Maybe I’ve been watching too many Hallmark channel movies, but I’ve thought about writing romance. Sometimes, I think it’s an easy genre, but then I remember all the effort that must go into making the main characters likable. No one’s going to root for a weak lead character. So, I figured why not offer some tips on how to write romance?

​​If you are going to write about romance, remember that every story should prompt readers to rally behind characters of their choice. It is one of the most important elements of a romance story because emotions drive the plot in the writing. Some more tips for your writing include:
Create flexible characters who will build up through the story

• Unless your story falls into the instalove category, make a realistic attraction where you avoid instant love and opt for establishing pursuance of a relationship.
• Build tension, using arguments, conflicts, and other obstacles to raise the stakes.

These are some tips for romance, and hopefully you’ll be on your waiting to writing a beautiful, heartfelt story.

Make sure you get your copy www.amazon.com/Bedwetter-Journal-Budding-Psychopath-ebook/dp/B07NSG5XTS/ and visit leeallenhoward.com

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.

 
1 Corinthians 13:11
 
I believe that everyone must grow up. After a while, we outgrow childish habits. Adulting is necessary. As adults, we have responsibilities. We can no longer indulge in childish things.
Then, there are some people that refuse to grow up. Maybe they are spoiled, neglected or traumatized. Russell Pisarek in Lee Allen Howard’s The Bedwetter is one of those adults.
The Bedwetter is a psychological thriller, like Girl on the Train, and being inside Russell’s head, is truly a psychopathic experience. Russell has a warped sense of humor he shows in his digital journal he uses to describe his daily activities. In present-day Pittsburgh, East Liberty, or “Slibberty”, as Russell sarcastically calls it, he writes events in chronological order. The journal entries include pictures, vivid flashbacks, and a foreboding dream with electric hair trimmers.

Russell is a pariah to society. He judges others and obsesses over animals, especially cats. He feels like everyone demeans him, so he rebels. Sometimes, the offenses are minor, and other times they are criminal. His lashing out serves to distract from his truth: he still wets the bed.
Russell dubs another term “pissing hour” to describe the time during his dream that triggers his bladder. The dream is the same and it haunts him. Russell is determined to find its meaning.
The bedwetting is a result of Russell’s troubled childhood and flawed relationships, making him a psychopath. Russell’s sister Becky, his nephew Aiden, and Connors at Hap’s Army Surplus are people that have close relationships with Russell. Besides those three people, Russell doesn’t have any close relationships.

Russell has no luck with the ladies either. He claims they don’t understand his “pissue”, a term he jokingly uses to refer to his bedwetting. Part of the reason Russell is terrible with the ladies is due to his mother.

Russell refers to his mother as “Melanoma”, which shows he views her like a disease. They have a volatile relationship. Melanoma punishes Russell during his childhood by shaving his head every time he wets the bed. Russell never forgives her. She is the bane of his existence and the root of his troublesome dream.

​The turning point in the story happens when Russell encounters “The Piss Fairy” in his recurring dream. By then, his budding psychopath is in full bloom. He can only move forward and complete the ominous mission “The Piss Fairy” has for him.

Lee Allen Howard provides great attention to detail, and the plot is evenly paced. I would read more of his work. I give The Bedwetter five stars and I encourage anyone, who likes an enticing thriller, to read this story.

Writing Young Adult (YA) Fiction is tapping into the mind of teenagers and young adults from ages 12-18 and understanding their issues, challenges, taboos, and concerns. Here are the tips to write a compelling one.
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• ​Perspective is the key as creating a vital point of view (POV) in a story connects to the reader. Also, choose an appropriate narrative style, like first-person.
• Find the target audience, within the age group you are writing for.
• Be bold, daring, and expressive to choose uncommon and even taboo subjects.
• Avoid preaching. Just try to present a viewpoint or the expression.
• Give endings that give hope.
• Make compelling drama, fast-pace storytelling, and relevant characters.
• Tap on the challenges and emotions of teens/young adults to reach a bigger audience.
• Use lot of pop culture references, real-life personalities, and stories to show an awareness of what is happening in the world.

Thrillers need enticing, gripping storylines and nail-biting scenes. Here are the tips to write great thrillers.
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• Start with a scene that raises multiple questions, like who, what, where, when, and why?
• ​A thriller is where crime is already committed or in the process to a character with which people can instantly connect and care for.
• Make the character vulnerable and lovable/relatable, so the reader will care for them when something bad happens.
• ​Build tension between scenes and create hooks for the audience to wait for what happens the next.
• Make the characters and situations complex, challenging, and unexpected.
• Put characters out of their comfort zone to create action and something dramatic.
• Multiple plots are required to create layers in the story to engage the audience towards the end.
• Always show and never tell, so the audience can wait for things happen.​ These elements can make your story a thriller.

​Fantasy writing requires imagination and the power to create a world within a world. Not to mention, that inspiration needs to translate into the craft. Here are the tips for how you can write fantasy below: 
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• Always start with the plot as the foundation of your process to help you be firm with the setting while brainstorming.
• Creating a world is of the utmost importance with details about characters, infrastructures, culture, language, abilities and much more.
• Make your fantasy relevant to the world and real-life values and challenges.
• Write to create a new world for an audience
• Create rules, boundaries, limitations and tragedies of these worlds
• Always stick to the rules made in the world you create while writing or else it will be unconvincing and immature
• Have conviction in characters and in their motives. Introduce them at regular intervals, not all at once.
  
• Learn from successful fantasy franchise like Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings

Mariah Carey released her album "Caution" recently, and there's one song "A No No" that sticks out. Besides the "Crush On You" sample (which always sounds good), the song seems like a no-nonsense anthem, and I like it. Mariah Carey is basically saying "no" to situations without benefit.

I think the "no" mentality is helpful. The post picture above says the following: "I don't say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don't want to be so busy."

This year in my business I learned how to say no. I say no because of WIIFM, what's in it for me? I think sometimes you have to be selfish. Each move I make I wonder if it's beneficial to my business. Also, I try to make sure my business goals are aligned with anyone I wish to partner. I don't want to waste my time or the other company's time.

I feel like I owed it to the people that checked my blog to let them know what's been going on. Midway through the year, my business goals changed. I noticed that during my speaking engagements, the adults talked to me more about writing a book than my target audience for my young adult (YA) books. I started off the year promoting my YA books at events, and then I realized I liked editing and reading other people's work more. Consequently, I haven't done any writing or events lately.

Just because I haven't been writing or attending events lately, doesn't mean I won't write again. This year I've been taking time to find my business voice, and it's been very fulfilling. If you're interested in buying any of my books, you can purchase them here or check out my Service link for your writing needs. I hope you'll continue with me on this writing journey. I plan to have more writing events to come.

I was supposed to do a blog about my event "A Most Convenient Read", but I think I'd rather talk about suicide prevention. This week fashion designer Kate Spade and food critic Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. These are just two people, so I can only imagine how many others are thinking about taking their lives.

The mind is a battlefield. I believe we all deal with things that threaten to take our peace of mind. It might feel like we can't win. Still, we have to try.

​I'm here to tell you that you matter. As my fellow blogger Leighann said, "Life is so beautiful with you in it." I know there have been times where I've felt low, and I got help. Talk to your family, friends, or loved ones. Also, there's nothing wrong with getting a professional opinion, too.

"The suicide rate in the United States has seen sharp increases in recent years. Studies have shown that the risk of suicide declines sharply when people call the national suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK." (CNN)

I hope I managed to encourage you a little bit. We all go through it, but we can't let our situations beat us. If you or someone you know is ever feeling down, remember to keep going.

Sources CNN, www.ohleighann.com/

Hello, everyone! Happy hump day! It's only a few more days until my event "A Most Convenient Read: Book Reading & Poetry Showcase. (You can purchase tickets here. I'll be reading an excerpt from Savannah alongside Kaleema M, the poet. Kaleema is a good friend of mine. You’ll get to learn a little bit about her, and she plans to put on a show that you don’t want to miss. Since Kaleema will be giving a short bio, I thought why not tell you all a little about me?

My pen name is Roxanne Ridge, but those that know me call me by my real name. If you’re wondering what my real name is, you’ll have to come to the show this Sunday to find out. Or if you peruse my website, my real name is on here somewhere. Roxanne Ridge is what I use for business purposes. Roxanne was the second choice for what my parents planned to name me, so I figured I’d pay homage to that name by using it as a pseudonym. The last name Ridge simply derived from my desire to put some alliteration in my title. Two R’s sounded nice to me 😊

The pseudonym has come in handy. I still have one foot in the corporate world, so a pseudonym has allowed me to do things discreetly. My mom was against me using my real name. Now, that it’s been a while she said I could probably use my real name, but I like the pen name Roxanne Ridge for my books. I can publish my work, and still inform other people on the process of choosing a pen name. It’s been an enlightening journey, and I plan on doing more, so I can keep you all in the know. I hope to see you at my event Sunday. Check the link below!

​http://bit.ly/amostconvenientread