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| Victoria Bylin |
Hey everyone, Annette here. I love novellas! How about you? Ever thought of writing them? Author Victoria Bylin is here to share some helpful tips. Read on!
How to Write a Novella
By Victoria Bylin
The same thing happens every year
around Christmas. Instead of reaching for a full-length novel, I gravitate
toward anthologies. A story I can read in one sitting is the perfect way to
relax after shopping, wrapping, decorating, etc. Do you enjoy reading novellas?
Have you written one? I’ve done four for Harlequin and Love Inspired
Historicals and thoroughly enjoy the shorter format. The trick is to know what
to leave out!
Here are some of the tricks I’ve
picked up . . .
Tip #1—Make it a reunion story. If
the h/h already know each other, you can cut to the chase. You know that
feeling when you walk in a room and realize you’ve interrupted a conversation? That’s
a good place to start a novella—with a clash between characters who have a
past.
Tip #2—Use secondary characters from
one of your longer books. My editor suggested this approach for “A Son Is
Given,” a Christmas novella I wrote for Harlequin Historicals. The heroine’s
parents were popular with readers. A novella written as a prequel was the perfect
way to tell their story.
Tip #3—Go easy on the secondary
characters. This is hard for me. I like working with multiple POVs, but there
just isn’t room in a novella. My characters will have family and friends, but they
don’t typically play a major role in the story. I stick to two points of view—the
hero and heroine only!
Tip #4—Keep the conflict simple.
What is keeping the h/h apart?
Tip #5—Keep the emphasis on the
romance.
Tip #6—Limit the timeframe to days
rather than months or weeks.
Tip #7—Choose a simple plot with an
easily recognizable goal that lends itself to a quick but realistic conclusion.
I learn best by example, so here’s
how the above tips apply to Josie’s Wedding Dress, my novella in Brides of the West from Love Inspired
Historical (April 2012).
Josie Bright and Ty Donner have a
past. They were engaged when Ty did something foolish and went to prison. (Tip
#1) Josie’s mother is her mentor, but she serves solely to reflect Josie’s
conflict. (Tip #3) Josie is unable to forgive Ty, (Tip #4), but she needs him
to win a horse race in order to save her ranch. (Tip #7) In spite of their falling
out, Ty and Josie are still in love and spend a lot on-camera time together. (Tip
#5) The story takes place over the course of a week (Tip #6), and it ends with
Ty riding in the horse race. (Tip #7)
And last, Tip #8—Tell a story you
love! That’s what writing is all about.
~~~~~
Victoria
Bylin is a romance writer known for her realistic and relatable characters. Her
books have finaled in multiple contests, including the Carol Awards, the RITAs,
and RT Magazine's Reviewers Choice Award. A native of California, she and her
husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky, where their family and
their crazy Jack Russell terrier keep them on the go.
Connect
with Victoria:
Website:
http://www.victoriabylin.com
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/VictoriaBylin
Until I Found You
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| Until I Found You |
When Kate
Darby swerves off a mountain road to avoid hitting a California condor, she
ends up trapped in her car, teetering on the edge of a cliff. Terrified, she
breathes a prayer that changes her life: “God, if you’re real, I want to know
you.”
It’s Nick
Sheridan who comes to Kate’s rescue. Nick is handsome, confident, and seems to
develop a habit of rescuing her, but Kate is in town only until her grandmother
recuperates from a stroke. She’s not planning to fall in love with one of the
locals.
Nick Sheridan
is a reformed veteran of life in the fast lane, a new Christian, and a travel
writer. When he sees a car dangling on the edge of a cliff, the daredevil in
him jumps into action. He doesn’t expect to be swept off his feet by the car’s
occupant. He’s made a vow: no dating for a year. And it’s a vow he intends to
keep in spite of his attraction to Kate Darby . . .
