Conquer that dreaded writers block! With originally self-published works like Fifty Shades of Grey turning into mind-blowing blockbusters, both traditional and indie authors have embraced the romance genre as never before. But when youre left staring helplessly at a blank page, what can help you move forward? This pocket-sized, affordable collection of romance story-starters offers 100 prompts, organized by subgenre, from historical bodice rippers, to paranormal romance, to contemporary erotica. In this portable muse, writers of all romance genres and experience levels will find the seeds of many spellbinding tales.

Published by The Muse Charmer Packed with 195 writing prompts, Use Your Muse: Writing Prompts for Romance Writers offers inspiration, education, and all the tools a writer needs to craft a story with depth, complexity, and emotion.

This guide reveals how writers can utilize cognitive storytelling strategies to craft stories that ignite readers’ brains and captivate them through each plot element. Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets—and it’s a game-changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper. The vast majority of writing advice focuses on “writing well” as if it were the same as telling a great story. This is exactly where many aspiring writers fail—they strive for beautiful metaphors, authentic dialogue, and interesting characters, losing sight of the one thing that every engaging story must do: ignite the brain’s hardwired desire to learn what happens next. When writers tap into the evolutionary purpose of story and electrify our curiosity, it triggers a delicious dopamine rush that tells us to pay attention. Without it, even the most perfect prose won’t hold anyone’s interest. Backed by recent breakthroughs in neuroscience as well as examples from novels, screenplays, and short stories, Wired for Story offers a revolutionary look at story as the brain experiences it. Each chapter zeroes in on an aspect of the brain, its corresponding revelation about story, and the way to apply it to your storytelling right now.

First published a decade ago, A Writer's Book of Days has become the ideal writing coach for thousands of writers. Newly revised, with new prompts, up-to-date Web resources, and more useful information than ever, this invaluable guide offers something for everyone looking to put pen to paper — a treasure trove of practical suggestions, expert advice, and powerful inspiration. Judy Reeves meets you wherever you may be on a given day with: • get-going prompts and exercises • insight into writing blocks • tips and techniques for finding time and creating space • ways to find images and inspiration • advice on working in writing groups • suggestions, quips, and trivia from accomplished practitioners Reeves's holistic approach addresses every aspect of what makes creativity possible (and joyful) — the physical, emotional, and spiritual. And like a smart, empathetic inner mentor, she will help you make every day a writing day.

“Transported me effortlessly…Haunting, harrowing and heartbreaking, this is a novel that will stay with you.” --Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push “A ghost story and fantastically gripping psychological investigation rolled into one. It is also a pitch-perfect piece of writing. . . . As with Shirley Jackson’s work or Sarah Waters’s masterpiece Affinity, in Stonex’s hands the unspoken, unexamined, unseen world we can call the supernatural, a world fed by repression and lies, becomes terrifyingly tangible.” --The Guardian (London) Inspired by a haunting true story, a gorgeous and atmospheric novel about the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers from a remote tower miles from the Cornish coast--and about the wives who were left behind. What strange fate befell these doomed men? The heavy sea whispers their names. Black rocks roll beneath the surface, drowning ghosts. And out of the swell like a finger of light, the salt-scratched tower stands lonely and magnificent. It's New Year's Eve, 1972, when a boat pulls up to the Maiden Rock lighthouse with relief for the keepers. But no one greets them. When the entrance door, locked from the inside, is battered down, rescuers find an empty tower. A table is laid for a meal not eaten. The Principal Keeper's weather log describes a storm raging round the tower, but the skies have been clear. And the clocks have all stopped at 8:45. Two decades later, the keepers' wives are visited by a writer determined to find the truth about the men's disappearance. Moving between the women's stories and the men's last weeks together in the lighthouse, long-held secrets surface and truths twist into lies as we piece together what happened, why, and who to believe. In her riveting and suspenseful novel, Emma Stonex writes a story of isolation and obsession, of reality and illusion, and of what it takes to keep the light burning when all else is swallowed by dark.

Every good romance novel begins the same way - with a story idea. Yet compelling story ideas aren't always easy to come by. Sometimes we all need a little inspiration - a spark that ignites our imagination and excites the writing muse. 1001 Romance Story Starters cover myriad genres, from erotic romance to inspirational and everything in between. Romance Story Starters aren't your traditional writing prompts. Designed to kick start your imagination they include dialogue starters, scenes, open ended scenarios, and even story endings. You can change ANYTHING about the story starter. Take the idea and bend it to your will - you're the boss. Use the ideas to create powerful and compelling characters. Rhett and Scarlett, Romeo and Juliet, Kate and Curran, great romance characters are created through conflict, chemistry, and courtship. Each story starter holds the potential to help you create characters that capture your reader's heart and mind and stand the test of time. Use the ideas to help you overcome writer's block. It doesn't matter if you're staring at a blank page or if you're in the middle of a novel and unsure where to go with it - use the starters as inspiration. Let them help get your creative brain fired up. Use the ideas to strengthen your writing muscles. Your writing muscles are like any other muscle in your body. If you don't use them regularly, it becomes weak. Don't let your creative writing muscles atrophy! Even if you're not working on a story idea, write. Grab a story idea and fill a page or two (or ten) or write for twenty minutes - you make the rules.

Attention aspiring and working writers alike! Finish your work in four easy steps with this explosion of inspiration. How can aspiring writers-whether aiming for a short story, novel, screenplay, or nonfiction work-gain the confidence they need to follow through on their creative visions.... The answer can be found in this book by a writing coach and university writing professor whose "Bang the Keys" workshop stems from an innovative four-step system that offers practical advice for demonstrated results every time. Step 1: Begin with the strongest idea. Step 2: Arrange the work into a concrete shape. Step 3: Nurture the project with love, so that others can love it, too. Step 4: Go finish, and then let it go so it may live independently in the world. Also included are practical writing exercises that will give readers the tools and the inspiration to finish the writing projects they start ... or bust their fingers trying!