How I write my books with limited writing time

No one really has time to write.

There are other things we could be doing. I won't even list them down because that's just the reality of today -- we all have other places we should be, things we should be doing. If you want to write, but think that the only time you can start is when you are free from your other responsibilities, then it might never happen. Because when really will the responsibilities stop?

And if you never start, then that's too bad.

What I do instead is find out when I will have time to write, and maximize it. When I was writing No Strings Attached I wasn't a mom yet, but I was working, and had thirty minutes at the end of every workday. I wrote most of that book during that time.

When I was a new mom, and was also writing Queen of the Clueless and Icon of the Indecisive, I had an arrangement with an aunt that she would watch my daughter twice a week. That gave me about four to six hours a week, in total, to write those books.

When my daughter started going to school a few months ago, I could rely on having two hours every weekday to write. I wrote Rules We Like Breaking, 2/3 of Someone Else's Fantasy, and short story No Roses for Hannah (all yet to be released) in that time.

Now that she's on her summer vacation...I have to figure out when to write again.

The key is finding time every day, even less than an hour, and keeping at it. I write using a detailed outline, so it's easy for me to pick up where I left off. When not writing, I'm thinking of what to write on my next session. Once you do this more, you'll find yourself doing more with the same amount of time. I think I've gotten myself to a level where I can write a thousand words in a two-hour period, which is great.

So if you've ever wondered about how I "do it" -- now you know. However this is a lot easier to do when I have a solid story in mind. If you want to try to do it this way, plan your concept and outline well, so you don't spend so much time waiting for inspiration, when you should be writing.

#buqoYA: Another class ends! You are all awesome.

photo from facebook.com/buqoapp

It's all the same, but different. 

#buqoYA is a class similar to #romanceclass, #buqosteamyreads, and #flirtsteamyreads before it. It was mostly online, and you didn't have to go to the meetups or face-to-face classes. It's got a lot of the same people (raise your hand if you attended all of them!), and the goal of each class was to guide people to finish a story. I don't teach grammar or spelling or do much handholding as people write. Instead I provide guidelines and pacing, and suggest ways to help them set up their own support system. Finishing meant getting published, and many of those who finished stories in my previous classes did get published, one way or another.

Different, because this time the class wrote YA. The characters had to be between 16 to 19 years old. I assigned all the participants to one of four tropes, and they had to stick to it, even if they got a trope they hated. I told them they could not remake Romeo and Juliet, so there should be no stories about young lovers from warring families eloping and ending in fake death and real death. (Call them out on it if they do it!) I had screenwriters Charlene Sawit Esguerra, Anton Santamaria, and Katski Flores share their insights on chemistry, tropes, and how to convincingly create history between characters. I made the participants read Stephanie Perkins and Jenny Han. And watch '90s romcoms and Star Cinema movies. 

 

All the lessons were delivered through email, and the only way to discuss things was through Twitter, using the hashtag #buqoYA. It was a joy to check my Twitter feed every day and see authors sharing resources, photos, songs, anything that would help the others get into a "YA mood." It's almost like boot camp, making people write a story and finish it in five weeks. 

Out of over a hundred who signed up, a little over 30 authors finished their YA story. We're still in the editing stage right now, but by the summer we'll have over 30 new stories for young adults. By Pinoy authors. Some of them have published before, many of them are first-timers. I hope I can count on your support and let some new authors into your reading list, and maybe your hearts!

A few things that worked for the participants (as discussed in the last class) that may help you if you want to try out this style of workshop:

1. Get a critique group/support group as early as possible

If you're the kind of writer who needs a critique partner or beta reader group, find people as soon as the class starts. Send them chapters as soon as you write them, if you need to. (My note: Your mileage may vary when it comes to critique groups. Go with whatever will help you finish. I personally don't consult more than two people when writing the standard book, unless I'm doing research. But it depends on what you need done.)

2. Manage your time.

No one ever has time to write. Deciding to write usually means something has to go, like an extra hour of sleep, or the three episodes of that show you wanted to catch up on. It helped that we had a deadline -- because sacrificing something for the sake of an externally imposed deadline seemed more acceptable, than the abstract concept of "working on your novel."

3. Listen to people. Do research.

For some of the writers the challenge was writing "young." For others it was writing a person who seemed too different from who they were. In every case it helped to step back, and open up to the possibility that we need to learn something new. Listen to people. Look things up. Ask other people how they live. I am a fan now of stepping out of our comfort zones, especially when writing. 

4. Embrace the community

This has happened with every single class, I don't know why, but I'll take it. People are pretty awesome. Is it a romance reader thing? A romance writer thing? I've found the people who join the class to be, in general, a helpful bunch. They'll share what they know. They'll help read and edit. (Even when I tell them not to volunteer for things when they're writing on a deadline too!) But you know what? When someone's that helpful, we should give back. Read their story, buy their book, share racy pics with them. (wait...) 

5. Brush up on grammar because I will not be teaching it.

While this all seems like fun and games, I did say it was like boot camp. It was real work. I also did something that I didn't do in previous classes -- I required all submissions to be grammar-checked before submitting to me. Even just a one-paragraph description. If I can't read a submission well past the first few sentences because of the grammar problems, I was not going to let the participant continue until it was edited. The reason I did this should be obvious: I don't teach grammar. I think it slows down the good students when I slow down to take the time to tell someone that their sentence is not grammatically correct. Anyone intending to join a class at this level -- meaning we are looking a publishing deal in the eye -- should have their basics down. I'm not going to be the person who teaches someone subject-verb agreement, please.

6. Join the class because you like what we're asking you to do. Don't join if it's not what you want to do. 

If the class is sponsored (in this case by retailer buqo) the sponsor gets to influence the kind of stories we produce. I think it's a fair trade, since they're making it so that the participants don't pay for anything. I also mention right away what the sponsor is looking for, and give participants every chance to opt out if they find out along the way that this is not the class for them. 

7. Realize that learning doesn't end with "The End." Or "Publish."

Did your beta readers love your story? All the revisions go through okay? Did the copy editor find every typo? That's not the end of it! I don't believe that a story is ever "finally perfect" and then sent out into the world. A story is what it is, and then readers react to it however they want to. Some will love it, some will hate it, and the best we can do is learn from the reactions and apply lessons learned to future work. 

So even after all the work you put in, all the people who helped you...the work is not done. It never is. :) Because now you know how to do this, author, and you might just keep doing it! It won't end. 

Let's hope it doesn't.

As always, this class was fun, and I'm glad it worked for so many of you. But you have to remember that I didn't really do much more than send emails. You did all the work. A book with your name on it exists now because you did all the work.  

Workshop and training update

Print book formatting and affordable printing, with co-facilitator Tania Arpa, February 28, O2 Space Makati. Sign up here: bit.ly/learnprintpub

After February 28, we are conducting training based on requested schedules only. Choose your schedule here, if you'd like us to help you set you up as a digital and print publisher: bit.ly/aaotraining.

I've been accepting many opportunities to speak and give talks on publishing and writing, so there will be those too. But if you're interested in learning to publish, and actually publishing your book, in a classroom type setting, with me as the instructor, this will be the only way we'll be doing it in the near future. Thanks!

Missed a class? Get the textbook and skeds

I've put the lessons from #romanceclass and #steamyreads on Gumroad. Consider these PDF handouts, as if you attended the workshops. Best if you're a self-paced learner. If you feel you need to be writing with a community, do reach out to me and the other authors. We're still doing online discussions about this! (Or we can talk about stuff again if you really really need us to.)

#steamyreads textbook

#romanceclass textbook

Stories/Books I released in 2014

Kids These Days (Luna East Volume 1) (short story "Fifty Two Weeks")

Properly Scandalous (Scambitious 2)

Wedding Night Stand

Say That Things Change: New Adult Quick Reads 1 (short story "Creation Myths")

Sola Musica: Love Notes From A Festival (short story "Georgia Lost and Found")

Perfect Boyfriends: My Imaginary Ex/No Strings Attached/That Kind of Guy compiled international edition

Gifted Little Creatures (an Interim Goddess of Love short story, featuring art by Raine Sarmiento)

The Harder We Fall (Spotlight New Adult #1)

Never Just Friends (Spotlight New Adult #2)

Thank you to everyone who was part of what I think was an awesome year, as far as being an author was concerned. :) Hope you're back for more next year!

Join the #buqoYA class (January 24 to February 28, 2015)

Telling you now, so you can spend the next month preparing:

New online class. January 24. We're writing YA romance. You in?

If you've attended #buqosteamyreads and #flirtsteamyreads before, the format will be very similar. I will be facilitating a mostly-online writing class. It will run from January 24 to February 28, 2015. Most of the lessons will be sent through email, but there will be two (optional but fun) face-to-face classes. 

This class will be sponsored by ebook retailer buqo. (Thanks, buqo!) Some details we know right now:

- Participants must write and submit an original YA romance/contemporary story (like previous classes I've held, there will be some required elements in each story as a challenge to each author)

- 5,000 words minimum

- English or Filipino or Taglish

- Authors retain copyright of their stories

- Finished work will be offered an ebook distribution deal on buqo

- The class is free! 

(Authors under contract with publishers must first get clearance to independently enter a distribution agreement with buqo. Thanks!)

Ready to be a published YA author? :) Sign up here to join the #buqoYA list.

This is only the first of several classes planned for 2015! If this is not exactly your thing, or if the timing doesn't work out, don't worry, future classes might be a better fit. 

State of the Publishing Strategy 2014

When I decided to publish my own books, that was a "hey let's try this" that became, whether I planned it or not, the thing that would define me as an author. There are people who are aware of me as a self-publisher who've never picked up my books. So that's how it's going to be.

Here's a summary of the past four years of self/indie publishing:

1. I explored ebook retailers apart from Amazon.

I had one fantastic year on Amazon, and one great year on B&N, and then...boring. My sales plateaued, a sign that I was selling books to mostly the same group and it wasn't expanding. I tried Amazon exclusivity and felt that it wasn't worth it, but the difficulty with being everywhere? It's a lot of work to be everywhere. Submitting to ebook retailers with different submission requirements. Making edits and corrections. When the same book looks different on a different site. Arg. It's tempting, so tempting, to just stick to the bigger stores, because why do this work for the 2 people who buy from that store because they refuse to buy from the biggest ones? But I did it anyway, because I should be everywhere. It's taking a bit of time though for me to get everything done.

2. I pushed print on demand and cheaper print editions.

Because of the requests for paperback I kept getting, I worked a lot with printers the past four years, to release all my books in print within the same month as they were out in ebook. I also found alternatives so that a book could be sold for P200 -- very close to my traditionally published print books, which are P175 each. This is also exhausting work, and should only be done for love, and not profit. Even though I've got the process down and know how I can get it done, I've decided that it's not worth the time spent. 

People who love print books? They have a standard of printing quality, I believe, that must be maintained. If I were to give them what they deserve as book lovers (a beautiful cover, well-designed book pages, good quality printing) and produce it as an indie publisher, it would be super expensive. There will be some people who will want it, but the ones who just want a cheap read they find in a bookstore? I can't provide that for them.

3. I wrote for the audience.

After writing, selling, and promoting contemporary romance in English with Filipino characters for three and a half years, I tried something new: I wrote a contemporary romance in English. Were the characters Filipino? No...or are they? I didn't say anything either way. I wrote a romance novel exactly how I write them, set it in a place I was familiar with because my family lives there (but it's not in the Philippines), and it was promoted the way that international contemporary romances are usually promoted. And...it was a success. A modest success compared to other books, but definitely the biggest success of any book of mine, given the same time period.

So what's happening now?

1. My focus is back to digital. With a vengeance.

Any time I have I think should be spent writing, instead of publishing. Print on demand will still be available of course, but I've dropped from my brain space all plans to try to come up with print distribution model that will work for me. I will work with anyone who has figured this out, but I won't try to come up with it myself.

I will focus on writing more, and getting my work out to the growing number of readers who want to read ebooks. Print lovers will still have print on demand, and I'll probably still sell at book fairs if I can. But it's digital first for me, and those who are into digital too will get loads of perks. In fact, my mailing list and various book groups already don't pay more than $1 for any of my books. Stick with me and a book will always be cheap or free. :) I can't offer that deal with print.

2. For everything else, I will work with other people.

Right now I teach writing and publishing classes. But I don't do or know everything, so I also work with bookstores, book bloggers, and printers when I can. Moving forward, I'll continue this practice, and just let people do what they do best.

3. I'm writing romance, period.

That romance-writing experiment? I'm doing more of it. I've started writing a new series called Spotlight, and the first two of the books will come out this year. International settings, international characters, but romance the way I write it. 

I will still write my Philippine-setting stories (under the series Chic Manila) but expect more Spotlight stuff in the future as I work on filling up that line.

This is how it is now. Who knows how it'll be next year? See you all then. :)

Keep Writing

Via pinterest

I was asked to give advice for "aspiring writers" today and even though one of the worst things I can say is "write like it's a job" I'm going to say it.

If you want to do this writing thing, and more of it, eventually you'll have to stop thinking that it's something you do "when you have time" or "when you're inspired." Some people like to think that it's who they are, but I like to think of it as what I do. 

Because trust me, there are so many reasons to stop doing this. No time, no ideas, no readers, no publisher, no bottom line. People have stopped writing, and stopped being writers, because of this and more. And that's fine, but when you think of this as the thing you do, then you never really stop. 

Author Year 2013

Released this year:
Queen of the Clueless (Interim Goddess of Love #2)
Summit editions of Love Your Frenemies, Interim Goddess of Love, and Queen of the Clueless

Wrote and released:
Extraordinary (short story prequel to Anti Dynasty)
Icon of the Indecisive (Interim Goddess of Love #3)
Young and Scambitious (short story)
Fifty-Two Weeks (short story, contribution to Luna East YA compilation)
Welcome to Envy Park
Playing Autumn

Started writing/outlining:
Iris Moving On
Spark
Properly Scandalous (Scambitious 2)
Anti Dynasty
My Muse Apollo

YAY. I will not put pressure on myself to finish anything new right now and will just enjoy the holidays. I wish everyone a happy and stress-free couple of weeks! :D

PS. Tune in on Thursday, Dec 26 at 7:30 PM. I've got a podcast with Tania Arpa and our first guest is author Kate Evangelista!

Author at Once Writing Workshop: Marikina City

What I'm doing on August 24. Sign up here if you're a high school (junior or senior) or college (any year level) student living in Marikina City.

A taste of my own medicine: Going through #romanceclass

Assignment 1 (sort of) and 2

I'm starting a new contemporary romance novella project (calling it Iris Moving On), and I decided to put myself through my own novella writing class. I will have to modify it slightly because this project is not my usual romance novella, but I think the #romanceclass steps will still be helpful.

So this past week, I got to work on Assignment 1 (Premise and Ending) and Assignment 2 (Outline). I'm not exactly done with the ending though, because I pretty much just decided on the outcome, but didn't determine yet the circumstances. That got a little clearer though when I worked on my outline. I also spent some time on names, because they are so important. You'd think it would be easy to give characters names, since there are thousands in existence, but this is my tenth (!) novella project and it's getting harder to just pull out names that I really like.

Next up? I'll think about the ending some more. And then in parallel, will start on Assignment 3 (Act One).

What's the plan, writer?

Yesterday was the last day of our Author at Once Creative Writing Short Course at iAcademy, and it was an amazing six weeks. My session was about publishing options, but it really was about, What's the plan, writer? Now that you went through a writing course, and I've told you how easy it is to get a book out, what's the plan? I asked them this at the beginning of my session, and then again after. Because I wanted everyone to admit what it was that they really wanted to get out of it. Why write? Why think about publishing?

Writing is something we can do by ourselves, and it can happen whether or not anyone gets to read the work. So writing itself, that isn't a goal. Finishing something, maybe. I've helped people do that. But then what? Is it really enough to look proudly at the thing you wrote and then hide it in a shelf somewhere?

So we talked about goals. And I asked them to not be shy about it. Because admitting what you really want (fame? recognition? critical acclaim? money?) and telling people who can help, will get you what you want sooner, right? So they admitted it (and I won't reveal the goals because they were told in confidence haha) and we discussed some practical ways to achieve them. 

There will be another run of the short course soon, but I asked that it happen after the Manila International Book Fair (sometime mid-September) because I'll be busy then. There will also be another Author at Once afternoon talk in September, will announce when soon. 

PS - Yesterday, Tania Arpa also spoke about cover design, author marketing, and story pitching, and it was awesome. I mean, we talk about this all the time and I work with her and all, but I still learned a bunch. It pays to actually attend these things, even as a speaker! Heehee.

#romanceclass finishers Batch 2!

Source: ohdarlingwedding.blogspot.com via Melissa on Pinterest

It's not over yet!

The book descriptions featured here are from the seven other novels that were completed during the official #romanceclass course period. If you'd like to see any of these stories become actual books, available for everyone to read, you can help by offering:

• Editing services
• Cover design services
• A book deal!
• To promote these books (when they are published) through your blog or book club by signing up here: bit.ly/asianbooks

A round of applause and confetti for our authors and stories!

Save The Cake by Stella Torres

After years of living abroad, Eloisa Carreon is back home and working at Reyna Bakery, where she is expected to carry on the family tradition of creating the best cakes in Manila. But it's a return to drama: Her over-protective brother supervises her every move; her parents wory about her growing independence; and her friends won’t stop setting her up with guys who never turn out as advertised. So when she is asked to design the cake for a big wedding – staged to cover up a couple’s elopement – Eloisa takes on the duties with an understandable dose of cynicism. 

What starts out as an obligation takes a turn when Eloisa meets her match in Sean Alvarez, the wedding's handsome videographer. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Eloisa's got a dramatic, meddling family and her own emotional baggage to deal with. She must decide if she should take the risk and follow her heart, before she loses her mind. And when better to do it than during the year's biggest wedding?

Finding X by Miles Tan

Is there a science to falling in love? 

Carlisle Santiago is through with men. After the devastating end of a seven-year relationship, she's trying to put her life back together. What she doesn't know is that she is the subject of the patient and methodical observations of blue-haired scientist Matteo Villegas, who just wants to find love himself. She must decide whether she's ready to give love another shot or if this is doomed to be one failed experiment.

Cover (Story) Girl by Chris Mariano

1) She has amnesia.
2) She’s on the run from her father’s creditors.
3) She’s enjoying her last days on earth. 

Ever since Jang Min Hee walked into Gio’s small museum, she’s given him one excuse after another on why she’s vacationing at scenic Boracay Island. Rarely has Gio’s carefully catalogued world been shaken like this. Soon he finds himself scrambling over rocks, hiding in dressing rooms, and dragging her out of bars. But what is true and what is a lie? Their worlds are getting unraveled -- one story at a time.

Painted Love by Jonnalyn Cabigting

Julie is determined to be the best -- and most adored -- artist in her school, and everywhere. Jun, an actual art prodigy, seems to want to avoid attention at all costs. When they meet because his talent makes her question hers, she goes all out in competing with her new rival. Will her ego get in the way of the her first real love?

Blast From Two Pasts by Kristel Villar

Fate's been playing tricks on Cara Nicolas lately. She agrees to go on a blind date with her best friend's fiance's cousin, only to discover that the guy is her first love from elementary school, Lucas Lobregat. Now that would have been a charming story, except that the date turns out to be one of the worst ever. And they can't even pretend it never happened, because they're both suddenly part of the wedding preparations. 

Just as she is starting to get to know more about the boy she used to love, Oliver Sta. Maria, an old flame who owes her some closure, surprisingly shows up. With two pasts resurfacing, which will Cara choose to rekindle? Or will she ever choose at all?

Pursuing Perfection by Alyssa Ashley Lucas

College student Snow Montelo knows what kind of guy she's looking for. She even has a list of qualities ready (the usual -- gorgeous, caring, smells good, etc), to guide her just in case. When she meets Connor Madrid, who's got his own list, they agree to work together to find each other's perfect person. Will they find Mr. and Ms. Right? 

The Real Score by Kessica Tanglao

Caitlin's friendship with Marcus (the de facto frontman of the world's biggest boyband Gezellig) has long been an object of scrutiny by almost everyone -- their friends and families, the media, and his fans -- ever since they "went public" a couple of years back. Who wouldn't be interested? She was a nobody, catapulted into the limelight of his fame when he struck an unusual friendship with her. 

To both Caitlin and Marcus, what they have is "what you see what you get." To everybody else, there is something more. And then comes a deal the pair couldn't refuse: a magazine offers a huge amount to be donated to their charities of choice in exchange for a no-holds-barred interview. Will they finally settle the score? Or will they stick to the status quo?

#romanceclass finishers! (Batch 1)

Source: weheartit.com via ℰｒｉｋａ on Pinterest

This post makes me giddy.

The writers who participated in #romanceclass were part of an online community, sure, but by design the course had them do most of the work on their own. So sure, I set deadlines, and gave assignments, and handed over a big secret (my outline), but they came up with everything else. I only came in again at the end and helped some write book descriptions and suggested titles.

How can you help make a writer even happier? You could offer:

• Editing services
• Cover design services
• A book deal!
• To promote these books (when they are published) through your blog or book club by signing up here: bit.ly/asianbooks

Fourteen novellas were completed (and submitted to me) by the official deadline of June 9. The others have sworn not to give up the fight, and I will continue to help them out. But let's give this first batch of finishers (presented in no particular order) a round of applause. And a big yay!

All's Fair in Blog and War by Chrissie Peria

Five Cuevas @fivetravels
Three guesses to where I'm going next. Starts with an M. Ends with a U. Has a lechon named after it. #travel

Travel blogger Five thinks she's hit the jackpot when the Macau Tourism Board invites her over for an all-expense-paid blogger tour in exchange for blogging about Macau. But while she happily signs up for the trip, she didn't sign up to be travel buddies with the infuriating Jesse. Will her dream vacation turn into a nightmare junket? Or will falling in love be on the itinerary?

Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano

24-year old Rain De Castro has been burying herself in her IT work for months for highly personal reasons: her best friend since forever, Mark Velasco, is happy with his own love life while she has been pining over him since college. When she finds out that Mark is single again, she thinks this might be her chance to finally get out of the friend zone and show Mark that he is meant to be with her.

But it's proving to be difficult when Rain's estranged cousin comes into the picture, and sets her eyes on Mark. And it seems like Mark likes her cousin, too. Rain is more than willing to fight for him this time around, but is he willing to fight for her, too? Will she step aside to give way for her best friend's happiness, even if it means losing him to someone else, again?

A Heart Full of Love by Jayen San Diego

Samantha Soriano can make a love song come alive when she sings it, but all her true feelings are trapped inside. Jared's one of the cutest guys in school and when he befriends her anyway -- despite her being so clumsy and awkward -- she falls hard, but was content with keeping it a secret. When she decides to finally tell him, he surprises her with a request: He wants to date Claudette, her beautiful (not at all clumsy and awkward) foster sister. Would she help him? Should she?

Backstage Pass to Love by Ellaine Dimla

Ashley was all about finding her dream job. At twenty-four, settling for a blah career wasn't even an option. She may have gotten her wish when a series of (fortunate?) events lead her to a new job -- working with The Labyrinth, hottest band in the country, and right alongside with rock demigod Red Rodrigo. How will this regular girl survive the ups and downs of life in the spotlight?

Vintage Love by Agay Llanera

25-year-old Crissy Lopez’s life is in dire need of a makeover. Her wardrobe revolves around ratty shirts and beat-up sneaks; her grueling schedule as a TV Executive leaves no room for a social life; and worst of all, she’s still hung up on the Evil Ex who left her five years ago.

When her fashionable grand-aunt passes away and leaves behind a roomful of vintage stuff, the Shy Stylista inside Crissy gradually resurfaces. Soon, she feels like she's making progress -- with a budding lovelife to boot! But the grim ghost of her past catches up with her, threatening to push her back into depression. To finally move on, Crissy learns that walking away is not enough. This time, she needs to take a leap of faith.

In Over Her Head by Anne Plaza

29-year-old Erika Apostol is the picture of success, at least, that's what they all think. Life couldn't be more perfect, until she learns that Richard Javier, the very same person who broke her heart many years ago, is now back in the Philippines. Her world is turned upside down as old feelings she thought were buried resurface to haunt her once more.

Determined to give Richard a dose of his own medicine, Erika enlists the help of the reluctant Jerome Gonzales. All she wants is to get back at Richard, but there's something more to Jerome than meets the eye. Will Erika's plan work out the way it should, or is she just in for a lot more hurt?

Second Time Around by Danica Cohu

Rianne has lost her memory of the past two years due to an accident, but letters from a mysterious "Sparks" -- found in a pile of unread mail at home -- has been helping her cope. The letters tell her of a couple's love story, and she hopes to find the same unconditional love someday. Rebuilding her life has been a mess though: her guy best friend is claiming to have been her boyfriend that time, but she seems more at ease with a mysterious stranger. Does she trust the past she can't remember, or take a chance with a more uncertain future?

#romanceclass, the paperback

Much as I enjoyed (and I really really really did) organizing and facilitating my free contemporary romance writing course this year, I won't have time to continue it, or offer it again anytime soon.

So this is the next step for what we've nicknamed #romanceclass. I took all the assignments, my original outline, my main discussion posts, my answers to questions, and compiled it all in this handy little book.

Contemporary romance novellas are fun, light, quick reads. Usually less than 50,000 words, about the many ways that men and women meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

Maybe predictable, if you've read enough of them, but for a writer that just means this is a great format to start a career with. This book will help you:
1. Learn a simple plot structure for a romance novella
2. Set a reasonable and practical writing schedule
3. Finish the manuscript and prepare it for publication

This is pretty much everything I handed over to the class in the online forum. At least, everything they needed to complete their books. It's about 60 pages, and is available in paperback for P500.00. If you're one of the 100 people already in the class Facebook group, you will have a special price (less than P500 definitely, if you want it at all haha).

Email minavesguerra@gmail.com if you'd like a copy! Or order from CreateSpace.

Looking for more contemporary romances in English by Filipino authors? We just made some.

Source: Uploaded by user via RosanaThomasi on Pinterest

In January, pretty much on a whim, I decided to set up a free online class and teach anyone willing to write a contemporary romance novella.

100 people joined the Facebook group, where most of the discussions are taking place. Over 50 sent Assignment 1 (Premise and Ending), over 30 submitted Assignment 2 (Outline), about a dozen or so proceeded to writing their manuscripts, and some volunteered to beta-read work for others.

The class technically ends on June 9, when the complete 30,000-ish word novella manuscript is due.

As of today, eight (early bird) writers have submitted their novellas! Eight more contemporary romance novellas by Filipino authors exist now! Congratulations. Click on the links to read their thoughts on the class and how they finished their manuscripts:

• Agay
• Kessica
• Ellaine
• Jayen
• Stella
• Jonnalyn
• Danica
• Ashley

The class isn't over yet, and I know that more are likely going to make it to the end. What I'm seeing so far though?

• Yes it's possible for someone who has never written a 30,000 word anything to finish a contemporary romance novella in a matter of months.
• Apparently the method that has helped me write and finish things can help other people write and finish things too.

What happens after June 9? I will be retiring the free version of the class. (People who want to try it out will have options though!) The Facebook group will remain up for as long as the community wants to discuss things, and I will continue to give feedback and review work, but I can't promise to do it on a regular sked. 

For the people who finish writing, I will be helping them out with whatever they want to do with their manuscripts.

And we will be starting a new (and open) writing project for those who just want to keep writing. 

This was so much fun to do. More news soon!

My next project: A YA paranormal novella

Photo by Sam Ramos-Zaragoza

We're doing this.

My next project is a YA paranormal novella, and we're calling it Spark. I'm writing it with Katrina Ramos Atienza.

More details soon!

Author at Once (High School), April 20

Where I'll be this weekend:

bronzeage.ph/authoratonce

It's our writing/publishing workshop, but this time for young writers. We specifically invited high school students, but we're actually going to have a few from college (and even grade school!). Which is great, and we welcome them. What we want to do is answer questions young writers may have about their options, their possible future in writing, and what they can do with this hobby.

So excited! See you on Saturday!

Why the short novel

All my published novellas are between 25,000 to 35,000 words. If you look at most how-to pages for novels and what word count will get you published, you likely won't see that number, because US publishers traditionally don't invest in the novella as a format. Why write a novella anyway?

Publishing is different in the Philippines. The reason why all my books are novellas? Because they were intended to be short. Printing over a thousand copies of each book is a considerable expense. My publisher gave me a maximum word count, so I had to learn to create a world, characters, and have things happen to them all in that space. I knew that each page should count. (They have since upped the max word count and I think it's evaluated on a case to case basis now.)

It's easy to finish writing one. That's the thing with focusing on just a main plot and a handful of characters -- you can write that fairly quickly, if you stick to a schedule.

It's easy to sell it, if you're self or indie publishing. You'll be able to competitively price a novella in a print or ebook store, and get a chance to be bought by people who are browsing for impulse reads.

People who don't regularly read might just pick it up anyway. I love it when I get this comment! Some college students I met recently told me that they preferred the novella because they can buy it, read it quickly, lend it to a friend, and talk about it the next day. Novellas are what got me started on reading, and I'm happy to return the favor by writing books that serve the same purpose.

Contemporary Romance Class: A story by the numbers

We had our first face-to-face "class" yesterday. "Class" is being used loosely here -- it was more of a group of people sitting around a table talking. We met at Balkan (Yugoslavian Home Cooking) at Legazpi Village, Makati, and talked for a little over two hours.

On the agenda: Everyone got to introduce their story, spoil everyone else for how it ends, and ask questions specific to what they need to do to finish it.

My "lecture" was really just guiding them through the outline I used for Fairy Tale Fail, based on the hero's journey/morphology of the folk tale. It pretty much identifies all the necessary scenes in a certain linear sequence, and hopefully it leads to a fully outlined novella for everyone.

I asked two people in the class to share how they did their first assignment. One of them was writing a male main character and I enjoyed how she pretty much storyboarded her submission -- it gave me a really clear picture of what she planned to do and how it was going to end. The other had so very detailed visual and behavioral pegs for her characters, so I felt that I really knew who they were, and it seemed like every decision they'd make could be traced back to that "character bible."

We also discussed some trends I saw in the story submissions. Some of them:
- Family: In my own novellas (7 published so far) I haven't given as much weight to how a main character's family affects her romantic choices. I don't think I've factored it in at all. But that's because of my own upbringing (my family never told me who to love) and also because I wanted to avoid that trope, which is so common in Philippine media. But I didn't discourage anyone from doing this, as it's common in media for a reason. It's actually true in many cases.
- Romance by coercion/compulsion: Related to the family trend, there were a few pitches that relied on an external force "compelling" the Main Character and Love Interest to a certain decision. Usually a dying wish, or parental pressure. This I gave comments on, in some cases leading the writer away from it, or at least asking how we as readers can feel confident about the Love Interest's love if he's being coerced/compelled into it.
- Gay: A few stories mentioned the "Mistaken for Gay" trope, or the "Transparent Closet" trope. Told them to reconsider, unless they really know what they're doing.
- Mary Sue Main Characters: In the form of main characters who are remarkably similar to the author in terms of: physical appearance, career, certain behavioral traits, "no boyfriend since birth" etc. This isn't necessarily wrong, but authors overidentifying with their main characters could lead to the bad things about Mary Sues (too perfect, too defensive, too tailored for one person's wish-fulfillment).

It was fascinating! And I thank everyone who came over, some from very far, on a Sunday afternoon to talk about the crazy idea of actually finishing a romance novella.

Next assignment is due on March 9, and the next face-to-face class the week after.