Beginnings: Why I Started Writing & How I Start My Books

Spring is almost here...although I think we actually skipped winter this time (at least near Kansas City). New hopes, dreams, beginnings.

So, speaking of beginnings, I thought I'd write about how I started writing. It wasn't a like-long dream; in fact, my goal had been to be a teacher. I graduated from college and began my teaching career, teaching mostly early grades, K-3.

But while my life was rolling along with my job description as "teacher", I was reading books. Lots of them. First biographies, then Shakespeare (was crazy about his works and took a number of Shakespeare-offered electives in college).

Reading romance books came next...and I was hooked. I started reading regencies and historical romances, and love Barbara Cartland and Georgette Heyer. Eventually, I started reading romances involving seasons (especially Christmas-themed books), then romances that had children in their stories. From there, I branched out to contemporaries and finally, paranormal.

As a voracious reader, I trekked back and forth to the library many times. Bought tons of books, too. And once all four of my kids were teenagers at the same time for a three-year period, I searched for a sanity release.

In the back of my mind, I harbored this niggling thought about writing a romance book. Finding that this was the escape I sought from "real" life, I ventured into the world of writing.

Not knowing anything, I bought a book titled, "The Romance Writers Pink Pages" and used it as a reference. I sat and wrote a book called, "Three Strikes to Love" (yes, baseball was involved).

Using my reference "bible", I sent queries to agents. Two asked to see the book, one asked for a partial. Two rejections came quickly; the last one actually had some advice...put dialogue in the book.

Yes, I'd written most of it as a narration so obviously I was clueless.

I went to some weekend seminars/workshops on writing and met someone from a local Romance Writers of America chapter. Intrigued, I joined. And, thus started my REAL journey to my writing career.

After years of learning the "ins and outs" of writing and the industry, I finally published my first book in 2007. It was a long journey, but an interesting one.

My books, contemporary/paranormal/erotic romances, all start with dialogue. My feeling is that dialogue immediately draws readers into the action, and that first sentence or two has to be a strong hook to catch their attention.

My favorite "first sentence book": Gone to the Dogs. I hoped that readers would be intrigued by this sentence: "Your dog ate your underwear." Actually, this happened to me...but it wasn't MY underwear the dog ate! Our dog ate my daughter's underwear...one sock and two thongs. Luckily, no harm was done, and the items...ahem...made their exit from his body. Scared at first and then relieved, I finally saw the humor in this scenario and wrote the book based on this sentence.

Beginnings for my other books (either Marianne Stephens or April Ash):
MS-(Paranormal) Second Sight Dating: "I want him, not the other one you just showed me."
AA-(Erotic) Sexy Games: "I hate this job."
AA-Erotic) Strip Poker for Two: "I'm upping the ante. Bring underwear."
MS-Contemporary) Anything You Can Do: "Shit. Another message from that Minetti woman."
MS-(Romantic Suspense/Time Travel) Street of Dreams (there's a prologue then this): "Take Murphy with you on this one. She's a nut about the decade."

Readers...do you like reading dialogue first? Writers...what do you consider when writing that first sentence? Share your ideas!

http://www.mariannestephens.net
http://www.aprilash.net
http://www.romancebooksrus.com

Photos: Flickr: massdistraction and throgers photostreams