Welcome to my writers' page. Here, you will find interviews, articles on the writer's life, craft and the romance publishing industry and useful links for aspiring writers. I will keep adding to this page, so check back soon for more. And if you have a burning question on writing you would like answered, please visit my blog.
Go to...
- FAQs
- 5 minutes with... Christine Wells – an interview with RWAustralia
- What happened when I got "the Call" – blog entry by my agent, Jessica Faust at BookEnds Literary Agency
- Romance Writing Contests – One Path to Publication – article
- The Good, The Bad, The Unread – A Heroine and a Horse...
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get your ideas?
This is a question writers are frequently asked, and often find the most difficult to
answer. My novels tend to grow from snippets of interesting detail I find in the course
of my research. Other times, I find a particular character or type of romantic
relationship interesting and wish to explore it in my own way. You can read how I came
up with the premise for SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER on the Books
page.
How do I get published?
There is no easy answer to this question (it will be a topic for a future article on
getting your romance published) but one thing is for certain – you need to write!
No one gets a book published by wishing. It takes hard work.
And for any type of fiction, but particularly commercial fiction, you need to be aware of what the market wants. That means reading a lot, especially the new releases of new authors in your genre to see what publishers are buying. While it is possible to write a book so brilliant it sets its own trend, unfortunately this does not happen very often.
Learn your craft and research your market, then submit your work. That's how to get published.
How did you get published?
Ah! Now you've caught me. I did all of the above, but I had an added boost –
contests. Many chapters of the
Romance Writers of America
run contests with acquiring editors and agents judging the finals. My first novel,
SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, made it to a few of these
finals, including the prestigious
Golden Heart
award for unpublished writers. Two editors who wanted to buy SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER had
requested the full manuscript as a result of the final. One of them made an offer, I
then brought a literary agent on board and she negotiated the final deal with Berkley.
However, I did learn my craft (five years' apprenticeship) and research the market before I sold. SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER was my third completed manuscript.
Five Minutes With...
An interview for Heart's Talk, the Romance Writers of Australia magazine
Are you a pantser or a plotter? How does this help you write?
I'm a pantser. I've tried hard not to be, but I get bored with the story if I plan it
in too much detail. I generally know the hook or premise and some of the highlights
further into the book, but I don't know how or if I'll get to those highlights. I never
know my characters until they're on the page, no matter how much I try to do character
outlines and so forth. All that goes out the window when I start to write anyway, so
I've learnt not to waste time doing them. I think, like anything else, characters and
their arcs can be tweaked at the editing stage. Some of my characters are clear in my
head so they need very little tweaking. They seem to know what they're doing without
my help! Other times, it becomes clear later in the book exactly what that person's
problem is, how it's manifested by their actions and reactions, and how I can heighten
those aspects and develop the character as the book progresses. That's when I go back
and fiddle. I don't know how being a pantser helps me write! I only know I do my best
writing when I have very little idea what will happen next. Perhaps it's the element
of surprise.
How do you deal with rejection letters?
I give myself 24 hours to stew and then I make myself forget about it and move on. I
think allowing yourself to be unhappy about a rejection for a little while helps you
get over it more quickly. I also found entering contests a boost because it was nice
to punctuate the disappointments with small successes.
What keeps you going through the 'mid-novel slump'?
Chocolate. No, seriously! I think there is some secret ingredient in chocolate that
makes me write better. At least that's what I tell myself when I broach the hazelnut
Lindt balls! Also, I try to have some kind of turning point in the middle of the story
and that seems to keep the momentum going. If I'm stuck for inspiration, I often read
or re-read writing craft books. Most of the things they say I've heard before in one
form or other, but thinking about techniques often sparks ideas for me. Further research
can do that, too.
What is the first romance you remember reading?
Probably PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. My mother took me to the play when I was eleven and I was
enthralled.
Who's your favorite author?
Georgette Heyer.
She is responsible for my enduring love of the fictional Regency world.
I love her wit and her magnificent characterisation. My favorite of hers is probably
THE GRAND SOPHY, but it's difficult to choose just one.
What is your favorite time-waster?
Without a doubt, author, agent and editor blogs. I'm an industry gossip junky!
What's the most helpful piece of advice you've been given?
Let yourself write badly for the first draft. Getting the story down is the aim. Things
like better word choice and adding sensual detail can wait until subsequent drafts. If
I don't keep stopping to edit, I find I end up with a better flow to the story. Often,
when I look back at what I've written, the quality isn't as terrible as I might have
thought.
What's your favorite thing about being a writer?
Apart from the immense satisfaction of pursuing my obsession, I'd have to say the
friends I've made through writing and through
RWA
in particular. People I would never have met in the ordinary course have become dear
friends who share all the ups and downs of the writer's life with me. I was on the
phone to one of them for three hours the other night. We both should have been writing,
of course!
The Driver's Seat blog entry by Jessica Faust, my agent at BookEnds Literary Agency
I've talked a lot about how an author should act professionally, the downside of exclusives, and mistakes I've seen authors make. Well, very recently I worked with an author who did everything right, and since I like to be positive every once in a while and occasionally share some good news, I asked Christine Wells permission to tell her story, or at least my side of it...
Recently Christine Wells came to me because she'd received an offer from a major publishing house. Her historical romance had finaled in a number of contests (including the very prestigious Golden Heart), and because of her contest entries she had received at least three requests for the full manuscript from editors. An aside here: While I caution against submitting blindly to publishing houses (for fear you'll burn your chances by submitting to the wrong editors), when you get specific requests from contests or conferences you should most definitely send it along.
Because I'm so far behind in my reading, I had Christine's proposal under consideration for quite some time but hadn't had the chance to read it. Smart woman that she is, however, soon after receiving the offer (hours, not days), Christine contacted me and, I presume, all the other agents who were also reviewing her work, to let them know of the offer. Rather than negotiate on her own, she made the decision to bring in an agent. Immediately upon receiving Christine's email I grabbed the proposal (dropping everything else) and started reading. It was good, very good. So I asked her to email the entire manuscript. On my train ride to lunch that day I continued to read. It didn't take long for me to realize that not only was this a very well-written book, but it was written by an author I'd love to represent. Another aside: Just because an author has an offer doesn't guarantee that I'll take her on. Since I'm hoping we're going to be in this for the long haul, I need to love the work and feel passionate about the author.
So I offered representation. And Christine accepted. I'm hoping she'll comment on how things went from her end, but I know that Christine was talking with other agents and I'm sure I'm not the only agent who loved her writing. So far things are going swimmingly. I feel very lucky to have added another talented author to my list. Especially one I'm enjoying working with so much.
...Once Christine and I agreed to work together, I immediately set to work to get her manuscript in front of as many editors as I could.
My first job as Christine's agent was to make sure that the offering editor knew I was now handling contract negotiations. My second job was to get her book in front of as many editors as possible. It was Friday morning, in the summer, which meant I only had a few hours (most publishers quit early on Fridays in the summer) to talk to editors and get the manuscript in their hands. Keeping Christine in the loop at all times, I emailed the manuscript to a number of editors, with the caveat that they would let me know Monday morning whether or not they were interested in making an offer, or at least planning to get second reads.
Well, we had great news. Come Monday afternoon we had two offers to choose from and a number of editors who really loved her work (and will probably keep an eye on her career). And even more exciting news came just a few weeks later when Christine won the Golden Heart for this exact title.
The Driver's Seat blog | BookEnds Literary Agency
Romance Writing Contests - One Path to Publication
Something all unpublished romance writers should be thankful for is the proliferation of contests run by chapters of the Romance Writers of America and their counterparts in other countries, including Romance Writers of Australia. The finals of these contests are judged by agents or acquiring editors and they are a great way to avoid the slush pile or slip under the 'no unagented submissions' rule many publishers have now.
The sale of my first book, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER, to Berkley Sensation in a two book deal was the direct result of my entry reaching the final in two different contests.
Why enter contests?
There are a few reasons put forward for entering contests. One is to gain feedback from
disinterested third parties. I'm skeptical about this. I've received some great critiques,
especially from published author judges, don't get me wrong, but if you want feedback you
should invest time and effort into finding one or two critique partners who will read all
your work, not just the synopsis and first three chapters. Look for those rare individuals
who not only appreciate your writing, but are willing to be honest about your shortcomings
and prepared to spend time helping you make your work better. Such writers are rare and
precious. Treasure them! Don't pay your $30 entry fee plus postage for 3 anonymous
opinions on your partial and synopsis. Your money is better spent in other ways.
Another reason for entering contests is to see how your work stacks up against your competitors'. This is a perfectly good reason for entering one or two contests but be careful never to treat contests as the only arbiter of good writing. Many writers sell books which have bombed repeatedly in contests. Many writers can't sell books that consistently win.
Some enter contests to build up credits for the bio sections of their query letters. I've heard a number of agents say they don't take much notice of contest credits unless it's the Golden Heart. Long lists of credits can even affect their opinions adversely. Does this writer spend more time entering contests than writing? Why have so many judging editors seen her work and passed? So when you are querying, my advice is to be selective – just mention one or two credits, preferably wins.
My experience with finaling in the Golden Heart was very revealing. It probably got me past the query stage, which I had already managed consistently without the GH final, but no further. Once you're past that stage it's the writing and the writing alone that counts. Miss Snark says this time and again. If you haven't read her blog, you should. It's a gold mine of inside information about how agents operate. I have a respectable list of contest finals but in my query letters I only mentioned the Golden Heart and the ones that led to full manuscript requests. I also restricted the list to credits for the manuscript I was pitching at the time.
The best reason, and for me, the only reason to enter contests is to get your first three chapters and synopsis in front of an acquiring editor. This is how I sold my first novel, SCANDAL'S DAUGHTER. I finaled in 3 contests that resulted in the judging editors requesting the full manuscript. One of those editors read the manuscript quickly and came back with an offer to buy it.
As so many seasoned writers advise, I didn't immediately agree to sign. I involved an agent, the fabulous Jessica Faust at BookEnds Literary Agency (read the agency blog here) who read the full manuscript the same day and offered me representation. I liked the fact that she responded quickly, but didn't immediately jump at the chance of a sure sale. She made sure she believed in the project first. Another agent offered representation having only seen the partial, which might well have meant that she loved the writing, but I was more comfortable knowing Jessica had read and considered the full manuscript before making the offer. Jessica then approached a few other houses, and the end result was a sale, but not to the first editor who offered. Leis Pederson at Berkley, who had requested my manuscript after placing my entry first in the historical category of the Emily Award, bought the manuscript in a 2 book deal. You can read Jessica's side of the story on the BookEnds Agency blog here.
So, my advice is to target contests judged by editors at houses where you think your work will fit. Make sure you enter when you have completed a manuscript or at least have written the first draft. There's nothing worse than receiving a request for the full with only one chapter written!
I should also qualify this by saying that I still think the optimum path to publication is to sign with a reputable literary agent. While writers can do a lot of research on the type of book certain editors are buying at the moment, an agent will know the editor's tastes more intimately. She knows not to send a marriage of convenience story to editor B at House X, but editor A at the same house loves them, or that the tone of your novel is exactly what editor C is seeking this week. However, good agents are very difficult to snare, so always keep the contest path in mind.
What about targeting agents through contests? Having seen how the submission process works with agents, I'd save my money on entrance fees and submit to them directly. Agents I queried all responded within about 48 hours to my email queries, within a week or so to snail mail queries, and within a couple of months to partials. You won't speed up that process by entering a contest--they often take around three months for the first round to be judged and a further couple of months before finalists are announced and you receive any request for the full manuscript. And then, sadly, there's the possibility that you might not final at all.
For more information about upcoming contests and deadlines, visit the Contest Divas site.
Awards
* the editor judging requested the full manuscript
Scandal's Daughter
2004
2nd - Harlequin Mills & Boon Opening Chapter Contest *
2005
2nd - Romance Through the Ages *
1st - Single (Title) and Loving It *
2006
1st - The Emily Award *
1st - The Golden Heart Award *
2nd - Sharp Synopsis*
3rd - Golden Acorn *
3rd - Fire & Ice
1st - Indiana Golden Opportunity
1st - Indiana Golden Opportunity, Best of the Best *
Indecent Proposal
2006
1st - Romance through the Ages *
2nd - Stroke of Midnight *
1st - Golden Gateway *
