Life As A Twin

by Joan Kayse

The Banditas welcome Inspirational author Renee Ryan back to the Lair.

First off, I want to thank Joan for inviting me today. I will be giving away three free copies of my latest release, HANNAH’S BEAU, throughout the day so leave a comment.

When I thought about what I wanted to write today, I knew I wanted to focus on something pertaining to the one question I get asked the most. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS?
Great question, always hard to answer because the short answer is usually: I DON’T KNOW. Seriously, this is the one question most writers dread. At least, this writer dreads it. Because, quite frankly, the ideas come from everywhere. And nowhere. Often what starts as the initial story idea changes and morphs into a completely different version.

In the case of HANNAH’S BEAU I knew I wanted to give her a twin, but I didn’t know what aspect of having a twin I wanted to explore. You see, I have a twin sister, a wonderful, gracious, talented woman who inspires me. Like all twins, we have a unique connection that transcends the miles between our homes. Robin will often call me and ask, “Are you having a headache?” Whereby, I’ll respond, “How did you know?”

Our voices are exactly the same. When we were younger we used to fool people on the phone all the time. Odder than that, we’ve shown up at events wearing the same outfit, even though we didn’t call one another to coordinate. Spooky, right? Or, kinda cool…
Yet as I started writing HANNAH’S BEAU, I wondered what it would be like if the twin sisters didn’t get along. What if the fact that they looked identical didn’t transcend to a close relationship? What if one used the other, or one took the blame for the other’s transgression?

Now that would be spooky.

So, that’s where HANNAH’S BEAU begins. With twin sisters who don’t have that fabulous bond you’ve heard so much about. Hannah is the stronger of the two, thereby taking on her weaker sister’s transgressions. This misguided “enabling” becomes toxic, and a vicious cycle begins -- to the point where Hannah is run out of her father’s house for something her twin sister did.
For the record, Hannah is modeled after my sister. So, does that mean the “bad” twin is modeled after me? I certainly hope not. Unfortunately, I found myself empathizing with the woman a bit too much at times.

So, what about you? Any sibling stories come to mind? I’d love to hear your stories.

Renee Ryan writes for the Steeple Hill line Love Inspired Historical. You can read more about her at: www.reneeryan.com

What I Learned During My Seven Year Dry Spell

posted by Joanie

Many craft books mention the importance of a mentor for the characters of a story. This
character acts as a guide, a sounding board, a giver of wisdom that keeps the protaganist headed in the right direction. I was blessed beyond belief to be given such a mentor from day one of my writing journey. I am delighted to have her with us today. Please welcome my first mentor, Renee Ryan.

Thanks to Joan and the rest of the Romance Bandits for inviting me here today.

I want to begin by saying I thought I’d made it when I sold my first manuscript in 2001. Unfortunately, EXTREME MEASURES, a 2002 release, was my first and last book with that particular publisher. In fact, after that initial success, I couldn’t buy attention for any of my manuscripts, and there were many! No editor was interested. No agent wanted to represent me. Bottom line, I had sold a book only to fizzle out as a one-book-wonder.

I knew it was time to rethink my career path. I had to stop chasing the all-elusive second sale and decide what I wanted to write and why I wanted to write it.

Long story short, as I type this I am finishing my fifth contracted manuscript for the Steeple Hill Love Inspired Historical line. I can safely say the dry spell is over. At least for now, but I know my success could vanish anytime. There isn’t a single day that I take my return to publishing for granted. I know how quickly it can fade.

So, what did I learn during those seven years (SEVEN years!) between sales? I took positive action steps that I could control. Here are my top ten steps for “staying the course” during a dry spell.

STEP ONE: Persist. Sounds simple, I know. But the only way to guarantee success is to keep writing. The only way to guarantee failure is to stop writing. Never, never give up. That sale could be just around the corner. It may take seven, ten, twenty years but so what? It’s all about the journey anyway. Trust me on this.

STEP TWO: Focus on what you’re doing right, not what you’re doing wrong. Do not go to the negative. Ever. Stay positive. Write down every success you have, no matter how small. Did you read a good craft book? You’re one step closer. Did you attend a book signing? Again, you’re on your way. Remember, every step counts.

STEP THREE: Redefine rejection. Try thinking of those nasty little letters as correspondence with editors. Remember, a rejection is just one person’s opinion. Nothing more, nothing less. You have not been rejected. That particular editor did not like that particular story at that particular time. Never say, “I was rejected.” You weren’t. Your manuscript was rejected. Reframe your thinking right now!

STEP FOUR: Compare yourself only to yourself. If you try to keep up with your friends and/or your rivals you will only make yourself crazy. Let’s face it; there will always be someone more successful than you in this business. Their success is not an indicator of your potential. Focus on your career and your success. Period.

STEP FIVE: Read and learn from other genres. If you only study romance you risk becoming a one-note writer. Not good. Want to learn how to write great action scenes? Study thrillers. Want to learn how to plot better? Read a good mystery. Want to know how to use language well? Read a literary novel. You can learn a lot about craft by studying other published novels. Like I said before, don’t stick to one genre. Your writing will benefit.

STEP SIX: Turn off the internal editor. Make this your new motto: DON’T GET IT right GET IT written. You can always go back and revise, but you can’t revise a blank page.

STEP SEVEN: Live your life. Turn off that television and get out of the house. I know this seems like a basic step, but it’s so important. How can you write about people if you aren’t interacting with, well, people? Study mannerisms, study speech patterns, study how strangers interact with one another. Airports are a great place for this. You’ll be surprised what you can learn by mingling with the real world.

STEP EIGHT: SUBMIT, SUBMIT, SUBMIT. You can’t get feedback if you aren’t submitting. You can’t make a sale if you aren’t submitting. Need I say more?

STEP NINE: Hone your craft! My personal favorite and the one step we writers can completely control on our own. Successful authors share one common trait: they never adopt the attitude that “they have arrived”. Each book is an open challenge to take their writing to the next level. They are constantly learning new techniques. Are you? Make a commitment to find out where your writing is out of balance (and, yes, everyone’s writing has areas that need honing). Commit to improving the weakest part of your writing.

STEP TEN: Finish manuscripts. You can’t sell a blank page. You can’t hone your craft by merely attending a workshop. You must practice, practice, practice. When that editor comes knocking don’t you want more than one manuscript available for sale?

There you have it. Ten steps you can control, whether you’re a published author or an aspiring one or suffering somewhere in between.

Are their any different steps you can think of? Which step are you at right now?

I'm giving away three autographed copies of my February release, THE MARSHALL TAKES A BRIDE throughout the day so stick around to see if I draw out your name!

Renee Ryan writes for the Steeple Hill line Love Inspired Historical. Her fabulous editor is Melissa Endlich of Steeple Hill. Her first book in the Charity House series, The Marshall Takes a Bride is a current February 2009 release. Her next book in the Charity House series, Hannah’s Beau hits the shelves July 2009. For further information check out www.reneeryan.com