Writing Romantic Suspense

Well, this has got to be a first in and of its self!  It would appear I'm the first to say hello!   I'm working on writing supsense so this forum line looks like it should be fun!  Can't wait to meet everyone!

Cole 

Is this thread for SIM/SRS?  I love writing suspense and have a hard time writing ms's that do not have any suspense in them.

The SRS forum is up too now! Yep, my writing has changed drastically over the last few years and now all of my stories have suspense. :-)

Mary Beth 

Hi everyone!  My writing continues to change the longer I write, too.  I guess it must be normal.  Hopefully the changes are for the better...

We missed you at the chat.  Saw your name on the board but of couorse you were silent and I got worried!

Next month... right?

I've bookmarked this thread too and look forward to finishing my WIP so I'll have more time to explore and play on the boards here!

Take care all!

Beth C

We were all wondering what happened to Jodie....  I had to leave the chat a few minutes early, but it was fun.  I've got the second Wednesday of each month noted on my calendar now. Hopefully I won't forget!!!

I note the sidebar lists the Romantic Suspense chat as being on January 12 -- tonight!  Anyone know about this?

testing ....

Loreth - what kind of trouble are you having with loading your picture?????

Hi everyone! I'm new to the SRS boards as I usually haunt the Superloop but I am targeting SRS with a WIP I'm working on and I had a few questions that weren't answered in the general guidelines. Do SRS allow love scenes and what's the word on cursing? I know the F-bomb is not allowed in Supers, wondered if that was across the board in the lines or just the home and hearths. Any insight you could provide would be great! Thanks so much!

Kim

Thanks Mary Beth. I have perused the latest selection and I'm interested in more than a few!

Kim 

Thanks! That is a big help. It's fun writing with the intent for a different line. I love Supers (it's my home) but there's something about stretching as a writer that is exciting and scary at the same time. I'm constantly asking myself, "Is this right? Am I totally going in the wrong direction?" but it's good and I think I'm growing as a writer during the process. :-)

Kim 

Thanks I feel very welcome in this thread. Sometimes I've found
breaking into a new group can be daunting because people make
connections and then are reluctant to let anyone else in the circle.
We're not like that in the Super loop (we take everyone!) but I tried
to join another loop (that will remain nameless) and I was pretty much
snubbed. Hard to believe but it's true! So, I was reluctant to go
poking around again. Thanks for allaying my fear. :-)

Kim

We're not like that in the Super loop (we take everyone!)

BOY is that true! I just found the Super loop. It's like a huge family with a gatekeeper at the door saying, come on in!

SRS is like that too. Lots of inspiration.

Mary Beth 

Hi Kim!  Welcome to the SRS loop. 

I think the answers you've already gotten are spot on.  Love scenes run the gamut.  Cursing is allowed in moderation if it is truly needed.  Less likely they'll let your heroine curse and no F-word that I've ever seen.  I doubt the editors will let curse words influence the decision whether to buy or not.  They are easily edited out if they love your story and are uncomfortable with the use of language.

Anyway, good luck with your submission!

Take care, Beth C.

Well, I confess, it's been a while since I ventured out of the Super loop and wandered into that unfriendly hall but it scared me off from trying it again for a long while. I'm happy to see that perhaps it was an isolated incident because I feel quite welcome here!

I've been researching the line for a few weeks and it seems SRS has run the gamut of plots as long as the danger and emotional tension is high. I even saw an older SRS with a paranormal element? The book received a Top Pick! from RT, too. Anyway, from what I've been seeing (and reading from the snippets they give on the page) I like what SRS has to offer readers. 

Here's hoping perhaps I might become a SRS author sometime as well. :-)

 Kim

Hi Jeanette!  Like Kim, I ventured to a board a while back and posted some comments.  I never got a response and was ignored for several posts.  Of course that line is no longer published, but all other threads have been wonderful.  We are all creatures of habit and love entering homes where we are welcomed with open arms. It was around before your time. I started haunting in 2003, so it has been a while.

The folks in the Romantic Suspense thread are sweet as can be!

I think that some of the lines have more lurkers than active posters as they may be a little more on the shy side.

I just read some good news.  Leanne Kennedy who is a community member just sold to Silhouette Romantic Suspense.  CONGRATULATIONS, Leanne!

Kim, there is a Silhouette Romantic Suspense chat every month.  I hope you can join us and meet all of the wonderful readers and authors of SRS.  And you too, Betty!

The next chat is scheduled for February, 13th at 9pm EST.

Have a good evening!

New sale stories are always a treat! Hopefully Leanne will come in and share her call story!

And I will try to remember the chat. I love chatting but sometimes I don't have the time to indulge in that guilty pleasure. A few years ago I was a chat-aholic! I had to cut back because I realized how addictive it can be. Now, when I do get to chat it's pure fun and I enjoy it while I can. :-)

 Anyway, I had my sister read my WIP, (she's my CP and an AVID reader. In fact, she's one of the reader focus groups for HQ and SIL) and she says with a few minor tweaks she thinks my WIP is a good fit for SRS. So, we'll see. I have to write the dreaded synopsis (ick. Not my fav part) and then email it to my agent to see what she thinks and THEN if she thinks it's ready, it'll head off to the right department! Whew. It's always a bit nerve wracking when you send off your babies (even when you're pubbed!).

 Kim

Hi Kim and Gail! 

I will post a few reminder notices about the chats leading up to the date.  I do know what you mean about being addictive!

Kim, it is great news that your sister thinks your close to a final draft.  Good luck with your submission!

Have a great weekend,

One of the problems with remembering the chats, IMHO, is that the list on the sidebar is not very obvious.  In the faded blue it is easy to overlook when scrolling down and reading the comments.

That's a good idea Jeanette since at the moment we all see that page.  I personally have no web site but I'm sure others who read this will.

I missed the last one (well, I was there, but got called away) so I'm looking forward to the next!

This loop has grown quiet.  What are you all doing?  I'm struggling to finish my synopsis.  I'm having a really tough time finding a name for my hero.  The book takes place in a fictitious country which is based more or less on Nepal.  I don't want the name to be too exotic.  It should sound good to English-speaking readers.  Any suggestions?  I've looked at names from India and Nepal and they all seem pretty exotic (Taj, Raj, Dev).  Maybe I need to go with something more European.....

Hmm, well, I don't have any suggestions for countries but I thought the suggestion of using an Indian girl's name was cool.

My agent got back to me on my SRS WIP. She said it didn't get interesting until the third chapter. Ouch. But then it really got good. LOL. I guess that softens the blow, right? So, I'm revising. Putting the third chapter at the front and so on but wow, it really took the steam out of my engine. I seem to be stalling out. I think I've rewritten the beginning way too many times at this point but I don't want to scrap it, just yet. Hopefully, after this weekend, I'll get in the groove.

Also, I saw in the RT this month that an SRS has an alien in it?? Whoa. That threw me. Is that the norm? Or just a once in a while fluke?

Kim