Category Archives: writing

Take All Chances

Posted on January 1, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

This post originally appeared at author Crista McHugh’s blog on November 30, 2009. Today’s topic is lessons I’ve learned about being a professional writer. After “butt in chair, fingers on keyboard,” the most important lesson I’ve learned is to take … Continue reading →

Posted in business of writing, writing | 1 Comment

Looking Backwards

Posted on December 31, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I’ve been looking at the statistics for this blog, and selected some of the year’s most-visited posts for your delectation. My Favorite Girls Dressed As Boys – romance edition. Nifty Stuff That Ought To Be In Romance Novels.Normative Heterosexuality and … Continue reading →

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Setting and Characterization Through Food

Posted on December 29, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

This post was originally written for the Romance Junkies blog. I love food, both eating it and reading about it, and that interest sometimes translates into my work. I use food for several different purposes, most notably to establish setting … Continue reading →

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Be Like a Bug

Posted on December 24, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

“All that energy we expend to keep things running right is not what’s keeping things running right. We’re bugs struggling in the river, brightly visible to the trout below. With that fact in mind, people like to make up all … Continue reading →

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The Romance Formula Myth

Posted on December 9, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Romance readers know there’s no formula for romance novels, but a lot of other people seem to think there is, something like, “First kiss on page three, problem arises pages fifteen, first kiss with tongue page eighteen, hero falls in … Continue reading →

Posted in category, romance novels, writing | 10 Comments

Dream Stories

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I have a mental list of stories I want to write. Also a list I’d like to revisit, that I attempted but never completed to my satisfaction. And a few files that are nothing but a few sentences, that just … Continue reading →

Posted in writing, writing process | 6 Comments

Oral Tradition, Epithets, and J.D. Robb

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

In many romance novels, particularly those in series, the reader’s familiarity with the characters and setting can be reinforced by repeated use of the same descriptive phrases. I think this is similar to the technique of assigning epithets, often poetic, … Continue reading →

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NaNoWriMo – O – Rama

Posted on November 2, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

It’s a big question this month, all over the Internet: are you nano-ing? Yes, once again it’s National Novel Writing Month. I am not participating in NaNoWriMo, and never have, but I think it can be a useful tool for … Continue reading →

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Writers, Live and In Person

Posted on October 27, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Yay, the French edition is now for sale at Harlequin France! You can also buy it at Decitre. And now for some actual content: Normally, my writers’ workshop meets once every couple of months, but it’s been a little less … Continue reading →

Posted in promo, writing, writing craft, writing process | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Ursula!

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

“We turn not older with years but newer every day.” –Emily Dickinson Today is Ursula Kroeber LeGuin’s 80th Birthday. [Photo copyright Eileen Gunn] “Socrates said, “The misuse of language induces evil in the soul.” He wasn’t talking about grammar. To … Continue reading →

Posted in holiday, quotes, sf/f, writing | 2 Comments