Happy Romance Writer’s Wednesday. Today’s post is about the first book I ever read about crafting a romance story, Rebecca Vinyard’s THE ROMANCE WRITER’S HANDBOOK. This how-to book took my vague dream of becoming a serious writer to a set of achievable skills and goals.
Here are my Top Ten Nuggets of Writing Gold mined from Ms. Vinyard’s book:
10. Study the market as you consider which premise holds the most promise. But write with love in mind, not dollar signs.
9. Formatting matters.
8. Use strong verbs to make your writing active.
6. There are sixteen master archetypes to use when creating characters.
5. Using POV correctly, you can keep characters guessing about the other characters’ feelings–increasing tension and conflict.
4. Romance plots have a difficult-to-solve problem keeping our hero and heroine apart. The internal conflict heightens emotion.
3. Create a colorful, rich sense of place using descriptive language–short and sweet–and show it through a character’s POV.
2. Write what you know you are ready to write. Research is the backbone to every story.
1. Write, write, write…to find your voice. Be confident–only you sound like you. Then keep writing for those who love your voice.
Romance Writers: What nugget of writing gold you have mined from writing experts? Romance Readers: What do you feel makes a good romance?
Happily married to my best friend many years now, I have to dig deep to remember the uncertainty of new love or unrequited love or betrayed love. Music helps me to reconnect to these various types of angts my hero or heroine may experience at the crisis point in the story–where all seems lost.
Adele’s award-winning song, SOMEONE LIKE YOU, draws me in. I feel her pain, and it becomes my own.
Listening to this song, I begin to imagine “What if.” What if my husband weren’t mine? What if he fell out of love with me and we parted ways? What if he then found someone new, someone to share a new beginning, leaving me behind to start over–alone? That’s when I sit down at my laptop and click away, the tears streaming down my face, feeling my character’s pain as my own. Exhausting? Yes, but I believe it makes a difference in the quality of my writing. The emotions are authentic, the character’s actions and dialogue match the depth of his/her despair.
Writers, what resources do you use to create authentic character responses at the crisis point in your story?
Yesterday my sister-in-law and I hopped a train into New York City. Like many suburbanites, we occasionally flock to the city for a mini-escape. We’d anticipated a crowded ride, with the sunny forecast and it being two weeks before Christmas. We didn’t expect so many our fellow passengers to be wearing Santa suits, however. That’s when my SantaCon education began.
SantaCon, for those of you who have been living under a rock like me, is a worldwide pub crawl that originated in San Francisco in 1994. Currently, this celebration takes place in 225 locations in thirty-two countries. This includes Key West, my Conch Republic friends, whose SantaCon is scheduled for December 17th. New York City happens to be home to the largest annual SantaCon gathering. That would explain why Times Square was filled with thousands of smiling red-suited partiers by late last night.
From what I learned through SantaCon.info and interviews with NYC attendees, this December event is non-denominational and focused on dressing up in holiday costumes while parading from one drinking establishment to the next. There’s charitable giving, too. A young woman mentioned having donated non-perishables at one of the bars. Another first-time SantaCon celebrant said the atmosphere was very similar to New York’s St. Patty’s Day parade, and that he’d had such a great time he had already made plans to attend next year with the same group of friends.
Yes, Virginia, there really is a man inside.
Participants generally wear Santa costumes, but we also spied elves and Mrs. Claus costumes. One man I encountered in Penn Station was quite creative, dressed as a present.
Tourists not participating in the event had differing opinions on New York City’s SantaCon. Some felt it didn’t seem to hurt anyone, while business owners and costume retailers stood to make a good profit.
On the other hand, some families with little children witnessed the random drunken Santa or Mrs. Claus whose behavior was naughty rather than nice, and wondered whether it was a wise choice to have these people parading through the streets to Times Square.
I’ll likely never participate in SantaCon, unless I happen to be in Key West during theirs, but my motto has always been: To each, his own. Enjoy the season!
This is the month most anticipated by many children, and for those adults in touch with their inner child. It’s a time of faith and magic. Unfortunately, the holiday season can also add stress to an already busy schedule. To relieve the pressure to get everything done, I find it helps to focus on family traditions. Some of our friends attend cookie exchange or ginberbread house decorating parties, and they sound wonderful. Our traditions are simpler and quieter, usually involving only our immediate family, due to my son’s autism.
After the holiday cards have been mailed and a bulk of the presents purchased, the joyous part of the season begins. My son and I make dozens of sugar cookies. Here’s a recipe from Bon Appetit magazine:
I mix, cut out, and bake them while he ices and adds colorful sprinkles to the santa, star, and stocking shapes, although we both agree our favorite part is eating a few–still warm out of the oven.
Christmas Tree in Germany at EPCOT, WDW
When our daughter arrives home from college, we seek out a Christmas tree and bring it home to share in the happiness of the season. My husband wraps it with lights, and the kids and I decorate it. They love to hear each ornament’s story as we place it on a branch, especially the ones they made long ago in preschool or were given as gifts.
Once the Christmas tree is decorated, it’s time for our family’s favorite activity. The four of us eat a leisurely dinner one evening–usually pizza or another meal easy to clean up–and then we pile into the family car with contented bellies. My husband tunes into a local radio station known for it’s holiday songs. As we pull away from the driveway, singing along with Jingle Bell Rock or Frosty the Snowman, we happily anticipate our neighborhood’s celebration of the season.
We are never disappointed. Each year, our village outdoes itself. Christmas lights cover homes and greenery. Nativity scenes and other seasonal lawn decorations are proudly displayed. Apparently, we aren’t alone in our fascination with our neighborhood displays. HGTV’s “Light Up the Holidays” features what it deems the most amazing front yards across America. Check out their great website and photos here. I also like to peek at other beautifully decorated homes on YouTube, like the ones from Melbourne, Australia:
Others are even more inventive, their lights synchronized to music. If you watched the video above, click on the “Holdman Christmas Lights” video next. These homes remind me of the music/water show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Good times!
After trolling around town for festive displays, we head home. We end our family evening in front of the fireplace with hot cocoa and sugar cookies. After the kids go to bed, my husband and I cuddle on the couch. We each sip a margarita or another favorite adult beverage and enjoy watching It’s A Wonderful Life late into the night.
What family traditions are a relaxing part of your winter holiday?
Romance Writers: What nugget of writing gold you have mined from writing experts? Romance Readers: What do you feel makes a good romance?
