Good morning, fellow writers! I am thrilled to be here today to talk about Romance University (www.RomanceUniversity.org).

For those unfamiliar with this group blog, our tagline is “Empower Writers. Entertain Readers. Understand Men.” That’s a tall order and not a venture Kelsey Browning, Tracey Devlyn and I undertook lightly.

We spent six months brainstorming the concept for Romance University. When we started talking about creating a blog we weren’t sure what we wanted. We knew what we didn’t want, which was to talk about ourselves. We’re just not that interesting. Well, maybe Kelsey and Tracey are, but I’m not. All kidding aside, we felt like there were enough day-in-the-life writer blogs out there and, if we were going to invest the time, we wanted something different. We also didn’t want the pressure of maintaining our own blogs.

We knew that if we were going to take the blogging plunge and put our names on something, we wanted to be proud of it. We wanted something that told editors and agents we were serious about our writing. After much discussion, we realized we wanted to offer new writers (and readers) a learning resource. We decided on the university format to reinforce an educational and professional image.

In order to provide quality content, we needed experts. We turned to authors like Brenda Novak, Allison Brennan and Bob Mayer for help. In addition, we contacted editors and agents like Lucienne Diver and Leah Hultenschmidt. These and many other professionals have graciously “lectured” at RU, sharing their knowledge and expertise, for which we are profoundly grateful.

On Mondays, we offer “Crafting Your Career” lectures where our visiting professors answer questions about the business side of writing. Fridays are “Chaos Theory of Writing,” where our guests discuss the writing craft. Since writing is a lifelong learning experience, these topics appeal to both new and experienced writers.

One of our favorite segments is “Anatomy of the Male Mind.” Each Wednesday, we explore the male psyche, and it never fails to entertain. Even if it is somewhat scary. If female writers want to portray men correctly, we need to understand them. Or at least try to! We recently did a post on the male hug where we consulted with RU’s “man panel” and discovered an entire language behind the male hug, or shug. (Hint: Don’t forget the shoulder slap and absolutely no lingering!)

We’ve also launched three “Lab” sections: Ask an Editor with Theresa Stevens, Managing Editor at Red Sage Publishing; Query Writing 101 with C.J. Redwine, urban fantasy author; and Wayne Wednesday with Wayne Levine, Director of the West Coast Men’s Center.

It sounds like a lot of work. It is. It’s a part-time job that offers no income, but I’m learning and making new friends with every post and that is priceless. It helps that the work is spread over three people and I have two smart, funny ladies I can bounce ideas off of or cry to when something goes wrong. Looking back on it, I wouldn’t do anything different. Being part of a group blog gives writers a presence outside of the books they write. There is no better feeling than an agent or editor recognizing the name of your blog and readily agreeing to a post. A reader recently posted a note on our lecture page thanking us for the quality of the lectures. I don’t think she’ll mind if I quote her here. She said her “avocation of writing has always left me feeling alone in the forest without a map. RU is empowering me to understand the landscape of successful authorship, publishing, and publicity.”

Gotta tell ya, that had me puffing up my chest a bit! Trying to become a published writer can be a brutal journey, and hearing a reader compliment our work this way offers a respite from the grind of rejection.

Finally, I’m going to tap into my fellow writers here. You’ve all been on this journey and were all new writers at one time. Is there something important you wish you’d known when you were a new writer? We’re always looking for fresh ideas at Romance University, and would welcome ideas on the types of lectures you would like to see.

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance. She has spent seventeen years working in and around the newspaper and advertising industry. After starting a family, Adrienne chose to work part-time as a marketing consultant to enable her more writing time. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Windy City RWA, Kiss of Death and The Women’s Fiction Chapter of RWA.

Kelsey Browning writes contemporary and paranormal romance with a hint of southern sizzle. [In her former life, she worked at one of the ten largest universities in the U.S., raising money and teaching students how to land their dream jobs. These days she pursues her dream job of freelance and fiction writing, which provides excellent benefits such as unlimited coffee and an office dress code that permits flip flops.] Originally from Texas, she now lives in the Middle East with her husband, son and seriously spoiled dog. She’s currently at work on the first book in a new contemporary series. For more information, please visit www.KelseyBrowning.com.

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romance with a bit of suspense. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Windy City, Hearts Through History, The Beau Monde and Kiss of Death Romance Writers of America chapters. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her supportive husband and their alpha puppy. For more information, please visit www.traceydevlyn.com.