She’s been the vice president of the Midwest Chapter of the National Beatles Fan Club, she’s worked at Rolling Stone magazine. She’s interviewed famous people like Prince Charles and Warren Beatty. She’s undercover to catch some bad guys. Oh, and don’t let me forget to tell you that she also writes great books too. Her first Prime Time won the prestigious Agatha Award. Her latest, Drive Time is released next month (February 2010). So here without further ado is my chat with the very talented Hank. www.hankphillippiryan.com

Susan Palmquist (SP)-Growing up, did you ever think you’d be an investigative reporter?

Hank Phillippi Ryan (HPR)-Definitely—not. You know, I have a funny juxtaposition of desire to be in the spotlight—and sheer terror of being in the spotlight. I love my job in TV—and have to go live and unrehearsed all the time. Confession: I’m still terrified every time. I want to be perfect, and when you’re on live, you can’t possibly be. That’s one reason why I love investigative reporting—there’s more time to work, and dig, and polish, and produce, It’s like making a little movie, and I can make it as perfect as possible. Anyway, my sisters and I used to create musical shows when we were all young, and perform for our parents in our back yard. I did acting in high school and college. I wanted to be a DJ on the radio for a long time!  But I thought I would be an English teacher, or a lawyer for the Mine Workers union, or for awhile, a political activist. (My mother, though, says she always knew I would be a television reporter—but I think that was just her way of rationalizing that all I did as a pre-teen and teenager was read books and watch TV.) I knew from my first Nancy Drew that I loved mysteries. Nancy was my first best friend—I was a geeky unpopular kid, and it was such a relief to go home and hang out with Nancy. She was smart, and made it be okay to be smart. She was confident and inquisitive and resourceful. I loved that.  But being a TV reporter was not in my sights. Little did I know!

SP-How did you get started in that type of journalism?

HPR-I got into TV by chance. I had worked as a radio reporter (hired because, as I informed the radio station, they didn’t have any women working at the station! Hey. It was the seventies.) But after a few years working in Washington DC (on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide and then for Rolling Stone Magazine,) Rolling Stone closed its Washington office and I needed a new job. I went back home to Indianapolis, and applied for a job as a TV reporter. It was 1975. I had covered politics in Washington, and the news director of the station figured he could teach me to be a TV reporter. (This was incredibly risky—I had never taken journalism and didn’t know one thing about TV. But I wasn’t afraid and I knew I could do it.) Problem was, I should have been afraid! I quickly learned I had no idea what I was doing. I went home every night for the first two weeks, sobbing. Because I thought I would never understand it. Soon after—it hit me–oh, I get it! And I have adored it ever since. I took a chance, and found my calling.

I started as the political reporter (and was also the movie reviewer, of all things! At age 26.)  At various times I’ve been the medical reporter, a weekend anchor, and an on the road feature reporter.  When I came to Boston, I was the funny feature reporter–cat shows, sports features, poems, and anything quirky or funny. They used to call me “something out of nothing productions,” because I could find a story in anything. But starting in 1988, I covered the presidential election, doing long elaborate think pieces. It was terrific. And then I told my news director I didn’t want to be the funny one anymore. I wanted to be the serious one. And from that day on, I’ve been the investigative reporter. And I love it every day.

SP-When I was reading about all the things you’ve done as a reporter… like being chased by criminals, confronting corrupt politicians, etc, it’s almost like immersing myself in a nail biting novel. Have any of these experiences found their way into your books?

HPR-There’s a huge been-there-done-that element to the books—I’ve wired myself with hidden cameras, confronted corrupt politicians, chased down criminals…been in disguise, been stalked, and threatened and had many a door slammed in my face. I’ve had people confess to murder, and others, from prison, insist they were innocent.  So when that happens to Charlie, it’s fair to imagine me. Although the plots are completely from my imagination, those are real-life experiences!

SP-How did the character of Charlotte ‘Charlie’ McNally come about?

HPR-What a great question. I have NO idea. She was born when I got a weird spam in my email. It was what looked like lines from a play by Shakespeare.  I thought–why would someone send a spam like that?  And it crossed my mind–maybe it’s a secret message. I still get goose bumps telling you about it. And I knew, after all those years of wanting to write a mystery, that was my plot. And that turned out to be the Agatha-winning PRIME TIME. But Charlie? Well, I knew I had a good story, but who would tell it? A television reporter, of course. And she just instantly popped into my head. Named, fully formed. I knew her perfectly. The other characters were more difficult to get to know. But now, Charlie surprises me a lot! And I love when that happens.

SP-Is she anything like you? Has she ever done anything you wouldn’t do to get your story?

HPR-When my husband talks about Charlie, he calls her “you.” As in—when “you” are held at gunpoint, when you track down the bad guys, when you solve the mystery… and I have to remind him, “Sweetheart, it’s fiction. It didn’t really happen.” But a couple of things: I’ve been a TV reporter for more than 30 years. (Yes, really.) And so it would be silly, in writing a mystery about TV, not to use my own experiences. Think about it—as a TV reporter, you can never be wrong! Never be one minute late. Never choose the wrong word or miscalculate. You can never have a bad hair day, because it’ll be seen by millions of people! It’s high-stakes and high-stress—literally, people’s lives at stake–and I really wanted to convey that in the books. And everything that TV people do and say in the books is authentic and genuine. (Of course, Charlie can say things I can’t say, and reveal things I can’t reveal.) We’re both devoted journalists, and over-focused on our jobs. But Charlotte McNally is different, too. She’s single—I’m happily married. She’s ten years younger than I am, and so is facing different choices and dilemmas. She’s braver than I am, certainly. Funnier. And a much better driver.

SP-You’ve got four books under your belt, you’ve won an Agatha, and been compared to Lisa Scottoline. Will there come a time when you say goodbye to journalism to focus full time on your fiction?

HRP-Ain’t that the question! I still smile in delight every time I see my Agatha teapot. And when the starred review in Library Journal for DRIVE TIME compared me to Lisa Scottoline, well, I burst into tears. But I still love my job in TV. So–you could ask me that question every day, and every day I’d have a different answer. And I guess the bottom line is: who knows? 

SP-Any plans to write a non Charlotte McNally novel?

HPR-Yup. Absolutely. It’s in the works. You heard it here first.

 SP-Any other genre you want to tackle?

HPR-Yup.    It’s in the works. You heard it here first.

SP-Your husband’s a criminal defense attorney. Does he read your work or give you any tips or even ideas for plots?

HPR-He’s the most patient man on the planet. Yes, he’s really the only person who reads my pages while they’re in process. When I first started writing PRIME TIME, I’d give him my five pages or so a day, and I’d hear him laughing and I was so delighted!  And he would tell me every day how terrific it was. Then, about fifty pages in, I went in for my daily pat on the back. And he had a funny look on his face.  “Honey?” he asked. “Is something going to happen soon?”  So I knew I had some work to do. Ideas for plots? Ah, no, not really. I’m always running ideas by him, to see if he thinks they’re plausible and believable.  And sometimes he’ll come up with just the perfect little thing I need to pull something together. But we think very differently. He’s much more–wedded to reality.

SP-Your first two books were published by Harlequin Next but then the line was axed. Did you have other Charlie McNally books planned or already written? What was your reaction to the news?

HPR-Oh, yeah, that was briefly terrible. I got the news the day–I know it sounds crazy but it’s true–the day I finished book 3, AIR TIME. I was really happy about that, because I’m not sure I would have had the emotional wherewithal to persevere in the face of an imprint that was dying.  I–well, I freaked out. Then I went on a mental hunt for the good news in it, which was not terribly successful, I must say. But then–as so often happens–the good news emerged. A week or two later, my agent called to tell me the series had been moved to MIRA!  That was fantastic. And the rest is history.

SP-You’ve won accolades from some of the top writers in the business including some of my favorite authors like Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton. Any tips you can offer for writing top notch mysteries and creating a great character like Charlie?

HPR-Well, thank you! Yes, it’s great, and Sara Paretsky and Sue Grafton are my idols. (They’re also wonderfully generous, and truly authentic. I have three little talismans on my desk that Sue Grafton gave me, and I look at them every day.) Tips? Well, I read an interview with the poet Anne Sexton some time ago–and she was asked, “What, truly, can a creative writing teacher give her students?” And her answer was:” Courage.”  I think that’s so wonderful. And I think my advice would be similar–just don’t be afraid. Fear is a waste of time. Write your book. One page at a time. You can do it.

SP-Any mistakes you’ve made along the way, have you learned anything from them?

HPR-Hah. That’s another long blog for another day. Mistakes? Ah, on a huge level, people always yell at me for working all the time. ALL the time. Is that a mistake? None of this would have happened without that. Would I change it? I have to say no. So is that a mistake? I’m not sure.  On a tiny level, I should have put together a mailing list of bookstores. Still haven’t done that. Wish I had. 

 SP-What’s next for you?

HPR-Exactly what I’m trying to figure out. DRIVE TIME comes out February 1, with fantastic blurbs from the much-missed and iconic Robert B. Parker and Suzanne Brockmann and Margaret Maron and Carla Neggers and a rave starred review from Library Journal. So I’m hoping people love it. (And I’ll be visiting lots of places across the US–hope some of our readers come visit! And then…we’ll see. I can’t tell you how excited I am.

Sleeping With Fairies received a five books review from Long and Short Reviews.  Here’s the link-

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2010/02/sleeping-with-fairies-by-susan.html

Susan Palmquist (SP)-Your first titles premiere in spring 2010. Can you give us preview of what to expect, what type of books we’ll see? Any well known authors or bestselling books being re-released?

Angela James (AJ)-We’re just beginning to make our first acquisitions, so I don’t have too many specific titles and authors to share. We haven’t acquired any reissue titles yet, as we were concentrating on original material first. Now that acquisitions of original material are underway, we’re going to begin looking at all of the emails we’ve gotten in regards to backlist titles/reissues. I can say that we’ll be focusing on romance, but will have a nice mix of non-romance as well, including historical fiction, mysteries, thrillers and women’s fiction.

SP-When word got out about the creation of Carina Press the Internet was buzzing with excitement and little else was discussed on just about every writer’s group I belong to. Why did Harlequin (HQN) decide to create a separate entity from its parent company?

AJ-Harlequin has done an excellent job of staying ahead in the digital market and I think moving into the digital-only space was a natural extension of that. They’ve seen digital grow and realize there’s a market of readers who are eager for more content, and different genres, and books that the traditional market may not be able to support.

SP-I know lots of writers are wondering if they get published with Carina Press will it increase their odds of becoming a Harlequin author. Any truth to that?

AJ-I suppose anything can happen!

SP-You’re looking for all types of stories, anything from romance to sci fi. I’m guessing you’ll be seeing more romance submissions than anything else and not just because of your connection to HQN. Will there be a set number of books released in a specific genre each month? And if so, does that mean a writer stands a better chance by submitting say a mystery or sci fi manuscript?

AJ-No, there is no specific formula for the release schedule that we’re going to follow. It will all depend on the submissions and what we get that’s excellent.

SP-Speaking of romances, the guidelines mention you love to see cowboys, vampires, babies…Harlequin staples, anything new you’d like to see?

AJ-Harlequin staples or romance staples? Remember, we are going to focus on romance, so of course we want things that romance readers love, and those do include cowboys, vampires and babies. As for new things, how about aliens, ancient beings and mythological creatures? Really, as long as the story is good and the characters interesting, we want to see it!

SP-Carina Press Web site also says that digital publishing allows books to be brought to market faster, so if you see a new genre developing, readers can read them a lot quicker. You’re a veteran of the publishing business, any genres about to hit the big time, any hybrids you see on the horizon?

AJ-This question often makes me feel a bit like a magic eight ball, remember those? Also, I have great fear that someone is going to write down my prediction and come to me in a year or two and say “Nyah, nyah! You were wrong! You were so so wrong!” Ahh, the fears of an editor. But, to answer your question, I’ve recently seen a resurgence of interest in romantic suspense, which was interesting to me. I don’t know that it’s going to “hit the big time” but it does seem to be circling back around. If you asked what I’d like to see, I’d love to see more action-adventure romances. Somewhat in the vein of the old Harlequin Bombshell line, but even more action- packed and sexy–like National Treasure meets Tomb Raider with some of the spicy bits shared. I’ve always loved those adventure-quest movies, there’s something so transporting about them. I’m still always hoping for a fantastic space cowboy story (Firefly anyone?) but I’ve been asking for them for almost as long as I’ve been in publishing and I’ve yet to see one! And last, I love a great fantasy or futuristic romance and I think there is potential for those genres–and all the ones I’ve mentioned–in the digital space. SP-Okay, you’re a writer who’s been rejected by Harlequin and your Web site says you have greater flexibility with the books you’ll accept. Lots of writers might take that as the rules are a lot less rigid. With there be more flexibility in what type of stories get published? And what will continue to earn instant rejections? AJ-I’m not sure which rules we’re talking about! The beauty of digital-only is that it allows for greater flexibility in things like what books you choose to publish and how many you publish, though there are still things to consider. For instance, we’re not going to publish as “romance” a book where the heroine is killed at the end. That doesn’t mean that we won’t publish it, only that it won’t be as romance. We’ll still be respectful of readers in that regard. But perhaps Harlequin rejects a book, not because it isn’t good but because it doesn’t fit within the category parameters of a particular line. Then, sure, Carina would love to see it.

SP-Seems like there’s going to be a lot of collaboration between Carina Press and its authors. Plus, you’re going to help them with promote their work. What’s the advantage of being published with Carina?

AJ-I asked one of our first authors acquired, Shannon Stacey, for an assist with this question and here’s what she said: “From an author’s point of view, the advantage of being published with Carina Press is the opportunity to work with a team coming from a long and successful print program teamed up with Angela James, whose work in digital romance publishing is incomparable. It’s a unique opportunity to be a part of a new and exciting venture, without the risk that comes from working with unknowns.” To that I’d add that the team behind Carina Press, not just myself, but the others working on all aspects of Carina, from editorial to acquisitions to marketing to formatting all have a wealth of experience in print and digital publishing, and we are dedicated to and have a plan for making Carina Press successful.

SP-For readers, what will set a Carina Press book apart from other digital titles? How will they differ from a HQN title?

AJ-I think the biggest difference between Carina and other digital publishers is going to be the variety of genres available. And I believe readers still think of Harlequin and category books synonymously, despite the fact that they do publish single titles in a variety of genres. Carina will showcase single title books, in both romance and non-romance genres, without the category line restrictions but that are also able to be somewhat out of the box in regards to settings, time periods, and character details.

SP-Do you expect to see a loyal following of HQN readers buy Carina Press books?

AJ-One thing I have learned in publishing is that you can never expect anything! We hope that Harlequin readers will want to buy Carina Press books, certainly, and we will do our marketing best to convince them to do so.

SP-Will the decision to accept a manuscript be a team decision or down to just one editor?

AJ-Currently, the acquisitions process is a team process. An editor recommends a book for acquisition, another team member reads it and gives their recommendations to the team and then the team discusses it. Recently, we had a book that an editor recommended, and the second team member to read it didn’t like it, so we had to have a third team member read it and be the “tie-breaker”.

SP-I heard just today that you’ve already had so many submissions your server crashed. Do you anticipate closing the doors to submissions at any time or will you always be open to receiving manuscripts?

AJ-I don’t know that our server crashed. Did it? I don’t think so. But to answer your question, I can’t predict what will occur in the future. Right now, we have 8 editors and 8 acquisition team members reading submissions and trying to keep up. I don’t anticipate that we’ll always have the same amount coming in as we did initially, so I foresee that slowing down. But it’s impossible to say what might happen a year from now and if we need to take a break.

SP-Books will range from 50,000-100,000 words, any plans to go with shorter books or will they only offered at HQN with the Briefs, Undones and Bites lines?

AJ-Our word count is actually 15,000 words on up and it doesn’t cut off at 100,000 words. We’ve had an interesting number of 100k+ submissions, actually!

And on Tuesday January 12th at 9-10 p.m Eastern, I’ll be taking part in the Coffeetime Romance Chat www.coffeetimeromance.com.ctr_chat.htm

Read

This might sound like something you already know or do, but read as many books in your genre of choice before you sit down to write one. Not only will you get a feel for the backbones of the genre but you’ll soon figure out what type of book you’d like to write. I’ll use mysteries and romances as examples.

Mysteries- do you like legal dramas or perhaps you’re hooked on books featuring an amateur sleuth.

Romances-are you a fan of romantic suspense or do you get whisked away to another time with historicals? And if you’re a fan of category romances, think about what line you’d like to write for. Is it Silhouette Romantic Suspense or maybe a sexy Harlequin Blaze?

Take Notes

The first time you read the book, do it just for pure reading pleasure. Then read it again with a notebook handy. Jot down notes about the hero/heroine, conflict, etc. then read a second book, making notes of any similarities to the first one. Do you see any pattern forming? While the stories are obviously very different, each genre has certain things readers and yes, publishers have come to expect.

Mysteries- a crime is committed. There’s a cast of suspects and a sleuth. And, yes, a few red herrings. In the end the guilty person is caught and hopefully punished for their crime.

Romance

There’s a heroine the reader can identify with and live vicariously through. A hero who both the heroine and reader can fall in love with. A conflict that keeps them apart and an issue they have to work out. Sexual tension is a must. How about that first kiss? And depending on the line or publisher, the first time the couple make love. And let’s not forget the happy ending.

Choose Favorites

Who are the genre’s bestsellers?

Pick up some books written by them and learn from the masters.Try and figure out what makes this particular writer so popular with their readers? Is it because each chapter is more suspenseful than the next? Is it because the author takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride?

Some Publishers Make It Easier Than the Rest

Some publishers give us clues about what their ‘standards’ are. If a publisher offers guidelines, read them through until you know them by heart. Do they have a rigid word count? What type of plots are they looking for? What type of plots aren’t they looking for?

Writing to fit a genre can be the key to making your first or next sale.

So when my mother was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, my first thought was, does this mean my writing has to go on hiatus again. My mother’s battle lasted a lot longer than my dad’s so it gave me time to prepare, time to think about how I would handle my writing commitments when her journey came to an end.

None of us are immune to life getting in the way of our writing. Whether it’s a family crisis, our own illness, or even happy events like marriages and births. Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way and I hope they help you when life gets in the way of your writing.

Write Every Day

One thing I did wrong when my dad was ill was not doing any writing at all. Sticking with a schedule is crucial and it’s even more important when something else is happening in your life. It might not be your usual output, but get something down on paper. Even if it’s just your feelings about what’s happening in your life. Capture it and who knows you might be able to use it some day.

Don’t Get Angry

After my dad died and I sat down to write and nothing happened, I used to turn my frustration inwards. What’s wrong with me? I used to ask myself. Nothing was wrong, I just needed more time. If I’d allowed myself to take some time away instead of rushing back to it, I don’t think my writer’s block would have lasted quite so long.

Use The Time Wisely

Another thing I learned the first time around was when you’re not writing on your usual schedule, it’s the perfect time to think ahead.  What manuscripts are you going to work on next month, next year? Jot down ideas for plots, profiles of characters you’re going to create. Write a ‘business plan’ for your writing career. What are your goals, how are you going to achieve them?

Writing Can Be Healing

So what’s different this time around? I did take some time off, but was able to get back on track within a week of mom’s passing. I didn’t rush back because of my fear about what happened last time, but now I’m finding it’s actually healing. These are early days and I know some are going to be better than others, but creating characters and writing about them and their lives gives me something to think about other than myself and my loss.

That’s a question I get asked no matter who’s doing the asking.

Last year I would have told you that I’m a bit of both. I’m more of a plotter when I write mysteries, more of where are the hero and heroine taking me when I sit down to write a romance. But now I’m definitely a plotter.  So what changed?

Late last year, I was offered the opportunity to try writing for a new detective series being launched by a book packager. They gave me an in-depth character analysis and a 90 pages detailed synopsis for the plot they had in mind. My job was to write a prologue, first chapter and tell them how I would break the synopsis into subsequent chapters.

While I wasn’t chosen as the writer for this new series, I did learn some valuable tips when it came time to work on my next book.

The first one was the more pre-work you do, the easier the actual writing is.

For example, you jot down what you need and want to include in each chapter. How many characters will you introduce, what scene will the bad guy make his appearance?

Using this method, you’ll be surprised just how fast you can write. And an added plus is you don’t sit there wasting valuable writing time thinking about what comes next. And the dreaded sagging middle becomes a thing of the past.

Another tip I picked up was writing a more detailed outline means inconsistencies jump out at you. Some of them even slap you in the face. You can see what research you need to do, maybe learn about a certain profession, the climate of a particular country. Writing the outline gives you the perfect opportunity to jot down all the questions you’ll need answered.

While I don’t think I could come up with a 90 page synopsis for every manuscript, my days of just sitting down to write without a plan are a thing of the past.

Next time you sit down to write a book, give the detailed outline and synopsis a try. And I’d love to hear if it worked for you too.

Here’s why I think secondary characters are needed in very book-

They Move The Plot

One of the rules of top notch writing is to move the plot with every sentence. Adding a colorful secondary character allows you to do just that. It might be a conversation between the hero/heroine and the secondary character. Or it could be a scene where the secondary character tells someone about the main character and what happened to them.

They Add A Touch of Evil

Remember your main character can’t be all bad or all good because readers won’t believe they’re real. Therefore, adding a villain into the mix can add justify their actions. The main character might be in pursuit of the villain, they might be tested by this character. They might even be forced to save the world by taking the villain’s life. The main character is able to show their true colors by interacting with this villain and it’s believable.

They Take It Up a Notch

In my mystery novel, Death Likes Me, one of my favorite characters apart from my main character, Niki Webber is Joel Clancy. He’s cute’ he’s a bad boy who by story’s end gets himself into a bunch of trouble. However, he’s a perfect sparring partner for Niki. Some of my favorite scenes are between Niki and Joel and the words they throw at one another. Joel brings out another side of Niki’s character and without his help I couldn’t have shown the reader who Niki really is and what she stands for.

They Can Make a Sub Plot

If you’re writing a longer novel, you need a sub plot. What better way to weave that into your story than with another character and a mini story that interacts with the main story line.

They’re Just Plain Fun

Even if you’re writing a dark novel, adding a secondary character along with some humor can add more depth to your book and break up the tension. After all no reader likes all doom and gloom.

One to Check Out

One of my all time favorite characters and TV shows is Inspector Morse. Morse is the creation of writer Colin Dexter. Pick up one of his novels or watch some Inspector Morse reruns and see what great secondary characters Dexter creates. He’s also one of the best writers when it comes to sub plots too.

View Your Work From a New Perspective

I’ll make a confession right here, when I was a new writer I never listened to this sage advice. The one about not starting on your second draft for at least two weeks after you’ve finished your manuscript. Now I’ve gone to the extreme and wait at least a month until I take a second look. When I open the file and start to read it’s almost as if someone else wrote the work. I look at it from a different perspective and with a more critical eye.

You Become a Better Writer

You’re writing should improve with not only with each book you write but each draft you create. Each revision you tackle makes you a stronger writer. If you don’t believe me, read something you penned a year ago. Yes, even a published book or story, and tell me what you think. If you’re like me you’ll feel some embarrassment that you actually used to write like that.

A Different and Better Story Might Emerge

When you get to the revision stage of your manuscript you might realize you’re writing the wrong type of story. Maybe you intended it to be a romance, but it’s taken on a whole new life and now it could be a top rate mystery. Or you might realize you’re writing in the wrong POV.

You Don’t Waste Time

Revision is oftentimes a reality check. Did you have some doubts about the story while you were writing? On the second draft you know this one’s not going to make it and you move on to something more worthwhile and productive.

It Means You’re A Writer

Lots of people say they’re going to write a book, few actually do. If you get to the revision stage of the manuscript, congratulations, you’ve written a book!

From a personal viewpoint, I’d have to say, yes.

Writing contests have been good to me. In fact, the first money I ever made as a writer was from a contest. And here are some other reasons why I think entering a contest is worth the effort.

You Learn to Meet Deadlines

If you’re new to writing (yes, some well established writers struggle with this too), one thing you have to do is work to an editor’s deadline. By entering a contest, you get firsthand experience in turning in work on a certain date. Plus, if you need some extra motivation to finish a story or even get something started, a contest deadline might be the extra kick in the butt you need.

Free Critiques

Well, if the contest has an entry fee it’s not entirely free but either way if you’re a new writer or changing genres, entering a contest can give you some valuable feedback. Sometimes the critique will even come from an editor or agent. They might tell you what you’re doing wrong, what you need to work on. Who knows their advice might even lead to a contract.

Your Work Gets Read

More publishers are going the agent only route when it comes to submissions, even some agents are getting picking about who can and who can’t send them work. Enter a contest and just the right editor or agent might see your work. It might be someone who’s looking for a particular story, a particular voice and that story or voice might be yours.

You Can Earn Some Money

Just like me, winning a contest might even garner you your first paycheck as a writer.

If You Win

If you win the contest or even just the runner up, it’s proof that you have talent; that you stand out from the crowd. You know you’re on the right track so keep writing.

You Get to Say…

You’re an award winning writer. It gets attention…it has a nice sound to it!