When I first started out writing I didn’t really understand what a rewrite was all about. I just thought it was for refining the words – felt I’d worked hard on my first draft and that was enough; all that remained was to check it flowed pleasantly. And to be totally honest I think part of it was laziness. It can be gruelling writing a novel – certainly when you are just starting out and aren’t used to the process – and the thought that I needed to look at the whole manuscript once more felt overwhelming.

This is probably why it took me several unpublished manuscripts to bag an agent! And to appreciate that the rewrite was a valuable opportunity to look at the project with fresh eyes – from a distance, at a less involved level, to really make sure that each component of the story (plotting, characterisation etc) was doing its job properly. And to not be scared of deconstructing the story. You have to be brave to make your novel the very best it can be.

So for anyone else who sometimes finds it difficult to know what the next step is, after finishing a first draft, the following – in my experience – are common reasons to rewrite:

The settings aren’t vibrant enough. Not only do settings help the reader visualise where the characters are, they can also reflect mood or hint at plot.  So during the rewrite I focus on really involving all of the five senses. Say my protagonist visits a coffee shop – I’ll develop the smells and noises. I’m thinking coffee grinding, a till bleeping, customers deep in chat, cutlery on plates. Delicious aromas might accompany a feel-good scene or give welcome relief after a drama, along with a warm, visually cosy decor. The amount of work you need to do will largely depend on how detailed your first draft is but speaking for myself I often get so excited about the plot and dialogue and focus on those things, that my first draft settings suffer.

By the same token characters are not fully developed. I don’t think much about my protagonist before I start a new manuscript. I just dive in and keep continually going back to tweak him/her as I go. By around Chapter 6 I usually have an in-depth idea of what they are like and can then just continue  moving forwards. However, as I mentioned above, when I write first draft I don’t do this with the minor characters that are mostly created as I go along. Consequently during the first read-through I’ve just done I even found I had to completely change some of the supporting cast’s motivations. This  meant adding in a couple of chapters. Minor characters are there to assist the plot and show important dimensions of the protagonist – how/why they were as they were, how/why they’ve changed. So whilst minor in presence, they are major in importance and should be fully thought-through and rounded.

The pace hasn’t resulted in a gripping read. There are not enough hooks to keep the reader turning the page – or there are but they are in the wrong places. Lulls in action (important because the reader needs to catch their breath) have resulted in unnecessary scenes that don’t move the plot forwards or develop the main character – this is something I personally have to watch out for. I like nothing more than sitting my characters down, for a chat, over a cup of coffee to recover from recent drama but more often than not these scenes serve no real purpose. Every page of the book has to earn its place in some way.

The narrative needs refining. For the most part my first draft is thrown down onto the page – that’s the best way I can describe it. So the metaphors or similes aren’t necessary appropriate. The rhythm of the sentences might not flow easily. There’s repetition. I might use adverbs too liberally. I might show – or tell – too much (I’m a great believer in tell having its place!) For me the main point of writing is to exactly transfer my thoughts and emotions onto the page. Sometimes this takes time, so I compromise during the first draft. The rewrite will be when I might consult my thesaurus, and will really hone my craft and rethink words and sentences with care. Because if I get hung-up on doing this during the first-draft I can lose my mojo and come to a halt. And I find it’s such a joy and so satisfying during the rewrite to really take my time and polish or restructure what’s already on the page.

The dialogue needs working on. It might not sound natural. Or may not sound unique to each character speaking it. Perhaps it contains superfluous words.  I find I am always having to remove Yes and No’s. Certain dialogue tags may not be necessary (he said, she called, etc). And this time around I had to remove many nods and smiles that accompanied my characters’ speech.

And other aspects of editing, editing, editing such as tightening sentences and checking continuity, the timeline and tense. Book 11 was written in the first person present, this Book 12 in the first person past. On reading through I found that I’d slipped into the present many times and had to change that.

Also double-check your facts. If you include anything written in a foreign language, is it correct? Have you thoroughly researched anything historical? What about locations? If, like me, you don’t do all of the necessary research before the first draft, then the rewrite process may not involve checking but finding out things for the first time.

Take a step back from your personal experience. As writers we inevitably put ourselves and aspects of our lives into our stories – emotions, themes, perhaps even characters or plot. This is ploughed into the first draft. But don’t make the mistake of thinking this means you don’t need to still do research. My latest release, Forgive Me Not was inspired by my own journey through addiction services but I still found I needed to interview case workers to make sure the detail of the novel was spot on. It’s also about Alzheimer’s and my family has suffered experience of this – but everyone’s experience is unique and I still researched how this disease might have affected other people differently. During the rewrite take a step back and consider if you have explored all aspects of your themes or if it’s one-sided by being simply based on what you’ve gone through yourself.

Some rewrites need to be more brutal – and this may be discovered after passing your manuscript on to a trusted beta reader, editor or agent. I virtually had to start Forgive Me Not again from scratch and I blogged about that here.

Whatever your reasons to rewrite accepting, in advance, that there will be some helps soften the blow when you come to that first read-through or receive initial feedback. First drafts are never oven-ready for publication and try to see this as a positive. Don’t be afraid of cutting or reconstructing. Now it’s your chance to really make that precious story sing!

Good luck!

Be wary of New Year’s Resolutions. It’s that time of year, isn’t it, when we are supposed to promise ourselves – and/or others – that we will change in some way, and somehow become better versions of ourselves. I am all for setting achievable goals, but don’t set the benchmark too high. Before getting a deal I used to say each January “This year I will get published.” It doesn’t work like that. I said that for eight years and believe me, I tried! First you have to write a great manuscript. Then tightly edit it. Next attract the attention of an agent or publisher. Then you have to get that contract. All of this is an awful lot to expect to achieve in twelve months. As is “This year I will become a Kindle top ten author”. So many factors are out of your control for that one (the jacket and price your publisher gives your book, their marketing strategy, the competition around at the time of your book’s release). Be very careful of setting yourself unrealistic resolutions because when and if you fail, your mojo will disappear in a puff of smoke and all you will be left with is an overwhelming sense of failure.

How about, instead, getting into the mindset of realising small achievements are just as important and all lead to the bigger goal? This year I will… go on a writing course/read more “How-to” books/start sending my work out to agents/learn more about planning social media strategies/ aim to connect more widely with bloggers.

Read, read and read. I find there is nothing more motivating that discovering a new favourite author. I’ve gone on something of a reading binge, in recent months, and have felt utterly inspired by the quality of an eclectic range of novels. They’ve filled me with the desire to up my game and given me the confidence to take my work in a different direction. It’s very easy to get in a rut with our own writing, so try to read out of your genre and challenge your natural instincts.

Take a look at this list if you aren’t sure where to start:

How to Stop Time – Matt Haig

The Art of Hiding – Amanda Prowse

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

Elinor Oliphant is Fine – Gail Honeyman

One of us is Lying – Karen McManus

Friend Request – Laura Marshall

All That She Can See – Carrie Hope Fletcher

The Five People you Meet in Heaven – Mitch Albom

Step out of your comfort zone. As mentioned above, it’s easy to become complacent about our own writing. I’m currently working on a project that is challenging me on many levels. It may work, it may not. But the process has fired up my mojo in ways I never imagined. I’m trying out new structures and styles and loving every second. Even if it all comes to  nothing, I am going to have learnt so much. I feel like a new writer again, unsure of myself but willing to give it my all. So go on – maybe start off with a short story in a genre that’s unfamiliar to you. Or stick to what you know but be adventurous with the themes or setting.  I once wrote a romantic comedy set in Ancient Egypt. It doesn’t fit the market and will probably never find a publisher, but writing it taught me so much about fact-finding and creating authentic settings. I still get excited just thinking about it!

Head over to this post to find out more about stepping out of your comfort zone.

Ditch the self-doubt Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to you! Stop doubting yourself this instant. Have you just received a rejection? Or had a bad review? Or has a well-meaning friend or relative asked why you still haven’t signed a six figure deal?

STEP BACK. Look at yourself objectively. Perhaps you’ve managed to complete a manuscript or send something off to an agent or publisher. Well done, amazing you! Whether you are published or not, putting finger to keyboard and finishing a project is an impressive feat, as is having the guts to put your work *out there*. Just keep on going. All you will do is improve.

Party time is over – so the pity parties stop here. As I’ve mentioned, it took me eight years (and several manuscripts under the bed) to sign my first deal. You WILL get there if you keep on persevering. For more inspiration, read my post about self-doubt here.

Take a break. Perhaps it’s not post Christmas and your problem is that you’ve been spending too much time at the keyboard. Often I’ve lost my motivation after I’ve been working flat out on a project for a while. Perhaps you’ve just finished a first draft. Or gone through your edits. Or put together a detailed synopsis for a new work. All of these activities take intense mental energy and it’s not surprising if we lose our mojo for a while. In my experience the best thing is to take a complete break from writing (and social media if possible) for a few days or a week.

So during your usual writing time instead catch up with that housework. Meet up with friends. Sleep. Indulge a hobby like baking. Get out into nature. It won’t be long before your enthusiasm has returned and is propelling you back to the keyboard with fresh ideas.

Good luck!

I sent off my latest manuscript and eagerly awaited feedback. Finally it arrived. I opened the email and… Okay. I admit it. Cue a mini meltdown. The suggestion was that the book needed stripping right back to the original kernel of the idea. Chapters needed down-sizing into paragraphs, or cutting out completely. A good number of characters needed to disappear.

We’re talking a major rethink. We’re talking murdering many darlings. Or possibly ditching the book.

This was new. In the past – and I’ve had eight books published, now – I’ve had what I call “extensive” rewrites but now I realise they weren’t. At the most they’ve meant restructuring a plotline or adding emotion or developing a protagonist further. My first drafts have rarely needed fundamental changes. I plan each chapter in detail before I write. At the end of the process I’m more of a tweaker and that seems to have worked. I’m not used to completely pulling apart a finished draft.

So this has come as something of a shock.

Especially as, when I send off my first draft, I am always in what I call  “delusional X-factor contestant mode”. I make no apologies for this. It’s necessary for me if I want to write any book. I need to think it is going to change the world!

This meglomania doesn’t last forever, of course. My feet soon settle back onto the ground during the process of rewriting and editing, of publishing and getting reviews… but I need to feel super excited and confident about any project at the beginning. So when this feedback came back I wasn’t sure what to do.

I had two options. Move onto my next project (which I’m very enthusiastic about) or tackle the major rewrite. And of course, sometimes there are genuinely valid reasons for moving on. My advice, here, is listen to your heart and talk it through with reliable and knowledgeable writerly confidantes. I shelved several projects before getting published because I could not re-ignite my motivation and I think, deep down, that was because I realised those stories were never going to work.

Indeed, my first reaction in this instance? With all my confidence gone and feeling despondent, I decided to start my next book and leave this one either to stay permanently under the bed or revisit at some point in the future. I decided fixing the problems would involve too much work and take too long.

However, something unexpected happened overnight. The characters began to talk to me. Ideas slowly formulated around which needed scrapping and how to improve the remaining ones. Then new plotlines twitched in my brain. I woke up feeling rather excited. Eventually, after a day or two, I realised that this book, this story still existed – I just had the  opportunity now to really make it shine, having already done a lot of the groundwork.

I mapped out all the chapters and almost enjoyed slashing some out and combining others together. As for the characters, it’s not proving to be as hard as I expected to ditch some even though, in my head, they’d become my friends.

Perhaps they’ll resurface one day in another story. And that is the essence of embracing the major rewrite – realising that what you have to lose is not a waste. Characters can be used again and all of that prose you wrote is practice – continually you are improving your craft.

I’ve now regained some confidence and cringe when I think about the initial version. I’m grateful for the knowledge I now have of where and why I went wrong. This should help with my next draft and future projects.

So here’s my own advice for embracing a major rewrite -and if you’ve any tips then please do share them!

Sure, throw a little pity party and lick your wounds when vigorous feedback comes back. Eat chocolate. Take a long bath. Grieve for the story you believe you have lost. But don’t let this stage last too long.

Sleep on it. Even take a break for a few days. Try to stand back. Put your ego to one side when asking yourself if the editorial suggestions are valid.

Don’t see it as having to start over again. See it as simply continuing with, and fully fleshing out, a plot and characters you have already well developed. Refuse to see slashed characters and chapters as wasted.

Realise that if someone takes the time to give you detailed feedback, be that a potential agent, signed agent, editor or critque partner, they believe in your writing. 

As a resident Mancunian, I’d say  make your mantra “You don’t get owt for nowt”. Yes, writing can be bloody hard work.

Remind yourself that a first draft is called that for a reason. It isn’t the last.

Compare starting another story from scratch, to *starting* one where you’ve already worked extensively on the nuts and bolts. No contest!

Good luck!

It pays to bear in mind that most dreams are unrealistic – the getting published bit isn’t, but it’s what we subconsciously attach to that aspiration. Your view of “getting published” might be that… you earn loads of money. Buy a big house and fancy car. Gain respect from everyone you meet. Suddenly become irresistible to the object of your affection. Never feel depressed again. End up on the Booker List. Stand on the red carpet next to George Clooney. Fit into that size ten dress. Prove to everyone who ever doubted you that their view of you was incorrect.

IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT ANY OF THESE THINGS TO HAPPEN AS A DIRECT RESULT OF FINALLY GETTING YOUR BOOK OUT THERE!

So how can us writers hold onto our happiness during such a roller coaster career?

Over the last year I’ve learn a lot from Buddhism. One of its tenets is that unhappiness comes from being attached to either good or bad things. What helps is realising that nothing is permanent. If we can do that, our life will achieve a sense of balance.

Take my 2015 bestseller Game of Scones. It reached #5 in the Kindle chart and stayed in the Top Ten for a good length of time. It won an award. Many readers loved the story. I was finally on my way to “making it” I whooped! I attached myself to that success and expected it to continue.

That was my  mistake. The next book didn’t do badly, but didn’t do as well. I felt I’d failed. I attached myself to those feelings of disappointment and wondered if I’d ever have a bestseller again.

As it turned out I did and last year Breakfast Under a Cornish Sun got to #8. However, these days I have a different perspective. I don’t become attached to the peaks or the troughs. And I have zero expectations when a book is released. I write it the best I can, with love and heart, and I promote it at the outset… but then I let it go and get on with my next project. What will be will be. There are SO MANY reasons why a book does or doesn’t do well: the publisher’s strategy, the cover, title, price, the timing of its release, the other books around at that moment… I find that if I distance myself from my successes and see them for what they are – transitory events – it gives me a much more balanced view of my career.

Remember, the path to misery is littered with expectations and senses of entitlement!

And all of this can be applied to life. Physical looks, our own and loved ones’ personalities, domestic circumstances, financial earnings, our state of health … be aware that everything is impermanent and in a constant state of flux. This makes it easier to accept your situation when the status quo changes – which it will.

By all means enjoy your highs. You have worked hard. You deserve them. And lick your wounds during the lows. But remember – neither is permanent. Work hard and keep submitting manuscripts and you will get a deal. Keep writing and learning more about your craft and those good reviews and sales rankings will once again appear. Finding working with your current publisher/editor/agent difficult? One way or another that situation won’t last forever.

In my experience, keeping detached and enjoying the good moments simply for what they are (without further expectations), and realising the bad moments will eventually pass… THAT – in writing and in life – is the secret to happiness.

In my case, I partly thank my mother for the belief she had in me as a child. Her mantra was that I could achieve ANYTHING I wanted. Of course, I would have to work hard to achieve my targets, and there would be disappointment along the way, but her faith gave me a great gift – an intrinsic sense of valuing myself and my abilities. I’ll always be grateful for that and truly believe the words below, on my new favourite coffee coaster.

Life experience, too, has helped me achieve my aim of becoming a published author. Look back on your life and I’m sure you’ll find examples of challenges you have faced and got through. For me, let’s see… going to university. I chose one hundreds of miles away from home. I chose one of the best courses in the country, for what I wanted to study. In retrospect, perhaps those decisions were ill-judged. I ended up suffering from a stress-related illness. However, I was determined not to waste my years of study. I gritted my teeth and got through the finals. Ultimately, this made my sense of self-belief grow.

And then I got married and brought up kids. Committing to a partner and rearing off-spring have further increased my belief that I can achieve great things. Both have been a challenge. Both have moved me out of my comfort zone. Before meeting my husband none of my relationships lasted longer than a matter of months. As for nurturing kids, I couldn’t keep any plant alive before they came along, not even a cactus!

And I think that is one of the keys to self-belief – pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. You’ll surprise yourself if you do and it will boost your self-confidence.  I blogged about that here.

It can be hard to keep going. I tried to give up writing along the road to publication, but couldn’t. I used to always think that was simply because it was my passion. But now I know it is also because I had a stubborn, underlying sense of faith. Take the editorial report I once had done, on one of my unpublished novels that is now under the bed. The person who wrote it used expressions such as “what on earth made you think that would work?” It knocked my confidence. Yes, I wept! And I didn’t write – for about one week. But I came back from this sense of devastation that momentarily made me think I’d never see a book of mine in a shop.

Then there was the agent who showed huge interest in my work. They kept in touch. Asked for my next manuscript. However, when they didn’t like it, their tone of rejection was extremely brusque. This experience knocked me sideways – us creative people are sensitive souls. But ultimately, it helped toughen my skin and fed that faith I had in myself.

Just one word of caution though. A sense of reality MUST go hand-in-hand with this self-belief. Take my recent fitness campaign. I now cycle every morning. If you’d told me I’d be doing that a couple of years ago, I would have laughed you all the way to the cake counter! But now I’m out there, pedalling along the streets, every morning before the rush hour. But only for twenty minutes. And not at great speed. I’m no Bradley Wiggins, but I have achieved my target of getting and feeling fitter. I’m me. Doing the best I can. And the same applies to my writing. The dizzy heights of success achieved by JL Rowling and the ilk are so exceptional and I must remind myself of that!

In my latest novel, The New Beginnings Coffee Club, Jenny’s life falls apart. She must start from scratch. Provide for her daughter. Find her own  path in life. It’s scary and the story is about seeing her grow and find the self-belief to become the person life always intended her to be.

I recently heard an expression: “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.”
Believe in yourself – because it may be a while before anyone else does and it will give you the courage to carry on carrying on. Just keep on writing and learning and submitting your work. You WILL get there. You WILL fulfil your potential.

My conclusion? Delicious! I was so glad I’d made that choice. What a journey. The first mouthful really did taste of lavender, with tiny purple fragrant flowers in the icing. As I continued, I detected a kind of ginger flavour, followed by a more usual sponge taste. After another bite a distinct zing of TCP wowed me (for non UK residents that is a antiseptic wash!). It was one surprise after another,  held together by the underlying familiar flavours and textures I expect from cake.

And this made me think of commercial (not literary) writing. It can be a frustrating business, trying to get that first deal. You write something different and publishers say booksellers won’t be able to place it on their shelves. So you try creating something more in tune with what is popular at the moment and agents call it derivative and won’t take it on.

I believe the only way to write is from the heart, and I do that, but at the same time I want to make enough sales to earn a living, so I keep an eye on the market. This doesn’t mean selling my authorly soul but, to my mind, as someone who depends on writing to pay the bills, it means offering readers more of the same – that they love – to attract them to the book, but then something different inside (so that they don’t feel it is “just another read” of that genre.)

I mean, if that cake had been sold in a wrapper that said “Yes, it actually does taste of lavender, with added zings of ginger and TCP”, to be honest, I’m not sure I would have risked it! The cake simply had a really appealing title and honey made it sound comforting and familiar. Plus it looked good, so I couldn’t resist.

Take my award-winning summer 2015 novel, Game of Scones. Originally it was set in heaven – don’t ask! In retrospect my editor was jolly polite in the manner that she turned it down! Even I roll my eyes when I look back. What on earth was I thinking? It would have totally alienated readers who’d enjoyed my 3 previous non – paranormal romcoms. But I was determined to use that title, I loved it so much, so eventually, I came up with an idea I was even more passionate about – a romance starring very exotic scones, an English teashop on a Greek island of all places and subjects such as the Syrian refugee crisis. A holiday love story, yes – but with a difference.

And this is what I’m hoping I’ve done with my latest summer release, out now, The New Beginnings Coffee Club. I’m thrilled with the many reviews that have mentioned the shocks and surprises within the story and aspects of life they never thought would be covered in such a book.

I’ve covered subjects that are close to my heart – that I am passionate about. Otherwise, as an author, what is the point? But I have kept close to my usual style, not in a cynical way, but because I love my readers and want them to continue enjoying my work. If I want a growing audience for the subjects that inspire me then I have to think of the best way to keep loyal readers happy, whilst still attracting new ones to my work.

Of course, it’s a risk, trying something different. And all of us authors get our fair share of bad reviews – not everyone will like your work. And if you write some very different, that publishers and agents decide is too much of a risk for them to take on – and your heart is 100% in it – there is nothing to stop you from self-publishing. I am in awe of some self-pubbed authors out there, who’ve got to grips with the necessary technology and enjoyed great success. And there are always those break-out books, taken on by traditional publishers. that inspire a new genre – like Harry Potter, Twilight and Fifty Shades. There is nothing to say that your story couldn’t be one of those.

I can only speak for myself, and my personal goal is to – hopefully – give the majority of those readers, who click the buy button, a literary slice of lavender and honey cake. The unexpected within the expected. Good luck with whatever path you take with your writing. That’s the great thing with the digital revolution – there are now so many routes.

Not one single published friend of mine ever advised that though. And I’m thankful now. Without their support and the encouragement of my family I might never now been enjoying the career of my dreams. It is so true what people say. You could be on the cusp of finding success, just when things get really tough.

I have four books under my bed that – quite rightly – will never see the light of day. However Mistletoe Mansion was written before my debut Doubting Abbey. My agent and I just couldn’t find a home for it – but it eventually found a publisher who believed in the story and was a Christmas bestseller. So each individual rejection is just that and doesn’t represent the view of everyone else.

It is hard, sending work out, receiving it back unenjoyed. My very first submission, years ago, was to the Darley Anderson Agency. It flew straight back, just before that Christmas, with a standard rejection letter. I can smile now at my dejection. Naively I thought the hard bit was writing the novel. How wrong I was. Trying to bag an agent or publisher is when the real graft starts. And last year I signed with one of their agents.

I can also smile at the times I would flounce off social media, announcing that I needed a break, telling myself that writing was not for me. But the passion gets a grip. It’s like a switch. Once it’s been turned on and you experience the joy of crafting a sentence, paragraph or chapter that you are pleased with, the light just can’t be switched off again.

So, in the end I gave in to my calling. And now I am so glad I did. The years of tears were worth it, despite the new set of challenges that publishing offers such as bad reviews and deadlines!

So I would say, listen to your heart. It will tell you if you really can abandon your dream. And if the answer is no, you are signing up to a writing life for better or for worse, just remember the wise words of the great Samuel Beckett:

“Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

1. Don’t be afraid of the colour pink. Pink clothes. Pink pastel book cover backgrounds. Pink cupcakes. Pink fonts. Here in the romance world we embrace this stereotypically sentimental colour. It derives from the House of Red – and I’m not talking wine, I’m talking HEART.

2. At the same time, don’t be fooled into thinking we are a slushy, gushy, glistening-eyed lot. You need real grit to write in this genre, because you are going to face criticism from people who don’t appreciate or understand it; who snort at the girlie covers and sneer at the Happy Ever After endings. Forget a rhino hide, you are going to need a skin made of steel. Years of subbing work and getting it rejected will help achieve this, so see every one of those returned brown envelopes as an important step forwards in your journey to becoming a resilient romantic author.

3. Drink Prosecco. Lots of it. That way your tolerance will increase to levels able to cope with intelligent conversation at the Romantic Novelists’ Association meetings, where people surreptitiously fill up your glass. Which they will.

4. If you aren’t already, become a fan of chocolate. When romance writers aren’t discussing their craft, or their latest romantic hero, this is a common topic of conversation. Us ladies – and gentlemen –  in red take our writing fuel very seriously.

5. Don’t expect to write about sex, without having to talk about it. I had a very, um, enlightening conversation at a recent romance party, which I couldn’t possibly repeat here. You may write “sweet” romance like me, but will eventually meet and mingle with writers who not only go into the bedroom with their characters, but leave the lights on! Whilst we love the colour red, there is no room for blushes in this world!

6. Finally, and most importantly, maintain your sense of humour! Writing is a serious business, and tongue-in-cheek comments about pink and Prosecco aside, once published you are effectively working for yourself. This means tax-returns, deadlines, setting short and long-term goals, upping your interpersonal skills to deal with editors and agents… In the face of bad reviews, slipping rankings or self-doubt, you are going to need a laugh. Yet don’t worry. You couldn’t meet a more welcoming, self-deprecating, witty, generous bunch of people than those from the romance writing community.