Well it’s that time of year where everyone feels compelled to buy overly sentimental cards, excessively expensive flowers and beg on bended knee to some supercilious Maitre de for a booking in their loved ones favourite restaurant – all in the name of romance. I sound jaded, I know,  yet actually I’m a very romantic person but Valentines Day always feels forced. Society tells you to be romantic so you’d better damn well be or else you’ll be in the dog house – no matter how romantic you’ve been for the other 364 days of the year. That’s just so weird if you think about it.

It makes me ponder what is romance? The grand romantic stories we all love (Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind)  all end in some degree of tragedy. As if it’s only possible for romance to thrive in the overcoming of tremendous hardships and then can only last happily for a short time. Yet isn’t romance really a couple who have stayed together through the tribulations of every day life – through over exposure, lack of excitement, illness, poverty, indifference and yet still love and laugh together after a lifetime. There is a reason that romance novels normally end when the couple get together – ordinary life, living in the same house, knowing everything about someone,  is just not interesting.

I was going to write a long article on all my favourite romance novels as gift ideas but instead my gift to you this Valentines week is a word of advice. Whether you take it or leave it is entirely up to you but the very best Valentines Day gift you could give is a diary filled with daily entries showing how you will offer romance everyday of the coming year – that’s not grandiose gifts but gestures and loving touches. A Manifesto of Romance. Knowing you put that much thought into your partner’s happiness is the most romantic gesture – carrying it through, the act of true romantic love.

So without further ado let’s check out this week’s 20 most popular articles on writing as defined by my 7k+ social media folks. Enjoy…

This week’s most popular writing articles:

1.   How to Cut the Crap And Research Your Novel Effectively @shesnovel http://bit.ly/1DkNUmM

2.   How to Gain More Email Subscribers Through Your Author Blog http://bit.ly/1zIDD6J via @eBooksIndiaMag

3.   5 Healthy Writing Habits All Aspiring Writers Should Practice http://bit.ly/15sIRpd

4.   Great advice “How to Use Foreshadowing” via @kmweiland  http://bit.ly/1Cja4sO

5.   The Ultimate Guide To Goodreads For Authors | The Creative Penn http://bit.ly/15IVNIG

6.   7 Tips to Boost your eBook Sales http://bit.ly/1HzO9kB

7.   How to Find Your Ideal Reader – Blots & Plots http://bit.ly/15HDD9Z

8.   How You Can Use Thunderclap To Promote Your Book http://bit.ly/1yZCrF8 @trainingauthors

9.   The Ultimate Writers Resources List  http://bit.ly/1vuYFEH

10.  20 must reads – the most popular articles on writing, self-publishing and  book promomotion http://bit.ly/1Dow8zb

Want to know the 20 most popular articles on writing as judged by more than 7K writers? Check this out http://ctt.ec/c3eh7+ CLICK TO TWEET

11. How to Make an Inspiration Board – Blots & Plots http://bit.ly/1GSLToa

12. BookBaby launches Print On Demand http://bit.ly/1wOC3sh

13. Great article “7 Powerful Steps to Overcoming Resistance and Actually Getting Stuff Done”  via @yaseend http://bit.ly/1zbJc74

14. “Write Your Damn Book!” Talking with Author Paul Jarvis http://bit.ly/16cQAJb

15. The complete & unabridged guide to GoodReads for authors: Account set-up, customization etc http://bit.ly/1CV7wO5

16. 21 Book Marketing Tips for Authors http://bit.ly/1Lq5Xhp

17. How To Set Up Your Goodreads Author Profile http://bit.ly/1GVh9CX

18.  “Five Ways To Sell More Books On Amazon” http://bit.ly/1EWABu

19. Self-Publishing Starter Kit | Self-Publishing Review http://bit.ly/1KgInAm

20.  One book = multiple income streams. Are you missing out? http://bit.ly/1wNOJ2Q

Well that’s this week’s 20 most popular articles on writing. I’d love some suggestion from you – if you come across (or better yet write) any great article(s) on writing, self-publishing and book promotion,  send them to me. I’ll add them to my Novel Experience content stream and they may end up on next week’s list.

If you liked these articles check out last week’s great selection here

Bye for now.