In my quest to improve my writing and make stories more irresistible for the readers, I've been doing some research. It's amazing the number of online resources there are for writers who give away some of the secrets of creating interesting characters and keeping the plot going. Much of what exists online is applicable to any genre, but, like all the others, there is a secret sauce when it comes to romance that keeps the readers coming back for more. What is it? What need in life does romance fill?
After perusing several websites that did not exactly answer the question but did give a name to the climax of a romance novel (dark moment, remember that), the mentions of an old classic, Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, caught my eye. It seems that this is as close to a go to textbook on how to write romance as exists.
And, as it happens, I had a copy on my bookshelf, unread until now, from when I first thought to be a romance author over twenty years ago, before I rehabilitated my singing voice and gave opera a try. (Seriously, talk about an obsequious world. Stuck in the 18th century, and full of blood suckers.)
Imagine my delight to find on the front cover that the small tome was edited by my (now) idol in romance authorship, Jayne Ann Krentz. I'm not sure what it is, but her books are like crack. You just can't get enough. (Incidentally, I think the same of roasted cauliflower and sparkling water, so it's gotta be more than just a drug.)
This monograph (did I mention I used to work in a library?) is over twenty-five years old, before the internet was really a utility, and when connecting to other computers was done pretty strictly by modem. Publishing at the time was a matter of standing out in the slushpiles of the New York City publishing houses, not just signing up for Smashwords or B2B and pressing publish when you were sure the thing was polished enough. Seriously. You had to really put the time and effort into a submission.
It's that time and effort that needs to be honed for true artistry. That I know from being a singer. It takes study and practice of technique to perfect an art form.
So, now that I have some direction, let the study begin!
By the way, I've been busy.
Planned releases subject to change depending on this household sheltering more hurricane evacuees, and family members having medical crises:
December 2017 - High Maintenance, Mickey Dolan and his southern belle, Tara McKenzie
March 2018 - No Turning Back, Sean Dolan and quartet member Marianne Drummond
Until next time!
After perusing several websites that did not exactly answer the question but did give a name to the climax of a romance novel (dark moment, remember that), the mentions of an old classic, Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, caught my eye. It seems that this is as close to a go to textbook on how to write romance as exists.
And, as it happens, I had a copy on my bookshelf, unread until now, from when I first thought to be a romance author over twenty years ago, before I rehabilitated my singing voice and gave opera a try. (Seriously, talk about an obsequious world. Stuck in the 18th century, and full of blood suckers.)
Imagine my delight to find on the front cover that the small tome was edited by my (now) idol in romance authorship, Jayne Ann Krentz. I'm not sure what it is, but her books are like crack. You just can't get enough. (Incidentally, I think the same of roasted cauliflower and sparkling water, so it's gotta be more than just a drug.)
This monograph (did I mention I used to work in a library?) is over twenty-five years old, before the internet was really a utility, and when connecting to other computers was done pretty strictly by modem. Publishing at the time was a matter of standing out in the slushpiles of the New York City publishing houses, not just signing up for Smashwords or B2B and pressing publish when you were sure the thing was polished enough. Seriously. You had to really put the time and effort into a submission.
It's that time and effort that needs to be honed for true artistry. That I know from being a singer. It takes study and practice of technique to perfect an art form.
So, now that I have some direction, let the study begin!
By the way, I've been busy.
- I put a draft of my first short story, Secrets of the Bayou, in the can this week. It takes place on the Mississippi Delta a few years after the Louisiana Purchase and the American takeover of sugar plantation life. I'll have more on that later.
- By reader request, Stephen and Manon Pernoud's story is developing. It will be a short story and out probably sometime early in 2018.
- Gabriel and Alicia, also by reader request, is in production. Figuring out their "dark moment" is giving me a run for my money.
Planned releases subject to change depending on this household sheltering more hurricane evacuees, and family members having medical crises:
December 2017 - High Maintenance, Mickey Dolan and his southern belle, Tara McKenzie
March 2018 - No Turning Back, Sean Dolan and quartet member Marianne Drummond
Until next time!
No comments:
Post a Comment