Tag Archives: Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference

SISTER SCRIBES GUEST: JEN GILROY ON FINDING YOUR WRITING VOICE

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Since Susanna Bavin introduced Canadian romance author Jen Gilroy to us at a Romantic Novelists’ Association conference she has been an honorary Sister Scribe and it’s an absolute delight to welcome her to Frost.

One of the questions I’m often asked when giving talks about writing relates to ‘voice’ and, specifically, how to find it.

For some writers, voice is instinctive. If you’re one of those fortunate people, this post likely isn’t for you!

However, for many others (me included) finding your ‘voice’ isn’t so straightforward.

First off, what is ‘voice?’

For me, it’s what makes one author’s fiction distinctive from that of another. At a superficial level, it relates to word choice, syntax and the mechanics of constructing a story.

Going deeper, though, voice reflects each author’s personal experience—the constellation of factors that make them who they are—as distinctive as their fingerprint.

A tip to identify voice?

Choose books by three favourite authors, set them side-by-side and consider the first few pages. Even if they write in the same genre, it’s likely that in only those early pages you’ll identify major differences in how the writer tells the story and makes you feel.

Those differences are rooted in voice and some authors have such distinctive voices that fans can often identify their work in only a short paragraph—without knowing the book’s title or author.

However, even if you know what ‘voice’ is and can identify it in other writers, how do you find yours?

For me, finding my voice was part of my writing apprenticeship and (as with many other parts of learning the craft) necessitated trial and error.

In the beginning, I sampled genres a bit like food at a tapas bar. From literary fiction through to young adult, historical and more, I tried writing in a number of different areas.

Yet, and like delicious tapas morsels, only one or two genres resonated enough for me to think I’d truly found my own ‘author voice.’

What does ‘voice’ feel like?

I liken my ‘voice’ to wearing my favourite pair of cosy slippers as I snuggle under a blanket by the fire on a cold winter night.

That ‘voice’ is drawn from the innermost part of myself and means I delve into emotions only I feel to express them on the page.

At first, that self-reflection was scary. With career in corporate and technical writing, I was so used to adopting a ‘corporate voice’ that I’d lost my own, and I’d also lost touch with the emotions that are the foundation of fiction.

Yet, with practice and patience—and by reading and writing widely—I dug deep enough to get to that comfortable state of knowing when I was writing in my voice—and when I figured that out, the genres were obvious.

Long before I became a writer, romance and women’s fiction were the genres I read for hope, comfort, escape and more. Not surprisingly, those were also the books that fit my voice and when I started to write from the foundation of who I truly am, the words flowed.

Although finding my voice was one of the most difficult parts of my writing journey, it was also the most rewarding. And, perhaps most importantly, writing with the warmth and intuition that comes from the core of who I am is the most honest gift I can give.

 

Jen Gilroy writes romance and uplifting women’s fiction with happy, hopeful endings. She’s a wife and mum who calls England and Canada home and her latest release, A Wish in Irish Falls, is out now on Kindle (free with Kindle Unlimited).

Connect with Jen via her website: www.jengilroy.com

 

 

SHEILA CRIGHTON ON ‘THE PRO’S AND CON’FERENCE’ OF 2020

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Conference planning time reminds me of Christmas. Perhaps it’s because the planning begins around October when, life becomes a bit more twinkly. Or perhaps it’s because I get to open up a new spreadsheet and start putting together another buzzy, creative, inspiration-filled roster of sessions with which to lure people along to our next venue (Leeds Trinity in 2021, if you’re asking).

When I first started attending in 2015, the extraordinary Jan Jones was the doyenne of all things conference. And when I say all things, I literally mean all the things. She booked the speakers, the delegates, the venues (booking venues happens years in advance to make sure we get our early-July slot). She put up the signs pointing us up stairs and down corridors and around the corner to the loos. She knows where to get wine. Who can help make the microphones work (thank you, Janet Gover!). She knows who likes to sleep on a quiet floor and who needs a kitchen that parties into the wee hours. She did it all. Yes, there are helpers. People who greet lovely newbies (cheers, Kate Thomson) and people who schedule the industry appointment allocations (thank you, Elaine Everest). People who chair the RNA (kisses to Alison May and all past leaders), and of course the scads of folk who help stuff those lovely goodie bags, but still. Organising a conference for well over two hundred delegates and some thirty-plus speakers as well as the venue, the catering, the glitter on the tables for Saturday night etc etc is a big task.

So, a couple of years ago before I’d even had a sip of wine, I volunteered to help. I’d book the speakers and one-to-one industry experts and Jan would oversee the venue logistics (of which there is a mind-boggling amount to consider) and book the delegates (another epic job including, but not limited to, getting those lovely glittery first-time Conference attendee flowers on name tags).

Booking speakers is akin to picking thirty-six shiny candies from a huge jar filled with thousands of impossibly wonderful candies. The previous year’s speakers have to be considered. Delegate’s feedback is pored over (yes, we really do consider it). All this and more to create that all important balance for the myriad of novelists who make up our membership. We put a lot of thought into creating sessions that meet everyone’s needs and perspectives, headlining the RNA’s passion for inclusivity. As such, the speakers should showcase the variety in modern romantic fiction including: romcom, historical, SCIFI, saga with BAME, LGBTQ and all of the other protagonists in between seeking their Happily Ever Afters. After all, love matters to everyone. And then, of course, there are the one-to-one industry feedback sessions. The feedback – no matter the outcome – is unbelievably useful. It’s definitely taught me to take some constructive criticism on the chin!

This year, just as everything was getting exciting and I thought we’d nailed it, Covid-19 happened and we couldn’t hold the shiny conference I’d just organised and Jan had already taken over a hundred bookings for. Then our chairwoman Zoomed me (because that’s now a verb) and said “virtual conference.” I said no, no, no because I was mourning the conference we couldn’t have. When booking opened for the virtual conference Alison persuaded me to book speakers and industry professionals for despite my reservations, scores of you signed up. Which is just the juice we need, come autumn, to open up a shiny new spreadsheet and do it all again. Happy virtual conference everyone!!

 

Sheila Crighton’s first job was selling popcorn at an arthouse cinema. She later became a cameraman and news producer for Associated Press TV, made a few TV programmes, then gave it up to raise stripy cows and write books as Annie O’Neil and Daisy Tate. One of her gazillion dreams is to write a Hallmark Christmas movie.

 

Business of Books: Jane Cable writes from the Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference

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Business of Books: State of the Nation
Jane Cable writes from the Romantic Novelists’ Association ConferenceI’m conferenced out. There, I’ve said it now. Suffering from serious information overload but in a very good way. So many fascinating sessions, so many interesting new people to meet. And so much wine to drink – the organisers ordered a mere 600 bottles for the weekend. Not to mention the stocks in the fridges in our own kitchens. Yes, it was a little like rolling back the years and being a student again.The first session after the official conference opening was a state of the industry address and the key messages have interest for writers in every genre, not just romance. Major trends seem to be for shorter books – gone are the doorstops of yesteryear, despite the increase in audio and ebook meaning we don’t have to carry them around anymore. And genres are blurring too – thanks to the rise and rise of indie publishing, even the major houses are beginning to understand that readers are becoming more adventurous.But of particular interest to me was the advice each panellist gave to the assembled authors. Here’s who they were and what they said.

Isobel Dixon (Head of Books and Director of the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency):
Persevere – there is much more flexibility in the market in every way. And once your book is out there, be generous with your readers.

Sam Missingham (former digital project manager at Harper Collins who has just founded @lounge_books, which she describes as a home for book lovers)
Build your own audience platforms, whatever the stage of your career. You can’t waste your time on social media.

Broo Doherty (literary agent at DHH)
Don’t take rejection personally. Believe in yourself.

Rosie de Courcy (fiction publisher at Head of Zeus)
Try to create your own world, somewhere you can write the same but different year after year.

Emily Yau (commissioning editor on fiction lists at Ebury Publishing)
Read as much as you can – in and out of your genre. Understand where your book sits in the market and why it’s special.

Well that’s the words of wisdom – and my thanks goes to John Jackson, the RNA’s unofficial photographer, for the picture.

Now I’m off to plough through pages and pages of notes for more interesting blog content – and some wonderful new people to interview about the business of books.