Romance Writing

I think that I love romances because I enjoy the relationship conflict. How much fun is it to sit with friends and analyze relationships between us and another person? Well, romance novel do exactly that! Romance is a kind of conflict. Even if a murder occurs, it just a device to introduce the hero. Therefore, solving a case would take a distant backseat to the romance.

Romance is used in many genres, even action-adventure, so go ahead, spice it up! While writing a romance it is important to spice it up by doing the opposite of what people expect and by combining two different elements such as linking a car wreck with overcoming the fear of love. A plot even can be a long, silent look, because internally the relationship has taken a significant step. As you use your characters to unfold the story, you can use them to talk about a character who hasn’t appeared yet. If the reader likes one of the talking characters, the reader will adopt the character’s impression of a new character. This information can be truth or lies. The readers will wait and compare information to the character’s actions once they are introduced.

Names… oh my! Coming up with good character names is tough for me. Names are really important and they affect the readers’ perception of the character. Romance writers should use glamorous names such as Vivian Bijou.  French is alluring, right?

Subtext is very important in romances. The woman says that she never wants to see him again, he leaves, she gets upset. He doesn’t get the subtext of what she really wants, but the reader does.

A lot of rules go into a romance. These rules don’t come from me, they’re from the publishing houses. Every time the hero and heroine is apart, they must be thinking of each other. They can only be interested in each other. No third party can be involved because it ruins the happily ever after ending (which is another rule). Also, the story is mainly told from the heroine’s perspective. Historical romances must follow the same rules.

Scene action is shorter with the sequel (inner thoughts) are very long. The reader has to feel and explore the nuances of the heroine’s emotion, especially since they change every time she is in conflict with the hero. A thrilling part of romance is sorting of the feelings to figure out if it is true love or not. At the end of a scene, the heroine and hero separate and reflect on what just occurred.
The hero and heroine will review scenes from the book. The hero and heroine will go over several key moments that occurred with the love interest. This is when it is important for the writer to keep the story goal in mind.  

Show the character’s motivation explaining why the hero is not a beast after and argument. This keeps the hero sympathetic and maintains conflict.
A very warm viewpoint is required. Warm equals many excursions into deep thought and emotions, long internalizations, and long sequels. They include hope, intentions, descriptions of tactile sensations. The writing style tends to be very connotative.

Good luck on romancing your readers!

 

Women Unlimited Holds Blogging Workshop

Women Unlimited empowers women to start or grow their businesses. The organization holds workshops online and in London, if you want another excuse to take a trip! So take control of your own lives and pursue your entrepreneurial dream! Oh wait, there's more....

We get a treat in September. Women Unlimited is hosting a Wordpress Workshop in the name of improving blogs. Oh yes! Celebration! Wordpress is the world's most popular blogging platform. Growing a business means lots of quality advertising and using your creativity. This is a chance to really use our talents and show them to the world.

The most important lesson that I learned from a friend was, "The best gift you can give to others is yourself."

Share yourself.

Welcome!

Drum roll, please! This blog is now officially open. [applause] Hello to all of the writers of books, letters, and even notes. I hope that you enjoy The Umbrella That Wouldn't Close, a blog about the science of writing and reading.

Mystery Writing

A good mystery novel, a blanket, and a couch by the window (not in a cemetery!)are all I need to enjoy an evening at home. Once I've devoured Murder on the Midnight Express, I can choose from The Hound of the Baskervilles, or for a chic, lighter read, I might go for Dying in Style. Mysteries these days range from the gruesome and truly scary to intriquing and even cozy.

Mysteries usually open with the death or threat to a character. Then the story moves along as plot events are unfolded. Plot events are steps that characters take to reach short or long-term goals. In a mystery the plot event could be the discovery of a clue.

Atmosphere is also important in a mystery, so creating an ominous or sinister atmosphere with eerie word choices is a good start. Also, keep the readers guessing by leaving a little mystery around the characters’ motivation to either kill or to solve the crime.

Hard-boiled mysteries are very cool in that the reader is told very little about the character’s thoughts or emotions. The story is almost subjective except at key moments. There is a downside to writing in this style: it’s hard to keep the viewpoint. Once the viewpoint is lost, the reader may also lose interest.

Numerous subplots give mysteries their quality, so keep up the character study and intrigue!

Crime plots are usually regarded from one person’s point of view, this isn’t the case every time, but as the general rule goes here are some points of view you should consider when writing your next big mystery:

Plot	Point of View
Murder Mystery	Master Detective
Caper	Criminal
Detective	Cop
Gangster	Crook
Thriller/revenge	Victim
Courtroom	Attorney
Newspaper	Reporter
Espionage	Spy
Prison Drama	Inmate