The Most Requested Writing Article by Cheryl Wyatt

Born Valentine’s Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military and rescue romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers. She is a Reviewers Choice Award Nominee.


The Most Requested Writing Article in History


Well, not mine, but I hope that subject line gripped your attention. Pondering what to write about today, I researched the most requested writing article. Wanna know what it was?


Coming up with fresh content.


Interestingly, this was true for non-fiction writing as well as fiction writing and just about any type of writing you can think of. People want fresh content and new ideas or at least old ideas stated in a fresh, new way. The most commonly searched topic for writers perusing information sites was how to come up with fresh content and new ideas.


There were too few articles on the subject to meet the request demand so I’ll share how I come up with fresh content. I hope other authors will chime in too.


Fortunately I glimpse stories in almost everything I see or hear. I’m a habitual watcher and stealthy eavesdropper. My friends watch what they say because it could end up in a book. LOL! I crafted a shirt years ago that says, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in the craft of fiction.”
I saw a bulky, macho police officer with a cart full of pink and purple stuffed bunnies and ducks in a store last Easter. The sight stopped me because the image was so surreal and the contrast between that officer of authority and the soft, fluffy pastel toys was so stark that I couldn’t help but wonder where he was taking the toys. School children? Orphanage? Immediately a story idea began to form.


Another day I saw a handsome young cowboy escorting an elderly woman to a gorgeous white car. They were laughing expressively. His arm wound around hers as he assisted her over a parking bumper. I wondered where they were going and if they were related…grandmother and grandson perhaps. A story formed from that sweet image of the young man assisting the woman with southern manners and chivalry, a black Stetson, denim, cowboy boots and her in heels, an eggshell linen suit and feather hat. It was really sweet to see them laughing. A scene formed.


A few days ago I saw a macho looking man in a military uniform rushing from a cell phone store. He ran because it is very cold and windy here. He was cradling a newborn baby as close to his chest as he could. The baby was wrapped in a snow white knit cap whose bunny-tail ball bounced as he jogged. The wind peeled the corner of her thick pink blanket away and I saw her eyeing him, unblinking, with full trust and free adoration. He smiled down at her then tucked the blanket around her. To see that powerful man tenderly holding that baby and protecting her from the winter storm brought tears to my eyes. So endearing. Another idea formed.


I hear three words and a plot forms. I am not sure how to stop it and I’m so thankful that stories stalk me in droves wherever I go. Be open. Be watchful. See life around you and special moments. If something makes you stop and stare, there’s likely a story there. If something makes you laugh out loud or tear up, there’s likely a story there. If it touched you in that moment, it will touch your readers in a book. If you go through something hard, journal your heart.


Readers are most profoundly touched by stories I wrote through adversity. Don’t be afraid to write your heart because it will breathe a soul into your story and your characters will be that real to readers.


Thanks for stopping by. I’d love to know what in life inspires you most. Sign up for my newsletter here. And don't forget to visit my blog, Seekerville.


My January book, A Soldier’s Devotion-Steeple Hill, is in stores now. It was inspired by a beloved family member who went behind bars and found freedom.


Leave a comment and your e-mail address by Midnight Jan 18th to be entered for a chance to win a signed copy of A Soldier’s Devotion-Steeple Hill-on sale now. Residents of the USA only, please.


U.S. Air Force pararescue jumper Vince Reardon was headed to a lifesaving mission. Until a too-pretty lawyer crashed her fancy car into his motorcycle—sidelining him for two weeks. Vince can barely accept Valentina Russo's heartfelt apologies. Ever since his brother was wrongly convicted—and killed in prison—Vince has lost respect for lawyers. But wait—is that Val volunteering at his refuge for underprivileged kids? If Vince isn't careful, this lady of the law might just earn his respect and his heart.

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Seven Secrets to Savvy Marketing

Born Valentines Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers.

Seven Secrets to Savvy Marketing


If I could limit my advice to giving you just seven tips for marketing, here’s what they’d be:

1. Have NICE pens. I’m serious. Don’t skimp on this. People remember them and use them, therefore they remember you. If you’re going to spend your money on promo items, give people something they will actually use. How many people do you know who can never find a pen when they need one? People can always use pens.

2. Have NICE bookmarks. Dineen Miller designs mine. Yes, it costs more. But the pens and bookmarks disappear like money at the end of the month on freebie tables. Bookmarks are something a lot of people keep and use.

3. Get out there and meet people by doing book signings. Decorate your table to your book’s theme. For instance, I am writing a series on USAF Pararescue Jumpers. Each book stands alone but is linked as a series because each book features one member of the PJ team. Book five, Soldier Daddy is IN STORES NOW!

For book signings, I have everything themed silver and blue to honor the Air Force heroes I write about. I had silver-wrapped candy kisses in a pretty Air Force-Blue bowl. I also had U.S. flag-wrapped candy. I had blue bookmarks with silver dog tags imprinted on them with my new releases listed. I gave away worship CDs that had skydivers on the front cover since the PJs are military skydivers.

Theme your giveaway baskets to match your book or series. You can even have your décor match your cover. In the case of Soldier Daddy, I set everything out on camouflage cloth in twos to represent the twins on the cover. I sprinkled glittery leaves on the table to match the artist’s rendition on the cover. Have fun with this!

4. I recommend having a strong online presence. Especially if you can’t travel extensively doing book signings. You can host virtual book launch parties or blog tours, which can be just as effective in getting the word out. Have a strong online presence. Secure an eye-catching Web site or blog with interesting, relevant content that you update frequently.

Twitter is the bomb! I’m serious. You only have to type 140 characters in. I have my Tweets feed directly into my Facebook page too, so I don’t have to post twice.

Facebook can be an author’s best friend. You are limited to 5000 friends though in a regular account so you might consider setting up a fan sight first. I unfortunately didn’t. But I still have space left in my friend list so if you’re on Facebook, be sure to send me a friends’ request if you like.

I also have a friend who started a fan page for me on her own, unsolicited. If you like my books, feel free to join the thirty other people there who like my books. LOL!

5. Build a solid core of book influencers. People who avidly read your blog would be a great place to start. If they love reading your blog, chances are they’ll love reading your books because your voice comes through both. Also use a double-opt in for your newsletter and never add addresses without permission or send those unsolicited. Just because a reader comments on your blog doesn’t give you permission to add them to your mailing list. This can cost you respect which can cost you sales.

If you don’t have ample time to blog, form a group blog with other authors like we did here on Seekerville. We get an enormous amount of hits plus several industry professionals follow our blog. There are 15 of us so each of us only have to post once a week. I also blog at Crafty Ladies of Romance and at Love Inspired Authors. My personal blog is Scroll Squirrel. I have an equal readership of writers and readers, so I tailor my posts to both. Determine who your audience will be and give them great content.

6. Answer all reader mail personally. I know authors who have other people answer their mail, posing as themselves. This really irks me because I feel it is deceptive. Readers invest themselves for hours in just one of your books. It won’t hurt you to take two minutes out to compose a sincere e-mail or a from-the-heart handwritten note. Authors who are kind and who reach out to and connect with readers are statistically more popular which equates to better sales.

7. Obviously you have to focus on writing great books which brings me to my last point: no matter how long you’ve been writing or how many books you have written or published, keep growing your craft. Keep aiming for excellence. There’s always room for improvement. Strive to make each book better than the last.

Eventually, if your books continue to be stellar, they’ll sell themselves. Readers tend to buy on name recognition. You want to get to the point where your core readership trusts you enough to put you on their auto-buy list, meaning they don’t even care what your next book is about. They’re going to automatically buy and read it because they’ve grown to love you, love your voice and your style of storytelling. Don’t let them down or misuse their time or money by turning out shoddy books.

Aim for excellence in craft and much of your marketing will take care of itself.

Happy Marketing!

Soldier Daddy
U.S. Air Force commander Aaron Petrowski leads pararescue teams, yet can't find one nanny for his three-year-old twins?

The widowed father is returning to duty, but not without the best care for his beloved boys. So when Sarah Graham applies, the young woman surprises everyone by passing inspection. Until Aaron discovers Sarah has a secret tied to a tragedy in his past.

He can't keep her in his employ—or in his heart. Until his brave little soldier boys teach him a thing or two about love.

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Romance: the Same Old, Same Old?

Born Valentines Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers.

Ane asked me to talk about how to keep the romance from being the same old, same old. How to bring something unique to it.

I think having at least one character in a very noble, very unique and heroic career helps. That's one thing I do. Another thing that keeps it unique is well-placed humor in proper doses so as not to offset the developing romance or detract from that. Developing that elusive thing called "voice" can set work apart and bring something unique to it. Each author has unique life experiences and relationships with family, friends and community that can enhance a story and thrust it above the norm.

Another thing is to strive to write evocative without being provocative. That's a real challenge! Having the characters NOT be perfect is key. Yet there's a balance of keeping them likable/irresistible/endearing/sympathetic and all those other positive attributes that keep readers reading. Sure the character could and should be flawed somehow. But not so much that it's too much like real life and the reader is buried in angst.

I've found that most romance readers prefer more light-hearted stuff. And I myself read for escape and don't like very heavy stories where a lot of sad stuff happens. So keeping the story real yet upbeat is a nice challenge to have.

But I think the biggest preventative measure for same-old-same-old-itis is to write romance that is outstanding. Romance that stands out makes for a more memorable story. That comes through author voice. Finding subject matter in the plot of the romance that the author is passionate about is key. Stray from cliché is a mantra I write on a lot of contest entries and critiques. Say it better than anyone else in the world. Say it different. Write lines in such a way that whoever's reading it wishes like crazy they'd been the one to think of it.

Avoid cliché pitfalls. In almost every romance I've read in the past ten years, there is a point when the heroine trips and falls (literally) into the hero's arms. Or (and I'm guilty of this one) using the plot device of having them transferring an object and their fingers brush, eliciting an electric charge. That sort of thing is so common. Find a way to show romantic tension differently than anyone else in the world.

There are many hooks in romance, meaning certain themes that occur often, such as good-girl meets bad-boy, secret baby, marriage of convenience, boss-as-hero, heroine nanny and on and on. There are only so many plots to go around. But the unique spin that each author puts on it is what makes the romance go around.

Another important thing to strive for is to have a strong core of emotion in the romance. Write romance that moves people. Write the kind of heroines, who women want to be and heroes, who women want to be with. Write heroes, who men want to be and heroines, who men want to be with. Write romance with the intent to move the reader. To evoke emotion. I've often heard editors say, "If we cry (or laugh), we buy."

A Soldier's Reunion

Despite a decade apart, this isn't the reunion Mandy Manchester expected! She thought she'd put high school sweetheart Nolan Briggs behind her. Now he's back…and the pararescue jumper literally sweeps her off her feet.

He's ready and willing to rekindle what they once shared. Mandy, though, isn't prepared to put her heart at risk. He left her before—she won't trust him again. Can Nolan teach this grounded girl to take a leap of faith?

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Cheryl Wyatt on How to research Action Romance

Born Valentine’s Day on a naval base, Cheryl Wyatt writes military romance. Her Steeple Hill debuts earned RT Top Picks plus #1 and #4 on eHarlequin's Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books, lists including NYT Bestsellers.

Okay, let’s talk research. How does one research for action romance? That sounds interesting, since action romance is unique. Tell how you get your ideas for the action, for the career choice for the hero and heroine, etc.

On researching action romance and choosing interesting character careers for action romances:

I actually like to find real people who are in those career fields and pick their brains. I found this so hard to do prior to getting contracted because I didn't want to come across as a stalker or something. LOL! Now that I can actually say, "I am a multi-published author" or "I'm researching for a contracted book," it's much easier for me to step out of my comfort zone and ask for assistance.

Thankfully with the release of my third book (Ready-Made Family-IN STORES NOW) in my Wings of Refuge Series from Steeple Hill, which feature a team of U.S. Air Force Pararescue Jumpers (PJs for short) people in those fields or related to PJs who have become aware of my books have started contacting me and offering assistance because the books truly honor their career. So they're happy and honored to help.

Other research methods are: Obtaining true/real training manuals from those careers. One of my trademarks as a writer I think is that I love to come up with very unique careers, at least for one of my lead characters. My editors are telling me the Wings of Refuge Series is selling well. And I think that a big reason for that is due to the very unique career of the Pararescue Jumpers that this series highlights.

As far as matching up a heroine to such a strong, Alpha hero, it's kinda nice to have the heroine (or hero if the heroine happens to have the more unique/edgy career) other character to be in a more normal career. That adds to the "opposites attract" angle that I commonly have in my books. Though some of my books do contain both hero and heroine who have very unique and far-from-mundane/cliché careers, most have one “normal” career for one of the lead characters.

Another way I research is through the Internet, but you have to be careful and triple check (at least) anything you find online. Libraries, books and other forms of media are a huge draw for me when I'm researching. I visit forums of the careers I choose for my characters. For over five years now I have been on an F-22 Raptor forum with fighter pilots so I can hear their dialogue and get the terminology right and ask them questions and have them verify my research as best as possible.

I have a really funny story about that but I'll suffice it to say that, after about thirty hours of exhaustive research, I'd finally nailed a certain scene in the book. And the pilots let me know that I was on target and that it was authentic....expect for one thing....They had to remind me that birds don't generally cruise at 30,000 feet. LOL! I'm talking feathery birds, not planes. So though I'd gotten all of the technical stuff down...I'd somehow lost my common sense. Not sure what the moral of that story is...but I laugh every time I think about it.

Cheryl's favorite research and writing spot

It helps to have family members and friends in these career fields too. But if you don’t, visit the communities that they “hang” in and let them know you’re in need of research assistance. BE SURE they are TRULY in that career field, especially if you are writing special forces/special ops. MOST men who are REALLY in those careers won’t tell strangers. Same goes if you’re writing FBI, CIA, snipers, detectives, private investigators and other “undercover” type characters.

Writer’s groups and conferences are a great way to come in contact with professionals who are willing to help writers with research too. ACFW has a list of research professionals in their Member’s Only section with contact information of people in career fields you may have your characters in. Romance Writers of America and ACFW both host workshops by individuals in certain career fields that authors tend to write about a lot, such as law enforcement, military, investigative careers, etc.

I HIGHLY recommend authors to join these writers’ groups and attend conferences or at least purchase the conference CDs to get the teachings. You will be able to use much of what you learn. Also, Discovery channel programs and programs on TV that highlight certain careers in a documentary form are good for getting ideas on unique careers. But be careful of the fictional shows like CSI and medical dramas, etc. Most of those do not accurately portray those careers, though those shows are highly entertaining and some of my favorites, I would never use things I “learn” in a CSI episode to plot a book. LOL!

Best of luck in your research endeavors and in choosing a career for your character that will interest editors and agents, rivet your readers from the first page to the last, and leave them longing for your next book.

My last advice is don’t skimp on research, because your readers in-the-know WILL call you out on your errors. LOL! Yet don’t add EVERY detail either or your readers will be bored to tears and lost in the unfamiliar technical jargon.

The most important thing I want to mention when researching and creating characters with unique careers is to be as honoring as possible to those careers. That way the “real” heroes and heroines out there will be honored by the stories rather than offended. Word of mouth in those communities sell a LOT of books. Or not, depending on how you portray their career.

Ready-Made Family, Wings of Refuge series - In stores now! Leave a comment and be entered in a drawing for 1 of 3 copies of Ready-Made Family!

Amelia North needs refuge, and finds it--in Refuge, Illinois. Stranded there after a car wreck, the single mother expects to be cold-shouldered. After all, she’s already been rejected by her parents, her church and her daughter’s father. Instead, she finds a town full of people with open hands and hearts…including pararescue jumper Ben Dillinger.

Ben wants to help Amelia and her daughter find safety and stability. Instead, he finds himself freefalling—right into love with the ready-made family.

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