Have a great time in Nashville!

Having a good time hanging out with other writers and also doing some sightseeing. Taught a session today on dialogue and was happy with how it went. Nashville is very interesting and I’m looking forward to exploring it some more in the next few days. These pictures are from the Gaylord as well as Downtown Nashville!

#WriteWed I am inspired by all of you . . . and #Giveaway to say Thanks!

Thank you for the friendship and inspiration!

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting, but it’s taken me two days to catch up with work and writing obligations after my trip to RWA 2017. I had a blast, despite the Orlando heat and humidity. I got to spend time with old and dear friends, make new friends, and of course, get in a number of very interesting and useful workshops to help me be a better writer. A win-win situation!

Here’s a collage I did of some of the fun people I got to meet and spend time with at the conference. I will have a lot more photos for you to tomorrow!
#RWA17 Caridad and friends

Prizes for Readers Giveaway

I’m participating in a fabulous contest with my author friends at: https://www.prizesforreaders.com/

Enter for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate from Amazon or Barnes & Noble (your choice,) while voting for best blurb and cover. Super easy one-click entry, no Rafflecopter or anything complicated. Winner will be announced on Aug 16th or Aug 17th.

No matter what, you are a winner! Even if your name is not selected for the gift certificate, you will be receiving free book download links from us for your reading pleasure.

Must be 18 or older. US, Canada, UK only. Void where prohibited.
Caridad Pineiro Prizes for Readers

Come Enjoy Some Sexy Friday Reads

In the mood for a sexy Friday night? Why not join me and three other authors at the IN THE FLESH reading series tonight from 8 to 10 p.m. We’ll be reading sinful excerpts from our novels and sharing some other goodies with you.

If you’re in the area, come on down to the Happy Ending Lounge (I so did not choose that name!) located at 302 Broome Street, NYC, NY 10022. It’s bound to be a fun night. The event is from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Hope you are all someplace nice and warm. Enjoy the weekend!

Fun Friday – Conference this weekend!

I don’t know about you, but I love going to writing conferences (and also my monthly meetings!) There is so much creative energy in the air and whether I’m doing a workshop or listening to one, I always come away re-energized and inspired.

This weekend I’m going to the first ever Liberty States Fiction Writers Create Something Magical Conference. As a founding member, it’s so exciting to see such an amazing response to the conference as well as the group. 150 plus members in our second year and still growing. A diverse, amazingly talented, and totally upbeat collection of individuals!

We’ve got a similarly diverse and talented group of speakers coming to the conference as well 16 editors and agents. Such fun. It’s too late to register, but if you’re in the area, we’ll be having a book fair on Saturday from 5 to 6. Here’s the address for the hotel where the Create Something Magical Conference is being held:

Location and Directions

When: March 13, 2010
Where: Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel
515 Route 1 South & Gill Lane
Iselin, New Jersey 08830
Phone: 732-634-3600 Fax: 732-634-0258
Click here for more info on the hotel.
Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel
Click Here to Get More Directions Using Mapquest

Map Copyright Mapquest

I hope you’ve got some fun plans for the weekend! Wish me luck during the conference. I’ll be meeting with some editors and also presenting two workshops.

Characters are Plot

writingheartAt the February meeting of the Liberty States Fiction Writers we were very lucky to have my friend and fellow author, Anna DeStefano, do a wonderful workshop on revisions. During the course of the workshop, Anna mentioned something which I truly believe – Characters are plot.

Why do I believe that? You may read a book that has a good plot – pacing works, premise is interesting. But if the characters leave you flat, you will forget that book almost as quickly as you read it.

Writing emotionally developed and interesting characters is, IMHO, key to creating a memorable book and plot. Why plot? you ask. Because it is the development of the characters and how they resolve their internal conflicts that creates the story arc of your plot. It is your job as a writer to craft scenes in which the characters are challenged to deal with their conflicts and advance until at the end of the novel, the characters have resolved those internal conflicts (or maybe just one of them if you are creating a series with the same characters).

For this reason, I totally believe that characters are plot. When you define your characters and how they need to grow, you can then build a story around that. When you do, you will have a book where your readers are always on the edge of their seats wondering whether or not the character will rise up to the occasion or fail. Readers will cheer for them and their hearts will break when the characters encounter problems.

When your readers finish your book, not only will you have given them a story that engaged them, but you will have touched them and created characters they will remember long after the books are sitting on a shelf.

Characters are plot. Remember that before you get started and your story will almost write itself.