Kate Walker's 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance

Hands up everyone who made a new year resolution to finish that manuscript in 2011.

Keep that hand up if you’re writing a romance and you haven’t yet read Kate Walker’s 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. 

For the last few years I’ve been a reader for the New Writers’ Scheme run by the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association.  This is a really wonderful opportunity for new writers to get constructive feedback on their manuscripts.  As a reader, it’s a privilege to get a glimpse of all the potential that’s out there.  I read lots of stories with distinctive voices, but the most common problem is the lack of a strong emotional conflict.  I try and write a really detailed report, but at the end nearly always find myself recommending Kate’s book as a follow up on my comments.

As many of you will already know, Kate Walker is a very experienced and popular writer, and in her 12 Point Guide she  offers a wonderfully clear guide to the nitty gritty of writing romance.   This is what you really need to know:  how to create emotion, conflict, dialogue, sensuality, characterisation, endings and so on, plus there’s a useful section on practicalities.   Especially helpful, I think, is the checklist of questions to ask yourself at the end of each chapter. 

So successful has the 12 Point Guide been that it’s now in its third edition.   If your hand is still up, and you’re serious about writing romance in 2011, I have a copy to give away! 

All you have to do is tell me below what your hero and heroine are called (or are going to be called if you haven’t written your story yet!)  I had thought I could just suggest you left a comment, but I’m nosy that way.  Once I’ve satisfied my curiosity about all those characters out there just waiting to get into print, I will apply my advanced technological selection process (otherwise known as eeny-meeny-miny-mo) and choose a winner.

So what are you waiting for?  Satisfy my curiosity and tell me your characters' names - and don’t forget to check back at the weekend to see if you're going to start the year on a winning note.  (I’ll need you to email me your address so that I can put the book in the  post to you next week).