Open Call" I've listed to the left. This is a chance to avoid a slush pile and go straight to the editor. Who wants to pass that up?

The pitches are geared towards well established lines within the house of Harlequin and ask for some very specific elements. Beware, if you don't achieve all of these elements - and then some - you won't stand a chance. I've heard it happen, I swear. If any of these openings make your antenna stand at attention, be sure to read the writing guidelines and adhere to them. It's not easy molding your stories towards predefined requirements - trust me, I've been trying to do it for over a year - but with practice, anything's possible.

You'll be up against some stiff competition, so to help us both out, here's an article I ran across just now that will give some insight to writing the perfect pitch (and be sure to scroll down and check out the accompanying articles on the bottom left specific to romance).

As for the open calls, well, those are a little more flexible to interpretation. Either way, be sure to check them all out. I'll update the list as deadlines pass by and other opportunities open up.

~Hetal

Getting started with a BANG

I didn't mean that dirtily, for shame! Get your mind out of the gutter.  ;)

What I mean is that I think I've finally accepted that each of my stories doesn't start off fast enough. I've known for some time that I tend to write a lot of exposition in the start, believing that the set up should include pertinent historical details - historical to the characters, not actual history. But it tends to slow the pace down, something I've long ignored and assumed people would overlook due to my exceptional writing (I know, I'm laughing too).

I'm fighting my own nature here, trying to write action interspersed with the internal drama first, then following with the back story. I even wrote a new first chapter last night. Over 3000 words of drama and action...where the hero and heroine have yet to meet. Not good. In fact, if I kept my original script, they would now not meet until the third chapter - a big, huge, glaring no no in the romance industry.

I've read it time and again: have your hero and heroine meet as soon as possible. There are very few editors and agents who will hang on until chapter two or three for the life altering meet, even if the writing is that good.

So now I'm contemplating a brand new chapter one while preserving the rest of the piece. I seem to be working backwards, here, where I should be working forward. I had already mind-plotted (because I'm a pantser not a plotter - much to my own detriment) chapters to insert between chapters, but redoing the beginning was not on my original agenda.

As a result, I'm revising my original "submit MS by end of the month" to "submit partial by end of month". I think I'm breathing a sigh of relief on the inside. I have every intention of completing (after all, what if they like it? I want it ready to send off), while temporarily concentrating on the first three chapters.

I've already decided to target Silhouette Nocturne, but am keeping Dorchester and various epubs in mind, you know, "just in cases".

~Hetal

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but I can't make resolutions - at least, none that I've ever been able to keep.  The typical has always made my list: eat better, exercise more, cut back on the chocolate, find a better job, be closer to my family, etc.  Always, I seem to come close to, then utterly fail all my goals.

So no resolutions for me.  Nope, I'm going to live as I write: by the seat of my pants.

Speaking of, finally managed to add some words to the MS I'm reworking and was able to add another 1000 wds.  Woo-hoo!  Unfortunately, they only tacked onto my first chapter which means I have many more to go.  Slow and steady and I'll hopefully accomplish something big:  submission of a partial by the end of January.

I'm squeaking on the inside, both in fear and excitement.  Fingers crossed that I don't chicken out this time.

I May be Back...

...but my mind is still on vacation!  We got back late Sunday trading the veritably sunny skies of FL for the leaden, powdery ones of OH.  Remember when I said I missed the snow?  Well, I didn't miss it quite this much.

I love to look at the white stuff from the comfort of my home, but make me step foot in it, and I balk.  No, really - I do.  For example:  we've been gone for nine days so our house needed to be put back in order.  You know, groceries, books (in my case), the return to a regular exercise routine (my hubby), diapers, baby's food/snacks/milk...well, you get the picture.  Do you think I went out to accomplish all these things?

If your answer was yes, you are sadly mistaken.  Twice in two days, I found ways to convince the husband to get the necessities (and not-so-necessities) for me.  I'm such a sweetie.  :)

In any case, it is good to be home.  Baby and I have already laid down in front of the Christmas tree several times to look up at the lights, I will no longer complain about my bed as this mattress is far superior to the one I occupied last week, and even the cat was happy to see us, though he's taken to "crying" at three in the morning just to make sure someone's around to hear him.

I have yet to write/revise, but give me time.  I'll get to it.  My mind's still recounting palm trees.

~Hetal

Greetings from Florida

For some reason, I thought the weather would be better...but I shouldn't complain.  The variable 65-75 degree temperatures in Orlando are much better than the 30 degrees with flurries currently painting my hometown a pristine white.  That is, until the snow plows get ahold of the powder and turn it a slushy gray.  Still, for those few hours before the city comes out en force to clear paths to workplaces/schools/other, the world is like the inside of a prismatic crystal.

I'm kind of missing the snow right now.

~Hetal