Columns: Tag – Chick Lit
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A Romance Writer's World
Writing on Valentine’s Day
The month of February is always about romance, yet the nature of expected romance means that it isn’t always all that romantic in the classic sense of the word. Have you ever read a romance novel where the hero proposes to the heroine on Valentine’s Day?
A Romance Writer's World
Writing is not simply putting words on a page
Writing is not simply putting words on a page. The process of writing begins somewhere else, and the words on the page are the result of this process. So where does the process begin for me?
A Romance Writer's World
Inspiration for a novel
My life as a “servant” was short-lived, memorable, humbling — and became the inspiration for my second Regency novel, Lord Fenmore’s Wager. Regency novels are often about wealthy rakes and feisty debutante heroines, but what about those heroines who work for the privileged of society?
A Romance Writer's World
Historical vs Contemporary Fiction
Writing modern day fiction vs. writing historical fiction… which is easier? I’ve been pondering this question recently, especially as I have published two Regency novels as well as a modern/chick lit novel. Writing historical novels is far less hazardous than writing modern stories, I believe.
A Romance Writer's World
Conflict in Romance Novels and Real-Life Relationships - Part One
Conflict is necessary in a romance novel to drive the story forward. If the hero and heroine of a book meet in the beginning of the novel, get on fabulously well, and decide straight away that they want to spend the rest of their lives together it would make for pretty dull reading.
A Romance Writer's World
Conflict in Romance Novels and Real-Life Relationships - Part Two
What is it about a relationship – fictional or not – that sustains it in the long-term? And can a conflict-ridden couple ever change their destructive pattern and live in peaceful co-existence?
A Romance Writer's World
Heroes and Villains
Listen to a friend talking about the new boyfriend she’s fallen in love with and you’ll more than likely hear that he’s smart, clever, funny, exciting, good-looking, fascinating, and altogether wonderful. Fast forward to when she’s had an upsetting break up with him somewhere down the line, and you’ll get a very different picture drawn of him – she’ll probably say he’s mean, selfish, nasty, ungenerous and ugly to boot.
A Romance Writer's World
TSTL Heroines in Romance Novels
In the romance reading community there’s an acronym for a certain kind of heroine – the heroine who is described as TSTL (Too Stupid To Live). Every romance reader has probably encountered her within the pages of a novel, and she can engender such frustration in you that you literally want to throw the book against a wall. (Books like these are often described as “wallbangers”).
A Romance Writer's World
Sweet Words Of Romance
I often wonder about the part that language plays in real-life romances. Some men use words and flattery to sweep you off your feet in the beginning of a relationship. Although the words are sweet to hear (who doesn’t like being told that they’re “exquisite” or “beautiful”?) when these words are said too easily, I must admit that I wonder about their sincerity.
A Romance Writer's World
Romance Heroines Rarely Date
Have you noticed that some people have a dating personality and an everyday personality and that the two often don’t gel – or aren’t even similar? Often you’ll see a woman chatting to a group of her friends and she’ll appear strong and confident and happy. However, fast forward to when she’s on a date with a man, and you might find a quiet, withdrawn person, who seems nervous and ill at ease; or alternatively someone who is overexcited and on edge.
A Romance Writer's World
Details are Important in Books, Love and Life
Writing a novel requires you to have two very distinct abilities. You have to be able to see the big picture, as you imagine your story from start to finish. It’s like a giant arch, with the story starting off on one end, stretching to the heavens and then curving down towards the other end.
The second skill that you need is to be able to see the details in each scene… the paving stones of the giant arch, if you will.
A Romance Writer's World
Creating Male Characters in Novels
As a writer, I must admit that I’ve always been more comfortable creating female characters than delving into the minds of the male characters in my books. This is because, as a woman, I find it easy to create realistic female characters. However, getting inside the mind of a man is a completely different story.
A Romance Writer's World
The Essence of Attraction – Part One
When you write a romance novel, the attraction between the hero and heroine needs to crackle off the pages. It’s this romantic tension between the two main characters which drives the story forward and makes you want to continue reading.
A Romance Writer's World
The Essence of Attraction – Part Two
In my previous blog I outlined three important elements that create attraction between a hero and heroine in a romance novel, namely mystery, desire and confidence.
Another important aspect in creating attraction between a man and a woman is unpredictability. In the beginning of a relationship the hero shouldn’t be able to predict the heroine’s behaviour, and vice versa. This generates romantic tension in a relationship, which creates an interesting dynamic between the hero and heroine.
A Romance Writer's World
The Essence of Attraction - Part Three
Another crucial element when it comes to creating attraction between a hero and heroine is likeability. Now I’m not saying that the hero and heroine will necessarily like one another all the time. In most romance novels, sparks are usually flying, and it’s fair to say that the hero and heroine don’t always see eye to eye on matters. But in a good romance novel the hero and heroine will often find themselves liking each other – even if it’s against their will.
A Romance Writer's World
Dating Lessons From Historical Romance Novels
Historical romance heroines can teach modern day women on the dating scene a few interesting lessons… In Regency England, amongst the gentry and nobility, young women were brought to London and presented to Society. The young ladies would dress up in beautifully made gowns, and attend Coming Out balls where the eligible bachelors in Town would ask them to dance, and as they talked and waltzed about the room, the men and women would carefully assess each other’s marriage potential.
A Romance Writer's World
Creating Strong Female Characters - Part One
Women can so easily be conditioned by society to believe that we aren’t worthy of love… everywhere around us there are messages that women are too fat, or too old, or not pretty enough… just not enough. I would say that all women suffer from some sort of insecurity or other.
A Romance Writer's World
Creating Strong Female Characters – Part Two
I’ve just finished reading The Rake, by New York Times best-selling author, Mary Jo Putney. The Rake features a very strong female character, Alys, who is quite an unconventional woman in the context of 19th century Regency England.
A Romance Writer's World
Selfish Love And The Big Misunderstanding
I want to elaborate on the theme I touched upon in my previous blog – the idea of selfish love. It is often said that there are two sides to every story, and it could similarly be said that there are two sides to every romantic relationship. That’s what makes writing romance novels so interesting. Look at any piece of romantic fiction and you will find situations where a female character sees something in a certain way while her male love interest has a completely different point of view. It’s all about how individuals uniquely interpret the facts of a situation.
A Romance Writer's World
Romantic Relationships – Masculine and Feminine Energy
What defines a romantic relationship? Is it simply a friendship with a dose of attraction thrown into the mix? Or is there something more to it? The unique thing about a romantic relationship, I would say, is the balance of masculine and feminine energy that flows back and forth between the two people in the relationship, and how this can either ignite passion and romantic love, or cause it to be doused out.