Regency Debutantes: a Feast of Fictional Heroines

The Regency debutante comes in very handy for authors like me, even though she is as individual as the writers who create her. She can appear in just about all shapes and sizes--within a framework of having the ability to attract "Mr. Right," of course. (In other words, she can be anything as long as it's attractive enough for the purposes of a romance.)

Half the fun of a Regency (or any romance) is being able to understand and relate to the heroine; therefore, she must be wonderful in some ways and definitely lacking in others; she must be attractive but not so perfect that you can't believe in her; she must strike a chord in every female reader who picks up your book, and any writer can create such a character simply by making her human. That is the one thing we ALL have in common, our humanity, with all its foibles and faults.

But what is a Regency debutante? How is she different from other fictional heroines?

A dictionary will tell you that a debutante is “a young woman making a formal debut into society.” In our case, it is Regency society, which is the other half of the fun of a Regency novel. No other time period was quite like the Regency; Jane Austen taught us how to poke gentle fun at it while also caring about those who were part of it; and Georgette Heyer showed us ways to really turn up the volume (of fun), concocting plots full of characters plucked from many layers of that society.

The interesting thing about the debutante of the Regency, is that she could be most anyone, from anywhere. Families came from abroad for the 'season' to debut their favored young ladies among the English rich. Most of the time, they, too, had money and therefore were supremely 'qualified' to join the “marriage mart.” But they might also be hiding a bankruptcy—it wasn't always easy to discover the truth in those days of slow travel and communication (by today's standards).

Likewise, any country miss and her mama might aspire to a London “season” and there was always the chance of making an astounding success. (You see how it easily makes for the stuff of romance novels?)

So the Regency Debutante was any young lady of gentle birth making her "come out" into the wider society of adults of her community; If she were wealthy or could gather enough financial backing, (or had good connections) she could make that debut into London or Bath society, circles where the possibility of making a good match (marriage) were greater.

Not all Regency novels use debutantes as their heroines, but to understand what "the season" was about, one must recognize this formal female creature! She often was not in for fun and games, despite the whirl of social entertainments on her schedule, but if she happened to be pretty, and even more important, wealthy, then upper class society was sure to welcome her in.

Another aspect that makes Regencies so enjoyable is the clothing needed for the debutante's season. The quantity AND the quality--it all counted, and it all makes for fun reading. That, along with descriptions of social customs and manners, makes delving into the era an experience you will likely want to do again and again.

The Regency? You've got to love it!

Linore Rose Burkard writes Inspirational Romance with a special interest in the Regency. She also writes articles on Regency Life, Parenting, and Self-Improvement. Get her FREE monthly eZine "Upon My Word!" which includes a monthly fre.e download at HERE

The 7 Habits Of Highly Successful Authors

The more I read how the successful authors do it, the more I realize that, like successful people in all walks of life, they all do things in common that contribute enormously to their success. So how can we learn from successful authors to ensure our own success in 2008 and beyond?

We can start by adopting what I call "The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors". Adopt these 7 habits and you just may find that 2008 is the year you break through your own writing barriers!

1. Write about something you care about.

Whether you are writing fiction or non fiction, it is imperative you write about something you care about. The successful authors have some emotional connection to their content or story. If you are writing fiction, then write from a place of emotional familiarity. Your genuine experience will come through in your writing and your readers will connect with that. If you are writing a non fiction piece, choose a topic you are passionate or enthusiastic about. After all, if you are going to invest your precious time in what you are writing, you owe it to yourself to write with passion, feeling and enthusiasm.

2. Take risks

Don't be afraid to put your head, or your hands, on the chopping block when you write. In the world of fiction, you will have no doubt heard about creating characters that are "larger than life". That doesn't mean they are giants, it means they go above and beyond and take risks and make decisions that we would not have the courage to take in our own lives. After all, it's not about what we would do when we are tethered by the restrictions of polite behavior, it's what we would do in our wildest imaginations that make our readers sit up and take notice.

For the non fiction writer, it's time for you to take a stand. Take a view and stick with it, presenting your case with conviction and vigor. No one listens to someone who writes meekly, or with a wishy washy hand. Stick your neck out, and don't be afraid to get it chopped off. All the greatest journalists are the ones who are not afraid to speak their minds. Get into that habit and you're well on your way to being that next great journalist.

3. Plan

This is definitely the most ignored but equally the most important phase of the writing process. Planning is essential to the success of any undertaking and writing is no different. J.K. Rowling spent 5 years planning the entire Harry Potter series before she put pen to paper on a single word that appeared in the books. If you are writing a short story, novel or screenplay, planning the story before you begin writing is as essential to your success as ink in your pen or power to your laptop. There are some writers who claim to just start with an image or a sentence and then the whole thing just unfolds before them, but the writers who can do this with any degree of success are few and far between. Take the time to plan out your story, at the very least know where your beginning, middle and end are. The more planning you do, the more enjoyable the writing process and the less rewriting and editing you will have to do. The same goes for non fiction pieces, where it's always advisable to have an outline in place before you write your article or book.

4. Write every day

Joyce Carol Oates said that she would write, even when her soul felt as thin as a playing card, because somehow the act of writing would set it aright. There are going to be times when you just "don't feel like it", but like any other job or activity that is important to you, you must still, somehow, sit down every day and write. It has been said that it is by sitting down every day to write that one becomes a writer. Stephen King writes every day, including Christmas Day. Whether you are working on a book, story, article or nothing, still sit down and write something every single day. Even if you only write one page every day, that's 365 pages in a year and that's a whole book, isn't it? When you are a writer, you cannot not write, and writing is like breathing. You have an urge to put things down in print, so to keep that fresh and alive, you need to turn that tap on every day. It's more than practice. It's life.

5. Be prepared to work hard

I read somewhere once that John Grisham worked for 4 hours per day and made $20 million per year. Whether that is true or not (about the hours worked or the money he makes) doesn't matter. It is far more common to hear tales today of the world's most popular commercial authors working their proverbial butts off to keep up with deadlines, promotional commitments and the ins and outs of their everyday lives. Janet Evanovich gets up and writes every morning at 5am so she can get a full day's writing in before she has to answer mail, emails and deal with her other affairs of business, Jodi Picoult has a wonderful stay-at-home husband who allows her the luxury of writing through school pick ups and travelling for long periods to do research for her novels. J.K. Rowling also said she (misguidedly) thought that life as an author would be a Jane Austen-type of affair, sitting in a room overlooking a field and writing in anonymity. Of course her life is a whirlwind of book launches, movie premieres, media commitments, school commitments, and of course she has a family with three children. And while we all no doubt wish we had her "problems" it is very obvious that in the early part of the 21st century, the life of an author, successful or not, is a hard-working life. We are either working hard to get noticed, working hard to stay noticed, or working hard to avoid being noticed. Any way you look at it, if you have an aversion to hard work, you need to look elsewhere. Successful authors work hard. Period.

6. Persistence

It is said that persistence outstrips all other virtues. I have a card propped up on my desk that says, "Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go". Almost every successful author I have studied has said that their success is due, at least in some part, to pure persistence and determination. If your manuscript or article is rejected, rewrite it and submit it again. Or submit it to someone else. The first Harry Potter novel was rejected by every major publishing house before Bloomsbury picked it up for a song. Even so called "overnight successes" have a story behind them about how many times they were rejected, or how many novels or articles they've written that have no value other than as fire kindling. The authors that succeed are the ones who don't stop until they do. It's that simple. Never give up. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

7. Let it go

And finally when you have written your article, book or screenplay and have submitted it for publication or approval, let it go. If you've done the best you can with it, let it go and trust that it will make its way to where it needs to be. And start something else straight away. Regardless of whether what you have submitted is accepted or rejected, you are a writer and a writer writes. Once you finish one manuscript start immediately on another. If the one you've sent is picked up, they'll be happy that you've got something new already, and if not you're well on your way to finishing your next manuscript.

So those are the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Authors. Adopt these habits yourself, and before you know it, you too will join their ranks!

Suzanne Harrison is the bestselling author of 4 e-books and courses on creative writing, short story and novel writing. She is also the Director of Writers Central, the innovative online creative writing school, dedicated to creating great storytellers. Visit her at http://www.writerscentral.com.au

Literary London: on the Trail of the Capital's Most Famous Authors

London has produced some of the most successful authors and provided the backdrop for countless novels, so if you want to explore the capital's literary history, perhaps your first stop should be the historic pub "I Am the Only Running Footman" - on Charles Street in Mayfair. This 1749 drinking den, was once the hangout of servants and is said to have inspired P.G. Woodhouse to create the fictional club "Junior Ganymede" for "the gentlemen's gentlemen".

No visit to London is complete without paying homage to perhaps the most famous of all English authors, Charles Dickens, which can conveniently be done at the Dickens House Museum at 48 Doughy Street. Here you can tour the rooms where Dickens lived with his family during a particularly productive period of writing, when the author completed "Oliver Twist". The museum also holds the world's most important collection of material relating of Dickens, where visitors can see paintings, rare editions, manuscripts, original furniture and many other items that relate to the life of the most popular and beloved personality of the Victorian age.

If all that leaves you a little thirsty, why not indulge in a pint of London's finest ale in Dickens' local watering hole - "The Lamb on Lamb". This pub was not just a hangout for Dickens, but also the meeting place of the "Bloomsbury Group", a collection of novelists and essayists whose work deeply influenced the literature of the period, and whose topics often focused on controversial areas of the time, including feminism and sexuality.

For crime fiction fans, 221b Baker Street is an essential stop on the London Literary tour. As the home of London's most famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Doctor Watson, this notorious address is the starting point for dozens of the detective duo's adventures.

To witness part of a more recent literary phenomenon, JK Rowling fans can pay a visit to Kings Cross station. From here, muggles can attempt to find Harry Potter and Co's platform 9 and three quarters, from where they catch the Hogwarts Express to their wizarding school.

Bookworms who are looking to buy a piece of prose can peruse some of the thousands of new and second-hand book shops; from the big chains like Waterstones, Blackwell or Borders, which sit next to some of the most prestigious shops and hotels in London, right down to the smaller, side-street stores, where books from times gone by are piled up and waiting to be rediscovered again.

The world is home to many famous authors, but nowhere else is there such a concentration of literary heroes as you'll find in London; so if you truly are a book lover, the British capital should definitely be on your visiting list.


Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen gardener. He lives in Scotland with his two dogs.

UK Copyright Law: A Quick Guide For Freelance Writers

Summary
As a freelance writer, you'll need to be aware of the legal protection your work enjoys so you don't sign away rights that you should retain. This is a guide to some key aspects of UK copyright law.


As a freelance writer, ideas are your bread and butter. Getting a commission means revealing your idea for a great article to an editor or someone else. There's no way around it, but how can you prevent people from ripping you off? Here's what you need to know about UK copyright law.

In the UK, copyright is an automatic and unregistered right. That means there's no need to apply specially or fill in any forms. Copyright takes effect as soon as certain works (this term applies to all copyright protected material) are created and there are nine types of work that enjoy this automatic protection. These are literary work (including newspaper articles), dramatic, musical, artistic (photos, drawings, diagrams, maps etc), sound recordings, films, broadcasts, cable programmes and published editions of works. All of these are known as intellectual property. Intellectual property is a bit like real estate - it can be bought, sold, transferred and inherited, though only with your written permission.

The key thing to remember as a writer is that ideas themselves are not protected but the way ideas are expressed is protected. So if you think of an idea for an article, that isn't protected; when you write it, it is. It's the information you select and the way you arrange that information that makes it unique.

In order for material to have copyright protection it has to result from independent intellectual effort. In other words, you must have put some work into it. You'll need to be able to prove this if challenged, so although it's not obligatory, you can protect yourself by sending a copy of your work to yourself by recorded delivery and leaving it unopened. Recorded delivery post is date stamped so you'll be able to prove that your work existed on a particular date.

Copyright lasts for the duration of the author’s life plus 70 years for literary, dramatic or musical works. Different periods apply for films (70 years after the last to die of the director, screenplay authors and musical director), sound recordings (50 years) and published editions (25 years). People are allowed to publish excerpts from your copyrighted work for the purpose of news, review or criticism. This is known as fair dealing. Works used in this way should be properly acknowledged.

When you give someone the right to publish your work, you are assigning that right temporarily (a bit like renting out your house). As a writer, you'll want to avoid signing away any of your rights permanently. Instead, be clear on what rights you are assigning. First serial rights are normal. This gives the publisher the right to publish your material first in whatever country or region (for example, the UK or US) the rights apply to. Once the material has been published, all rights revert to you. Some publishers will also request online rights and the right to keep your work in an online archive. You'll want to make sure these rights are for a limited period or are non-exclusive, so you can make the most of your material.

A key term to be aware of is moral right. This is the right to be credited as the author (have a byline) and to object to alterations or errors which might damage your reputation (known as derogatory treatment of your work). It also includes the right not to have work falsely attributed to you. In other words, no one should say you wrote something if you didn't.

So what do you do if someone tries to pass off something you've written as their own work? If your copyright has been breached you can take the infringer to court but beware. There are two things that could damage your case. The first is if the person commits innocent infringement, which means the person genuinely didn't know you owned the copyright; the second is if you have previously allowed someone to use copyrighted work without complaint. This is known as acquiescence.

Summary
So there you have it: the lowdown on UK copyright law. In essence, freelance writers need to be aware that their written work enjoys automatic copyright protection, that they are entitled to be credited as the author of any work they right, that they should only assign limited rights to their work and that they have the right to sue if their copyright is infringed.












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Talk To A Publisher on Tuesdays

As a Helium writer whose articles suggest a high interest in creative writing and literature, we wanted to let you know an exciting new program we’ve developed, called Helium’s Book People Talk series. By participating in this Tuesday talk series, you will have a chance to meet publishers and get direct advice on questions like:

How do I get my book published? Do I need an agent? How do I avoid the rejection pile? What's fair for an advance? Should I self-publish? Can I get a job as a book editor? What are publishers really looking for?

Tomorrow’s discussion features:

Chapter One: THE FUTURE IS BLEAK (but your writing career doesn’t have to be).

Helium is honored to welcome Bleak House Books, a publisher of crime and dark literary fiction. Bleak House has been written about in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Crimespree Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus (The Book Standard), and others.

For future discussions, check out the listings at:

http://www.helium.com/
topic=13072.0

Do You Write Book Reviews

We have a site that is building at www.novel-writer.com that needs book reviews. You need to subscribe and be given publisher permission, but you can post all your book reviews (that you've already earned money from) along with a link back to one of your sites.

One of the benefits of writing reviews is that, once you can prove you do this, and the sites you write for have ample exposure, you can get books/ebooks sent to you free. This is great for an avid reader.

Get Paid to Ghostwrite Books

I published a short book to help writers improve their chances of getting paid to write. Not all writers are able to work as freelance writers, bidding on writing jobs, and making a living as writers.

This does not mean that they cannot make money from their writing - years before they receive their first publishing contract. One way is to write short books for sale, and to ghostwrite non-fiction.

Making 'Good' Money Writing and Ghostwriting Books (and ebooks) is a book that tells you how to start a ghostwriting career, and how to get paid to write books. You can buy the PDF version or a Print version. Click Here to buy 'Making Good Money Writing and Ghostwriting Books' Also visit www.novel-writer.com and www.inspiredauthor.com to learn how to get paid to write.

Free Chat for Authors and Book Lovers

If you love books, or are interested in having a fiction novel, reprint, or non-fiction novel published, then you need to attend this chat.

Tonight's Guest: ENSPIREN is open for submissions, and will discuss their needs tonight:

Place: inspiredauthor - Chat room
Time: 7 Eastern
Invitation: Anyone who wants to drop in.

Merry Christmas

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Merry Christmas to the readers who subscribe to my blog.

Regency England

The short Regency period is a romantic time of innocence and discovery. The rug had been pulled out from under the gentry. They were forced to endure life in a way their parents never dreamed, and in turn, it forced them to turn their focus inward toward their relationships and their homes.

The King, George III, was allegedly mad. In fact, he had porphyria.

A pleasure-loving, hedonistic, egocentric, reserved, but oh so regal, George, Prince of Wales, became regent.

He earned the disdain of society - but he was their king regent - and he was the dictate of society. He lived as if nothing mattered but the elegance of his homes, the excellence of his food, and his current pleasure and entertainment. On top of that, he was extremely dignified and reserved toward others. The ton followed his example. It became unfashionable to be overtly religious or emotional.

Luckily, the Regency period only lasted from 1811 - 1820.

He set the tone for the ton, who , influenced their tenants and servants. The feeling of family and home was destroyed by the war. The feeling of prosperity was destroyed by the self absorbed prince.

During the turbulent Napoleonic years, an overbearing upper class attitude of “anything goes"and England was still “merry old England." While this freedom possibly gave rise to the industrial revolution, it did little for the lives of the English.

That is why many regencies have an air of 'waiting' or 'living in limbo.' The heroines are not looking for sex, they want to find the meaning of life, a purpose for their existence.

Women had more freedom than they had previously. They were allowed to, carefully, step out and take charge. Of course, the skill of managing your husband was still instilled into a woman from childhood. And, women were taught to manage their homes and servents, but they were permitted to dream, attempt business, and even make purchases without their husbands signature or presence.

Snow & Romance

We had weeks of rain, then suddenly snow. There is now 1 foot of snow out there. It is really good for writing.

The fire is roaring, the Christmas tree is up and ready to be decorated, snow covers the maple outside my window in a bride's veil, the world is covered in a white cloth, and I can curl up on the couch with a warm blanket, a cup of hot chocolate, and my laptop.

What a wonderful day to write the scene where Robert Campbell and Janelle fall in love.

I have been having fun talking about 'what makes a man sexy' with some of my readers. I love getting private messages, and I always answer within a couple of days, so feel free to let me know what you think. Reply to this blog with comments, or private message me at www.myspace.com/historical_Romance.

A Rouge to the Rescue

Here is the first installment of a short story I am writing.

Duchess and The Wastrel

Lady Ann stepped lightly out of the carriage. She barely touched the coachman’s hand as she alighted and waited for him to collect her wraps and purse. She looked down at the atrocity she wore in distain. Her mother could not have added another puff, tuck, or embroidery without fear the dress would have tear in two.

Ann still had not forgiven her mother for choosing a tight, over padded rouleaux. It not only formed a perfect bell-shape from her skirts, it bound her legs forcing her to mince steps as she tried to navigate the steps.

Anne left the coach and climbed the steps, hoping to give her maiden aunt a fit of hysteria at the thought of her making her first entrance into the ton’s social scene unescorted. Anne stepped lightly and stopped on the last step, repenting her rebellion, and turning to wait for her aunt’s carriage to pull to the step.

She wished it were possible for her to enjoy the night’s beauty. Torches lit the gardens, and made the entrance as bright as day. She could clearly see the bored expressions on the face of the neat row of servants who lined the entrance. She pitied their duty to stand here until the last guest arrived.

Her gaze traveled over the grounds, trying to imagine if her prison would resemble this one. At least there was not long to wait. Her father had bragged just a week hence that he would not finance a fortnight into the ton’s social season before Ann found a suitable match and was decently married.

She fixed her gloves and adjusted her fan, fidgeting as she realized that she stood, exposed to the gaping eyes of servants and guests alike. Her cheeks warmed at the thought of the spectacle she made. The gossip would be ripe by the time she entered the ballroom, everyone wondering who the overstuffed peacock was, and how much she was worth.

Yes, that would be all that mattered. Not her name. Not her likes or dislikes. All these vultures cared for was her title and rank. Beyond that, she did not exist. She was not here to enjoy herself, but to be put onto the auction block, like one of her father’s fine stallions, to be sold to the highest bidder.

“Are you lost?”

Every nerve in her body turned cold. Anne spun toward the direction of the silk, smooth male voice. Her mouth opened, and shut. She tried to answer again, but found she couldn’t utter a word. The gentleman leaned close, an amused grin on his otherwise taunt face.

“No, sir.” Anne managed to gasp out as her fan flew to her face out of habit. His eyes narrowed at the movement and he withdrew a step. “Excuse me, I wait for my aunt.”

“Ah, so you are properly escorted and chaperoned.” His head tilted in a slight, almost unperceivable bow, and he turned.

Anne’s heart pounded against her chest as she watched him stride away. He was tall and lean, more muscular than the pompous, pasty faced men who hung onto her father’s good graces. She could not imagine this man catering to any man’s favor. She smiled at the impertinence of his behavior. She never imagined that men like him were apart of London’s social season. Maybe she would enjoy a few months of bliss before her father packed her off to the home of some weak man with a portentous title and more money than needed to run the country.

She folded her fan and bit her lip trying to stop the smile that played on her lips. His scent hung in the air, more outdoorsy than the pipe smoke that remained after her father left a room, and more – masculine. There was something about him that reminded her of hunting and action. She liked it.

Cerridwen Press Author's

I just found this Author's Blog for Cerridwen Press. While the authors are not just the Trad Regency authors, there is some great reading there. I went for a peak and stayed for a couple of hours.

New Publisher

There is a new publisher bringing out Traditional Regencies Cerridwen Press. I am looking forward to their new releases in 2007. I love the fact that more publishers are bringing out the Traditional Regencies.

The new Regencies are good stories, but they do lack some of the allure of the originals. I have joined their email club and am going to buy their first release.

What is the Lure of the Traditional Regency Romance

Have you ever wondered what the lure of the traditional regency romance is? Think about it. There is no sex or even a suspenseful plot. There is nothing that defines other types of romance.

There is nothing but the innocence of first love and a true romance built on honor, respect, and friendship.

I think one of my favorite types of regencies are the ones where married people throw away their preconceived ideas of society and nobility, and learn to become friends with their spouse. In my mind, there is nothing more heroic than a man who is strong and loving.

The bible said that women should submit and men should dominate. I read a commentary on this recently. The man who wrote it said that we have the wrong idea, based on our post-war society.

The bible verse actually means that a woman should gently and kindly help her husband succeed, and in return he will die for her. However, this commentator went on to say that the word 'die' meant to 'die to self, pride, vanity, self-satisfaction -' for the love of his wife.

I think that is what I find in Traditional Regency Romances that I don't find anywhere else. Men who have wealth, position, and strength, but are willing to give it all up for something they cannot buy - the love of a good woman.