I am currently writing a historical romance novel, which means that I love to read historical romance novels, too. One day, I went to the Google machine in search of historical romance novels with black or African American characters—or historical romance novels written by black authors. The list is small. (Sad face.) Here’s what IContinue reading “Seven Black Authors Who Write Historical Romance”
Author Archives: Rene Penn
At the Middle of a WIP? ¡Vamos!
I recently caught a great moment on TV, during a tennis match with Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios, when Nadal sliced the ball right past Kyrgios to win the game. Nadal pumped his fist and yelled something, something electrifying. Our TV was on mute, so I couldn’t quite make it out. But I could seeContinue reading “At the Middle of a WIP? ¡Vamos!”
Why Aspiring Authors Are Really MathWriterMaticians
Aspiring Author + Word Count Fixation = MathWriterMetician. I’m coining this term, because we writers are obsessed with numbers and math, whether we want to believe it or not. I find myself crunching numbers almost daily. That’s how I track my WIP. I can’t help myself. One number buzzes around me at all times likeContinue reading “Why Aspiring Authors Are Really MathWriterMaticians”
What Has Possessed Me to Write My Novel in Longhand?
What the heck possessed me to stop typing my novel and to start writing it longhand, instead? Especially since I have short hands with small fingers. A couple of years ago, I had dinner with bestselling author Michelle Gable. (Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Actually, she was a keynote speaker at an eventContinue reading “What Has Possessed Me to Write My Novel in Longhand?”
Who Are Your Author Peers?
I first learned about this concept–“author peers” or “peer authors”–about two years ago. It’s been a game-changer for me, and certainly an ongoing educational process. But this whole writing thing kinda is anyway, isn’t it? First, let me explain what I mean by author peers. If you were published, author peers would be writers whoseContinue reading “Who Are Your Author Peers?”
Writing Tips from Reading Gail Carriger’s Soulless
Years ago, I didn’t read as much as I should have, much to my mother’s chagrin. Of course, that changed over the years. Reading became one of my absolute fave activities. Not only is it a wonderful experience, it provides inspiration and a great teaching tool for me as an aspiring author. A friend recentlyContinue reading “Writing Tips from Reading Gail Carriger’s Soulless”
How I Read Books as an Aspiring Author
I don’t know when I turned a corner and started reading books with my “writer hat” on. You know what I mean: The moment you change from a passive reader to an active one. When you’re no longer escaping when you pick up a book, you’re analyzing. Instead of holding a cup of tea (orContinue reading “How I Read Books as an Aspiring Author”
Why Aspiring Authors Should Start a Blog
A couple of years ago, I attended the amazingly awesome and motivating LaJolla Writer’s Conference. They provided tips of what to do as an aspiring author, like starting a blog. It’s taken me a while to put that into action, but I see why you should start blogging before being published. It gets you writing I’veContinue reading “Why Aspiring Authors Should Start a Blog”
Rene Penn 