Write Stuff Wednesday

What do I love most about Janet Evanovich? Recently - her speech at RWA!

Admittedly, it took me awhile to jump on the Stephanie Plum bandwagon (I think there were four or five books out by the time I started on the series) but I'm a die-hard fan now. Not just of the stories, but of Janet herself. I admire the dream, drive and determination, that carried her to the top.

During her speech (filled with all kinds of write stuff), I soaked up the nuggets of real wisdom she shared with the RWA conference attendees. The top few: Reminders that being a mom is the most important job she's ever had, that laughter is a balm for nearly everything, and that playing to your writing strengths is vital to an author's success.

It didn't hurt to hear about her work ethic. On some level readers know writers have to put in the hours, but when the end result is such an enjoyable read, we tend to think of it as some purely miraculous occurrence. The truth (as I heard it on Thursday) was that daily effort, self-discipline, self-awareness, and a positive attitude are the real keys to that mythical 'overnight' rocket to the top of the bestseller lists.

If you're a Plum fan, let me and the other 'realm' visitors know why or which book got you hooked!

Happy reading,
Regan