Mickey Miller Writes

Adventures of a Romance Author

On Writing: How to Become a Writer

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What makes a person a “writer?”

I’m going to tell you, but first, I want to tell you a quick little anecdote.

Before I started writing romance, I had a tough time believing I could ever be a “writer.” For years, I told myself I didn’t have ‘it.’ I asked myself ‘How can I become a writer?’ And I responded, too. ‘Darn, all of the writing jobs are so hard to get!’

Even now, after having published eight books in a year, I find myself overthinking my writing process quite often.  I’ll ask myself questions, like:

“Is that prose perfect?”

“Is there a better way to say this phrase?”

“Am I being too wordy?”

Sometimes, I am harder on myself. I’ll think damn this just sucks. It’s not good writing.

But I keep in mind one thought, above all others, that separates a writer from a non-writer. And it has nothing to do with perfection.

Writers Write.

Every. Damn. Day. Sometimes you write well. Sometimes you feel like a fourth grader could have written a better chapter.

Football players play football. Every. Day.

Sometimes they win, sometimes they get railroaded.

So at what point can you call yourself a writer?

In my opinion, it’s when you are writing 5-6 days per week. Even if it’s just 5 minutes per day.  Let the words flow, and let it seep into your subconscious.

I shoot for 1,000 words per day minimum. I know some authors who write a whole lot more.

So you want to be a writer?

Just write the words every day. And then wait about a year. Sounds simple, right?

Happy Writing,

Mickey

Review of Penelope Ward’s Drunk Dial

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There are some authors with the ability to leave their emotional mark on you when you put down a book. You feel as though you’ve been through the wringer with their characters, and no matter what, everything can and will turn out okay.

Okay, quick flashback. When I started writing romance about two and a half years ago, I randomly stumbled onto Penelope Ward’s book Roomhate. I picked it up out of curiosity, and I’d seen a few other Penelope Ward books out. The reviews were off the charts and I wanted to try something new.

When I read Drunk Dial this last week, I was reminded of why I fell for Penelope Ward’s writing style in the first place. This is the type of book that so amazingly illustrated the lives of two individuals overcoming hardships together, which is the lifeblood of an incredible romance novel. At it’s core, Drunk Dial is about personal transformation through a relationship. (Which a psychiatrist once told me is actually the only way to transform yourself, since humans do not exist in vacuums. Fun fact).

I was probably in the same boat before I read Roomhate and a few other amazing authors, in that I simply assumed Romance was written porn and every book was a different version of the book which shall not be named.

Although Drunk Dial has vivid depictions of sexy times, the thing that makes the book great is how perfectly Penelope weaves in vivid detail and character depth, to the point where you feel you could sit down across from the characters and have lunch with them. It’s sexy at times, funny at times, and I’m just not sure how she comes up with all of the clever detail and backstory that make a story fun. There wasn’t any chapter where I felt a lull, and I really liked both characters of Landon and Rana.

The overall tone was a lighthearted at times, with some angst and some humor mixed in. I listened to the audio version, which was by Andi Arnt (I’m a big Andie Arndt fan). I also picked it up on Amazon for a reread when I have the time.

Now onto my next read, which happens to be this bad boy.

P.S. – I also enjoyed the Spanish in the book.

P.P.S – If you read the book you’ll get that joke 😛

Mickey Miller is a member of RWA, avid reader and romance author. You can check out his books on Amazon here. 

How to Write the First Line of Your Story

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“The hardest part of running is the first step out the door.”

– some running guru

“The hardest part of writing is the first decisive keystroke.”

-Mickey Miller

I don’t plan on doing much ‘author-splaining’ in this blog. Every author finds what works for them, and what works for one doesn’t work for another. I merely plan to use this as a means for you to see the man behind the madness, so to speak. Second, it’s just a way for me to work through my thought process. I’m not Stephen King–and I fully admit that. I’m not trying to be, either.

So take everything with a grain of salt. But it’s fun to go behind the scenes, right? Let’s have some fun with this next analogy.

Writing and physical activity may seem to be on totally different spectrums, but I would argue they are not. In fact, the physical and the mental have a stronger connection then many think, in my humble opinion.

A part of writing at that often gets called over analyzed is ‘what should the first line of the book be?’

Or maybe it’s just me that does the over analyzing. However, in a world where there are so many options for books, the cover and the first line are key for giving the reader the best possible experience. And it makes sense. Hey, if you can’t write a good first line, why would someone think you’d be able to write a good book?

All this being said, I don’t call myself an ‘expert of the first line’ by any means. But here’s the key to the very first line of the book:

Rule 1 of writing: You can always rewrite it.

I know, it’s a little cliche, but it’s true. The first lines that I write are rarely the lines I end up using.

Here are some sample first lines from books that I’ve written

Playing Dirty: 

My Boss was a world class dick.

My analysis: Not a horrible first line. Already, we know the main character (Andrea) is an employee and has a boss, so it conveys some meaning. However, it doesn’t give the reader a clue about the romance to come.

The Casanova Experience:

“Last call, flight two-zero-two, direct from Chicago to Barcelona.”

I’m a fan of this line because it conveys to the reader one of the main settings of the stories, Barcelona. However, it doesn’t pack a lot of emotional punch.

Professor with Benefits

Never sleep with a student. Shit, I could have told you that. I went to Harvard. I don’t need to go to a damn seminar to understand it’s a bad idea to mix with the ones you’re teaching.

I love this first line/sequence. The main character, Professor Hanks, is expressing what is essentially the administration’s moral policy which he’ll go on to (spoiler!) break when he hooks up with a student. Gotta love when characters are proved wrong.

Mechanic with Benefits

Ever have one of those days where it feels like the universe is messing with you?

Not horrible. The female MC (Haley) is going through a very tough time when our story starts, and the final straw is when her car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. I think we’ve all had one of those days.

Now let’s take a look at one more. This one is a WIP (work in progress). I may or may not keep this line for the final draft of the story.

Boss with Benefits

I gaze out the window of the tallest building in Blackwell, hands on my hips as I rapidly become more irate with my talent recruiter.

These are my first lines.

For me, it’s a lot less of a science, and more of a gut feeling of “what would this character be thinking/saying/doing when inserted into their situation.

If you’re an author, how do you come up with a first line?

And for all the readers out there, are there any famous first lines of books that stick out to you?

And as a last thought, I find when the worst part about obsessing over the first line is I’m not working on the second. Once you get rolling, the last thing you’ll be worried about is the very first line. Going back to that first quote about how writing is like running–often the toughest part

Mickey Miller is a member of RWA, avid reader and romance author. You can catch his books on Amazon here.