Lorna Faith

Clean Fiction Author

3 Reasons I have a Passion to Write Romance (and what I’m working on now)

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In the past few weeks, I’ve been digging deeper into the reasons why I write the books I do… namely romance 🙂

Just a note: Recently I switched the focus of this blog(www.lornafaith.com) to share inspiration, ideas and updates I’ve had for new fiction books I’m currently writing. I’ve moved my usual blogposts on writing, self-publishing and book marketing to my writing website at www.createastoryyoulove.com. If you’re a writer, you might find my newest blogpost helpful as I share what I’ve learned about Heinlein’s 5 Simple Rules for Writers.

I love writing fiction stories and lately I’ve been learning why I love to write romance. In some ways, maybe this was a need for a better understanding at what draws me to writing about all the weird and wonderful things about love.

If you love reading romance, you’ll have your own reasons why you adore picking up a new book and settling in for a good read.

Read on, to discover some of my inspirations for writing romance. Maybe you’ll find one or two of your inspirations for reading romance in that list…

3 Reasons I have a Passion to Write Romance

As I’ve been working on my cinderella romance for my pen name and as I’ve given more thought to my next sweet romance in the Mulberry Island Romance series, Return to Love, I’ve realized that I there are so many reasons I love to write about love. Some of them include: friendship, gratitude, serving each other, learning to forgive each other and the hope of a deepening love.

Any one of those themes are reasons why I pick up romance novels to read. I can’t help it… I adore happily ever after stories!

Listed below are 3 Big reasons why I’m Passionate to Write Romance…

1.Romance brings readers hope that a committed kind of love is still possible even when you have flaws and make mistakes.

As I mentioned above, when I write, I find myself continually drawn to happily ever after endings. Having been married and in love with my husband – and best friend – for a little over 30 years now, I really do believe in a love that lasts… even when each person has many flaws and makes a ton of mistakes. That theme of redemption, forgiveness and restoration is a big part of my passion for writing the stories I do.

Normally, I find myself writing about a very scarred but strong heroine with many flaws and a hero who is strong but also has his own set of fears and flaws to overcome.

Some examples from the sweet romance I’m currently writing…

For example, in Return to Love, my heroine Abby is an artist who returns to her family’s home on Mulberry Island, right after her husband dies suddenly in a freak accident… on her wedding day.

Abby has fears of abandonment and is afraid to loved again. Her mother died of cancer when Abby was three years old, and now her new husband is gone too. She feels anger, fear and loneliness and is afraid to give her heart to anyone again for fear that she’ll be hurt again. So she hides who she really is and keeps high walls around her heart….

Until she sees returns to her ancestral home on Mulberry Island… and sees the man who she loved years ago. The same man who broke her heart.

Jack, continues to persistently break down the barriers to love that Abby has placed around her heart and before the end of the book wins her over and they begin their happily ever after.

2. Romance is also about building a strong friendship.

Romance can’t survive only on physical attraction. There needs to be a heart connection and a strong emotional connection. At the core of this, is a heart level friendship. You enjoy being with this person. I love spending time with my hubby. Whether we’re driving to the hardware store, having coffee or just watching a home movie together, there’s always things to talk and laugh about. 

Also I’ve noticed that many times, people are attracted to each other based on strengths and weaknesses. We naturally attract certain people… maybe this has to do with our personality, I’m not sure. But a good friend is someone who knows all your strengths and weaknesses and accepts you anyway. They don’t demand that you change something about yourself. And they are there for you when you need someone to talk to and they are also considerate of you that they are not just constantly dumping all their negative on you.

This is what I love about writing romance stories. The couples I write about, many times begin their relationship by not liking each other at all. But they learn to be honest with each other, in a way that doesn’t put the other person down. They might not start out being kind to each other, but they learn how to understand, help and encourage the other person.

3. Romance is also about serving the one you love.

In many ways the society some of us live in(I’ve noticed this particularly in North America) has caused us to be a little self-absorbed. This can affect us when we enter a dating and/or marriage relationship and cause frustration if one or both people are focussed on “what can this person do for me?”  This is something I struggled with the most in our first few years of marriage.

It helps us in a romantic relationship – much like it helps our characters – to ask questions like: Why did we fall in love with this person? Is it to get something from them or is because you love them and think about them all the time and it makes you want to give what you can to them and serve them?

At the heart of romance, is doing what is best for the other person. Sometimes this means that you will sacrifice something for them. For example, a husband might sacrifice watching his favorite sports team on TV so he can do something helpful for his wife. Or maybe a wife will sacrifice reading a good book, so she can do the supper dishes or something to serve her husband. These little acts of service really add up over time in your marriage and builds a common respect and gratitude for each other.

In a romance, I love to put my hero in a situation where he has to give up something that’s super important to him, to do what is best for the heroine. And of course that works visa versa.

In writing a romance, I love to dive deep into both the heroine and hero’s flaws and wounds to find what is holding them back from giving and receiving love. Then I like to write a story where the couple is put in a situation where they’re forced to be with each other.

I really love writing romance tropes like: marriage of convenience; Cinderella trope; Beauty and the Beast type of trope; marriage bargain; arranged marriage; best friend; rags to riches, second chance, etc.  I love seeing couples that are in some way forced together begin to fall in love despite many flaws within themselves or obstacles that stand in their way in the form of antagonistic family, friends or external forces that oppose them.

In my current work in progress(Return to Love), the trope is a mixture of second chance romance and marrying your best friend. Also at the beginning of the story, Abby has a lot of unresolved anger(and a lack of trust) over what separated her and Jack’s budding romance in the first place. So it’s quite a fun story to write because of all the angst involved between the two of them 😉

Anyway, I hope some of those thoughts have reignited your passion on why you love to read romance.

 

What is your favorite romance trope from the ones shared above?  Please do share in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

064 How to Shift From Hobby Writer to Pro Writer with Honoree Corder

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In today’s interview, bestselling nonfiction author and coach Honoree Corder, shares key mindset shifts to help writers shift from hobby writer to Pro Writer.

Honoree gives practical tips and strategies to help first-time writers to write and successful self-publishing books and to become prosperous writers. You can connect with Honoree on Facebook or Twitter.

In the intro, I share about the new shift that I’ve decided to make in my author business. I’ve really needed to create space for writing and so sometimes that means sacrificing doing those things that we love. For me, that means I’ll be putting the podcast on pause for at least a few months and maybe longer. I love talking with all these amazing authors and I’ve learned so much, but I feel like it’s time for me to write all those stories I’ve been dreaming of writing. So if there is something you are super passionate about, that you haven’t committed time for, I encourage you to take a deeper look at your life and write down your big dreams and goals and then begin to make a plan to begin 🙂

Two super useful series of nonfiction books for writers mentioned in the intro:

1. A set of three nonfiction books just released, written by Honoree Corder and Ben Hale called: Write Like a Boss; Publish Like a Boss; and Market Like a Boss. All three books are amazing to help  writers make the shift from Hobby Writer to Pro Writer.

2.I’ve also been re-reading James Scott Bell’s series called Short Subjects with Big Impact: How to Manage the Time of Your Life gives you 21 power tools for mastering your time and tips on removing obstacles that get in the way of writing. How to Achieve Your Goals and Dreams, inspires and gives simple steps to solve problems that hold many writers back from achieving their writing dreams. How to Write Comedy, is based on notes that James Scott Bell took from a course he took from Danny Simon(Neil Simon’s older brother).

Watch the Video Interview

Honoree Corder is the author of dozens of books including many books for writers like: You Must Write A Book, The Prosperous Writer Book Series, and the newest three book series she has co-authored with prolific fiction author Ben Hale which includes Write Like A Boss; Publish Like A Boss; and Market Like A Boss.

In this interview, Honoree shares mindset tips and practical strategies that she encourages writers to take to shift themselves from Hobby Writer to Pro Writer.

Difference between Hobby Writer and Pro Writer: Hobby Writing is something fun that you do and costs you extra money, and Professional Writer makes money with their writing is something you do daily.

Grow yourself first, to grow your author business. @Honoree Share on X

Interview Highlights:

*On the difference between being a Hobby Writer and a Pro Writer. Hint: a hobby costs you money and is sporadic and a business earns you money and is unconditional and daily.

*Steps writers can take to begin to think strategically about their author business. 

*On finding writing role models which inspire you to say: Here’s where I’d like to be at some point…  

*Tips on choosing to make that shift to where you see yourself in the future.

*Learn how writers can develop that habit and motivation to reach your goals.

*Thoughts on using Gamification strategies to reach your goals. Example: write X’s on the calendar for everyday that you write and don’t quit until you have a streak of 3 days.

*On how the brain works(science of neuroplasticity) so that if you say something over and over again, one of two things will happen: 1)you’ll either start doing it 2)or you’ll stop saying it.

*Two Key Mindset shifts writers need to make become more prosperous. Begin saying: 1)I believe I can make money as a writer and become a full-time writer. 2)I believe I can learn what I need to learn as a author entrepreneur.

*The four steps a writer’s business plan should consist of are: 1)A Vision Statement; 2)A Purpose Statement; 3)Specific Measurable Goals; 4)Identifiable Action Steps.

*On choosing to commit to writing each day and becoming addicted to that feeling of success.

*The importance of finding an accountability partner who won’t let you off the hook and will encourage you to reach the goals you set for yourself.

 

To find out about new book releases or about coaching for writers, you can reach out to Honoree at www.honoreecorder.com or connect with her on Facebook or Twitter.

Lessons Learned and Why I’ve Decided to Make a Shift in my Author Business

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In October 2010, I wrote my first blogpost. It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, but eerily enough it was.

My first post was basically me rambling on about my childhood and how I learned to ride the motorbike at the tender age of seven.  You can read the first two stories here. 🙂

You might be wondering why I’m going on and on about ‘the early days’ of blogging and life.

Well, it’s because today I wanted to share with you lessons learned as a budding author entrepreneur and I also wanted to let you know about a slight shift coming soon to this website as well as to createastoryyoulove.com.

If you read that old blogpost above on my first attempt at learning to ride the motorbike(and failing multiple times), then you have a good idea of how wobbly it feels to make this shift.

At this moment, I feel like I’m back on that motorbike again, trying desperately to keep from skinning my knees. I feel like my legs are too short and my arms aren’t strong enough to do this, but something inside me says “It’s your turn.”  

If  you feel like it’s your turn too, if so, then I hope some part of my lessons learned encourages you…

Lessons Learned since I started over 6 years ago…

There have been so many great things I’ve learned in this author journey since I began, writing on a simple blogger.com site years ago.

Here’s some lessons learned that are top of mind…

1.Write what you love. This is true whether you’re writing a blogpost, or nonfiction or fiction book. You need to continue to write what inspires you. If you don’t, you’ll soon tire of the topic and that lack of passion will be reflected in whatever you’re writing. So stay true to what inspires you !

2.Really understand long-term goals for your author business when deciding to add or subtract some part of it.  For example, if you want to start a podcast, really count the cost as far as the extra time, extra commitment and what you’ll need to let go of. I’ve enjoyed my podcast and all the wonderful authors I’ve had the privilege to chat with, but I had to sacrifice other projects to make the time necessary to do it. So I encourage you to get clarity and write down your long-term vision and goals for your author business… you’ll be so glad you did!

3.Be willing to shift and refocus to reach your vision. This is the place I feel like I’m at right now. My true vision is to write these fiction stories that have been perculating for a long time – contemporary sweet romance; fairytale romance; historical western romance; dystopian YA trilogy; a YA fiction series based on stories from my growing up years, etc. – as you can see by the long list, I have a lot of books yet to write 🙂

This brings me to the shift I’ve decided to make as an author entrepreneur…

Over the years, as I’ve been learning from other successful writers and indie authors, I’ve discovered that there’s one key theme that seems to emerge. That theme is “Focus.”  More specifically, it is focusing on that one thing that you are the most passionate about.

I realized that somewhere along the way instead of focusing on that One thing I truly loved, I was focusing on many different things and losing that focus.

The end result? A ton of distraction, and time and focus taken away from what I love most… writing stories:)

This is the reason I’ve chosen to make a shift as an author entrepreneur.

As much as I’ve completely loved meeting these wonderful successful authors and interviewing them, I’ve realized it’s time for me to put the podcast on pause for awhile. For how long? I’m not sure. All I know is that I need to make more white space available so I can dedicate it to write. There are still two interviews coming up… but after the end of March there will be a pause in the podcast interviews.

I’ll be focussing on what I really love… writing fiction 🙂

Because of this decision, I’ll be writing on this blog once a month or so about stories I’m working on or about research I’m doing. This also means that I’ll be switching all nonfiction topics – on writing, self-publishing and book marketing – over to my nonfiction website createastoryyoulove.com.

This is a much needed shift I’ve needed to make, to help me become more focussed on my long-term vision and passion as a author entrepreneur.

I’ve learned that sometimes the dream of doing something we love can get sabotaged when we lose our focus. I listened to a podcast interview from a successful indie author not long ago, where she asked writers who were listening “how badly do you want it?”  These words have really stuck with me.

I had to ask myself the tough question: How badly do you want to make a living as a writer? What are you willing to give up to make that happen?

Too many times we let distractions get in our way. I’ll be the first to raise my hand… because I’ve let distractions stop me from writing way too often.

I believe that anything that doesn’t matter to the business side of writing is a distraction. Yes, you need to spend time with your family and take care of their needs, but make this business your priority if you want to make a living with your writing.

Here’s what I’ll be focussed on this year. Maybe one or two of these tips will help you too…

1.Write the next book.  This is the most important thing to do each day. Without a book there’s noproduct to sell. And to make a living as a writers, we need to think beyond one book. Think in terms of a series. This is why I’m focussed on writing the next book in the Mulberry Island Romance series. I’ll also be writing a fairytale romance series with my pen name. Something new, but it should be fun!

Your goal should be that each time you publish a book, you see a rise in income. Rinse, repeat.

2.Write what your readers love. This really is writing with focus. Here’s the thing: if you aren’t writing the kinds of books your target audience wants to read, you will most likely not sell as well as you would have it you had focussed more on books that they love.  This is why finding your target audience is so important.  The real key is to find an area you’re already interested in writing and them combining it with something your audience wants. Discover what character tropes and plot tropes are popular in your genre, and then write your unique story from there. It will be a fresh new story, with tropes they love!

3.Use Your Time Wisely.  So many distractions pop up everyday. Which means every single day you will have a reason not to write(of course take a day off each week to rejuvenate… nothing wrong with that). But if we haven’t written our next books in months(much like what’s happened with me), then we need to rethink how serious we are about writing and making a living as a writer. Writing needs to be like any other job… even though it’s a job you love. Writing needs to be treated with the same dedication that you would treat a job outside the home. There are no shortcuts. You need to focus on what needs to be done and just do it.

So that’s where I’m at now. I’ve turned a corner and am ramping up the writing. I hope you are inspired in some small way to rethink your writing goals for the year and to ask yourself what you really, really want. Knowing that will give you clarity to make the sacrifices you need to, so that you can accomplish your writing dreams. 🙂

 

What are your goals for your writing? Have distractions got in your way too?  Please do share you thoughts in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you !

063 Successful Writing and Self-Publishing Tips with Phillip Strang

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In today’s interview, British Crime detective and thriller author Phillip Strang, shares his writing journey.  He shares his inspiration for writing. After years of travelling to different countries and meeting unusual people, his wife and daughter encouraged him to write down places he’d been and people he’d met. That’s how he got started writing and self-publishing his novels and he has 15 novels as of this interview. You can connect with Phillip on Facebook or Twitter.

In the intro, I share a couple of books I’ve been reading lately that have helped in my own writing journey. Maybe one of these books will help you too:

1) Overwhelmed Writer Rescue: Boost Productivity, Improve Time Management, and Replenish the Creator Within, by Colleen M. Story. This book has really helped me get unstuck and through the exercises I’ve been learning how to train my brain to focus faster. If you struggle with procrastination or lack of focus, I encourage you to read this book.

2) Dream Job Redefined: The New Rules for Creating A Career That Matters and Doing Work You Love by Mitch Matthews. Reading this book helped me gain clarity on my dreams and goals and in many ways reinforced my love of writing stories I love. If you need clarity on your dreams and goals, I encourage you to read this book 🙂

Watch the Video Interview

 Phillip Strang, was born in the late forties, the post-war baby boom in England; his childhood years were spent in a comfortable middle-class upbringing in a small town, two hours drive west of London.

In his early twenties, with a degree in electronics engineering in hand, he left the cold and damp climes of England for Sydney, Australia. Now forty years later he still lives in Australia… and has spent time in many other countries as well.

You must write. You must write everyday. @phillipstrang Share on X

Interview Highlights:

*On beginning your writing journey, and how to keep going even when the learning curve is difficult.

*How to stay inspired and to keep working hard at writing even though it might take a few years to really develop your writing voice.

*Ideas on finding inspiration for your characters and settings from real people you’ve met and places you’ve visited.

*Thoughts on choosing to write what you feel comfortable with.

*Tips on how to write bullet points of your main scene ideas before you begin writing each day.

*On choosing to put the dedication in to write each day.

*Tips on how first-time writers can get past self doubt and fear of failure to just start writing.

*How to write in different series, to keep track of characters and how what you are writing in one series can spark ideas for your other series.

 

To find new book releases, connect with Phillip at www.phillipstrang.com or you can find him on Facebook or Twitter.

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