Tag: Romancing Your Story

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Romancing Your Story

A Trope with a Twist

Readers, particularly romance readers, love stories that feel familiar—shorthand for they use tropes—but also seem new and bring a surprise. As writers, how do we craft novels that deliver on all counts?

There are several strategies to writing fresh stories that still feel as comfortable as a warm sweater on a cold day. Let’s look at just a few:

Twist a Common Trope

Enemies to Lovers is a popular trope that can have several variations. The hero and heroine can dislike each other for their personal points of view, such as in Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have different worldviews and values which lead them to disagree about virtually everything. Or the protagonists can actually be friendly personally, but enemies professionally, such as in Mr. and Mrs. Smith who are in “love” but also rival assassins. Or in Two Weeks Notice, Sandra Bullock’s and Hugh Grant’s characters were different both personally and professionally but finally realized their differences attracted them to each other and made them compatible.

Combine Tropes

Another Sandra Bullock movie, The Proposal, combined Enemies to Lovers and Fake Relationship, with a dash of Forced Proximity. Ryan Reynolds (along with all of Bullock’s other employees) hated her because she was rigid, mean, and cold. She needed a fiancé to avoid deportation. He agreed to her proposal to pretend to be in a relationship because of what she could do for him professionally. One element of that movie I appreciated was the change in Bullock’s appearance. As she grew to care for Reynolds and his family, she softened. She let her hair down (literally), and she dressed more casually.

Another great combination, Forbidden Love (Romeo and Juliet) plus Forced Proximity (Green Card) guarantees sparks on the page.

Unfamiliar Settings

Sticking with Sandra Bullock (and why not?), let’s talk about The Lost City. Set on a tropical island, both Bullock’s and Channing Tatum’s characters are out of their elements and forced to work together to escape the crazed billionaire who’s kidnapped Bullock’s romance novelist character. There’s also a Forced Proximity combination with Loretta (Bullock) and Alan (Tatum) on the run together.

No matter the tropes you choose to combine, there are some things to keep in mind:

  • Characters. They should always have great backstories and motivations that work with the trope. For a Second Chance story, both protagonists will have shared memories with emotional layers. Use those emotions to help your reader connect with the characters.
  • Conflict and Resolution. The conflict should be genuine, not something that could be resolved with a discussion. It needs to stem from who the characters are and what they believe. The resolution should be a result of growth and lessons learned.

With the many, many romance tropes available to writers, the combinations for something new and fun yet familiar are nearly endless. To paraphrase a current credit card commercial, “What’s in your Trope Wallet?”

Pull it out and put it to work.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

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Romancing Your Story

To Thine Own Self Be True

  • Plotter or Pantser? Or Plottser?
  • Outline or just start writing?
  • Index cards or story map?
  • The Hero’s Journey or Save the Cat?
  • Three Act Structure or Four?
  • The Emotion Thesaurus or 1,000 Character Reactions?
  • Scrivener or Word? Or Google Docs?
  • Tropes or archetypes?

There are nearly as many methods, resources, and ideas about writing romance as there are romance novels. New writers are often overwhelmed by the vast—and sometimes conflicting—teaching they hear.

Friend, I see you. I am you.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon wrote, “the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.” In other words, there is always a new and shiny technique guaranteed to make writing your novel easier.

But does it really?

Thinking about a story, outlining a story, plotting a story is not the same as writing the story. No matter the method or process, writing a novel requires BIC (Bottom in Chair) time. And fingers on the keyboard, typing.

Writing is what makes us writers, not the number of craft books on our shelves.

Joanna Trollope said, “I have more books than I’ll ever read, and I keep buying more books. It’s the one addiction I have.”

I have bought (and then given away) enough how-to books for a writer to furnish a small library. If someone I like recommends a book, I snap it up, set it on top of my already close-to-toppling TBR (To Be Read) Mountain. And there it sits until I can’t take its reproachful cover glaring at me any longer and I place it on a shelf with its other abandoned siblings.

Then I plant myself in front of my computer, place my fingers on the keyboard, and get to work. 

Until my story stalls, yet again, and I run to the newest shiniest craft book on my shelf searching for the secret sauce that will make my story stand out and get noticed above the estimated 2.2 million books published each year.

The answer to how do we make our stories unique:

  • Be original.
  • Be familiar.

Contradictory, right?

Not really.

Readers want stories they relate to.

This accounts for the various and popular tropes. All readers have personal preferences, and this extends to tropes. They may like marriage of convenience stories, enemies to friends, friends to more, secret baby, fairy tales retold, and so on. But even with familiar tropes, readers want something new and original and fresh. 

I have a friend who used to say she wanted to be the next *insert Big Name in publishing.* Our critique friends kept telling her that was impossible. Not because her writing wasn’t good enough, but because she was shortchanging herself and her readers by not being the best writer she could be, instead of a pale imitation of someone else.

She listened, wrote a book from her heart, and it found a publishing home. Making her writing transparent and vulnerable made the difference.

I still buy craft books. I even read some of them. But I’m far enough along on this writing journey to trust that I can write stories worth reading.

So can you.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Categories
Romancing Your Story Writing Romance

A Rose By Any Other Name (Authenticating Details)

Once upon a time, when I was new to fiction writing, I brought a chapter to my weekly workshop/critique group. I read a selection from a romantic suspense where the heroine receives a package from a stalker. In the padded envelope was a dead bird.

My workshop leader/writing teacher/mentor complimented the writing and plot twist, then asked me a question.

“What kind of bird was in the package?”

(I had no idea.) “Hmmm. A little brown bird. A sparrow?”

“Why not say sparrow instead of bird?”

“I don’t know.” (This shows how much I needed to learn.)

“Authenticating details are part of what takes good writing to great writing.”

It took me a long time to understand what my mentor was saying: specificity makes the scene come alive for the reader. “Bird” could mean anything from penguin to turkey and your reader pause to wonder just how big that package was. A sparrow evokes a specific image.

What are some ways to add depth and details to our story worlds?

  • Choose the specific over the general, such as buzzard rather than bird, rose instead of flower. But don’t go so far into specifics (unless it’s vital to the plot), that the reader must pause and research what a long-wattled umbrella bird looks like (black, short-tailed, with a head crest. The males have long wattles).
  • Weather can help set the mood. It’s hard to describe a suspenseful scene if it’s a bright and sunny day. Are the clouds dark and menacing, full of rain? Or white and puffy, moving gracefully across the sky?
  • Food. Is your character eating fries out of a bag while driving their Mini Cooper or leaning over a sink, eating a ham on rye sandwich? Or sitting alone at a long table in an ornate dining room with candles and green cloth napkins to eat a bucket of chicken?
  • Music. What’s playing in the car or in the café? Does a song evoke an emotion in your character?
  • Smells. A steak sizzling on the grill elicits a different expression than driving by a dairy farm. (Trust me, it’s not pleasant.)
  • Clothes and fashion. In the movie Grease, when Sandy’s attire changes from Peter Pan collar blouses and skirts to black leather and off-the-shoulder tops, the viewer knew instantly she was telling Danny she was willing to change to fit into his world.
  • Accessories. Does he wear pearl stud cufflinks and a matching tie pin? Does she wear an armful of bracelets or a colorful necklace?
  • Props. If they scribble a note to say they’re meeting a friend for coffee, do they use a fountain pen, a broken crayon, or a highlighter?

Anything that adds visual detail to your scene will help your readers know and “see” your characters. An engaged reader is one who keeps turning the page. Exactly what we want.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Same Vocabulary, Different Dictionary

I recently attended a conference where one of the speakers talked about how, because of cultural and societal shifts, different generations may converse using the same words, but not realize that the definitions of the words have changed. Basically, we’re using the same vocabulary, but different dictionaries.

Imagine anyone from our current world saying, “My mouse needs a battery and my streaming service has been freezing.” We know exactly what they mean. Someone from a hundred (or even fifty) years ago would likely ask, “What kind of rodent did you train to eat batteries and how could a river/creek/stream freeze?”

To narrow the historical divide a bit, a Boomer or Gen-Xer probably has a different definition of words such as marriage, gender, or furry than a Millennial or Gen-Zer. I know we’ve run into this when talking to our grandkids. We’ve had to ask lots of questions and have them define terms to be sure we’re talking about the same thing. Even emojis may have meanings ascribed to them that are not what you think. 😉

What does this have to do with writing romance?

Everything. Because words matter.

As writers, we need to remember dialogue comes from inside the character. This means that character’s past experiences, their hurts, talents, flaws, everything in them will color how they view life, what they think about things, and what they say.

A man who grew up on a Wyoming cattle ranch will think about a grilled steak differently than a guy from Manhattan’s Upper East Side. But what a fun twist would it be if the cowboy really knew about wine, too? If he had an amazing palate and could pair any food with the perfect wine it could be his super-power.

A woman whose father walked out on her and her mother may be slower to trust men than the gal who grew up with a bunch of brothers and a dad who took her out for donuts every Saturday. For the first woman, it would be a huge step to agree to a second date with a man who accidentally stood her up the first time (due to a misunderstanding). Her agreement would probably be timid, an “Okay, maybe, I guess.” While the second woman would be more able to shrug off the unintended rejection and accept with more enthusiasm. “Sure, let’s try again.”

Dialogue should sound organic and natural to the character.

But don’t fall into the trap of having a character from the South drop their g’s or use exaggerated accents on the page. It be distractin’. Doncha know? Instead, use speech patterns and idioms to create the conversational style you want.

When I wrote a novel set in Tennessee, I consulted several websites listing Southern expressions. Some I used, and some I tweaked for my purposes. One of my favorites, and one that’s often cited as making a reader laugh out loud was, “Well, butter my backside and call me a biscuit.” The actual saying I found was, “Butter my butt and call me a biscuit.” I thought my character would rather refer to her backside, and it kept the alliteration of the b’s, so I changed it to suit my character and my story.

Used wisely, dialogue and word choice can deepen your story and create characters who come alive in the mind of the reader.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Why Are Christmas Romances So Popular?

I’m sure you’re aware of all the Christmas romance movies that Hallmark airs on television before Thanksgiving into the New Year. Christmas romance novellas and novels also show up on bookstore shelves and on social media sites and can easily been found on Goodreads and Amazon between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, what is it about romance stories that take place during the Christmas holiday that glues people to the television set or to the pages of a book?

I believe there are three reasons people, and particularly women, can’t get enough romance stories set during the Christmas holiday, and we’ll look at these one at a time:

1) The Magic of Christmas

This is a secular concept where you can make a wish upon a star or send a letter to Santa to get what you’re looking for. Christmas has been touted as a time when dreams and wishes come true, if you just believe in Santa Claus delivering your much wanted item to your door while you sleep on Christmas Eve, or believe in wishes coming true simply because Christmas is advertised and promoted to be magical. I already mentioned the Hallmark movies, but there are classic movies that include Christmas romance as well, such as White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. All you have to do is believe in the Magic of Christmas and you’ll find love.

2) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When people are generally happy and will give you a cheerful greeting on the street. When people are feeling more generous and are more willing to lend a helping hand or provide something for someone in need. Nonprofit organizations send out flyers or have tables in store foyers seeking donations to help the needy. Christmas music is played over store loudspeakers or via church bells in the local town, and on the radio. Most people think of a chill in the air and the beauty of a freshly fallen sparkling white snow on the ground, and snuggling by the fire in the fireplace drinking hot chocolate. So many wonderful happy pictures are painted in her minds through the music, movies, books, and advertisements of the Christmas holiday, when even the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge find room to be generous, loving, and happy.

3) Jesus Christ, the Savior

To those who know and believe the Word of God, this is the best and most important reason to celebrate Christmas. We believe that God sent His one and only Son to earth around the time that Christmas is celebrated. Why? Because God saw that people needed a Savior – a way to be reconciled from their miserable sinfulness to God, the one who is the only source of true love. Jesus Christ – the true meaning of Christmas, the one who not only brought and offered love, but who is the very embodiment and example of real, true love. He came to live among us and show us how to love one another and how to live with the hope of one day spending eternity with Him, Jesus, the one who laid down his life for each and every one of us; the one who showed us that real love is sacrificial and priceless, and this is the kind of love we all hope and long for.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have found The Nativity Story movie, written by Mike Rich, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and released in 2006, from which I used a picture above, to be my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time. Though it does not include a typical romance, I think the way Mr. Rich depicted the relationship between Mary and Joseph was so perfect and touching. So, if you’re looking for inspiration for writing a romance story, you might want to consider watching this movie and paying attention to the interaction between the characters of Mary and Joseph.

No matter which of these reasons is your reason to seek and enjoy Christmas romance, they all have a “feel good” sentiment, which is what romance readers want. That’s what I believe makes Christmas romance stories so popular—all people want to be accepted, loved, and happy. So no matter which of the reasons above is your reason for watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, or reading Christmas romance novels, you will find the magic of Christmas is love.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Why Are Christmas Romances So Popular

I’m sure you’re aware of all the Christmas romance movies that Hallmark airs on television before Thanksgiving into the New Year. Christmas romance novellas and novels also show up on bookstore shelves and on social media sites and can easily been found on Goodreads and Amazon between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, what is it about romance stories that take place during the Christmas holiday that glues people to the television set or to the pages of a book?

I believe there are three reasons people, and particularly women, can’t get enough romance stories set during the Christmas holiday, and we’ll look at these one at a time:

1 The Magic of Christmas

This is a secular concept where you can make a wish upon a star or send a letter to Santa to get what you’re looking for. Christmas has been touted as a time when dreams and wishes come true, if you just believe in Santa Claus delivering your much wanted item to your door while you sleep on Christmas Eve, or believe in wishes coming true simply because Christmas is advertised and promoted to be magical. I already mentioned the Hallmark movies, but there are classic movies that include Christmas romance as well, such as White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. All you have to do is believe in the Magic of Christmas and you’ll find love.

2 The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

When people are generally happy and will give you a cheerful greeting on the street. When people are feeling more generous and are more willing to lend a helping hand or provide something for someone in need. Nonprofit organizations send out flyers or have tables in store foyers seeking donations to help the needy. Christmas music is played over store loudspeakers or via church bells in the local town, and on the radio. Most people think of a chill in the air and the beauty of a freshly fallen sparkling white snow on the ground, and snuggling by the fire in the fireplace drinking hot chocolate. So many wonderful happy pictures are painted in her minds through the music, movies, books, and advertisements of the Christmas holiday, when even the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge find room to be generous, loving, and happy.

3 Jesus Christ, the Savior

To those who know and believe the Word of God, this is the best and most important reason to celebrate Christmas. We believe that God sent His one and only Son to earth around the time that Christmas is celebrated. Why? Because God saw that people needed a Savior – a way to be reconciled from their miserable sinfulness to God, the one who is the only source of true love. Jesus Christ – the true meaning of Christmas, the one who not only brought and offered love, but who is the very embodiment and example of real, true love. He came to live among us and show us how to love one another and how to live with the hope of one day spending eternity with Him, Jesus, the one who laid down his life for each and every one of us; the one who showed us that real love is sacrificial and priceless, and this is the kind of love we all hope and long for.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have found The Nativity Story movie, written by Mike Rich, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and released in 2006, from which I used a picture above, to be my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time. Though it does not include a typical romance, I think the way Mr. Rich depicted the relationship between Mary and Joseph was so perfect and touching. So, if you’re looking for inspiration for writing a romance story, you might want to consider watching this movie and paying attention to the interaction between the characters of Mary and Joseph.

No matter which of these reasons is your reason to seek and enjoy Christmas romance, they all have a “feel good” sentiment, which is what romance readers want. That’s what I believe makes Christmas romance stories so popular—all people want to be accepted, loved, and happy.

So no matter which of the reasons above is your reason for watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, or reading Christmas romance novels, you will find the magic of Christmas is love.

Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.

You can find her online at:

Website: kellyfbarr.com

MeWe: KellyBarr8

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Make it Personal

One of my favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail. When Joe Fox attempts to apologize to Kathleen Kelly for forcing her out of business, he says, “It wasn’t … personal.”

She replies, “What is that supposed to mean? … All that means is that it wasn’t personal to you. But it was personal to me … Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal.”

The same is true of great fiction. It begins by being personal, meaning your story should embrace universal themes that people will relate to.

The Count of Monte Cristo poses the question, does getting even—revenge and retribution—make one happy and satisfied?

Kristan Higgins’ new release, Pack Up the Moon, is about a grieving widower who receives a letter a month from his late wife for the first year after her death. In spite of the downer premise, the theme is that “life’s greatest joys are often hiding in plain sight.”

A Christmas Carol and Les Miserables pose the question, is redemption possible?

I love stories with themes of perseverance, of never giving up, despite terrible odds. This is why I enjoy Susan May Warren’s adventure thrillers, like her Global Search and Rescue, Montana Marshalls, and Montana Rescue series. The stories are full of danger and intrigue and impossible predicaments, but the protagonists survive. I also like movies like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and R.E.D. The heroes. Never. Give. Up.

Another book with a theme of perseverance would be A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L′Engle.

The theme of You’ve Got Mail is summed up nicely in its tagline: Someone you pass on the street may already be the love of your life.

That’s intriguing. Even if you’re with the love of your life, there are occasions you may wonder what (or who) might be out there. What if you’d walked to work the day you met your significant other, instead of taking the bus?

The movie Sliding Doors shows this “path not taken,” plot with a lot of heart and creativity. Helen is fired from her job and takes a train home in the middle of the day to find her boyfriend with another woman. Or did she miss the train and arrived home after the other woman left, and stayed in a relationship with the cheater?

I think Sliding Doors’ theme is, will true love always find a way?

The heroine of my work in progress is a young widow. I’ve never lost a spouse, but I’ve lost a parent and other close loved ones. I know the stages of grief (anger, denial, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). The hero has his own loss that he’s dealing with, so their journeys are each echoed in the other. I’m attempting to show a theme that life and love can be rich again, after loss.

Grief and joy. Regret and eagerness. Doubt and excitement.

Our job is put those emotions on the page in a way the reader relates to and (hopefully) feels them as much as our characters do. Personally.

Carrie Padgett lives in Central California, close to Yosemite, but far from Hollywood, the beach, and the Golden Gate Bridge. She believes in faith, families, fun, and happily ever afters. She writes contemporary fiction with romance. She recently signed a contract with Sunrise Publishing to co-write a romance novel with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck that will be published in 2022. Carrie and her husband live in the country with their high-maintenance cat and laid-back dog, within driving distance of their six grandchildren.

You can find her online at:

Categories
Romancing Your Story

The Romance Promise

Every book written begins with a promise. No matter if it is fiction or nonfiction, there is a promise of what the reader can expect to find in the book.

As a reader, how would you feel if you picked up a diet book expecting tips on losing weight along with recipes for healthy food only to find tips for making candy and recipes for delicious cakes and pies? As the reader, you would be disappointed because it wasn’t what was promised in the description.

The same is true for fiction. Every genre makes a specific promise.

Romance promises the reader a love story. Be it a historical, contemporary, secular, Christian, traditionally or independently published, when a reader buys a book in the romance category, they expect two people to fall in love.

Romance is a broad category in fiction and readers base their expectations of what the book is about on the back cover blurb and publisher. Knowing the market is critical in understanding the promise you are making to the reader.

As the reader begins the first page, she/he is ready to go on the journey with the two main characters. We root for the characters to overcome the obstacles standing in their way and enjoy watching their trust grow and turn to love. When all seems lost, we are eager to cheer for them when their love prevails, and the story ends with the expected happily ever after (HEA).

While attending a secular romance writers group meeting, I listened to some of those attending discuss how the HEA was outdated. Some seemed to think that it should be changed to “happily for now.” I can only speak for myself, but I’d be disappointed if the book I’d invested my time in ended with a “you’ll do until somebody better comes along.”

As a reader, if I’m looking for something clean or Christian, I’m not going to be happy if I stumble into a book with language that I find unacceptable or explicit sex scenes.

With traditionally published books, finding yourself in an unexpected genre isn’t as likely since editors and marketing are careful about the books they publish. Unfortunately, that isn’t necessarily true in independently published romances.

I talked to a local reading group member who told me about a book selection they’d made because the writer was a local Christian romance writer. She shared that she was shocked at some of the language used and the explicit sex scenes written among scripture verses. She said she would never buy a book by that author again. She went on to say she felt cheated.

It was a clear example of a writer having broken her promise to the reader.

Readers need to know they can trust us to deliver a satisfying love story within their chosen romance category. When we break that promise, we disappoint and probably lose a reader. As authors, we don’t want to give readers a reason not to buy our books. When you make the reader a promise, be sure you keep it.

Happy Writing!

Award-winning writer, Rose Gardner’s journey toward publication has come in two phases. During the early years, she was a finalist in thirteen contests and won her category in seven, was a 2007 RWA Golden Heart finalist in the Long Contemporary Category, and 2nd runner up in the 2008 Harlequin Super Romance Conflict of Interest Contest. After a break from writing, she returned to writing with a renewed focus on clean, contemporary heartwarming stories about love, hope, healing, and the power of forgiveness. She has won or placed in several contests for unpublished writers since 2017 as she works toward publication. You can find out more about Rose at her website mrosegardner.com or on social media at Facebook at MRoseGardner/, Twitter MaryGardner6, Instagram mrosegardner/ 

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Romancing Your Story

Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part III

Have you ever wondered what the opposite sex is thinking while you’re thinking? Men, as a rule, think in fewer words, phrases, emotions, than women generally do. The key to dialogue in romance writing is to keep it natural and consistent. #InsideHerosHead #writingromance101 @donnalhsmith @a3writers [bctt tweet=”Have you ever wondered what the opposite sex is thinking while you’re thinking? Men, as a rule, think in fewer words, phrases, emotions, than women generally do. The key to dialogue in romance writing is to keep it natural and consistent. #InsideHerosHead #writingromance101 ” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3writers”]

Continue reading “Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part III”
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Romancing Your Story

Falling in Love—NOT the Goal

My name is M. Rose Gardner and I am an aspiring author of contemporary romance.  This is my first article for A3 and I hope you enjoy it.

You may be looking at the title and wondering why the goal in a romance isn’t falling in love? Actually, the only person who should have that goal for the hero and heroine is the author.

Continue reading “Falling in Love—NOT the Goal”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

Getting Inside the Hero’s Head––Part I

Contrary to popular belief, the male is the key to any romance. The female is usually the “lead” character. The male, (alpha or beta) is the key to the romance. We’re not writing same-sex romantic fiction, here. If that’s your goal, you won’t get much out of this. [bctt tweet=”Most readers of romance are women. Women identify with the heroine of the story. A woman who just wants to be loved like the hero loves the heroine. #InsideHerosHead #donnalhsmith #almostanauthor #writingromance101″ username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”]

Continue reading “Getting Inside the Hero’s Head––Part I”
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Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Hero – Part V

Judah is the man for Tovah. To review: Tovah is a rabbi with rejection issues. Judah is an IDF veteran businessman. He’ll give her confidence in her calling as a rabbi. She’ll give him renewed faith in himself. [bctt tweet=”Throwing obstacles in the way of romance is what compels the reader to turn the page. #amwriting #CraftingTheRomanticHero #almostanauthor #donnalhsmith” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”]

Continue reading “Crafting the Hero – Part V”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Hero––Part IV

We’re crafting both our romantic heroine and our hero. Our heroine is Tovah, a Jewish rabbi who fears rejection because of being dumped by a boy while she was in high school. Judah is going to be the man for Tovah. [bctt tweet=”Adding complementary, yet opposite characteristics to your romantic lead characters will either bring them together or split them apart. #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheRomanticHero” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”]

Hero Types

Alpha: The alpha male is all masculine. As soon as he enters a room, he takes charge. To many people, he might seem rigid and dictatorial. Why would our heroine love this kind of man? He’d have to have a tender side, that only she sees, because she’s the one that brings it out in him. More of a loner type, the heroine will get to him in a way that only she could.

Beta: The beta male will interact more with the heroine, rather than barking out orders. He’s no pushover, though. He could be of any profession, come from a large family or other type of support system. Where the alpha male may hide his issues, the beta male is more likely to share his issue, bit-by-bit throughout the story.

Judah’s Backstory:

Let’s discover a bit about Judah. Since Tovah’s a rabbi, let’s make Judah a businessman. Maybe he owns a corporation that just established its U.S. headquarters. I see Judah as a beta male, though in America, he’s pretty much by himself. His family still lives in Israel.

He’s gregarious, with good humor. A great leader with a calm and pleasing personality.

Maybe he’s moved to the United States from Israel, now that his military service in IDF is completed. His father could be the CEO of the Israeli corporation and has sent Judah to launch a U.S. branch. We can determine what kind of business later, but I’m leaning toward a medical research firm…because I know that Israel is on the leading edge in medical research.

What if he thinks he’s a hothead? He tries to keep his temper under control, but after being forced to kill in the IDF, he’s afraid of killing again, even though he’s out of the service. He could also suffer from PTSD.

But he loves God and knows the Torah. He’s devout, yet he has trouble understanding his inward self. He never thought he could kill, even when faced with death. We’ll continue to build our hero next time.

[bctt tweet=”Two types of males make up a romantic hero. Will the hero of your story be an alpha or a beta male? A bull in a china shop or an artsy sensitive guy? #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheRomanticHero” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”]

BIO

Donna L.H. Smith is a Kansas prairie girl transplanted to Lancaster County, PA. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman program and holds a B.S. and M.A. degrees in mass communications.

She’s been a freelance journalist, marketer, public relations, and a radio reporter. Now, she blogs, speaks at workshops and retreats and although she is at an age where many begin slowing down, she wouldn’t think of it. She serves as Managing Editor for Almost an Author and is Mid-Atlantic Zone Director of American Christian Fiction Writers. You can find her at her website, www.donnalhsmith.com, Facebook, and on Twitter as @donnalhsmith.

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Hero––Part III by Donna L.H. Smith

Nobody’s perfect, right? True. Neither can your romantic hero be perfect. Choose a character flaw that will irritate your heroine to the point where in order to love him, she’ll have to overlook it. Click to Tweet #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheHeroine

Continue reading “Crafting the Hero––Part III by Donna L.H. Smith”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Hero––Part II by Donna L.H. Smith

[bctt tweet=”Judah is going to be the man for Tovah. A romantic hero should be handsome and strong, sweet and sensitive, equal to the heroine with a sense of humor. #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheHero” username=”@A3Authors @donnalhsmith”]

You’ve heard that opposites attract. Let’s list Tovah’s personality characteristics, then see how we can match Judah, our hero, up on the opposite side.

Tovah

Personality: Rejection, stutters when she gets nervous. Kind of shy, yet when she’s comfortable around someone, she can be witty and happy-go-lucky. She’s considerate and kind, but she’s got a temper, too.

Appearance: flowing light chestnut hair with great styling body. Her eyes are dark and beautiful, lips the perfect proportion.

Judah

Personality: Outgoing and friendly. Our hero be able to draw Tovah out of her shell. He’s somewhat laid back, which will help cool her off when she loses her temper. He’s self-confident, which will help her overcome her nervousness, and eventually, her stutter.

Appearance: Dark, curly hair, almost black, and lots of it. As a descendant of the house of David, he inherited the thick, heavy hair that Absalom had. He keeps it relatively short, but in attractive curls all over his head. His eyes are blue, a deep, sapphire blue, and penetrates and pierces her heart.

We’re setting up for conflict, sparks flying, and romantic respect between our two protagonists. There are always two in a romance. There can be three to begin with, until one is eliminated. I did that in my debut novel, Meghan’s Choice, a historical romance western available on Amazon.

Next time, we’ll get to some flaws for both characters. Opposite isn’t quite enough. They need conflict, romantic tension, and weakness.

[bctt tweet=”The romantic hero is always equal to the heroine—whether trading verbal barbs or enjoying a quiet meal. They’re a match, able to go through life together. #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheRomanticHero” username=”@a3Authors @donnalhsmith”]

BIO

Donna L.H. Smith is a Kansas prairie girl transplanted to Lancaster County, PA. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman program and holds a B.S. in Telecommunications (broadcasting) from Oral Roberts University and a M.A. in Mass Communication from Wichita State University. She’s been married to a wonderful man named Kirby for thirty years. No children, but a dog and her Mom over an eleven-year period.

She’s been a freelance journalist, and a radio reporter. Now, she blogs, speaks at workshops and retreats and although she is at an age where many begin slowing down, she wouldn’t think of it. She serves as Assistant Managing Editor for Almost an Author.com, and is Mid-Atlantic Zone Director of American Christian Fiction Writers. Other memberships include is also a member of the Protégé program of Advanced Writers & Speaker’s Association and Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter. You can find her at her website, www.donnalhsmith.com, Facebook, and on Twitter as @donnalhsmith.

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Hero––Part I

Our romantic heroine, Tovah, is about to meet her match. She’s a Jewish rabbi who fears rejection because of being dumped by a boy while she was in high school. What kind of man should she end up with? [bctt tweet=”First, and foremost, a romantic hero is created to love and be loved by the heroine. She is the prize for him. He is the treasure for her.” username=”@A3Authors @donnalhsmith”]  #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheHeroine

Continue reading “Crafting the Hero––Part I”
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Genre Romancing Your Story

Crafting the Romantic Heroine––Part III

Here’s what we know so far about Susie, our romantic heroine. We’ve made her Jewish, with fears of rejection, and by profession, a rabbi. What she notices when she looks in the mirror, is her nose. Because of it’s length, she thinks she’s ugly. Her voice is smooth and soothing, but she stutters when she gets nervous. She has flowing chestnut hair with great styling body. Her eyes are dark and beautiful, lips the perfect proportion.

[bctt tweet=”The romantic heroine’s flaws leave room for complementary strengths in the hero.” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith @AlmostanAuthor”] #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheHeroine

This time, let’s change her name to suit who she is.

Naming Your Heroine

We’ve been calling her Susie, but maybe we should find a good Jewish name for her, such as Hannah, or Tovah, or Rebekkah. What do you think? Tovah reminds me of the actress, Tovah Feldshuh. I like the name. No one but a Jewish girl would have a name like that. Tovah’s her first name.

Maybe Cohen should be her last name. Tovah Cohen is a great Jewish name. Cohens, as I understand it, are descendants of the Levites, those charged with taking care of the tabernacle and the temple. Sounds good for a woman rabbi.

Connotations

Thinking of the connotations of the name you choose for your romance heroine is important. And, it’s precisely why in renaming Susie to Tovah, we’ve left little doubt as to Tovah’s heritage, background, and race.

If you name your heroine Bree, what nicknames would other characters come up with? Breezy, as in air-headed? You probably don’t want that connotation.

Once you have this basic information about your heroine, you can begin to add personality traits, backstory, and all those things to make Tovah a three-dimensional character.

Before diving into Tovah too deeply, we can begin to craft the hero. We’ll get to him next time.

[bctt tweet=”In naming your romantic heroine, choose a name that will reflect and personify your leading lady.” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith @AlmostanAuthor”] #amwriting #RomancingYourStory #AlmostAnAuthor #CraftingTheHeroine

How are you liking Tovah so far? Leave a comment and let me know.

Donna L.H. Smith is married and lives in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild Craftsman and holds two degrees in communications, with experience in publication and broadcasting. She blogs regularly and serves two Christian writer’s organizations. Her first novel, Meghan’s Choice, was an Operation First Novel semi-finalist. For more information, visit her website at www.donnalhsmith.com. Facebook: Donna L.H. Smith Twitter: @donnalhsmith