Gina Ardito: Romantic Comedy Author

This year I will officially have been writing for a decade. Yes, I started Chapter One of my first manuscript,
Kismet's Angel (contracted for release in 2010 with The Wild Rose Press), in 1999. Since that first chapter,
I've learned a lot of publishing secrets, tricks that have sometimes slowed me down, and other times helped
me leap hurdles. Study these pearls of wisdom. Tape them up near your computer. They just might come in
handy one day.

1. Editing is my Friend (aka "The World is not Ready for my 800-page Masterpiece."): Yes, that's right.
My first manuscript clocked in at a respectable 800+ pages in its first draft. Imagine my surprise when
publishing houses weren't leaping at the idea of contracting this solid doorstop! Now I write tighter and don't
start every story with one hundred pages geared to introduce the reader to my heroine's childhood years.

2. I Am Not Always in Control: Whether it's the direction my story takes, how long I wait to hear back
on a query, what my editor wants, or when the book is finally released, there are certain aspects of this
business beyond my control. Over the years I've learned to let go and let the current take me where it will.
More important, I keep writing to prevent obsessing over those power struggles I'm bound to lose. And the
occasional Lindt chocolate bar soothes my ruffled pride.

3. Writing is Solitary, But I Have Lots of Friends to Turn to: The Internet makes support,
encouragement, and information a few mouse clicks away. So when I receive the latest rejection, want to
shout about the new sale, or need to brainstorm a plot line, I reach out to other writers who understand my
needs, excitement, or dilemma. The trick is to limit the amount of distractions. The Internet can suck
precious writing time like a horde of leeches! Stay focused and wear long sleeves.

4. The Real World Doesn't Stop Spinning Just Because My Characters Are About To Reach
Their Black Moment: Some days, I get so involved in my story, I literally blink and the morning and
afternoon has disappeared. At that stage, no matter what problem my characters are facing, the answers
can wait until tomorrow. So what if my heroine is clinging to a rock wall with one fingernail hooked through a
slowly ripping pair of pantyhose? She can hang on a little longer. If it's nearly dinner time and I'm still in my
pajamas, I force myself to step away from the computer and become wife/mother/person for a while.

5. Writing is not a Race to the Finish Line: Writing is a journey. Each of us has a different aim, a
different path, a different pace. There will be some writers who blow by me at supersonic speed. There will
be others who take longer to reach their goals. My eyes are fixed on my own aims, no matter who's speeding
by on my left or lagging behind on my right. And I will not trip the speeders (no matter how much I may
want to). Jealousy has no place outside our pages�and little place inside them, for the most part.

6. "The Rules Are More Like...Guidelines": Never end a sentence with a preposition; You can't switch
POV's mid-stream; No one buys a story with a rock star or sports hero; Historicals are dead; etc. Give me a
rule, I'll cite an author who's broken it. I can't break all the rules all the time, but I can bend a few of them to
suit my whims and get me moving on to the next chapter, especially in first draft mode. The first time
around, the story's the most important factor. I've never heard an editor say, "It was the greatest story I've
ever read and kept me up all night. But the author opened with a prologue so I had to reject it."

7. Always Have a Backup Mode: Over time, I've lost more chunks of manuscripts than I care to admit.
So my AutoRecovery mode is now programmed to save what I'm working on every five minutes and at the
end of a writing day, I download that day's work onto a private Yahoo group specifically for storing all my
WIPs, articles, and passwords. Did I mention I'm a tsar about the things I can control?

8. Study the Market but Don't Follow the Trends: I keep an eye on what house is seeking what type
of story, where editors go when they leave one publisher and move on to another, and when an agent opens
up a new slot for my sub-genre. But I don't quickly sit down and draft an erotic-inspirational-vampire story
because those are the three hot trends. I stick to writing what I love and hope others will love it, too.

9. I Cannot Please Everyone: This ties in with not chasing trends. There will be critique partners,
contest judges, readers, and/or reviewers who don't like my work. They may find my voice too strong or my
heroine too soft or my plot too contrived. I can take the time to note if their criticism rings true and maybe
even fix the flaws if the story isn't yet published, but I will not obsess, particularly if I disagree with their
remarks! Score another moment for the Lindt chocolate bar.

Most important of all:

10. One Word at a Time: No story is ever written any other way.

So take these pearls--my tidbits of wisdom, hard-earned but true--and move forth, Grasshopper. Step onto
your writing path, follow your heart, and leap those hurdles!