The panel:
Connie Mason
Melody Thomas
Kathrine Greyle
Winnie Griggs
Virginia Henley
Kathryn Caskie
Brenda Joyce

Question asked:
How much and what kind of research goes into books?

Virginia Henley answered saying:
She sticks to history detail and does six weeks research before starting a book. She uses history books of her own and the library's - she uses very little Internet. Virginia advises aspiring authors not to use fictional books for your history research.

Comment from Brenda Joyce:
Make the choice to write what you want to write or write for the market.

From the panel:
Get an agent or you'll get walked on. They'll negotiate well for you.

Comment from Brenda Joyce:
Keep good releation with editors, they'll do well for you and look out for you.

Question asked:
On a whole, how many edits do you do on each MS?

Virginia Henley answered saying:
She edits as she goes along and edits before starting out each morning. When she's done with the book, she's done.

Katherine Greyle answered saying: She does four edits including the copy edit and galleys.

Connie Mason answered saying:
She writes a chapter, edits, reads, edits again, prints it out. When done she reads through the whole book to make the final edits and it's done. Everyone edits to their own way of doing.

Brenda Joyce answered saying:
She writes fast. You want your editor to find things for revision and make them better.

Question asked: What about language? Modern words or phrases written in historical times?

Virginia Henley answered saying:
A lot of editors don't catch them.

Katherine Greyle answered saying:
Truth doesn't matter if it feels real for the reader.

From the panel:
A 450 page MS is equal to roughly 90,000 - 100,000 words.

Comment from Virginia Henley:
Your name goes on the book, you're responsible for what goes in that book.

Conflict

The Panel:
Lynn Michaels
Susan Kearney
Elizabeth Grayson
Shirl Henke aka Alexa Hunt

Lynn Michaels' thoughts on Conflict:
There are two types of conflict. External - plot mystery, problem characters need to solve or fix by end of book. It should mirror the internal conflict. Internal - characters have personal issues. But don't blow the issues out of proportion. Make them everyday issues.

Lose the word "conflict." The most important thing - keep on writing.

Shirl Henke's thoughts on Conflict:
She says she's an intuitive writer. She's never read a writing how to.

She thinks of external conflict as painting with broad brush storkes. It does relate to internal conflict. Characters are caught up in something bigger than they are, it impacts their lives. Put the protagonists on opposite sides. Figure out how to put the heroine/hero on opposite sides.

Susan Kearney's thoughts on Conflict:
Conflict starts with the character's goals, it's opposition.

Goals - Acheivement, resistance, must be urgent, be specific, immediate enough to take action.
Conflict - Heightens...bring in difficulties
Disaster - Hook into the next scene. It's supposed to hold interest; be logical but anticipated.

Use G-C-D to enable the characters think, react and decide. This is how you pace a book.

Elizabeth Grayson's thoughts on Conflict:
Internal conflict - a romance novel isn't about falling in love, but about two people on an emotional journey to falling love.

What has to happen within each character to allow them to fall in love. You need to know the characters. A Character chart can open up beyond the physical to deep inside. In order to motivate characters you ned to know them, look for their vulnerabilities. Your characters are putting on a facade, afraid of something, find out what and how they overcame their fears or what marked them. Know your characters even if something doesn't find its way into your MS. Keep asking characters why why why.

Ask your character questions. Realize the characters are a puzzle to be solved and find a character to fit the other, but if there's too much conflict they'll never fall in love. There are times you'll find things out about the characters you didn't know.

Discover Your Unique Writer's Voice

The Panel:
Liz Maverick
Ann Peach
Bobbi Smith
Virginia Henley
Pam Binder

Ann Peach:
Voice - unique sound and inflection of your voice (words). Writing where you own the page. Make the story yours. Turst your ear, the way it sounds to you - the tempo, timing, sound.

Bobbi Smith:
Catch the reader with a hook. Begin the story where the action starts. Write your story; that's when your subconscious will let loose your own style.

Pam Binder:
Imagination fuels your voice, characters will drive the voice such as 19th century heroine vs. a 21st century heroin since each will react and think and talk differently.

The imagination and voice is fueled by the type of story you're writing. It's fueled by the characters.

Layering is going to be your best friend. Think texture. Writing often starts out flat then there are layers and textures added. Your voice is one of the textures.

Ann Peach:
Act out every scene you write. You'll find some things are impossible and your voice will come.

Virginia Henley:
Do what's natural to you, what's comfortable. If you don't like to write vivid, explicit sex scenes or there's words you're uncomfortable using, then don't. You need to write to your own strengths. Be yourself. Don't try to imitate any author. Write and do what comes naturally. You'll ifnd your personality coming through. If you're not true to yourself, thoughts, or emotions, it won't be believable.

Liz Maverick:
Voice is a certain vibe. It's style, attitude, personality, what you wear, and eat.

Ann Peach:
Style and voice are intermingled. Editors are 22 years old and our books have been MTV'd. But these editors are looking for your voice.

Your region, where you live, will show through, your pacing will differ as will your sentence structure.

The hero and heroine will/should have their own unique voice.

When you're done, have someone else read your MS, see if they can hear your inflection.

Panel:
Your style/voice is "what works for you."

Ann Peach:
What's good will be to find the right editor at the right time. Keep looking for compatable readers, agent and editors who like what you do, your voice.

This is a bottom line business. When your voice is crystal clear, the $ will come. Keep writing, it may take several books to strengthen your voice/style.

Question asked: What do you do if you've been told your voice isn't strong enough?

Virginia Henley answered saying:
Strengthen your voice. You've got to have guts to put it on the page, to have a stronger voice.

Pam Binder answered saying:
If it's said your voice isn't strong enough, take a look and see how courageous you've been in specific scenes. Scenes such as battle or sex that you went to a certain point and took a right turn. Go back and see where you can add to it, make it stronger.