Alissa Baxter's Blog, page 7
July 15, 2013
The Essence of Attraction – Part Two
In my previous post 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. Of course, as the romance progresses the main characters will become more familiar with each other, in that they’ll start to know each other better, but this shouldn’t make them predictable.
What adds to the attraction between a man and a woman is some sort of challenge. The hero should find the heroine challenging in some way. Even if you’ve created a meek and mild heroine, something in her demeanour should challenge the hero. For instance, the hero might find it exciting to see if he can discover whether passion lurks beneath the quiet surface of the heroine; or he might try and find out why she behaves in a particular manner with certain people, while behaving quite differently around him…
The heroine should also find the hero challenging – either to her ideas about love and life in general, or something in his personality should intrigue her to get to know him better.
Social status is another important aspect of attraction. This doesn’t mean that the hero must be a powerful, wealthy character, but he should be able to command some sort of respect from the people around him. It boils down to a natural authority the hero should command, to be well… a hero! A similar thing applies to a heroine – she should have aspects of her character that other people admire, because think about it – if no one in the book likes and respects her, why would a reader bother to spend time with her between the covers of a book?
In my next post I’ll continue to elaborate on this theme…
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. Of course, as the romance progresses the main characters will become more familiar with each other, in that they’ll start to know each other better, but this shouldn’t make them predictable.
What adds to the attraction between a man and a woman is some sort of challenge. The hero should find the heroine challenging in some way. Even if you’ve created a meek and mild heroine, something in her demeanour should challenge the hero. For instance, the hero might find it exciting to see if he can discover whether passion lurks beneath the quiet surface of the heroine; or he might try and find out why she behaves in a particular manner with certain people, while behaving quite differently around him…
The heroine should also find the hero challenging – either to her ideas about love and life in general, or something in his personality should intrigue her to get to know him better.
Social status is another important aspect of attraction. This doesn’t mean that the hero must be a powerful, wealthy character, but he should be able to command some sort of respect from the people around him. It boils down to a natural authority the hero should command, to be well… a hero! A similar thing applies to a heroine – she should have aspects of her character that other people admire, because think about it – if no one in the book likes and respects her, why would a reader bother to spend time with her between the covers of a book?
In my next post I’ll continue to elaborate on this theme…
July 9, 2013
An Interview With Sarah Louise Smith, Author Of Izzy's Cold Feet
Today I’m interviewing chick-lit writer Sarah Louise Smith. Welcome Sarah, and thanks for joining me today.
Thanks for having me!
Tell us about your latest novel.
Izzy has had a troubled life so far; her sister is missing and she's seen her fair share of heartache. At the start of the novel, she is about to get married to Greg, but she's not sure if she really loves him. She keeps thinking about her ex-boyfriends, and takes the reader on a journey through her past, analysing each relationship and how it went wrong. To complicate matters and confuse her even further, each of her past loves turns up in the week leading up to the wedding and Izzy must decide which man she loves the most.
Tell us a bit about Izzy...
Izzy is the sort of person who likes to be organised and plan ahead. She over-thinks and analyses a bit too much. She's also a very caring person, she loves to cook and she thinks a lot about her missing sister.
How do you go about writing a novel? Can you tell us about your writing process?
I am quite slow to get started, but once I do, I'm quite a fast writer. I think about it for quite a while, then write lots of notes, then finally sit down and try to get it all typed up!
What do you enjoy most about being a writer?
The best thing so far is hearing from readers who enjoyed my first novel, Amy & Zach. It's so nice to get lovely comments and feedback, it makes the hard work feel worthwhile...
What do you like most about the chick-lit genre?
When I read, I want some happy escapism. I am not really looking for anything too complicated or scary in a book. I want a feel-good, relatively easy read, with some comedy and romance, something that makes me smile at the end!
Do you have a favourite author?
My favourite chick-lit author is Paige Toon. Her novels are past-faced, funny, sad, romantic, happy, realistic with some fabulous characters. I'm also a really big Jane Austen fan, Pride and Prejudice is my favourite novel of all time and I read it again and again.
Thanks so much for having me, Alissa :)
About Sarah Louise SmithSarah Louise Smith lives in Milton Keynes, UK, with her husband, two cute cats and a loopy golden retriever. She has an extremely lovely step-daughter and spends most of her free time writing, reading, cooking, and taking long walks.
She’s the author of two chick-lit novels: Amy & Zach and Izzy’s Cold Feet, both published by Crooked Cat. Read Sarah’s blog at: www.sarahlouisesmith.com.
Blurb – Izzy’s Cold FeetOne bride to be. Three ex-boyfriends.
Izzy is engaged to Greg, who is everything a girl could want.The trouble is – all she can think about is the men she loved before she met him: sexy Ewan, the first love of her life; dependable Jason, who loved her more than she deserved; and irresistible Dexter, who broke her heart…
Then there’s the fact that her sister has been missing since Izzy was twelve. After such a traumatic childhood all Izzy wants is a normal, happy, settled life, but love is never simple.In the week leading up to her wedding day, Izzy is forced to ask herself who she loves the most. And, given the choice, who would she want to spend her life with?
Links:
Sarah’s website/blogYou can purchase the paperback or e-versions from all the usual online book sellers.
Amazon UK Amazon US
Sarah Twitter Sarah Facebook
Where to find Amy & ZachAmazon UK
Amazon US
July 1, 2013
Cover Reveal: The Blog Affair
I've received the cover of my soon-to-be-published novel, The Blog Affair, from my publisher. Getting excited as the publication date comes closer - it'll be published in October.
Here's the cover!
Here's the cover!
June 23, 2013
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.
An important aspect of attraction is mystery… the hero and the heroine need to spend time wondering about each other. A good way to create mystery in a novel is to have short, sparkling scenes of dialogue between the hero and heroine, interspersed with scenes where the main characters reflect about their interactions with the other person. The more they wonder about each other and try and figure each other out, the more they will become attracted to each other.
Another important aspect of attraction is desire… in order to keep the desire building between the hero and heroine, you should create obstacles between them that need to be overcome. This applies particularly to the hero of a novel, because the more he has to work for the heroine, the more he will appreciate her. Heroes in romance novels tend to be Alpha Males, who have the world (and most women) at their feet. That’s why it’s so important for men of this ilk to work hard for the heroine, because heroes who have it all need to be shaken out of their complacency if they’re ever to fall properly in love.
The third important aspect of attraction is confidence… even if you’ve created a shy, retiring female character she needs to have some element of confidence in herself, if she is ever to be a believable romantic heroine. If a heroine has no self-belief, it will be hard for the reader to believe in her and her love for the hero – it’ll appear to be a wishy-washy kind of thing without form or substance. The hero also needs to portray confidence in a romantic relationship so that the heroine (and the reader!) will fall in love with him. Just as a man leads a woman when they are dancing, in the same way a man’s confidence will either sweep a woman off her feet if it is present, or cause her (and the romance) to stumble if it is not.
In my next post, I will elaborate on other important elements of attraction, which are vital for a romance to be believable.
June 7, 2013
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. Hazardous might be an odd choice of word, but for me writing a modern day story is a dangerous enterprise. You see - I cannot resist putting real people into my stories. When I write an historical novel, it’s easy to for me to disguise my characters. Great Aunt Sue is far less likely to recognise herself if she is dressed in a dramatic floor length gown with her hair swept off her face in my historical novel than if she is dressed in a skirt and blouse, and her rather scuffed brown shoes in my chick lit novel.
It’s not that I consciously look for real people to base my characters on - it’s just that when I’m writing a book, more often than not, someone I know - usually someone with an idiosyncrasy of some kind or other pops in to my head, and I think, “Oh - she’ll be PERFECT for the role of Jane or Sarah or Angela” and I promptly put them into my story. Usually a character who has been inspired by a real life person will take on a life of his or her own, once they’re within the pages of one of my novels, and often they change in quite noticeable ways, sometimes beyond recognition. But the fact remains that when you base a character on one of your friends or acquaintances, there’s always the chance that the person you’ve based the character on will find you out…
However, I’ve noticed that some people are quite pleased at the idea of being a character in a book - particularly if that character is the hero or heroine. It’s the secondary characters that I worry about more i.e. the best friend of the heroine, who wears too much makeup, for instance, and is always in trouble with men, or the heroine’s goofy male friend who complains to her about his lack-lustre love life, or alternatively, the charming bad boy who breaks hearts wherever he goes, or the bossy colleague who’s always telling everyone what to do. We all recognise these people, and it’s the most natural thing in the world that they should flavour the pages of a modern day story. And so I walk through a minefield when I write my chick lit stories, hoping that my characters (based on real people) are not too recognisable.
When I spoke to my editor about this, she set my mind at rest. In my chick lit novel, Send and Receive, I have based a number of the characters on people I know. When my editor commented that a certain character in the book reminded her of an acquaintance of hers, I explained to her that the character she was referring to was actually based on someone I know (I even wondered if my editor and I might have a friend in common). And when she commented on how another character bore a striking resemblance to one of her friends, I explained that that character was based on a friend of mine.
Finally my editor said to me, “Alissa - the characters in your books are people we all know,” and that is when I realised that my guilty secret wasn’t so bad after all. All fiction writing should try and capture the universal in the particular to some extent, and if you succeed in doing that, then it’s possible to reach a point where you realise that writing about individuals isn’t so individual after all. The common thread of humanity that binds us to together is universal in its reach, and the girl who lives next door to you might very well resemble the girl who lives next door to someone who lives thousands of miles away.
It’s not that I consciously look for real people to base my characters on - it’s just that when I’m writing a book, more often than not, someone I know - usually someone with an idiosyncrasy of some kind or other pops in to my head, and I think, “Oh - she’ll be PERFECT for the role of Jane or Sarah or Angela” and I promptly put them into my story. Usually a character who has been inspired by a real life person will take on a life of his or her own, once they’re within the pages of one of my novels, and often they change in quite noticeable ways, sometimes beyond recognition. But the fact remains that when you base a character on one of your friends or acquaintances, there’s always the chance that the person you’ve based the character on will find you out…
However, I’ve noticed that some people are quite pleased at the idea of being a character in a book - particularly if that character is the hero or heroine. It’s the secondary characters that I worry about more i.e. the best friend of the heroine, who wears too much makeup, for instance, and is always in trouble with men, or the heroine’s goofy male friend who complains to her about his lack-lustre love life, or alternatively, the charming bad boy who breaks hearts wherever he goes, or the bossy colleague who’s always telling everyone what to do. We all recognise these people, and it’s the most natural thing in the world that they should flavour the pages of a modern day story. And so I walk through a minefield when I write my chick lit stories, hoping that my characters (based on real people) are not too recognisable.
When I spoke to my editor about this, she set my mind at rest. In my chick lit novel, Send and Receive, I have based a number of the characters on people I know. When my editor commented that a certain character in the book reminded her of an acquaintance of hers, I explained to her that the character she was referring to was actually based on someone I know (I even wondered if my editor and I might have a friend in common). And when she commented on how another character bore a striking resemblance to one of her friends, I explained that that character was based on a friend of mine.
Finally my editor said to me, “Alissa - the characters in your books are people we all know,” and that is when I realised that my guilty secret wasn’t so bad after all. All fiction writing should try and capture the universal in the particular to some extent, and if you succeed in doing that, then it’s possible to reach a point where you realise that writing about individuals isn’t so individual after all. The common thread of humanity that binds us to together is universal in its reach, and the girl who lives next door to you might very well resemble the girl who lives next door to someone who lives thousands of miles away.
May 22, 2013
An Interview With Author Zanna Mackenzie
I'm pleased to welcome Zanna Mackenzie to my blog today. Zanna lives in the UK with her husband, four dogs, a vegetable patch that’s home to far too many weeds and an ever expanding library of books waiting to be read. Being a freelance writer and editor of business publications is her ‘day job’ but, at every opportunity, she can be found scribbling down notes on scenes for whatever novel she’s working on. She loves it when the characters in her novels take on minds of their own and start deviating from the original plot!Formerly a travel agent and therapist (she has qualifications in clinical aromatherapy, crystal healing, naturopathic nutrition and herbalism) she loves walking the dogs and gardening – that’s when she’s not writing or reading!
Zanna has written two novels, The Love Programme(Astraea Press) and How Do You Spell Love? (Crooked Cat Publishing - see info on this novel below) and both were published in early 2013.
Tell us a bit about your writing – How long have you been writing? How many books have you written and in what genres?I’ve written or made up stories most of life really. I used to think I was going a bit nuts but then spoke to other writers and discovered that we all have characters from our novels having arguments or doing romantic scenes in our heads! I’ve written four books so far. Book 1 is currently being revamped with a view to trying it with publishers. Book 2 The Love Programme was published by Astraea Press in Feb 2013. Book 3 How Do You Spell Love? was published by Crooked Cat publishing in March 2013. Book 4 is written but currently being edited.Where is your favourite spot in which to write?
I prefer to write with pen and paper most of the time, it just gives me a break from the computer and my current favourite spot is the sunroom on the back of our house. My husband built it last winter with help from my dad, and me assisting where I could! It was built as a utility space where we can leave coats and boots and dry off wet dogs after walks but with the advent of some spring weather (at last!) it has rapidly become home to a comfy chair and is now referred to, rather grandly(!), as the sun room.Do you ever get part way through writing a book and find the characters are leading the story off in a different direction to how you had envisaged?
Always! I was a bit worried by this at first and thought it meant I hadn’t thought and planned the novel thoroughly enough. Now I know that this is a fairly normal occurrence for most writers.Is there such a thing as an average writing day for you and if so what is it?
Not really no. I’m self-employed and my day job is editor for several business publications for a chamber of commerce so that work comes first as it pays the bills. Depending on workload for the day job if I have time I then do some promo work for my two published novels and then, hopefully, some writing or editing on my current work in progress novels. I try to make Fridays my full writing day when I ignore everything else and just lose myself in writing or editing my next books.How do you create the characters in your books?
They just evolve in my head. I have an idea of the type of person I want for my book, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and this shapes them the most. Then I choose a zodiac/star sign which suits them (for this I always use a great book written specially for writers creating characters and wanting personality info for star signs) and this shapes them a bit more. Then I ‘interview’ the characters about their car, home, clothes, family, education etc. and eventually end up with a full bio for each character – it’s great fun!What is your favourite book of all time?
This varies depending on which books I have just read. My favourites from books I have read so far in 2013 (not books published in 2013 though) are:Martina Reilly – Even Better Than The Real Thing
Roisin Meaney – One Summer
Mhairi McFarlane – You Had Me At Hello.I gave five star reviews to each of these on Goodreads. If you’d like to know more about the books and my thoughts on them visit Goodreads.7. Biggest myth about being a novelist?
That it is easy! It isn’t at all. It’s demanding, very time consuming – planning, writing, editing, promoting – but I love it.
Book : How Do You Spell Love? Publisher: Crooked Cat Publishing
Published on: March 1st 2013
Genre: Chicklit/rom com with magical theme
Book blurb:
Make A Wish…
Kat can’t help wishing there was more to life than this. What happened to her dream job? What happened with Nathan?
Summer is wondering where her life is going too… battling the developers of a controversial housing estate and working out why boyfriend Rob is increasingly distant. When the developers win the battle and move into town everyone’s life is turned upside down.Kat meets building site project manager Alex. She enjoys his company far too much, even though he’s on the town’s most hated list.
Summer meets Tom who has plenty of relationship troubles of his own, so things could get really complicated. Soon everyone is keeping secrets, lives change and hearts are broken. Is everything falling apart, or does life just work in mysterious ways…
Main buy links for book: *Crooked Cat Publishing
*Amazon UK
*Amazon USA
Follow Links:
Find out more about Zanna at:
www.zannamackenzie.blogspot.co.uk
www.zannamackenzie.co.uk
Twitter: @ZannaMacKenzie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/zanna. mackenzie
May 10, 2013
The Opposite of Heroic
Creating the villains in a romance novel can be a lot of fun. One type of villain is the Extremely Evil Villain – the truly treacherous mastermind of evil schemes. In historical novels, he’s usually intent on capturing the heroine and eloping with her (either because he desires her madly or because he wants her fortune). Or he could be the hero’s arch-enemy who is looking for a way to seek revenge – and what better way to do that than by stealing his enemy’s lady-love?
Then you can have the Comedic Villain or the Bumbling Buffoon… this kind of villain is usually the most entertaining to create. Just think of Mr Collins in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. His stuffiness and lack of humour and intelligence make him a truly memorable and annoying character… and although it’s a little strong to call him a villain, perhaps, the negative emotional reaction he engenders in me as a reader causes me to sneak him into this category!
Of course, a romantic novel is often not complete without the requisite Villainess – she comes in many shapes and forms, but the common denominator of the Villainess is that she usually hates the heroine! Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice is a classic example of a Villainess with her snobbish nature and nasty character, but Elizabeth Bennett is more than a match for her in wit, intelligence and humour, and Mr Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth, rather than the unpleasant Miss Bingley, which is a truly satisfying result.
It may seem as if romance novels feature a number of stereotypes – the strong masculine hero vs the evil villain; the charming heroine vs the nasty villainess, however I would venture to say that if you dig a little below the surface of a romance novel you may discover hidden messages of hope as well as joy. Of course we’re all a mix of good and bad – and I’m sure we’ve all been heroic on some occasions and cowardly on others. We’re human after all, and the nature of being human is our fallibility.
Romance novels focus on good triumphing over evil, which is often symbolised with the hero vs villain theme in a story. And this usually culminates with the requisite HEA (happily ever after), where the hero triumphs over all the odds and rides away victoriously with the heroine on his saddlebow.
People who focus on good things are often happy in themselves. And focusing on happiness is a recipe for actually becoming more happy. Sadness and tragedy are part of life, but so are happiness and joy. And yet stories which focus on tragedy and the darker side of humanity are often seen as more representative of life than stories that focus on comedy or love. A tragedy is always taken more seriously than a romance and I question this. Why should something that is considered more “realistic” because it features darker themes be more acclaimed than a joyful story?
If you watch the news on television or read newspapers the focus is usually on the negative, and the good is often left unreported. I’d say the same applies in the literary world. Books focusing on tragedy are often commended but the happy stories go unreported. And that saddens me. Sometimes we all need a HEA.
Then you can have the Comedic Villain or the Bumbling Buffoon… this kind of villain is usually the most entertaining to create. Just think of Mr Collins in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. His stuffiness and lack of humour and intelligence make him a truly memorable and annoying character… and although it’s a little strong to call him a villain, perhaps, the negative emotional reaction he engenders in me as a reader causes me to sneak him into this category!
Of course, a romantic novel is often not complete without the requisite Villainess – she comes in many shapes and forms, but the common denominator of the Villainess is that she usually hates the heroine! Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice is a classic example of a Villainess with her snobbish nature and nasty character, but Elizabeth Bennett is more than a match for her in wit, intelligence and humour, and Mr Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth, rather than the unpleasant Miss Bingley, which is a truly satisfying result.
It may seem as if romance novels feature a number of stereotypes – the strong masculine hero vs the evil villain; the charming heroine vs the nasty villainess, however I would venture to say that if you dig a little below the surface of a romance novel you may discover hidden messages of hope as well as joy. Of course we’re all a mix of good and bad – and I’m sure we’ve all been heroic on some occasions and cowardly on others. We’re human after all, and the nature of being human is our fallibility.
Romance novels focus on good triumphing over evil, which is often symbolised with the hero vs villain theme in a story. And this usually culminates with the requisite HEA (happily ever after), where the hero triumphs over all the odds and rides away victoriously with the heroine on his saddlebow.
People who focus on good things are often happy in themselves. And focusing on happiness is a recipe for actually becoming more happy. Sadness and tragedy are part of life, but so are happiness and joy. And yet stories which focus on tragedy and the darker side of humanity are often seen as more representative of life than stories that focus on comedy or love. A tragedy is always taken more seriously than a romance and I question this. Why should something that is considered more “realistic” because it features darker themes be more acclaimed than a joyful story?
If you watch the news on television or read newspapers the focus is usually on the negative, and the good is often left unreported. I’d say the same applies in the literary world. Books focusing on tragedy are often commended but the happy stories go unreported. And that saddens me. Sometimes we all need a HEA.
May 2, 2013
Lessons For Romance Writers From Mr Darcy
In a number of romance novels, the hero seems to have two opposing sides to his character. When one first encounters him in the initial chapters, he appears to be the total opposite of what he becomes later in the book. Does this suggest an inconsistency in characterisation on the part of authors in order to create conflict and drama in a story? Is it possible for a man to stop exhibiting bad behaviour simply because he falls in love?
The prime example of such a man is Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. When the reader first encounters him, he seems proud and rude, and Elizabethdoesn’t warm to him at all. This is what he says about Elizabeth when he first sees her:
“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.” (Mr Darcy to Mr Bingley about Elizabeth Bennet; Chapter 3).
Of course later on in the book we discover that Mr Darcy has many good qualities, and the reader is won over by his declarations of love for Elizabethand his acts of service and devotion on her behalf. However this doesn’t change the fact that Mr Darcy exhibited behaviour that was very questionable in the beginning of the book.
Authors often show a character’s “bad” side and highlight it in order to create conflict in a story (and indeed how dull books would be if the hero and heroine were always nice!), but when an author comes to reveal such a hero’s good characteristics, it’s very important to make it apparent to the reader why he behaved in the difficult/nasty/unherolike manner in which she initially portrayed him. Jane Austen does exactly this later in Pride and Prejudice when Mr Darcy says the following:
“I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.” (Mr Darcy speaking; Chapter 60).
Jane Austen did a brilliant job of being consistent in her characterisation of Mr Darcy. Indeed, he is rude and proud when we first encounter him in the pages of Pride and Prejudice, but later on we come to understand his behaviour and we truly believe by the end of the book that Mr Darcy has changed for the better.
Many modern day romance authors draw inspiration from the character of Mr Darcy. What I hope to point out in this post, though, is that a character needs to make sense and be fully rounded in order to appeal to a reader, and what is truly satisfying is when a character grows and changes, but in an understandable manner.
The worst thing to do as a romance author is to allow your hero to behave in a Darcy-like manner in the beginning of a book, and then later on, magically transform him into Mr Nice Guy without explaining or showing why he has changed for the better. If an author fails to illustrate this, a reader will be left scratching her head, wondering how this man could possibly have transformed himself, as he simply won’t ring true.
The prime example of such a man is Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. When the reader first encounters him, he seems proud and rude, and Elizabethdoesn’t warm to him at all. This is what he says about Elizabeth when he first sees her:
“She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.” (Mr Darcy to Mr Bingley about Elizabeth Bennet; Chapter 3).
Of course later on in the book we discover that Mr Darcy has many good qualities, and the reader is won over by his declarations of love for Elizabethand his acts of service and devotion on her behalf. However this doesn’t change the fact that Mr Darcy exhibited behaviour that was very questionable in the beginning of the book.
Authors often show a character’s “bad” side and highlight it in order to create conflict in a story (and indeed how dull books would be if the hero and heroine were always nice!), but when an author comes to reveal such a hero’s good characteristics, it’s very important to make it apparent to the reader why he behaved in the difficult/nasty/unherolike manner in which she initially portrayed him. Jane Austen does exactly this later in Pride and Prejudice when Mr Darcy says the following:
“I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.” (Mr Darcy speaking; Chapter 60).
Jane Austen did a brilliant job of being consistent in her characterisation of Mr Darcy. Indeed, he is rude and proud when we first encounter him in the pages of Pride and Prejudice, but later on we come to understand his behaviour and we truly believe by the end of the book that Mr Darcy has changed for the better.
Many modern day romance authors draw inspiration from the character of Mr Darcy. What I hope to point out in this post, though, is that a character needs to make sense and be fully rounded in order to appeal to a reader, and what is truly satisfying is when a character grows and changes, but in an understandable manner.
The worst thing to do as a romance author is to allow your hero to behave in a Darcy-like manner in the beginning of a book, and then later on, magically transform him into Mr Nice Guy without explaining or showing why he has changed for the better. If an author fails to illustrate this, a reader will be left scratching her head, wondering how this man could possibly have transformed himself, as he simply won’t ring true.
April 24, 2013
Heroes and Heroines Who Need Therapy
Creating a strong connection between the hero and heroine in a romance novel is vital for the story to be compelling and gripping. In order to create this connection, the hero and heroine often have to fight for their love. However, if they are constantly fighting each other, I start to wonder if they’re really suited to each other at all.
A lot of drama-filled relationships thrive on conflict, but if it’s of an abusive nature, then this can turn a romance novel into something more sinister. The romance novel might appear on the surface to end happily (there is always a HEA in a romance novel, as we know) but if there are dark undercurrents to the hero or heroine’s character that aren’t resolved in a satisfactory manner during the course of a book, it can leave the reader with a nasty taste in their mouth.
I once read a romance novel by a very popular author which featured a hero and heroine who on the surface appeared to be classic hero and heroine material. She was beautiful, clever, impulsive, headstrong and had a keen will of her own. He was handsome, rich, powerful, charismatic, funny – and also possessed of an explosive, irrational temper. He would blow up at the heroine when she did something “wrong” and instead of discussing it with her in a rational manner, he would scream at her in fury. He struck me as a man who was seriously disturbed and yet the author was very forgiving towards this character and seemed to find his behaviour excusable. She didn’t think that there was anything wrong with his explosive temper, and I got the impression that she believed this type of behaviour was normal in a love relationship.
Dysfunctional characters populate books, but if they are the heroes and heroines of romance novels it can be difficult to get your head around. I’m not saying that dysfunctional people can’t have their love stories told, but if a character is seriously disturbed, it’s doubtful that a HEA would be convincing unless he or she did some serious emotional work along the way (counselling sessions etc.)
However, if this were to be done within the context of a love story, I strongly doubt that the book could be categorised as a romance novel any longer. The constraints of the genre don’t allow for authors to portray the therapy sessions that disturbed heroes and heroines would need in order for their HEAs to ring true. And if an author did portray this sort of thing while telling a love story the book would probably be classified as a drama and not a romance.
Personally, I like creating nice male characters who won’t make my heroines suffer unnecessarily!
And in real life?
When women are choosing their own heroes for their real-life romances, I’d suggest they put aside any images of dark, brooding men with deeply troubled souls and rather ask themselves the following practical questions:
Is he kind?
Is he nice to people in lower positions in life than he is?
Is he generous?
Is he considerate?
Does he have integrity?
Is he responsible?
Is he a man of his word?
Is he honest?
Falling in love can often blind a woman to a man’s character and this can lead to her overlooking numerous red flags due to her strong attraction to him. But having a strong connection with a man doesn’t always equate to having a healthy relationship with a man.
In a good relationship, a woman feels safe with her man, and even though the early stages of a relationship can be fraught with misunderstandings and misperceptions, ultimately it’s important to feel that even if you don’t always see eye to eye with your guy, that he will always be a safe port for you. If you don’t sense this safe feeling with the man in your life, then the relationship will always be a struggle - and sadly real life cannot be scripted into a HEA.
A lot of drama-filled relationships thrive on conflict, but if it’s of an abusive nature, then this can turn a romance novel into something more sinister. The romance novel might appear on the surface to end happily (there is always a HEA in a romance novel, as we know) but if there are dark undercurrents to the hero or heroine’s character that aren’t resolved in a satisfactory manner during the course of a book, it can leave the reader with a nasty taste in their mouth.
I once read a romance novel by a very popular author which featured a hero and heroine who on the surface appeared to be classic hero and heroine material. She was beautiful, clever, impulsive, headstrong and had a keen will of her own. He was handsome, rich, powerful, charismatic, funny – and also possessed of an explosive, irrational temper. He would blow up at the heroine when she did something “wrong” and instead of discussing it with her in a rational manner, he would scream at her in fury. He struck me as a man who was seriously disturbed and yet the author was very forgiving towards this character and seemed to find his behaviour excusable. She didn’t think that there was anything wrong with his explosive temper, and I got the impression that she believed this type of behaviour was normal in a love relationship.
Dysfunctional characters populate books, but if they are the heroes and heroines of romance novels it can be difficult to get your head around. I’m not saying that dysfunctional people can’t have their love stories told, but if a character is seriously disturbed, it’s doubtful that a HEA would be convincing unless he or she did some serious emotional work along the way (counselling sessions etc.)
However, if this were to be done within the context of a love story, I strongly doubt that the book could be categorised as a romance novel any longer. The constraints of the genre don’t allow for authors to portray the therapy sessions that disturbed heroes and heroines would need in order for their HEAs to ring true. And if an author did portray this sort of thing while telling a love story the book would probably be classified as a drama and not a romance.
Personally, I like creating nice male characters who won’t make my heroines suffer unnecessarily!
And in real life?
When women are choosing their own heroes for their real-life romances, I’d suggest they put aside any images of dark, brooding men with deeply troubled souls and rather ask themselves the following practical questions:
Is he kind?
Is he nice to people in lower positions in life than he is?
Is he generous?
Is he considerate?
Does he have integrity?
Is he responsible?
Is he a man of his word?
Is he honest?
Falling in love can often blind a woman to a man’s character and this can lead to her overlooking numerous red flags due to her strong attraction to him. But having a strong connection with a man doesn’t always equate to having a healthy relationship with a man.
In a good relationship, a woman feels safe with her man, and even though the early stages of a relationship can be fraught with misunderstandings and misperceptions, ultimately it’s important to feel that even if you don’t always see eye to eye with your guy, that he will always be a safe port for you. If you don’t sense this safe feeling with the man in your life, then the relationship will always be a struggle - and sadly real life cannot be scripted into a HEA.
April 21, 2013
"The Blog Affair" on The Next Big Thing Blog Hop
Richard Benyon kindly tagged me in the The Next Big Thing Blog Hop, an opportunity for authors to tell you what they're working on. The author answers ten questions about their latest book, and tags the person who first tagged them, as well as other authors. So here goes:
1. What is your working title/title of your book?
The Blog Affair
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’m interested in how technology has changed the way we communicate with each other. On the one hand, social media is a very open platform where people often reveal intimate details of their lives. There is also a more secretive side to online communication, however, where people can post their innermost thoughts anonymously. This anonymous form of communication became the premise for my novel. The Blog Affair is about a young woman, Emma, who writes an anonymous blog about her relationship/dating experiences.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Chick lit/romance
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Anne Hathaway and Simon Baker (with darker hair)
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Emma Bradshaw has a pattern for falling for unsuitable men and starts a blog about these so-called “serial datists”, but when an anonymous male reader of Emma’s blog challenges her on her ideas about men, Emma realises she must confront her past before love can blossom again in her future.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is being published in August by Decadent Publishing/Bono Books.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Ten weeks.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
A few bad dating experiences!
10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
It’s set in Cape Town, one of Africa’s most beautiful cities.
I am passing the baton in this Blog Hop on to authors Annie Seaton and Eva Lefoy.
1. What is your working title/title of your book?
The Blog Affair
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I’m interested in how technology has changed the way we communicate with each other. On the one hand, social media is a very open platform where people often reveal intimate details of their lives. There is also a more secretive side to online communication, however, where people can post their innermost thoughts anonymously. This anonymous form of communication became the premise for my novel. The Blog Affair is about a young woman, Emma, who writes an anonymous blog about her relationship/dating experiences.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Chick lit/romance
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Anne Hathaway and Simon Baker (with darker hair)
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Emma Bradshaw has a pattern for falling for unsuitable men and starts a blog about these so-called “serial datists”, but when an anonymous male reader of Emma’s blog challenges her on her ideas about men, Emma realises she must confront her past before love can blossom again in her future.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My book is being published in August by Decadent Publishing/Bono Books.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Ten weeks.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
A few bad dating experiences!
10. What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
It’s set in Cape Town, one of Africa’s most beautiful cities.
I am passing the baton in this Blog Hop on to authors Annie Seaton and Eva Lefoy.
