356 Days and Counting - Okay I Missed a Day - But Only by 25 Minutes

Oddly Dirty Puzzle Pieces? Yep! Snagged by Denny S. Bryce from the Internet

There is no guarantee that I will blog daily for the next 350 odd days. It's just that after yesterday's blog I just had to write something - guilt is a bitch.

I'm in a quandary. I can't get a handle on my tagline...those perfectly crafted short phrases that we authors LOVE to use to hone in on our brand. Who are we, what do we write, how do we write it. The tagline gives the reader a short-cut on what they can expect beween the pages of that author's next (or last) book.

Check out the sites below. These writers offer solid examples of grabbing your 'author' brand and running with it.

Burning Up The Sheets - Robin Covington
Romance with a Bite of Humor - Loni Lynne
Paranormal Queen - Vivi Dumas
Romancing the Palate - Rebecca Lynn

My challenge with all of these sites, however, is that I'm jealous. I can't come up with a thing that makes sense about my writing like these women have. I know marketing. Twenty-five years in the business. Successful by many standards. But does that make me an expert on providing published and pre-published writers with insights they can tailor and use to give them the marketing results they seek?

As I go into day 356 of my journey, but really 355 since it's nearly 1 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, the critical piece of the puzzle revolves around what will work to differentiate you and your writing from the massive number of competitors in the industry (who cares what genre you are writing).

What do I like about the four writers featured above - their tagline not only says - hey this is what I write or where I am carving out my niche - but they are differentiating their brand (their author selves) with a quick snapshot and phrase that tells the prospective shopper -- quickly -- what they will find in their stories - all except for Rebecca Lynn. She is establishing her brand identity by cultivating a following that blends her passions - food and writing -- using a very effective approach.

But for me, even my current phrase - The Science of Romance - misses the boat on delivering that message that rings in the ears.

So what is my tagline? I don't know yet. Maybe I'll find it tomorrow after writing my next blog.

In the meantime, tell me about your tagline? And why does it work for you?

PS: RWA Nationals tomorrow!!!

Catching Up

Whew! It's just been a while since I've posted in this blog. My energy has been divided into any number of directions. But today, I'm writing about letting go. It’s a writer’s prerogative to take that leap from making main characters sweet, predictable or safe. They need to go where danger and fear and risk are commonplace.

I had a dream last night (yes, I did). And it was the most outrageously dangerous dream I’ve ever had. And I’ve had my share. It involved two men, gunplay, loads of interaction of the most dominating kind, and there was no remorse.

Think about that for a moment. Ponder the implications, and then think about vampires, and shape shifters and werewolves and creatures that must exist on the edge of what makes sense. Have you written a character who has no remorse? Not across the board, but perhaps just for one action, and it's beyond no regrets...

As a writer, can you cross that line? I'm struggling with my main character during revisions because she needs a sharper edge. At a conference recently the presenter asked a question about how to approach your story through character or plot. I said through plot, or at least situation. Now, I'm writing an outline, and I want to take my plot to task while nailing character. Am I going about it wrong?