When Your Hero Must Swear
Submit Your Excerpt
"There's a difference between writing a story, and writing a story for a commercial audience. Very few authors make the transition to commercial viability. Adrienne is a gifted storyteller in her own right, and she has the ability to teach the craft to other authors. This is why (our publishing house) sends authors to Adrienne when we see untapped potential."
Welcome FF&P Authors!
What You Should Know:
- Description of Workshop: Love to write snarly Alphas? Be forewarned! Romance readers have a narrow definition of heroic behavior. If your Bad Boy commits any of the Eight Unforgiveable Taboos, he’ll sink the sales of your spinoff! (No joke.) What’s a writer to do, when her plot calls for the hero to cuss, lie, cheat, steal, and bash heads like a barbarian? In this “Teaching Workshop,” #1 bestseller, Adrienne deWolfe, will reveal how to redeem a growly Bad Boy, who needs a serious timeout. But she needs volunteers! To make this presentation fun and educational, she plans to workshop unpublished excerpts that feature Paranormal heroes at their worst. Adrienne has a track record for helping authors increase sales and get better reviews; that’s why publishers send writers to her for help. Do you want readers to fall in love with your Bad Boy? Then submit your excerpt! To learn more, keep reading!
- Adrienne's live presentation, When Your Hero Must Swear, will be a "teaching workshop," and therefore, it will feature live critiques of unpublished writing. This online presentation is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 11 AM EST, during the FF&P Chapter Meeting. (Anyone is welcome to attend, but you must register in advance on the FF&P website.)
- The purpose of this workshop is to demonstrate how to REDEEM a male protagonist, who is exhibiting non-heroic behavior. Adrienne is looking for excerpts from writers who recognize the benefit of character feedback, especially from fellow enthusiasts of Fantasy Romance, Futuristic Romance, and Paranormal Romance (aka, FF&P Romance.)
- If you would like your excerpt featured, for a live critique, during Adrienne's presentation, please use the form, below, to upload 3-5 pages of your work-in-progress. Your excerpt should feature your hero at his worst. Maybe he’s snarling at a child. Maybe he's conning an honest character. Maybe he's punching out a priest. Use your imagination!
- Your friendly FF&P colleagues want to love your hero, despite his bad behavior — and so does Adrienne! We'll share what we like, and we'll offer constructive suggestions for improvement. Ultimately, we want to help you redeem your Bad Boy, so readers will fall in love with him.
- Submission Deadline: Midnight, April 18, 2025
- In addition to submitting your excerpt through this webpage, you must also register for the event through the FF&P website. Click here.
Tips for Getting Selected:
- Send your submission early. Due to time constraints, not every excerpt can be included in the presentation. However, every submission will be entered in a raffle for a **free** written, Chapter One critique, provided by Adrienne.
- Include an author’s note, summarizing the plot events that led to your excerpt.
- To have your excerpt featured in the presentation, you must agree to let Adrienne show, discuss, and critique portions of your excerpt live, during her presentation. You must also agree to receive verbal (or chat) feedback from the audience. (On this webpage, in the submission form, below, you will confirm your permission by leaving a check mark in the section titled, "Consent for Manuscript Review.")
- Adrienne's critiques always emphasize the positive, and every effort will be made to keep audience participation constructive during the presentation. Your excerpt will not be used again by Adrienne for any other purpose.
- Author names will be kept anonymous. Manuscript titles may be revealed. If you prefer full anonymity, invent a title for your manuscript that no one from FF&P is likely to recognize.
How to Format Your Excerpt:
- Remember: Your deadline is midnight, April 18, 2025.
- Length: 3 to 5 pages (1300 words, max.)
- File Type: Word Document (No PDFs).
- Formatting: Standard Manuscript (Click here to learn about standard manuscript formatting.)
- Cover Sheet: Include your name, title, contact info, and your primary Paranormal theme. (Examples: Time Travel, Supernatural Creature, Dystopian Fantasy, Modern Fairy Tale, etc.)
- Page Header: Remove all personal identifiers, EXCEPT the book's title.
- Upload your submission, using the form below.
- Curious about Adrienne's Mentorship Program? Click Here.
Yes! Enter my Excerpt!
Note: After you click "Submit," return to this section to verify that your excerpt was sent. You should see a "green" message.