The world needs more love stories.
Why not yours?
Why You Should Take the Leap…
01 — Everyone gets book ideas. Few actually write them. Be a writer.
This is your chance to be a writer instead of the person at the party saying “I’ve always wanted to write a book, but…” Invest in your creativity, in your dream, and in your future success. (Want to hear more about how strongly I feel about not letting the writing dream die and why I teach? Check out this page.)
02 — Romance is fun, sexy, and feminist—and good for you!
Romance novels get to be the punchline of a lot of jokes, but those of us who actually read them know what Mr. and Mrs. Judgey-Pants are missing. Romance novels are f**king awesome—well-written ones at least (which is what we’re going to write around here after these classes, right? *lowers my teacher glasses to the tip of my nose and gives you a stern look*) Romance novels are fun, sex-positive, and feminist. Not just that, but they can be straight-up magic. They have helped some with depression. (Here’s the amazing Sherry Thomas talking about how romance novels helped her with postpartum depression.) They can even improve sex drives. If we could put into a pill what romance novels do for many of us, we would be billionaires.
03 — Stand out in the crowd with stellar writing.
One of the reasons romance gets a bad rep is that some romance novels ARE badly written. Granted, there are terribly written books in every genre, but romance seems to get picked on more. That’s why you should strive to put as much effort and attention into craft as you would if you were writing the next great literary fiction novel. Writing romance does not excuse you from learning solid writing fundamentals. My classes are aimed at elevating your writing so that you can stand out in the genre.
04 — Learn from a romance author with over a decade of successful publishing experience.
Look, it’s weird for me to announce to you why you should care what I have to say. But if you want to see my list of awards and starred reviews on my 15+ novels, you can see that here. I’ve been in this business for over a decade, and have made a full-time career out of writing. But, more importantly, I’m not one to hold onto secrets. I’m here to tell you what’s worked for me. I’m here to share what I’ve learned along the way. I’m here to save you time by distilling all of that information into cohesive form so you don’t have to piece it all together like I did. I also make a mean PowerPoint. ;)
05 — Meet fellow romance writers who can offer support, feedback, and encouragement.
Writing is a lonely job. It’s one you shouldn’t do without having a few writing friends that you can reach out to for support, honest critique, and the occasional margarita. I know it can be hard to find those ride-or-die writer friends without actively putting yourself in places where other writers are. But traveling around and going to conferences can get expensive quickly. So, one of the benefits I encourage my students to take advantage of is to network with their fellow classmates. Your new writer best friend or most insightful critique partner may be sitting right next to you in class (virtually speaking.)
But these classes are not for everyone. Do not take the classes if…
01 — You are offended by frank language or discussions about sex.
I’m not one to drop F-bombs all over the place—at least not in class, lol. But teaching romance writing does involves some frank talk about sex. Though most of my classes are geared toward helping those who are writing any level of heat in romance—from Young Adult all the way to erotic romance—that doesn’t mean you won’t hear about the other levels in class. So, if that’s going to make you uncomfortable, then these probably aren’t the right writing workshops for you—unless it’s a productivity workshop or something not directly romance-related. You’ve been warned. ;)
02 — You are looking for a course about marketing or how to get your book loaded onto Amazon.
As of right now, I’m not offering any classes about the publishing process or how to advertise your books. My courses are craft-focused or productivity-focused.
03 — You don’t respect the romance genre.
If you’re not a romance reader but heard it’s a “quick way to make a buck in publishing”, please move on. Romance readers can pick out the books written by someone who is not familiar with the genre or someone who doesn’t respect the genre. Don’t be that person. If you’re not a romance reader yet, but are truly curious about the genre, that’s cool. I didn’t grow up as a romance reader, but found it in my mid-twenties. Late-bloomers are definitely welcome. ;) Just know that your first task is going to be reading all you can to get familiar with the genre. Here’s a good list to start with. (list coming soon)
04 — You are looking for manuscript critique or editorial feedback.
Although I do personal development coaching for writers, that coaching is focused on the writing process and the writer’s personal strengths, not their manuscripts. Having said that, my classes are personal experiences. I’m with you throughout the class and do a number of Q&As and respond to comments, but I can’t offer individual feedback on your stories. However, if you are interested in story coaching or editorial feedback, editor Dawn Alexander, who often joins us for live classes to offer insight, does offer those types of services.
