Category Archives: writing

Origin Stories Week

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This week, four different guests will be posting on my blog about their origin stories, Tuesday through Friday. (Not their origins in the comic book sense, though!)They’ll be talking about when they began to write seriously, and why, and where … Continue reading →

Posted in promo, writing | 3 Comments

Openings from the Depths

Posted on January 31, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

One thing I haven’t been able to do for the last couple of years is write short stories. I haven’t lost the ability, or at least I don’t think I have. It’s that I’m spending all my time writing novels. … Continue reading →

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Good versus Talented

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

“Good writing is clear. Talented writing is energetic. Good writing avoids errors. Talented writing makes things happen in the reader’s mind—vividly, forcefully…” — Samuel R. Delany, About Writing: Seven Essays, Four Letters, & Five Interviews

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Finishing the Manuscript

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

When is a novel manuscript finished? 1. When you reach the desired wordcount? (Well, yes, sort of.) 2. When the deadline arrives? (It had better be finished by then.) 3. Finished? What is this finished of which you speak? (Not … Continue reading →

Posted in the duke, writing, writing process | 2 Comments

Grasping Tentacles of DOOOOOM

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

There’s a stage in writing when I’m too busy writing, and thinking about the specifics of the novel, to think about the task of writing itself. Of course I am thinking about writing. I have to be, because I’m doing … Continue reading →

Posted in writing, writing craft, writing process | 10 Comments

Fun with Plot Generators

Posted on January 18, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Recently, I went on an internet search for plot generators. Here are some of the most intriguing scenarios that popped up for me. These came from Archetype Writing.“The story starts when your protagonist opens the closet to find clothes that … Continue reading →

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Werewolves in WWI? Why Not?

Posted on January 13, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This post was written for Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog. For The Moonlight Mistress, I combined a historical novel with paranormal elements. As you probably know already if you read this blog regularly, the book is set during the early days … Continue reading →

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Why No, My Face Is NOT Red

Posted on January 8, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Back in December, I was involved in a discussion about (I paraphrase) how to get used to using “naughty” words in your writing, when they weren’t in your everyday vocabulary.“Naughty” words should be treated just like any other words, as … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, genre, reading, writing | 2 Comments

Goals and Deadlines

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This post was originally written for Leah Braemel’s Blog. A writer’s work is never done, and neither is her goal-setting. I have one goal staring me in the face right now: the deadline to turn in the manuscript of The … Continue reading →

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Worthy Transgressions

Posted on January 6, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

People have been talking for a while about how there’s more erotica being published in both print and electronic formats, and how more people are reading erotica and talking about it, and how erotica is getting more and more explicit … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, genre, reading, writing, writing craft | 4 Comments