The Owls Are Going To Vegas

City Owl is going to Vegas, baby! This April the Romantic Times Book Lover's Convention is going to be in Vegas and City Owl editors will be there to mingle, present workshops, and yes, take pitches. If you have never been to an RT Book lover's Convention, you are missing out because they are the place to be for readers of romance, writers of romance, and the agents and publishers who represent and publish them.

Our editors (myself included) will be taking pitches both at individual signups, and at the Pitch-A-Palooza, so if you aren't able to sign up for a longer, individual pitch, never fear, you can catch us at the big pitch party. Pitching in person is a great opportunity to show your enthusiasm, professionalism, and dedication, as well as to get a feel for the person you may potentially be working with. I highly recommend it if you've never done it.

Here are the links and our wish lists if you'd like to sign up for the longer 10 minute pitch sessions with us:

Heather McCorkle

Acquiring Editor

Steampunk, Dystopian, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Paranormal, Historical

(All with romantic elements)

Yelena Casale

Executive Editor

Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Medieval, Renaissance, Native American Romance, Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Sci-fi romance

Tina Moss

Executive Editor

If you don't get to sign up for the longer pitches, come see us on Saturday at Pitch-A-Palooza and have your three minute pitch ready.

And don't forget to add City Owl's Write The Fight Workshop and Publisher Meet and Greet to your agenda! And look for our authors at the big book fair on Saturday!

Understanding Passive Voice

Passive voice is considered one of the great evils of writing. However, there are times when it is appropriate, and even recommended, to use. Knowing when to use it is the mark of an experienced writer. First you have to understand what passive voice is. Think of it this way:

Passive voice: the subject (noun often) is receiving an action.
Active voice: the subject (noun, often) is performing an action.

A few examples:

Passive: The belles of the ball were gliding across the floor.
Active: The belles of the ball glided across the floor.

Passive: It is the intention of the belles to attract a husband.
Active: The belles intend to attract husbands.

The culprits are often the words: is, was, were, are. Seek these out and come up with ways to rework your sentence to make it more active. Think of the action happening now, rather than telling about the fact that it did happen. The time to use passive voice is when you are telling about something that already happened. But be careful, most action needs to be happening currently, even when you're telling in past tense third person. That is the tricky part.