Tag: Writing

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Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Magic: Why I Write Romcoms

When I first became a published poet, I never imagined I’d end up writing romantic comedies. But somehow, poetry led me to screenplay writing, and that led me to prose, and prose led me to falling head over heels… for writing stories about people who fall head over heels.

These days, my romcoms explore all kinds of love: contemporary stories grounded in real-life awkwardness and joy, and magical ones where enchantment sneaks into everyday life.

What do they all share?

✨ Swoonworthy heroes who make your heart skip.

✨ Feisty heroines who say what they mean and know how to kick some serious butt

✨ And love that shows up in the oddest circumstances: free round-the-world plane tickets, accidental double bookings, piglets leaping out of transport trucks, surprise leaps back in time.

I write romance with main characters in their late 20s to early 40s, because that’s when many of us are still figuring ourselves out. I want to remind readers that love doesn’t have a timeline.

Love just happens, usually when you least expect it, and more often than not, it arrives with a touch of comedy, like a wink from the universe.

And yes, there’s still poetry. I can’t help myself. It’s tucked into the rhythm of my sentences, the way my characters see the world, shaping my metaphors, the rhythm of my prose and the way my characters speak and feel.

But through it all, there’s been a constant magic: you.

To my WordPress family, my Goodreads friends, my Insta family, my Facebook readers, and the Threaders I chat with on a daily basis—thank you!

Your comments, reviews, DMs, email notes, and hugs (so glad we can do that again!) at book events make this writing life feel less like a job and more like a shared adventure.

You cheer me on when finding the right words feels tricky, and you celebrate with me when the characters finally kiss (or leap back in time!).

I write these books to make you laugh, swoon, and help you to believe that love can crash into your life in the oddest—and most wonderful—ways.

So if you’ve ever picked up The Ticket, Good Nights, Lauren from Last Night, Lucky, The Love Leap, or any of my other books, this is a hug from me to you.

With love and gratitude,

Heather 💖

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Expert Writing Advice I’m Glad I Followed

Author Heather Grace Stewart
Love Again Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DYF8YKD?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1643837124&sr=8-1

From my high school English teacher to Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin, these conversations with writers have helped me succeed

I’ve received a lot of valuable writing advice over the years, and it was all free. Yup. Free! These kind people graciously gave of their time and expertise to help this Canadian writer from small-town-Ontario get to where she is now. Where am I again?

But I jest. I’m grateful to have Amazon bestselling novels, audiobooks and scripts after 26 years of working as a professional writer, and I have these and other writers to thank. Unless I’ve added quotes because I got the advice in writing, these are memories from our conversations—some of which took place 35 years ago! and not direct quotes.

Sally Smith, former editor of The Kanata Kourier and my first writing mentor (I was 15!)

Write with your heart, edit with your mind.

Frances Connolly, my amazing high school English and creative writing teacher

Don’t forget to add in taste as a description. We often read about the sense: vision, sound, even feel, sometimes we get scents, but authors often forget to describe flavours. Cover the whole spectrum of senses for maximum emotional impact in your reader.

Aaron Sorkin, Oscar-winning Screenwriter, Playwright and Film Director (The West Wing, The Social Network, Being the Ricardos)

I asked him what to do when a sub-character won’t shut up:

“Strictly speaking if you’re writing page after page that doesn’t have anything to do with your story, you might be writing a different story than you think. Intention and obstacle. Forward motion. You have to make your words do something.”

I asked him his thoughts on recycling our own material:

“Some things are just always sexy, and some things are just always funny.”

When I pressed him: what’s always funny? I got “Cheese.” Me: “But not Gouda! That’s smelly.” Him: “Not actual cheese. The word cheese.”

You might notice I make a reference to cheese in nearly every single work I’ve written since 2010. I always will. Maybe it’s not funny anymore, but you can all look for this Easter egg in my work and smile now, knowing where it came from, and that it’s my way of saying thanks.

Michael J. Weithorn, award-winning writer-producer-director (King of Queen’s, A Little Help, The Sidekick, Weird Loners)

You can always increase the tension. Tear your character’s world apart dramatically. It makes for the falling back together at the end more powerful. 

 Ken Cuthbertson, award-winning author and former editor, Queen’s Alumni Review magazine

Every time you write, make sure you teach the reader something. When they’re finished the article, they should always have new information and hopefully a new perspective.

We’re a helpful bunch, because we know the struggle is real.

The moral of my story is: if you don’t ask, you don’t get! So, don’t be shy. Ask a writer you admire a question. Maybe you can find them on social media, or if you’re lucky, in line at registration at a writers conference. But buy them a book, not a drink. Times have changed.

Writers are usually willing to help those who remind them of where they started. I know I am -but please let’s pretend I’m still 26.

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A Writer’s Life: Butter Sauce

A Writers LifeGoing to have to find better dictation software. Somehow, 'We reveal more about ourselves in the dark' became 'We reveal butter sauce in the dark.'(2)

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No Room for Excuses.

I reached 10,000 words in my WIP today, guys! I’m so excited. It’s going well, and that’s all I can say about that. Since I had a repetitive strain injury from too much typing in July, I am thankful that my wrists and back feel great, and that it’s going so well.
I’m also thankful that both Kindle and paperback sales have been up since early August, and that so many people worldwide are beginning to discover my poetry books, as well as my romance books. Thanks for reading.
We (or should I be honest and say, HE, my fabulous husband, who has been working at this around the clock since late August) are painting the house, and there are plastic drop sheets everywhere and items where they don’t belong, which drives me kinda crazy. This morning, before my coffee, I was looking around and I thought, ‘there’s no way I can write with the state this house is in,” but then I remembered my mantra for the next few months: No excuses regarding getting writing done each day, and no excuses when it comes to exercise. A little bit every day except weekends. That’s the plan, and so far, since Sept. 1, I’ve been good!
I’ve been enjoying many cups of hot tea again while writing (can’t believe it’s already too cool for iced tea), especially my favourite Buddha’s Blend. Tomorrow night is splurge night: Friday nights mean dessert and a glass of wine! I’m looking forward to going out with some girlfriends to celebrate a long-awaited birthday.
I also have news for my friend and reader Susan Bailey: your signed books for your event are on the way! I’m shipping them tomorrow. And for reader Jasmin Lewis in the UK, I’ve made bookplates to sign and ship for the four books you bought. I’ll add in some The Ticket bookmarks and possibly another small surprise. I’m going to use the remaining bookplates for other readers who request signed books.
Don’t forget to join my Readers Club at http://atomic-temporary-2589064.wpcomstaging.com/ (just click on the red Yes! Sign Me Up! button on the front page) so that you can be entered in my monthly $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD DRAW, get my first ebook free, and learn about various ebook bundle giveaways.
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Have a wonderful weekend!
xox Heather
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Authors, Value Your Work!

Imagine if civil engineers worked for free. They’d probably do a shabby job, leave work at noon, and say, ‘oh well, you never paid me,’ whenever their bridges collapse.

As authors, we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to put a price tag on our hard work. Free and 0.99 cent deals are fine now and then, to help us promote ourselves when we’re getting started, or to find a new audience for an older work,  but it’s important to this industry that we remind readers, and often, that we are the bridge builders in literature.

Heather

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