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    Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market
    Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market
    Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market
    Ebook86 pages45 minutes

    Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market

    By Nancy L. Cassidy

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    About this ebook

    So you have a great idea for a romance, but you want to keep it short? There’s a large market today for short romantic fiction, especially in the virtual, electronic marketplace. People want to read something while they sit on the bus or ride the train to work. Something that is short, easy to read, but will make them feel good, the way romance novels do.  
     
    Keeping it brief without losing that level of emotional connection can be hard, but there are ways to make sure your book is a satisfying romance read, even with a limited number of words. You can learn to plan and write a story that will make your readers look for more.  
     
    Here are some of the things you’ll learn in Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market: 
     
    The History of the Short Story; Understanding Your Niche; The Craft of Writing Short Romance; Use Writing Exercises Layering; Precision Writing  
     
    Written by Freelance Editor and Writing Coach, Nancy Cassidy, TheRedPenCoach.com

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherThe Red Pen Coach
    Release dateNov 1, 2015
    ISBN9780988048874
    Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market

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      Book preview

      Quickies - Nancy L. Cassidy

      Quickies:

      Quickies:

      Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market

      Nancy Cassidy

      A Redpencoach Production

      Contents

      Quickies: What Authors Have to Say…

      Copyright

      Foreword

      Dedication

      Introduction

      A Brief History of Short Fiction - Then and Now

      A Brief History of Short Fiction - Then and Now

      Understanding Your Niche

      Understanding Your Niche

      The Subgenres of Romance

      Mash-Ups: Mix ’em Up

      Writing for Different Age Groups

      Story Length Categories

      What Makes Romance?

      The Craft of Writing Short Romance

      The Basics

      Structure of the Short Story

      Point of View, 1st Person, 2nd Person, 3rd Person, and Tense

      Setting

      Dialogue

      Character Growth

      Pacing

      Archetypes, Themes, Tropes and Memes

      The Short Plot Method

      Introductions

      Complications

      Climaxes

      Resolutions

      Writing Exercise A

      Layering

      Layering

      Adding Emotion

      Symbolism and Memes; The Rule of Three

      Writing Exercise B

      Precision Writing

      Keep it Concise

      Writing Exercise C

      Avoiding clichés: Avoiding clichés

      Know Your Market

      Who Reads Romance?

      Who Reads Short Romance Stories – Serials, Novellas, Shorts, and Anthologies?

      Conclusion

      More About The Red Pen Coach

      APPENDIX A: Further Suggested Reading

      APPENDIX B: Example of The Short Plot Method and Blank Form

      APPENDIX C: Current Short Fiction Opportunities, or Where to Look for Them

      About the Author

      Quickies: What Authors Have to Say…

      Everything you need to know to write compelling short romances!  Nancy Cassidy brings a wealth of experience as both an author and editor to this valuable resource. – Author Deborah Hale

      A practical and easy-to-read guide for writing short romantic fiction. Both beginning and experienced authors will appreciate the nuggets of information on how to craft a compelling short story. – Author Bev Pettersen

      "Quickies reveals the ins and outs of writing short romance. As a new writer, it provides valuable advice in helping me be strategic in both my writing and marketing." – Aspiring Romance Author, G. Veronica Purcell

      "The Short Plot Method in Quickies works with the writing basics as a useful tool to create short, enjoyable romances." – Author Cathryn Fox

      Quickies: Writing

      Short

      Fiction for the Romance Market

      Copyright 2015 by Nancy Cassidy

      Published by the Red Pen Coach

      Edited by Pat Thomas

      Cover by Jan Meredith

      Discover more about writing with Nancy Cassidy at www.TheRedPenCoach.com

      A RedPenCoach publication

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

      First edition September 2015

      ISBN print: 978-1-5175-7873-2

      ISBN ebook: 978-0-9880488-7-4

      Foreword

      So you have a great idea for a romance, but you want to keep it short? There’s a large market today for short romantic fiction, especially in the virtual, electronic marketplace. People want to read something while they sit on the bus or ride the train to work. Something that is short, easy to read, but will make them feel good, the way romance novels do.

      Keeping it brief without losing that level of emotional connection can be hard, but there are ways to make sure your book is a satisfying romance read, even with a limited number of words. You can learn to plan and write a story that will make your readers look for more.

      Here are some of the things you’ll learn in Quickies: Writing Short Fiction for the Romance Market:

      The History of the Short Story – Gain an under-standing of the tradition of short stories and the difference between early stories and those written today.

      Understanding

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