Welcome to Short Story Structure Day 1

[jodi henley]

Short Story Structure for the e-markets



How to target, tighten and structure your short for maximum sell-thru and reader retention


Hi! My name is Jodi, and I’d like to welcome you to Short Story Structure for the e-markets, one of my favorite research topics. From late 2007 until RWA tightened the membership definitions, I was an acquisitions editor for an e-publisher/small press. Currently, I’m a craft of writing geek/blogger and story consultant for people interested in the new self-publishing platforms.

I don’t know everything there is to know about marketing—a totally geek-worthy subject in itself—but I like to think I’ve got a grip on why things sell, how to keep them selling, and how to make sure your story is targeted and structured right.

This workshop is for everyone; if you’ve got a story that doesn’t work, if you’re just dabbling, or want to explore a few things before jumping in.
There isn’t a lot of mystery to e-publishing. Most of the houses work like the bigger publishers, maybe a little faster. Some are good and some are bad. And many fold. Anyone with a dream and dedication can open a publisher, and anyone with a story can publish it if they don’t chose to go with a NY publisher or an e-pub.

The trick is to create maximum sell-through and reader retention.

What exactly is sell-through?
According to about.com it’s a calculation, commonly represented as a percentage, comparing the amount of inventory a retailer receives from a manufacturer or supplier against what is actually sold to the consumer.

http://retail.about.com/od/retailglossarys/g/sell-through.htm

As I’m going to be using it in this workshop, it’s the amount of sales you need before you break even and make a profit. While you can do it all yourself, and I highly recommend that if you have the time and skills, many people farm out their editing, covers and formatting. A move that immediately puts you in the one-down position. In other words, you’re fronting the cost of a book, instead of a traditional or e-publisher.

Why is reader retention important?

There are millions of stories out there. When I go to Fictionwise, smashwords or Amazon, I’ve started using filters or looking for authors I like. I’m getting lost in the information overload.

One of the reasons brick and mortar stores did so well was because when you walked into a store, similar books were grouped together. I’d pick one up, glance at the one beside it, maybe glance at a recommended pick, or look at the covers. Now, I can go online when I feel like it, browse the suggestions and “look” inside.

You need to find your readers and keep them so they’ll put you on auto-buy or favorite you. It’s all about targeting and customer service.

How does this tie into the craft of writing short stories?

Two words. Emotional needs.

Don’t underestimate the importance of knowing exactly what you write and who you write it for. There’s a big difference in sending your baby out into the world, and targeting it to a particular audience or niche.

Who is your target audience, and have you identified their needs? Where’s your common ground?

An example would be a contemporary romance about a single mother.

Your target audience would be women who are either single mothers, like kids, or identify with that kind of heroine. Some of their emotional weak points and potential common ground would be fear for their kids, struggling to make ends meet/stress, feeling trapped, feeling protective, pride in their kids, fear they’re pouring so much of their lives into their kids they’re no longer attractive, dislike of their kids/resentment.

That’s a lot of information. How does it work "for" you?

It depends on what you’re trying to do. Writing a short story is a lot easier when you have some kind of internal lodestone—some way to know that no matter what you’re writing, and “how”, it’s all going to stay on target.

What do you want?
Are you aiming for a niche, or are you trying to write a “bestseller”? In other words, think categorization.

The audience for romance is big, but the actual demographics in each sub-genre are small—an assumption that also works for other fields, like mysteries, and sci-fi. There are many mystery readers, but not every mystery reader will read a cozy.

This link provides a great explanation of a cozy “and” makes the generalization that the audience is usually an “intelligent woman”, although they quantify it by saying intelligent men will also read cozies.
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Definition-of-a-Cozy-Mystery.html

Ignore the quantifiers. There will always be people who don’t fit into a set category. What you’re going for is first impression. If you write romance, do you picture a guy taking you to work to read on his lunch hour? Or do you picture a woman? First impressions? What is she doing?

Is she sitting in her car/waiting in the stands for her kids to get out of softball practice? Or do you see her crashed out on the couch, feet up over the armrest? Nice comfy cushions, maybe a snack?

I see the woman on the couch, wearing nice fuzzy socks. She’s young-ish. Under fifty. No kids, although that’s not to say she doesn’t have any—it’s just that this is “mom” time, or “me” time.

If the softball mom is reading a romance, I see her reading a Blossom street book by Debbie Macomber. In Debbie Macomber’s bio, it says she writes “heartwarming novels that celebrate love, laughter, and the bonds of family and friendship.”

The woman I see reading a paranormal isn’t thinking love, laughter, family and friendship. She’s dreaming of a love so strong it defies death, hot sex and adventure. In other words—she wants to be the one to bring the Master of the City to his knees, conquer the demon warrior, or be the destined mate of a guy with popping muscles, a mouthwatering accent, and shoulder length black hair. She isn’t thinking of going next door to her friend Mary, so they can discuss the single dad who moved into the old Peterson place.

Readers are different, which makes the subject matter—and how a writer treats it—very important.

Children are a good example.

There’s a single dad in that Debbie Macomber, and before I go any further, I’d like to point out I used to read Debbie Macomber and still admire her greatly—but there are “no” children in that paranormal.

It’s hard to be a hot demon warrior when you have an adorable six year old child and drive a Subaru.

Know your reader.

If you’re going for that woman with the fuzzy socks, it helps to know how she thinks and what she expects, her values and issues. You “saw” that bag of potato chips, right? And the can of diet Coke? Think that reader is fighting the good fight when it comes to maintaining her figure?

It could be that she’s been rejected in favor of a skinnier woman, which made her sensitive about her weight. The emotions that go with self-image are huge.

A skinny woman who looks good in a cat-suit and knows seven different ways of killing man isn’t going to resonate with that reader in the same way a slightly overweight woman who drinks diet Coke even though she doesn’t like it, and needs to sit down—quickly—after running a mile does.

Now that you’ve taken your reader into consideration how does your heroine feel? Winded? Frustrated because she’s out of shape? So desperate to rescue the hero she’ll run to the point of collapse?

Maybe you didn’t want to make the heroine someone the reader identifies with. Maybe you wanted to use someone beautiful and skinny who not only knows seven ways to kill a man, but can also change a flat tire without getting dirty.

Beauty is only skin-deep. It’s not really the fact that your heroine is large it’s the fact that your heroine has honest emotional reactions that resonate with your reader.

Example?
Jane ran, breath burning through her lungs. She had to get to the club or John would die.
…describes her actions.

Jane staggered, breath burning through her lungs. Her legs were swollen and didn’t want to move. She could feel them fighting her. Too many years of diet Coke and chips all distilled down into two feet that moved like boulders. She was too late. She couldn’t be too late. The world wouldn’t exist for her without John. Jane stumbled and went down on one knee, hands locked around her thigh. If they got out alive, all her snacks were going to the food bank.
…describes her emotions.

Emotions add layers, and create reader involvement.

A quick list for this niche reader (and it’ll show up again later) would be:


Believes in a death-defying or predestined love
There is one man for one woman
It’s not about what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

Part Two:

The emotional structure of a “bestseller”
Given the choice between a bestseller and a story focused on a specific target group, why would anyone want to write niche?

Think of a pie. If you’re sharing your pie with others who write in your sub-genre, each person gets a share, but if you attract more readers, who already exist in the pie—then you can still be a bestseller within your niche.

Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon and JR Ward are all people who took over market share in their target audience. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t other paranormal writers; it just meant that given the choice between one of these writers at the height of their popularity and someone else, it all came down to the auto-buy.

Sherrilyn Kenyon fulfilled the needs of her niche target audience. And fulfilling a reader’s needs kept them coming back.

The emotional structure of a (mainstream) bestseller:

“Is” there a difference between a niche story and a bestseller?

Yes and no, and that probably sounds like a little fence-sitting, but it’s actually more to do with the fact that I quantify almost everything, and this workshop doesn’t deal with quantifiers.

Targeting works on generalizations. Precisely focused generalizations in the case of a niche book, and broader, more inclusive generalizations in the case of a bestseller.

So how do I create a bestseller, and what “is” a broader, more inclusive generalization?

A broader more inclusive generalization means expanding your audience.

Let’s talk about Nicholas Sparks, a writer whose target audience is everyone. When you picture a Nicholas Sparks reader—who do you see? I see my mom and grandma, people on the commuter bus, people buying gift books at Christmas, and sitting in airports. There’s a Nicholas Sparks book in almost every bookstore, newsstand, library and garage sale.

Regardless of where you stand on the Nicholas Sparks love him or hate him issue, you can’t deny his sales are incredible.

Out of 17 books, 15 are NYT bestsellers, and 6 are movies. He’s obviously connecting with people.

He’s identified the lowest common denominators in his target audience.
· Children.
· The protective/self-sacrificing instincts of a parent.
· Young love. A love that lasts for decades. Unrequited love. Requited love. Second love.

You can’t get more basic than that. Most people will identify with at least one, if not all, of those emotional drivers.

In the Notebook, the hero and heroine fall in love as teenagers, are separated by the protective instincts of her parent, meet again as adults, still love each other, she makes the choice to marry him instead of her fiancée and they live happily ever after for 49 years until she gets Alzheimer’s. But he still loves her, and when she can remember him, she loves him too.

The Notebook was Nicholas Sparks first novel, and sold because an agent picked him out of the slush pile. It got a 1 million dollar advance and hit the NYT bestseller list in its first week.

He resonates with the majority of his target group to the point of being a great “gift” author. Even if you don’t know what someone likes, the emotions in a Nicholas Sparks book are like that retail saying, “One size fits most.”

Let’s look at those two lists.

Niche: (paranormal)
· Believes in a death-defying or predestined love
· There is one man for one woman
· It’s not about what’s on the outside, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Bestseller: (fiction)
· Children.
· The protective/self-sacrificing instincts of a parent.
· Young love. A love that lasts for decades. Unrequited love. Requited love. Second love.

The bestseller list is more inclusive of a greater number of people. The niche list describes a sub-group of the bestseller list in the same way paranormal romances are a sub-genre of romance.

And now that you know the emotional drivers in your stories…how do you tie that to sales and retention?

Emotions are influenced and caused by events which in turn mess with your attitudes and behaviors. In other words, something needs to happen to trigger the story emotion you’re looking for. A story emotion is how your character or reader reacts to events in your story.

The Hawaii Five-0 remake is a good example of a show where the writers know exactly how to get the emotions they want. The reviews are bad, but then the reviews for Xena (six seasons) Hercules (six seasons) and Silk Stalkings (eight seasons) were also bad. Somebody had to have watched Hercules if it ran six seasons, produced a large amount of spin-offs, actions figures and anime.

In the last Hawaii Five-0, the writers killed the mother of a young child—while the kid was in the room, had the woman’s husband, a Navy SEAL in therapy with PTSD blackouts because he killed a little kid in Iraq by mistake, find her. Had the police accuse the husband of murder, despite his demand that they find the killer. He runs because he knows he didn’t kill her, takes hostages, one of which is a sick woman, at Pearl Harbor!!! Steve strips down to his swim trunks and flexes. The traumatized little girl opens up to Kona and is kidnapped in the midst of a lot of happy families. Steve believes in the SEAL who doesn’t want his little girl to think he could kill her mother, saves him from being shot by the police, finds the killer, saves the little girl, proves the SEAL didn’t kill his wife and reunites him with his child.

And we fade out on the flag circle at the Pearl Harbor memorial, with the SEAL holding on to his kid and crying.

…and you know what? I cried too.

Even knowing what the writers were up to, I still cried. Because they hit every button, hard. The writers went “big” emotionally.

Was it over the top? Yes. Did it matter? No. It was a good show, and it went straight for the gut. It made me feel, fulfilled my needs, and every Monday I’m right there on the couch with a bag of chips and a soda.

To keep selling stories, one after the other, a reader needs to identify you as the person who can hit all their buttons on a consistent basis.
You need to know what those buttons are and create the events that push them.

Tonight:
Tell me your genre or sub-genre, target audience, and their buttons?

[S E Gilchrist]

Hi Jodie & everyone, great post, really found it very informative.
I'm writing sci fi romance with adventure, a predestined love and a hero and heroine who are prepared to sacrifice their own needs for others. Hope I'm posting to the right spot!, Cheers Suzanne

[greta-g]

Hi Jodie. Thanks for the great post. It really put it all into perspective. So my genre is YA; sub-genre is romantic suspense;target audience is young adults; and their buttons young love, being popular/standing up to 'bullies,' peer pressure, parental control and balancing tightrope of being a kid and becoming an adult.

[Anika Daniels]

Thanks Jodi, this has really clarified things for me. My genre is romance, sub-genre is contemporary romance. Target audience is women who are looking to escape from their normal lives for a few hours, they're attracted to the alpha male, exotic locations and emotional intensity.

[Margaret Fieland]

Hi, Jodi. That's an interesting way of looking at things. The novel I'm editing now is a YA sci fi, audience is on the young end of YA, kids who feel they are freaks, don't fit in. Sci fi fans are looking for escape from the mundane, to be entertained, informed.

[Tara Newlands]

Hi, Jodi

Great post. I'm generally published within the paranormal, IR and erotic genres. However, I'm seeking to break out into new contemporary fields. The story I'm currently writing deals with a middle aged woman's struggles to continue be a success in the corporate world by applying hard lessons she learned in the barrio while seeking to get her shaky marriage back on track. I hope female contemporary woman's fiction fans plus romance fans will come away from this story inspired, hopeful plus able to understand how their own personal power and faith can see them through troubled times.

I'm looking forward to learning from you.

Tara ;-)

[PD Singer]

Hi, Tara and writers, I write m/m romance, mostly contemporary but with dips into historical, and my target audience is primarily the open-minded woman who's looking for a few hours of escape, an HEA, and some reassurance that men will commit.

[Leslie Dow]

Interesting post, I like this. I"ve got two wips going now.
(1) A contemporary romance (HQN Blaze), Target audience is younger woman who want an escape, buttons are adventures in exotic places, uncovering secrets, and taming then landing the dangerous man.
(2) A YA-Sci fi from a boys POV. Target audience is girls who want to know how boys think and could imagine the boy next to them in school as somebody who is a lot more and boys who dream they could succeed big in a interplanetary adventure. Buttons are how does the other sex think, adventure is possible even in your highschool, Do you really know the kid who sits next to you?

[George Allwynn]

My sub-genre = M/M romantic suspense

My target audience = women and gay men

Buttons my stories aim to push: (*which happen to be my own buttons other authors push in me)

Happily Ever Afters
STRONG family dynamics
Relationship trust issues
Same sex spiritual problems (either with one of the heroes or a secondary character)
Greater age gap between lovers - alpha male often in his 40's
Multicultural
Characters with handicaps
Bits of humor
Pets
Michigan settings
Sympathetic Villans

[Gloria Logan]

Hi Jodi, I love all your classes so I'm here. My usual genre is historical with some suspense and romance added on and while they're full novels, I need to get a better handle on short stories to keep future options open.

My target audience would be mostly average women: career women, moms, young, old, disillusioned, stay-at-home, women.
Their buttons are the thrill of vicarious adventure/journey through unusual occupations in unlikely eras that surprise them. These women understand or have experienced pain, violence, loss, betrayal and vulnerability. They want to be touched by the heroine's struggle to find hope, courage, self-worth, safety, love, self-forgiveness and survival. And to find a hero who is touched by the heroine's courage and strength, and who loves her for who she is, faults and all.

[PR Henriksen]

sci-fi, fantasy, thriller.... I want to write the kind of stories I like to read. Lot's of action and thrills with characters I want to be like or hang out with. I want to go on the adventure with them. Audience - male, female, upcoming tweener that wants to have and be on an adventure. Makes some dumb mistakes, wants to save the world, even if it wants to kill them for it, and will keep on going until they do it or are dead... No matter what happens, it will be a ride to remember.

[Bobbye Terry]

Hi Jodi,
Great introduction and much better than I'd even imagine. I have a two-pronged approach to my career path, writing both suspense/women's fiction and fantasy/sci-fi. I started as a romantic comedy writer and am still selling a few things from that period. However, I will depart from my Terry Campbell roots to new territories as Daryn Cross for the fantasy/sci fi and my real name for suspense/women's fiction. Under the fantasy/sci-fi side, I try to appeal to those with a sense of adventure, love of technology, people with lively imaginations who enjoy experiencing life as they don't know it but pulling on their emotional ties as they do. My challenge here is to appeal not only to the younger adult market but also to a mature one. As a result, I tend to have multiple generations as main characters, usually a hero/heroine who are younger and an older couple or mentors from an older age bracket. This also appeals to those with strong familial ties.

On the suspense/women's fiction side, I blend strong female interactions with a heavy dose of humor and walk the balancing line to crank up the tension. Of course, some are just pure fun cozies like a mystery novella series debuting in March.

I usually use short stories to entice readers into selecting a longer work. I'm working on one now which is completely historical but is the prequel to my sci fi series. I'm hoping to draw historical readers over to my sci-fi world. We'll see...

Bobbye

[Isabelle Lauren]

Hi, I'm Isabelle and I write woman's fiction with elements of fiction and my target audience is working women needing an escape to someone they can relate to.

[Tara Newlands]

Sorry bit off topic, but Hi PJ! ;-)

[Meg Mims]

Informative post, Jodi - thanks for the link to Cozy, because that's what I'm doing, set in 1908. My target audience - women, men, history buffs, lighthouse buffs, sailing buffs, art buffs, romance lovers, mystery/cozy mystery/historical mystery lovers, older teens who love mystery. Emotional Buttons: compassion, women who lose an infant, justice served in the end.

[Anna Taylor Sweringen]

Hi Jodi,

I'm Anna Taylor Sweringen. Thanks for this thoughtful information. I write romance in three sub-genres: inspirational, gothic and erotic. My target audience is African American women in urban areas. Their buttons are independence (self-reliance), maintaining identity, racism (overt and internalized), the future of the children in their communities.

[Marilyn Muniz]

Thank you Jodi! I never thought to look at the market in that way.

My genre is fantasy. My target audience is adult females(romance) and male(action). The buttons: Sexual awakening and physical fighting. The second button is weak at the moment, but I'm working it out as I write.

[Skylar Kade]

Hey Jodi (and fellow writers!),

I write romance (contemporary, steamy to erotic) and my target audience is women of all ages who harbor fantasies of having a sexy man ready to satisfy their desires, from hot sex to lifetime commitment.

Their buttons: belief in happily ever after/soulmates, that men can be emotionally-connected and sensual, living vicariously, taming the bad boy, finding the "bad boy" in the nice guy

[TaylorMLunsford]

For my short stories, my genre is romance, specifically contemporary romance. My target audience is women of all ages, teens through octogenarians. Their buttons are first meetings, love at first sight, true love, love that sacrifices, strong leads (both male and female), and happy endings (or at least the promise of HEA).

[John D. Brooke]

Hola Jodi, I'm hungry for what you are serving up here.

I'm a former advertising copywriter who decided to write in other forms of fiction about four years ago. My poems have been published in a number of countries, I took up Flash Fiction after working really hard trying to write film scripts for about a year. Almost 100 of my Flash/Micro Fictions have been published. I have written 5 NaNo first draft Novellas which will whittle down to two of three Novels or even long Short Stories.

This year I wrote a first draft, 97,000 word Novel. For Genre I used the term Literary Fiction. I'm into the editing rewriting stage of this book since November. Writing short fiction has me hankering to write longer stories and that naturally leads to Short Stories and from there to full scale Novels.

At this point in my writing development I have yet to determine who specifically I would be attempting to entertain. Humor is a key component, sharing the funny sides of the human experiences is important to me. An inexhaustible resource. Obviously I intend to write for a broad mix of readers. So you see I'm at the forever struggling writing stage.

I'm enjoying myself reading your menu.

Salud,

John

[meham]

Hi Jodi! Haven't a clue. Am going to follow some of Harrison's lead and say: people who have the same buttons I do--
spiritual adventurers, of any age, who believe the knowledge they are looking for will probably not be found in a how-to book, and who are looking for narrative experiences that resonate with their own realities.
m (who else?)

[Mark Nolan]

Hi, my name is Mark and i'm a complete newbie to this environment. I've never considered target market before today, or the buttons you're looking to push. I'd never head of cozy, or YA (I'm assuming that's young adult) until I visited this website. The books I'm interested in are fantasy sci/fi; I think this is called speculative fiction. If someone could point me toward a list of all the genres so i can familiarize myself with them that would be great, then at least I may understand what people are referring to. I know I want to write but have no understanding of the industry and it's requirements and hope this course may open my eyes somewhat.

[Pat Marinelli]

Hi Jodi,
Great Lesson, you have me at lesson one.
My sub-genre: Romance-Sweet Romance with the promise of Happily Ever After or (HEA)
My target audience: middle-Amercia women, working, car-pool Mom, Grandma.
Their Buttons: relationships, finding love, true love.

[Anika Daniels]

If someone could point me toward a list of all the genres so i can familiarize myself with them that would be great, then at least I may understand what people are referring to.
There's a good list of genre's and sub-genre's here: http://ezinearticles.com/?Genre-Novels---Word-Count-Rules,-Subgenres,-and-Guidelines-For-Getting-Your-Book-Published&id=2545501 but this isn't exhaustive.

[Sela Carsen]

Tonight:
Tell me your genre or sub-genre, target audience, and their buttons?
Hey Jodi!
Genre: I usually write paranormal rom-com, but I have 3 different projects I'm working on right now.
1) a contemporary, paranormal rom-com featuring a werewolf - novella.
2) a Western Steampunk. Victorian Sci-Fi rom-com - novel.
3) a fairy tale, different than my usual voice. Going for lyrical story-telling. - short story.

Target audience and buttons:
1) women, busy, quirky sense of humor, not a lot of time to read, enjoy steamy reads, want a man who will be totally dedicated to them, want a man to love them for who they are.
2) women, historical readers, SF readers, romance readers, Western readers, adventure story readers. They yearn for times gone by, yearn to travel, yearn for adventure, like intellectual characters, like funny characters, like big stories and big villains.
3) women, historical readers, interested in mythology, love fairy tales, like HEA, still remember reading those fairy tales and wishing for that kind of magic in their lives, want to believe in magic, that true love can overcome all obstacles.

[Marilyn Muniz]

Hi Jodi! Haven't a clue. Am going to follow some of Harrison's lead and say: people who have the same buttons I do--
spiritual adventurers, of any age, who believe the knowledge they are looking for will probably not be found in a how-to book, and who are looking for narrative experiences that resonate with their own realities.
m (who else?)

*nods head* I agree! But I want to push certain button over others.

[Christy Jankowski]

Hi Jodie and everybody else,

Your information is very interesting and made me really think about my target audience in a way I'd never considered. I have two long contemporary romances in the works. Both feature women in their early thirties at a juncture in their life where they want/need to make a change. Holding on to their present is not an option. My target is 30 somethings to 60 plus women who want to experience-albeit it vicariously- a sense of hope, the thrill of a new challenge, a burgeoing love with an alpha male and the incredible passion he ignites. Hopefully, the reader will be flipping through the pages so fast, she'll forget all about the chips.

[Bobbye Terry]

Mark,
You are definitely in one fo the best places to learn. If you're a premium member, many of the activities are free or very low cost. Soak up all you can, for there are some folks with years of expertise here. Also, though you may not be interested in writing romance, Romance Writers of America and their affiliate chapter, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal, are great places, especially when learning about characterization, dialogue and emotional tension. Dean Koontz started as a romance writer under a female pseudonym and credits the romance experience with his grasp of character.
Bobbye

[Mark Nolan]

Hi Anika thanks for the website-that's just what I was after.
Bobbye, thanks for the advice. I'm definitely considering Premium membership. I just wanted to dip my toe and get a feel for the experience. It has been very positive so far.

All the best

Mark

[Anika Daniels]

Mark,

Another great place to go is absolute write - there is quite an active sci/fi fantasy forum over there and you can also check out publishers etc in the bewares & background checks forum: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

Also the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America) http://www.sfwa.org/ you're probably not eligible to join right now but they have a load of useful info for writers on their website.

[Tricia Schneider]

I write romance, sub-genres are gothic, paranormal, and historical. My target audience are woman of all ages. Their buttons: escape, desire for adventure, a dark hero, nail biting suspense, belief in magic, love conquers all, and happily-ever-after.

[Eva McKellen]

Hi Jodi, hi binder brigade and other familiar faces!

My genre is paranormal romance (Jodi am still working away consistently, I am just slow and and write long- an email is coming soon :) )

I took this workshop because I would like to put together some short stories and see if I can actually do it - and also because I'm putting together a website for erotic romance with a very specific niche, where writers can submit short stories (under 2.5k words) and have a chance to just express themselves a bit and people can have a quick scintillating read. My friend Brenna who is also in this workshop is joining me in this adventure. Kind of like every night erotica in setup but with romance and a specific sub-genre in it. So I'd like to put some short stories together to get it started.

And there are characters in my head who won't shut up so I'm giving them that space on the site.

As for target audience and their buttons - Jodi I can't say it any better than you did

--------------------------
Jodi: The woman I see reading a paranormal isn’t thinking love, laughter, family and friendship. She’s dreaming of a love so strong it defies death, hot sex and adventure. In other words—she wants to be the one to bring the Master of the City to his knees, conquer the demon warrior, or be the destined mate of a guy with popping muscles, a mouthwatering accent, and shoulder length black hair. She isn’t thinking of going next door to her friend Mary, so they can discuss the single dad who moved into the old Peterson place.
-------------------------

the first time I read this I gasped, got a big grin on my face and said 'Me, Me, Me!'

Reading it again produced the same reaction, so I'd say that pretty much sums it up for target audience.

buttons:

- finding THE soulmate or twin flame

- intense sizzling uncontrollable attraction

- feeling like a misfit/out of place/a changeling even in family, social, and geographic circles

- winning over evil, even when evil kicks you to the ground

- triumph over death

- adventure and stretching the boundaries of belief

Eva

[Ferdous]

Hi Jodie and everyone,

I have two wip at the moment. First is a historical romance, set during the medieval times (Norman Conquest). The target audience is women and other adults who enjoy reading historical romances. The buttons will be, survival during a great upheaval, finding love that is soul consuming in an era where men were tough and women were soft (with inner strength), adventure, HEA, generally an escape from the daily lives.

My second wip is a paranormal, the target audience is women and other adults who enjoy romance with dark edges, sacrifices, death defying love, intense emotions and HEA.

[Robyn Johnson]

My genre is science fiction with adventure and romance. I think my target audience would be men and women interested in an entertaining read that also appeals to their intellectual side.

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodie & everyone, great post, really found it very informative.
I'm writing sci fi romance with adventure, a predestined love and a hero and heroine who are prepared to sacrifice their own needs for others. Hope I'm posting to the right spot!, Cheers Suzanne
Hi Suzanne!
Every spot is a good spot in one of my workshops. I'll find you, don't worry. :)

Very cool story! It must have an incredible arc as your hero and heroine move from putting others first to figuring out a way to be together. :)

Thanks for being here!
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodie. Thanks for the great post. It really put it all into perspective. So my genre is YA; sub-genre is romantic suspense;target audience is young adults; and their buttons young love, being popular/standing up to 'bullies,' peer pressure, parental control and balancing tightrope of being a kid and becoming an adult.

Hi Greta! :) It looks like you have a good grip on who you write for. YA rs is an up and coming field. Very cool.

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Thanks Jodi, this has really clarified things for me. My genre is romance, sub-genre is contemporary romance. Target audience is women who are looking to escape from their normal lives for a few hours, they're attracted to the alpha male, exotic locations and emotional intensity.

Hi Anika! I love contemporary romances (most particularly the way they're so character-driven, lol) Ohhh...sounds like you love that Harlequin presents, alpha male, rich, emotionally lush stuff. (I do, too! CEOs, my favorite :) )

Thanks for being here, Anika!

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi, Jodi. That's an interesting way of looking at things. The novel I'm editing now is a YA sci fi, audience is on the young end of YA, kids who feel they are freaks, don't fit in. Sci fi fans are looking for escape from the mundane, to be entertained, informed.

Hi Margaret!

wow! a YA sci-fi and it sounds like hard sci-fi? Do you feel...maybe you're bringing a cyberpunk vibe to it?

Thanks for being here, Margaret! I hope you enjoy the workshop. :)

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi, Jodi
Hi Tara!


Great post. I'm generally published within the paranormal, IR and erotic genres. However, I'm seeking to break out into new contemporary fields. The story I'm currently writing deals with a middle aged woman's struggles to continue be a success in the corporate world by applying hard lessons she learned in the barrio while seeking to get her shaky marriage back on track. I hope female contemporary woman's fiction fans plus romance fans will come away from this story inspired, hopeful plus able to understand how their own personal power and faith can see them through troubled times.

very cool! Inspirational is such a big field and getting bigger all the time. I also like the way you're tying your heroine's work and personal lives together.

Thanks for being here, Tara!

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi, Tara and writers, I write m/m romance, mostly contemporary but with dips into historical, and my target audience is primarily the open-minded woman who's looking for a few hours of escape, an HEA, and some reassurance that men will commit.

Hi PD!

nice! m/m is a huge field. Lots of great potential. And you pegged it. It's pure escapism and a little reassurance. Good job. :)

Glad you're here, PD.

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Interesting post, I like this. I"ve got two wips going now.
(1) A contemporary romance (HQN Blaze), Target audience is younger woman who want an escape, buttons are adventures in exotic places, uncovering secrets, and taming then landing the dangerous man.
(2) A YA-Sci fi from a boys POV. Target audience is girls who want to know how boys think and could imagine the boy next to them in school as somebody who is a lot more and boys who dream they could succeed big in a interplanetary adventure. Buttons are how does the other sex think, adventure is possible even in your highschool, Do you really know the kid who sits next to you?

wow, I hope this post works. I'm starting to see some basic html, lol. I think we're pretty close to capacity. I love both of your wips! I know plenty of women who'd love to go somewhere (anywhere!), uncover a secret and tame that hot, dangerous guy. And the YA? Great spin. It's that whole ordinary kid who's really an extraordinary kid vibe--very nice. :) Thanks for being here, Leslie! Jodi

[jodi henley]

My sub-genre = M/M romantic suspense

My target audience = women and gay men

Buttons my stories aim to push: (*which happen to be my own buttons other authors push in me)

Happily Ever Afters
STRONG family dynamics
Relationship trust issues
Same sex spiritual problems (either with one of the heroes or a secondary character)
Greater age gap between lovers - alpha male often in his 40's
Multicultural
Characters with handicaps
Bits of humor
Pets
Michigan settings
Sympathetic Villans

Hi Harrison! yes! You nailed it.

People write things they want to read, and push their own buttons. It's why certain stories resonate--because you're being truthful to yourself.

Thanks for being here, Harrison! Not that you won't see me hanging out in the writer's court workshop as the week goes on. :)

Jodi

[Kathryn Scannell]

Sigh. I just spent 15 minutes crafting a response to this which I was really happy with, hit "post" and the site came back to me with a "Service Unavailable" error. And it's gone.

Genre: Fantasy, possibly High Fantasy, depending on your exact definition.

Target Audience: SF/Fantasy readers. This one's hard to define, but I know them when I run into them. There isn't a clear age/gender/etc cluster. On the whole they tend to be well educated, open-minded about the world, and to read because they're looking for things their own lives don't provide (adventure, the power to make a difference in the world around them, frontiers, magic, the unknown, etc.) and they want to be someone else for a while. That means that, unlike your example of the soccer mom who finds stories featuring people like herself appeal, that's the last thing the SF/fantasy reader wants.

Emotional buttons: These vary a lot. Being powerful enough that you make a difference in the world, or at least a small chunk of it. A hunger for there to be magic in the world (for fantasy readers, at least). A need for there to be more to life than just this town/country/planet/race.

In the particular story I'm poking at magic, making a difference in the world, and being able to do the right thing for your community without having to give up your own personal dreams.

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi
Hi Gloria!

(((hugs)))

Thanks for being here.


I need to get a better handle on short stories to keep future options open.
That's exactly why a writer needs to think about shorts. Shorts are a good way to get your name out there, make a little money, do some promo, maybe make some bundles and even more money. The world is changing,and I'm glad I stuck around long enough to see it :)


My target audience would be mostly average women: career women, moms, young, old, disillusioned, stay-at-home, women.
Their buttons are the thrill of vicarious adventure/journey through unusual occupations in unlikely eras that surprise them. These women understand or have experienced pain, violence, loss, betrayal and vulnerability. They want to be touched by the heroine's struggle to find hope, courage, self-worth, safety, love, self-forgiveness and survival. And to find a hero who is touched by the heroine's courage and strength, and who loves her for who she is, faults and all.

aww...my favorite buttons. *happy sigh*

Glad you're here. :)

Jodi

[jodi henley]

sci-fi, fantasy, thriller.... I want to write the kind of stories I like to read. Lot's of action and thrills with characters I want to be like or hang out with. I want to go on the adventure with them. Audience - male, female, upcoming tweener that wants to have and be on an adventure. Makes some dumb mistakes, wants to save the world, even if it wants to kill them for it, and will keep on going until they do it or are dead... No matter what happens, it will be a ride to remember.

Alright! Welcome back!

(not that my workshops tend to turn into marathons or anything, lol)

Adventures are where it's at, especially in that age grouping. Very cool. And shorts are such a great way to build up readership in that group :)

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi,
Hi Bobbye!


Great introduction and much better than I'd even imagine.
lol, I'm just getting started. I'm a horrible geek and take my info-dumping seriously.


I have a two-pronged approach to my career path, writing both suspense/women's fiction and fantasy/sci-fi. I started as a romantic comedy writer and am still selling a few things from that period. However, I will depart from my Terry Campbell roots to new territories as Daryn Cross for the fantasy/sci fi and my real name for suspense/women's fiction. Under the fantasy/sci-fi side, I try to appeal to those with a sense of adventure, love of technology, people with lively imaginations who enjoy experiencing life as they don't know it but pulling on their emotional ties as they do. My challenge here is to appeal not only to the younger adult market but also to a mature one. As a result, I tend to have multiple generations as main characters, usually a hero/heroine who are younger and an older couple or mentors from an older age bracket. This also appeals to those with strong familial ties.

On the suspense/women's fiction side, I blend strong female interactions with a heavy dose of humor and walk the balancing line to crank up the tension. Of course, some are just pure fun cozies like a mystery novella series debuting in March.

I usually use short stories to entice readers into selecting a longer work. I'm working on one now which is completely historical but is the prequel to my sci fi series. I'm hoping to draw historical readers over to my sci-fi world. We'll see...

Bobbye

Nice! It looks like you're explored your target market :) I agree with your reasonings for doing shorter works along with full length stories. Not that it's a dog eat dog world out there, but it sure is a "cautious" explorer kind of world. It's hard to get over that higher price point if a reader hasn't already done a little sampling. I think you have the right idea. :)

Thanks for being here!
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi, I'm Isabelle and I write woman's fiction with elements of fiction and my target audience is working women needing an escape to someone they can relate to.
Hi Isabelle! Thanks for being here. Women's fiction is such a strong market, and oh my God--that dream? You know the one where you're working and working and wish you could just find the person you sync with? Such a cool button. :)

Glad you're here, Isabelle.

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Informative post, Jodi - thanks for the link to Cozy, because that's what I'm doing, set in 1908. My target audience - women, men, history buffs, lighthouse buffs, sailing buffs, art buffs, romance lovers, mystery/cozy mystery/historical mystery lovers, older teens who love mystery. Emotional Buttons: compassion, women who lose an infant, justice served in the end.

Hi Meg! I have always been a fan of cozies. (love amateur sleuths!) (especially with herb gardens. Okay, don't know why that popped up. But still, love those English gardens with all the plants everywhere and lavender and stuff)

Wow, that's a couple of very deep buttons. I think you're going to get some serious resonance with that. :)

Thanks for being here!
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi,

I'm Anna Taylor Sweringen. Thanks for this thoughtful information. I write romance in three sub-genres: inspirational, gothic and erotic. My target audience is African American women in urban areas. Their buttons are independence (self-reliance), maintaining identity, racism (overt and internalized), the future of the children in their communities.

Hi Anna! Multi-cultural is a seriously under-served area. Oh my God--urban gothic! It's so...cutting edge, you know? There are so many ways you can go with it, even blending everything else in--especially in an e-book. It's a great niche. Okay, just running on at the fingers, but wow...

maybe you didn't mean to put them together, but it'd be so deep and give you such a great focus. :)

(and now you know my horrible secret. I'm an "enthusiast". I love ideas. :) )

Welcome to the workshop, Anna.

I promise to behave if you promise not to run away screaming. :)

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Thank you Jodi! I never thought to look at the market in that way.

My genre is fantasy. My target audience is adult females(romance) and male(action). The buttons: Sexual awakening and physical fighting. The second button is weak at the moment, but I'm working it out as I write.

Hi Marilyn! Sexual awakenings are so powerful. And fighting! Whoa there. Nice button. Some people have no other way to express themselves. It's like they were conditioned to believe that's who they are, or the only thing they can do. Have you put a little thought into why you picked fighting? What draws you to it? I've always found that my buttons have a little of my needs in them too. Like they can't exist without some kind of anchor.

:) I love fantasies.

Thanks for being in this workshop, Marilyn.

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hey Jodi (and fellow writers!),
Hi Skylar!


I write romance (contemporary, steamy to erotic) and my target audience is women of all ages who harbor fantasies of having a sexy man ready to satisfy their desires, from hot sex to lifetime commitment.

Their buttons: belief in happily ever after/soulmates, that men can be emotionally-connected and sensual, living vicariously, taming the bad boy, finding the "bad boy" in the nice guy
lol! Talk about a "hot" button. Very nice. Women everywhere have that fantasy. And I can just imagine what a story with a title like "Christmas Packages" is about, lol. Great buttons!

Thanks for being here, Skylar!

Jodi

[jodi henley]

For my short stories, my genre is romance, specifically contemporary romance. My target audience is women of all ages, teens through octogenarians. Their buttons are first meetings, love at first sight, true love, love that sacrifices, strong leads (both male and female), and happy endings (or at least the promise of HEA).

Beautiful. Those are some really good buttons for your sub-genre, Taylor. You've got a great lock on the bigger stories behind contemporary romances. I think you'll get a lot out of this workshop, and if the structure part of it doesn't click with you, let me know, okay?

Thanks for being here, Taylor.

Jodi

[Marilyn Muniz]

Hi Marilyn! Sexual awakenings are so powerful. And fighting! Whoa there. Nice button. Some people have no other way to express themselves. It's like they were conditioned to believe that's who they are, or the only thing they can do. Have you put a little thought into why you picked fighting? What draws you to it? I've always found that my buttons have a little of my needs in them too. Like they can't exist without some kind of anchor.

:) I love fantasies.

Thanks for being in this workshop, Marilyn.

Jodi

I tend to verbally fight with people and sometimes I throw or slam things down in anger. I don't punch people or anything like that. I think fighting of any kind can lead to an understanding if you are someone who can listen to other people.

I hope that makes sense.

[jodi henley]

Hola Jodi, I'm hungry for what you are serving up here. I'm a ravenous eater, and believe in feeding everyone. Maybe it's too much time in the South. Pull up a chair, John. No one leaves this table with a pinched belly. :)


At this point in my writing development I have yet to determine who specifically I would be attempting to entertain. Humor is a key component, sharing the funny sides of the human experiences is important to me. An inexhaustible resource. Obviously I intend to write for a broad mix of readers. So you see I'm at the forever struggling writing stage.

I'm enjoying myself reading your menu.

Salud,

John

It sounds like you've found your writing process, turning short stories into longer stories. And what you like to write about--people. It's a rare and precious gift. Maybe you'll let one of your shorts go, and maybe not--but I think you'll enjoy this workshop for what it is. Thank you for being here, John. :)

Let me know if my menu gets a little random, okay?

Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi! Haven't a clue. Am going to follow some of Harrison's lead and say: people who have the same buttons I do--
spiritual adventurers, of any age, who believe the knowledge they are looking for will probably not be found in a how-to book, and who are looking for narrative experiences that resonate with their own realities.
m (who else?)

That's why I love St Exupery. His Wisdom of the Sands hits me on a lot of levels. Wish he hadn't died so young.

They're good buttons, meham. it's only when reality has a framework and "heft" that people can sync with it.

[meham]

Kathryn--

On the whole they tend to be well educated, open-minded about the world, and to read because they're looking for things their own lives don't provide (adventure, the power to make a difference in the world around them, frontiers, magic, the unknown, etc.) and they want to be someone else for a while.

Oh, you mean D&D gamers? (pretty much describes all my friends lol)
m

[jodi henley]

Hi, my name is Mark and i'm a complete newbie to this environment.

Hi Mark! Thanks for being here. :) And most of all--thanks for taking a chance on me, lol.


I've never considered target market before today, or the buttons you're looking to push. I'd never head of cozy, or YA (I'm assuming that's young adult) until I visited this website. The books I'm interested in are fantasy sci/fi; I think this is called speculative fiction. If someone could point me toward a list of all the genres so i can familiarize myself with them that would be great, then at least I may understand what people are referring to. I know I want to write but have no understanding of the industry and it's requirements and hope this course may open my eyes somewhat.

ahh....that's a big wish, but I have a couple of links.

this wikipedia link is actually a "portal" (or a gateway to other sites with more info)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculative_fiction

You might want to spend a little time exploring the side bar on the right to see what feels right for you.

and then checking out

http://www.sfwa.org/

the site for scifi and fantasy writers of America. I've heard a lot of good things about them, and they're kind to new people. They have forum boards where you can ask all kinds of things.

Cozies are simply a kind of mystery novel with an amateur sleuth (think "Murder, she wrote") or Miss Marple. And yes, YA is the abbrev for Young Adult.

In my experience, and while I understand and work on literary fiction, most people just called speculative fiction by the sub-genre they're interested in. Like epic fantasy (Tolkien?) or urban fantasy (wow! Just had a thought. Was Dracula the first urban fantasy? It's got all the elements. hmmm...)

this is a link to genre fiction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre_fiction

I hope it'll work to help you, if it doesn't, just stop me. I love questions.

The industry is changing and growing in so many different ways. There aren't a lot of hard and fast requirements anymore--except maybe formatting. It's a good time to be writing. :)

Thanks for being here, Mark.
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi,
Great Lesson, you have me at lesson one. Pat, I am a mistress of the sneaky geek-hook. It's why I rarely have snappy workshop titles, lol.


My sub-genre: Romance-Sweet Romance with the promise of Happily Ever After or (HEA)
My target audience: middle-Amercia women, working, car-pool Mom, Grandma.
Their Buttons:relationships, finding love, true love.

I love sweet romance, because it's all about the emotions. Debbie Macomber is where it's at. Nice, feel good stories that you can dream about.

Good deal. :)

I think you'll like it here.

Thanks for being here, Pat.

:) Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hey Jodi!
Genre: I usually write paranormal rom-com, but I have 3 different projects I'm working on right now.
1) a contemporary, paranormal rom-com featuring a werewolf - novella.
2) a Western Steampunk. Victorian Sci-Fi rom-com - novel.
3) a fairy tale, different than my usual voice. Going for lyrical story-telling. - short story.

Target audience and buttons:
1) women, busy, quirky sense of humor, not a lot of time to read, enjoy steamy reads, want a man who will be totally dedicated to them, want a man to love them for who they are.
2) women, historical readers, SF readers, romance readers, Western readers, adventure story readers. They yearn for times gone by, yearn to travel, yearn for adventure, like intellectual characters, like funny characters, like big stories and big villains.
3) women, historical readers, interested in mythology, love fairy tales, like HEA, still remember reading those fairy tales and wishing for that kind of magic in their lives, want to believe in magic, that true love can overcome all obstacles.


Sela!!!!!

lol :)

You know you're scaring me by being here right? I love your stories.

Fairy tales are great for "stretchability" Lyrical works. I think...this would be a great time to work on it and see what happens.

Thanks for not running away after clicking my (er...eighteen page long into post)

Jodi

[jodi henley]

*nods head* I agree! But I want to push certain button over others.
so do I, lol.

It's all a matter of what you're drawn to. Sometimes it's the difference between finishing a story and putting it into a file. (forever) Push those buttons! :) I know I push the redemption button over and over--the plastic has got to be warped by now.

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodie

Hi Christy!



Your information is very interesting and made me really think about my target audience in a way I'd never considered. I have two long contemporary romances in the works. Both feature women in their early thirties at a juncture in their life where they want/need to make a change. Holding on to their present is not an option. My target is 30 somethings to 60 plus women who want to experience-albeit it vicariously- a sense of hope, the thrill of a new challenge, a burgeoing love with an alpha male and the incredible passion he ignites. Hopefully, the reader will be flipping through the pages so fast, she'll forget all about the chips.

Nice! Your buttons are change and hope. God knows, some of the most needed buttons out there. I think you have the right emotions for your target audience. And I think your reader will definitely be flipping through pages. :)

Thanks for being here, Christy.
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Mark,

Another great place to go is absolute write - there is quite an active sci/fi fantasy forum over there and you can also check out publishers etc in the bewares & background checks forum: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/

Also the SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America) http://www.sfwa.org/ you're probably not eligible to join right now but they have a load of useful info for writers on their website.

I just wanted to say I love the people here. Thanks Anika and Bobbye :)

(((hugs))

[Sela Carsen]

Sela!!!!!

lol :)

You know you're scaring me by being here right? I love your stories.

Fairy tales are great for "stretchability" Lyrical works. I think...this would be a great time to work on it and see what happens.

Thanks for not running away after clicking my (er...eighteen page long into post)

Jodi
Hey, I try to learn from the best. :)

I'd love to take that fairy tale, learn how to tell it properly, and then be able to expand on that style in other works.

[jodi henley]

I write romance, sub-genres are gothic, paranormal, and historical. My target audience are woman of all ages. Their buttons: escape, desire for adventure, a dark hero, nail biting suspense, belief in magic, love conquers all, and happily-ever-after.
Hi Tricia!

lol, I looked at your sub-genres and nodded--a paranormal, gothic historical! How cool is that? And then I realized I was interpreting it a little off-kilter, but still--the possibilities, lol. :) I love nail-biting suspense and if magic doesn't exist, we need to make it so.

Thanks for being here, Tricia!
Jodi

[Kathryn Scannell]

Kathryn--


Oh, you mean D&D gamers? (pretty much describes all my friends lol)
m

There is a pretty serious overlap between the SF/Fantasy subculture and the Gamer subculture. I first heard about D&D from an article in Isaac Asimov's SF Magazine in the late 1970's... Dating myself here. :-)

Clearly you have good taste in friends.

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi, hi binder brigade and other familiar faces! Eva! Hi and welcome back :)

It's good to see everyone here. I love workshops.


My genre is paranormal romance (Jodi am still working away consistently, I am just slow and and write long- an email is coming soon :) )
Whenever you're ready. :)


I took this workshop because I would like to put together some short stories and see if I can actually do it - and also because I'm putting together a website for erotic romance with a very specific niche, where writers can submit short stories (under 2.5k words) and have a chance to just express themselves a bit and people can have a quick scintillating read. My friend Brenna who is also in this workshop is joining me in this adventure. Kind of like every night erotica in setup but with romance and a specific sub-genre in it. So I'd like to put some short stories together to get it started.

Nice! It's good to create community.


And there are characters in my head who won't shut up so I'm giving them that space on the site.

As for target audience and their buttons - Jodi I can't say it any better than you did

--------------------------
Jodi: The woman I see reading a paranormal isn’t thinking love, laughter, family and friendship. She’s dreaming of a love so strong it defies death, hot sex and adventure. In other words—she wants to be the one to bring the Master of the City to his knees, conquer the demon warrior, or be the destined mate of a guy with popping muscles, a mouthwatering accent, and shoulder length black hair. She isn’t thinking of going next door to her friend Mary, so they can discuss the single dad who moved into the old Peterson place.
-------------------------

the first time I read this I gasped, got a big grin on my face and said 'Me, Me, Me!'

Reading it again produced the same reaction, so I'd say that pretty much sums it up for target audience.

buttons:

- finding THE soulmate or twin flame

- intense sizzling uncontrollable attraction

- feeling like a misfit/out of place/a changeling even in family, social, and geographic circles

- winning over evil, even when evil kicks you to the ground

- triumph over death

- adventure and stretching the boundaries of belief

Eva

I believe in soul mates, adventures and finding home. They're great buttons, Eva. I think you're going to get a lot of hits. :)

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodie and everyone, Hi Ferdous!


I have two wip at the moment. First is a historical romance, set during the medieval times (Norman Conquest). The target audience is women and other adults who enjoy reading historical romances. The buttons will be, survival during a great upheaval, finding love that is soul consuming in an era where men were tough and women were soft (with inner strength), adventure, HEA, generally an escape from the daily lives.

My second wip is a paranormal, the target audience is women and other adults who enjoy romance with dark edges, sacrifices, death defying love, intense emotions and HEA.

very cool. Medievals are perfect for the new markets because the niche is so tightly defined. The people who love them, "really" love them. It's a good focus. :)

And dark, intense paranormals are so hot! Nice!

Thanks for being here, Ferdous!
Jodi

[jodi henley]

My genre is science fiction with adventure and romance. I think my target audience would be men and women interested in an entertaining read that also appeals to their intellectual side.

Nice! *waving to Robyn* Look at how far Catherine Asaro took that idea. :) She identified her perfect niche and made her name synonymous with hard sci-fi romance. I think you have a very viable button :)

Thanks for being here, Robyn.

Jodi

[Jeanie Viola Ryan]

I'm Jeanie. I write urban fantasy that deals with what redemption really means and loss. I'm trying for a broader appeal, even though I'm writing paranormal.

Buttons I push:
Being unfairly punished, both yourself and watching others being, maybe even being the cause for others being punished and the guilt that brings
Disappointing your parents (and the conflict this causes in an adult, wanting approval vs screw them)
Losing both parents
Losing your first love
Being worthy of love
Why do people suffer
How can we help others
What gives our lives meaning

I play with Judeo-Christian stories (not inspirational, seeing as Lucifer is the good guy) and deal with such things as Adam not deserving Eve and what redemption really means, so the stories are universal and appeal to us on an unconscious level.

[jodi henley]

Sigh. I just spent 15 minutes crafting a response to this which I was really happy with, hit "post" and the site came back to me with a "Service Unavailable" error. And it's gone.

Genre: Fantasy, possibly High Fantasy, depending on your exact definition.

Target Audience: SF/Fantasy readers. This one's hard to define, but I know them when I run into them. There isn't a clear age/gender/etc cluster. On the whole they tend to be well educated, open-minded about the world, and to read because they're looking for things their own lives don't provide (adventure, the power to make a difference in the world around them, frontiers, magic, the unknown, etc.) and they want to be someone else for a while. That means that, unlike your example of the soccer mom who finds stories featuring people like herself appeal, that's the last thing the SF/fantasy reader wants.

Emotional buttons: These vary a lot. Being powerful enough that you make a difference in the world, or at least a small chunk of it. A hunger for there to be magic in the world (for fantasy readers, at least). A need for there to be more to life than just this town/country/planet/race.

In the particular story I'm poking at magic, making a difference in the world, and being able to do the right thing for your community without having to give up your own personal dreams.

very powerful buttons, Kathryn. :) They almost dip into a very personal kind of faith journey.

And yeah--I did that four times, created some really good posts, hit send and lost them. *sigh* I'm copying everything before I hit send now. It sucks.

Thanks for coming back! It's good to know I didn't scare you off. :)

[jodi henley]

I tend to verbally fight with people and sometimes I throw or slam things down in anger. I don't punch people or anything like that. I think fighting of any kind can lead to an understanding if you are someone who can listen to other people.

I hope that makes sense.

yes it does. :)

It breaks the stasis, and it's a catalyst for change. You can't change things if there isn't a reaction. A very good way to put it and perfect in a fantasy. :)

[jodi henley]

Hey, I try to learn from the best. :)

I'd love to take that fairy tale, learn how to tell it properly, and then be able to expand on that style in other works.

lol!! Flattery will get you everywhere.

Lyric style is something I've been thinking about since the day I talked to Miriam Kriss (about a historical urban paranormal just before historical urban paranormals became hot) and she said "It almost "has" to be stylized, don't you think?"

[Jeannene Walker]

Hi Jodi,
My genre is western historical and contemporary romance. My target audience is women 20-50 of all walks of life. Their buttons are the thrill of falling in love again and knowing there is only one man for them. They are looking for inspiration and want to be moved by the thrill of romance. They look to find true love vicariously in the world of well written novel.

[Marilyn Muniz]

yes it does. :)

It breaks the stasis, and it's a catalyst for change. You can't change things if there isn't a reaction. A very good way to put it and perfect in a fantasy. :)

Thank you!

[jodi henley]

I'm Jeanie.

Hi Jeanie!


I write urban fantasy that deals with what redemption really means and loss. I'm trying for a broader appeal, even though I'm writing paranormal.

Redemption is my personal all time favorite button. And always has been. Very cool. :)


Buttons I push:
Being unfairly punished, both yourself and watching others being, maybe even being the cause for others being punished and the guilt that brings
Disappointing your parents (and the conflict this causes in an adult, wanting approval vs screw them)
Losing both parents
Losing your first love
Being worthy of love
Why do people suffer
How can we help others
What gives our lives meaning

I play with Judeo-Christian stories (not inspirational, seeing as Lucifer is the good guy) and deal with such things as Adam not deserving Eve and what redemption really means, so the stories are universal and appeal to us on an unconscious level.

very nice! The more inclusive you are, the easier it is to reach people. And the boundaries between urban fantasy and paranormals are so thin right now. It's a good time to be working in the field. :)

Welcome to the workshop, Jeanie!
Jodi

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi,
Hi Jeannene!


My genre is western historical and contemporary romance. My target audience is women 20-50 of all walks of life. Their buttons are the thrill of falling in love again and knowing there is only one man for them. They are looking for inspiration and want to be moved by the thrill of romance. They look to find true love vicariously in the world of well written novel.

oh my God. I love cowboys. I love 'em so much I married one. Although I didn't realize I'd also be marrying his boots--all fifteen pairs.

True love is such a wonderful button. :) There is nothing like knowing you are with the person you're destined to be with.

Thanks for being here, Jeannene! Let me know if you have any questions, okay?

Jodi

[J.D. Brown]

Hello Jodi,

I'm J.D., I write short story erotic romance in contemporary romance and paranormal romance. I write for women ages 20-30. Women in that age group undergo a huge range of experiences from the 21 year old party girl who just wants to have fun, get drunk, maybe do some experimenting. She's not looking for Mr. Right yet. She might be in collage or she might have her first serious job. Other women in this age group ARE looking for Mr. Right. They want (or are already in) a committed relationship. Others are newly-weds, some of these women are having their first child. Those who are closer to their 30's probably have a couple small children, but motherhood is still fairly new.

The purpose behind most my stories is to provide the reader with an escape or fantasy that does stretch reality a bit, but doesn't go so far as to leave Earth or modern times. Predestined love, soul-mates, love at first sight, love beyond death, love that can extend past the limits of the physical world, are all things I write about. There's no mention of children in my stories, but their is occasionally mention of having children in the future, overcoming differences in career choices, life styles, and other little bits of mundane things that couples have to fight through to be together.

My heroes are always extra juicy, my female leads are more average looking. They have wide-hips, small-ish breasts and insecurities to overcome.

I definitely think my stories have potential to reach women older than 30, but I wouldn't go more than 45 as views on relationships change with age, family values are more important than a scandal with the local vampire. But of course, even older woman need an escape. As for younger women, I refuse to market erotica to women under 18.

Okay, I'm rambling. I'll let you go now. ;)

[jodi henley]

Hello Jodi,
Hi JD! s'okay. I ramble all the time. It's why my posts are so long. :)


I'm J.D., I write short story erotic romance in contemporary romance and paranormal romance. I write for women ages 20-30. Women in that age group undergo a huge range of experiences from the 21 year old party girl who just wants to have fun, get drunk, maybe do some experimenting. She's not looking for Mr. Right yet. She might be in collage or she might have her first serious job. Other women in this age group ARE looking for Mr. Right. They want (or are already in) a committed relationship. Others are newly-weds, some of these women are having their first child. Those who are closer to their 30's probably have a couple small children, but motherhood is still fairly new.

The purpose behind most my stories is to provide the reader with an escape or fantasy that does stretch reality a bit, but doesn't go so far as to leave Earth or modern times. Predestined love, soul-mates, love at first sight, love beyond death, love that can extend past the limits of the physical world, are all things I write about. There's no mention of children in my stories, but their is occasionally mention of having children in the future, overcoming differences in career choices, life styles, and other little bits of mundane things that couples have to fight through to be together.

I like the way you gave such a large range of people common ground. :) And I all but died laughing at the picture of a paranormal hero being extra-juicy, lol. Maybe I'm just stuck on vampires, but that was a weird mental image. You definitely have a way with words.

Welcome to the workshop!

Jodi

[Michelle Faye]

Hi Jodi,

My genre is urban fantasy with romantic elements, aimed at women who want to be the all-powerful heroine, and who want some excitement to take them away from their everyday lives. Their buttons include feeling insecure and occasionally bluffing their way through, and a man who will persevere to get through their barriers and accept them the way they are.

Looking forward to the rest of the workshop!

[tmwriter724]

HI Jodi.
Hope I'm not too late to post on this thread.
I write paranormal romance and historical romance. The paranormals tend to be contemporary and the historicals bounce between Regency England and mid-1870s U.S. They are heavier on action and mystery than romance, but true love is the motivating force in all of them. They all tend to lean toward redemption and save the world. The heroes (and heroines) all tend to be knights -- not to the rescue, but determined to do the right thing and stand by what they've sworn to do.
Audience buttons:
Actions don't always tell the whole story
Sometimes you do what you have to do
Love at first sight
There is room for integrity

[Anju Dimello]

Hi Jodi :)
I'm a first timer to your workshop and already like the way you have made me think.. I started writing with an aim towards publication around 1.5 yrs back and well..it has been a great learning curve so far. Frankly I never thought about my "target audience" or the "buttons" so to speak :) I knew I loved writing paranormals - the steamier the better..and shorter ones for now - so that I give myself time to learn, grow and most importantly, to pack a punch (no sagging middles yet)..

But your question has made me think ...

Purpose behind my stories : Escapism and a good verbal foreplay. If the reader connects to the heroine (who are all pretty much common in terms of their physical traits - and absolutely delectable to the hero the way she is, no matter what sort of being she is - like a witch, nymph etc), it is an added bonus. And this also gives an indication in what I intend as my buttons.

Buttons:
Nodding head on all the paranormal discussions from the earlier posts - love beyond boundaries, HEA etc.
The following thoughts were probably hidden in my psyche, but kind of came tumbling out after reading your post..So bear with me as I try to explain : I am concerned about the way the actual relationships are going from HEA's to HFN's. I think in today's world, love is romanticized to the extent that it always falls short of expectations in real life. People are having something good, they aim for better... if they attain it, they aim for best. That's not a problem in itself, but if the same concept is applied to a relation, it is a disaster. So dreaming about a soul-mate is great, but there's something called as, recognizing the ONE is already right beside you. It also means that soul-mate does not mean the "perfect" guy/girl is already there, it is learning to look beyond their imperfections to love them whole.


Through my novellas, though these topics are not covered directly or in any way... there are subtle instances..

Like the heroine being mad at the hero's actions or his assumptions, but later finding out that it was out of concern that he acted so and so. Hence the button here - learn to look beyond the obvious words / actions. Look at the intent.

Or, the fact that, they had a horrible fall out or a major argument and fuming, they went someplace to cool down. But that hasn't resolved the issue at all..and hence, they have to seek each other, discuss/fight it out, and of course, it ends up in bed ;) The button being : Don't run away from each other at the first sign of a healthy debate or argument. It is a prelude to understanding each other better..

The common button I stick to in all my stories : Fidelity. Both my hero and heroine may have had previous lovers, and even ones who they still think is "hot", but no way will they cheat on each other.

So in short, it is all about the danger, action, along with a sizzling relationship :)

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi,

My genre is urban fantasy with romantic elements, aimed at women who want to be the all-powerful heroine, and who want some excitement to take them away from their everyday lives. Their buttons include feeling insecure and occasionally bluffing their way through, and a man who will persevere to get through their barriers and accept them the way they are.

Looking forward to the rest of the workshop!

Hi Michelle!

love urban fantasy and desperately waiting for the next Jim Butcher--I mean, omg! He's dead and he's still the hero? Such a good series. :)

A man who will break down my barriers and accept me for who I am is one of my fantasy buttons too. Very nice!

Welcome to the workshop, Michelle.

:) Jodi

[jodi henley]

HI Jodi.
Hope I'm not too late to post on this thread.

Hi tm! It's never to late, ever--to post on a thread in one of my workshops. Unless the workshop is literally "gone" I'll continue to answer questions and ramble, lol. Welcome to the workshop, btw!


I write paranormal romance and historical romance. The paranormals tend to be contemporary and the historicals bounce between Regency England and mid-1870s U.S. They are heavier on action and mystery than romance, but true love is the motivating force in all of them. They all tend to lean toward redemption and save the world. The heroes (and heroines) all tend to be knights -- not to the rescue, but determined to do the right thing and stand by what they've sworn to do.
Audience buttons:
Actions don't always tell the whole story
Sometimes you do what you have to do
Love at first sight
There is room for integrity

love your buttons. :) And I totally believe in love at first sight, honor and integrity.

mid-1870's? do you have a focus in post Civil war or historical westerns? I really think they should bring back westerns--I'm a fan of the Sacketts. :)

[jodi henley]

Hi Jodi :) Hi Anju!
I saw your post over on the other thread so I didn't say "hi!" first. But, belated welcome! :)


I'm a first timer to your workshop and already like the way you have made me think..

lol, you have uncovered my secret plan--I actually want you to think. I don't want to feed you anything or tell you things are a certain way--I want you to think stuff through and figure out if it's right for you.

It's all about "your" processes.


I started writing with an aim towards publication around 1.5 yrs back and well..it has been a great learning curve so far. Frankly I never thought about my "target audience" or the "buttons" so to speak :) I knew I loved writing paranormals - the steamier the better..and shorter ones for now - so that I give myself time to learn, grow and most importantly, to pack a punch (no sagging middles yet)..

But your question has made me think ...

Purpose behind my stories : Escapism and a good verbal foreplay. If the reader connects to the heroine (who are all pretty much common in terms of their physical traits - and absolutely delectable to the hero the way she is, no matter what sort of being she is - like a witch, nymph etc), it is an added bonus. And this also gives an indication in what I intend as my buttons.

Buttons:
Nodding head on all the paranormal discussions from the earlier posts - love beyond boundaries, HEA etc.
The following thoughts were probably hidden in my psyche, but kind of came tumbling out after reading your post..So bear with me as I try to explain : I am concerned about the way the actual relationships are going from HEA's to HFN's. I think in today's world, love is romanticized to the extent that it always falls short of expectations in real life. People are having something good, they aim for better... if they attain it, they aim for best. That's not a problem in itself, but if the same concept is applied to a relation, it is a disaster. So dreaming about a soul-mate is great, but there's something called as, recognizing the ONE is already right beside you. It also means that soul-mate does not mean the "perfect" guy/girl is already there, it is learning to look beyond their imperfections to love them whole.


Through my novellas, though these topics are not covered directly or in any way... there are subtle instances..

Like the heroine being mad at the hero's actions or his assumptions, but later finding out that it was out of concern that he acted so and so. Hence the button here - learn to look beyond the obvious words / actions. Look at the intent.

Or, the fact that, they had a horrible fall out or a major argument and fuming, they went someplace to cool down. But that hasn't resolved the issue at all..and hence, they have to seek each other, discuss/fight it out, and of course, it ends up in bed ;) The button being : Don't run away from each other at the first sign of a healthy debate or argument. It is a prelude to understanding each other better..

The common button I stick to in all my stories : Fidelity. Both my hero and heroine may have had previous lovers, and even ones who they still think is "hot", but no way will they cheat on each other.

So in short, it is all about the danger, action, along with a sizzling relationship :)

you know the best thing about writing? it's the opportunity to create worlds--not just for your reader, but for yourself.

I think people should look beyond the obvious too. :)

Glad you're here.
Jodi

[Anju Dimello]

Hey again Jodi, Yep, agreed on the world front. That's my intent too..
And as to looking beyond obvious - Did I explain these few words in such long winding paragraphs ?? huh ? I wish I had this "expanding" nature in my stories... I struggle a lot to pull a 15K to 20-25K..and well.. I've asked about it in the later post. So..hopping back there!

[jodi henley]

Hey again Jodi, Yep, agreed on the world front. That's my intent too..
And as to looking beyond obvious - Did I explain these few words in such long winding paragraphs ?? huh ? I wish I had this "expanding" nature in my stories... I struggle a lot to pull a 15K to 20-25K..and well.. I've asked about it in the later post. So..hopping back there!

lol, and I have answers for questions like that. Not a problem. I'll see you in your other post. :)

[StarlitSea]

Hello Jodi,

I am writing historical erotica/romance (late 1700s-early 1800s, Georgian/Regency). I probably don't understand the emotional triggers well enough.

But I'll give it try! :D

1. STRONG, overwhelming sexual attraction and chemistry.
2. Healing through deep intimacy.
3. Alpha male, older, sucessful but wounded in need of that one special woman, the only one with the power to release him from his own self created prison.
4. Full sexual awakening for the woman. This is the one man who understands her sexually at a deep level.

[jodi henley]

Hello Jodi, Hi Starlit!



I am writing historical erotica/romance (late 1700s-early 1800s, Georgian/Regency). I probably don't understand the emotional triggers well enough.

But I'll give it try! :D

1. STRONG, overwhelming sexual attraction and chemistry.
2. Healing through deep intimacy.
3. Alpha male, older, sucessful but wounded in need of that one special woman, the only one with the power to release him from his own self created prison.
4. Full sexual awakening for the woman. This is the one man who understands her sexually at a deep level.

these are really good triggers! Especially for hot romance and erotica, and the time period you've put them in is perfect for them. I can't remember where I read it, but I really think men heal through deep intimacy. :)

Thanks for being here!
Jodi