5 Tips For Writing Romance Novels By Linda Goodnight

Linda Goodnight offers some practical advice on how to write a better romance.

Tip #1 - A romance novel starts with great characters.

Make them strong, realistic, flawed, sympathetic characters that we can like. Even if he’s a damaged bad boy in need of redemption, the hero should be a man with deep worth, a true hero whose actions
show he respects and admires the heroine even as he’s struggling not to fall in love with her. Create a heroine worthy of that respect and admiration. Whiney, wimpy, helpless heroines without their own goals and dreams turn today’s readers off.

Tip #2 - Create realistic conflicts.

One of the major complaints against romance novels in the past has been silly, contrived conflicts. To avoid this, think of your characters as people. Real people have problems, fears, inner wounds, etc. Notice how these are all internal. While a romance may include an external issue between the main characters to move the story along, their main
conflict is internal.

Tip #3 - Focus on the emotional journey

Go deep inside your characters, figure out their emotional baggage, what hurts them, what are they afraid of, etc., and then show those emotions on the page. The heart of your book is inside your characters. Letting the reader see this internal angst adds to the conflict discussed in #2 and creates motivation for the character’s behavior.

Tip #4 - Keep the romantic relationship front and center.

While it’s great to include interesting subplots, always bring your reader back to the reason for the novel--the developing relationship between the man and woman.

Tip #5 - The Happy Ever After is a must in romance novels.

Consider it the emotional pay–off your reader has been longing for. This union of two hearts, this transformation from alone to committed love, is why she/he has followed the characters through all their trials. Don’t skimp on it. Tie up the plot’s loose ends and finish the story with an “ahhh” moment. If your reader tears up or swoons or smiles as she
closes the book, chances are she’ll be back for another of your stories.

"I could give you dozens of tips for writing a good romance novel..."    Linda Goodnight

NY Times and USA Bestseller, Linda Goodnight writes novels to touch the heart as well as to entertain. Her emotional stories of hope have won the RITA, the Carol, the Reviewer's Choice, and numerous other industry awards. A small town girl, Linda remains close to her roots, making her home in rural Oklahoma. She and husband have a blended family of eight, including two teenagers recently adopted from Ukraine. Many of her books are about family and children and rightly so, as she draws her deeply emotional stories from her surroundings, her great love of family, and from personal experiences as a nurse and teacher. Connect with Linda on Facebook, Twitter, or at www.lindagoodnight.com

This post originally appeared on the Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writer's Blog in January 2018.

What Readers Really Want from Authors By Janalyn Voigt

Sought-after with competitive fervor, readers’ email addresses are prized possessions for most authors. We’ll give away our beloved books, stay up late writing guest blog posts, and trade good money for list-building promotions. Anything to coax, bribe, or lure readers into our email lists. Capturing emails affirms us as authors. On a purely practical level, gaining access to reader email addresses allows us to communicate with them.

Ah, but there’s the problem.

We work hard to build our lists, then aren’t quite sure what to say to them. We’ve heard that we should build relationships, but what that entails remains unclear.  Uncertainty leads to guesswork or silence. The next book launch stirs the realization that a disengaged audience won’t buy many books.

It’s possible to solve this.

You may know authors who rely on charisma to reach readers. The rest of us need to work a little harder. Knowing what readers want from you eases the process. That’s not so hard to figure out, thankfully. Eavesdrop in book groups, and you’ll find words like love, hate, exciting, amazing, curious, and even sad flying about. Good stories enliven readers’ emotions and help them escape the doldrums of everyday living while they sail into vivid storyworlds. Readers may talk about well-turned plots, fulsome characters, and vivid description, but those are the means to an end.

Readers read primarily because of the way books make them feel. Small wonder they attach to any author who transports them through emotion.

You may have heard that readers join your email list not because they want your books but because they want you. That can be a daunting thought when you’re something of a private person, like me. Also, there may seem little of you left after all the time you spend writing, editing, and marketing.

It’s not so scary once you realize what readers really want.

They yearn to know what it’s like to write a book, appear at a book signing, hold your newest novel in your hands, endure your cat walking across the keyboard in the middle of a scene, and many more details of your life as a writer. This affords you a degree of privacy and is easier on your precious reserves of energy. You might write about other things on occasion (especially on topics within your books), but always from the perspective of an author. 

Common advice is not to write about yourself or you’ll lose subscribers. This may prove true if your whole focus is on yourself. The topic of your story might be yourself, but it’s possible to make it about your readers as well. Do this by tapping into universal emotions that connect us all.

What do readers really want? Give them the ongoing saga of your life as an author, told in a way that imparts something into their own lives.

Stagecoach to Liberty

Can a desperate young woman trust the handsome Irish stranger who wants to free her from her captors?  
Elsa Meier, a talented young Hessian girl who plays the hurdy-gurdy and dances, signs a contract to entertain miners in the Wild West. Elsa travels to America in the company of Miles and Alicia Peabody, the brother and sister who persuaded her mother to allow her to go. Elsa hopes for freedom and the chance to send money home to help her family. Instead she comes to the attention of a wealthy and unscrupulous man. On a stagecoach traveling into Montana Territory, Elsa conveys her peril to a handsome stranger with an Irish accent.  

Con Walsh, on a quest to find out the truth about himself, stumbles into a dangerous situation involving a frightened young woman in need of rescue. Despite his own pressing troubles, he finds that her safety matters to him more than his own.
Set in Montana during its gold rush -- a time troubled by outlaws, corruption and vigilante violence, Stagecoach to Liberty explores faith, love, and courage in the wild west. This story can stand alone or continue the saga that began with Hills of Nevermore and Cheyenne Sunrise.

Amazon Buy Link

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head.

Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in multiple genres. The same elements--romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy--appear in all her novels in proportions dictated by their genre.

Learn more about Janalyn Voigt and the books she writes at http://janalynvoigt.com
Website for authors: http://livewritebreathe.com
Sign up for Janalyn’s mailing list: http://janalynvoigt.com/join-e-letter
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Janalyn-Voigt/e/B008CEX4P4
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JanalynVoigt
Goodreads Author Page: http://janalynvoigt.com/goodreads
Bookbub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/janalyn-voigt

Don't Let Go by Dora Hiers

Call ASAP. Bad news about Bruiser.

 

We’d caught WiFi during an excursion into a Spanish medieval city, the third day into our cruise. Just a snatch. Long enough to read our son’s frantic message.

 

Bruiser, our almost thirteen-year-old golden retriever, was staying at “the resort.” Twelve duplex cabins, sporting indoor sleeping quarters and a private outdoor patio for each of the twenty-four camper dogs, surrounded a lake blanketing acres of land. Fresh air and plenty of space for the dogs to move, drastically different from the typical cramped indoor kennels where Bruiser once chewed all the fur from his tail. The kennel workers adored him and he loved visiting, never came home with a naked tail, so we drove the four hour round trip for years without complaint.

 

On a sunny afternoon while napping on his outdoor patio, our beloved pet slipped into eternity. No warning signs. He still took mile-long walks. Still scarfed down his food as if he wouldn’t get another meal. Still trudged up the stairs every night for bed. Just a few months ago, the vet pronounced him in great health for his age. 

 

He died in his happy place. But I wasn’t ready.

 

I expected to be there for him. To give him a hug and tell him what a good boy he was. To scratch his ears and rub his smooth belly, to tell him how much we loved him and how much joy and laughter he brought into our lives. 

 

No more stink eye when his food dish wasn't filled on time. No more warning dinner guests not to leave their napkin on their lap because the sneak would circle the table in stealth mode, then swipe a napkin or snag food from a hand, lightning-quick. No more huffs of frustration when we told him to go back to sleep, that it wasn't time to wake up yet. 

 

Bruiser grew up as a playmate to our two sons, then considered himself an only child when they moved on. He was my fierce protector, yet the big lug cowered in our walk-in shower during thunderstorms and fireworks. Wherever we went, he wanted to go too, and two-thirds of the back seat belonged to him, didn’t matter if someone was already sitting in that spot. And elevators? Forget it! The first time he rode in one, he landed, belly on the floor, all four legs stretched out, and we never enticed him into another one. Bruiser was full of personality.

 

One day I will be able to think about Bruiser with a smile. But not now. Not when I miss him so much and the pain from the loss still aches. When I dropped him off at the resort and called his name, he galloped back for another hug. If I’d have known that would be our last, I’d have held on tight, not let go. I’ll always remember and cherish that sweet, joyful doggie face.

 

Something, as writers, we’d like readers to do, right? To cherish our characters. To remember our stories long after they turn the last page. So how do we accomplish that? 

 

Craft our characters with loads of personality. Just like our beloved Bruiser, our characters need traits that readers identify with, predicaments that they relate to, and a journey that they won’t be ready or willing to leave. 

 

Make our characters laugh and cry and feel like real people, and those ornery characters who wrangled us away from the path we intended for them will tug ambivalent readers right into the pages of your book.

 

Hug your reader and don’t let go. You don’t know how long they’ll be with you, so give readers plenty of “aww” moments, scenes that’ll grip them and make them hang on tight for the entire ride. When the journey’s over, hopefully those characters you spent hours crafting, those stories you poured your whole heart into, that message you prayed over, will connect with a reader and remain with them long after the last page. 

 

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you.

Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.” Matthew 5:4 (The Message)

I’d love to know the last book that stayed with you and why?

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Blurb for Christmas on Mistletoe Mountain:

A snow storm. A warm cozy fire. Two hearts that desperately need grace and healing and a Christmas miracle. 

 

After college, Kane Kirkland returned home to Mistletoe Mountain a changed man, fifty pounds lighter and a new Christian. Six years later, with a successful real estate career and a fresh boost of confidence, all he wants for Christmas is a chance at love with longtime crush Sydney. Something happened to his friend while he was away. Something dark and life-altering ripped the joy from her spirit. And he intends to find out what…

 

After a disastrous relationship unraveled Sydney Camden’s life, broken and devastated, she gave up all hope for her happily-ever-after. Those silly fantasies belonged only in romance novels, not in real life. Besides, who has time for love? Her life is crazy busy caring for a disabled father and volunteering at Grace Nest, a home for pregnant teens. But then Kane turns up the heat. The gentle giant has always attracted her, but the idea of loving and losing her friend terrifies her. Because when he learns about her hidden sin, surely he’ll vanish from her life forever. 

 

A snowstorm forces them together and unleashes their fears. Kane worries if Syd still sees him as the overweight kid from their past and questions whether a future together is God’s will or his most treasured dream. Syd wrestles the demon of lies as she relives horrendous memories. 

 

Grace Nest…where broken hearts heal, chains are loosened, and hope is restored. Where love finds its way home during Christmas.

 

Purchase Link: http://amzn.to/2f01m9p

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Bio: Dora believes that a person should love what they do or choose to do something else. She’s doing exactly what makes her heart sing, and considers every day a gift. When she takes a break from cranking out heart racing, God-gracing romances, Dora adores reading, chowing down on her hubby’s lip-smacking home-smoked ribs, and sipping coffee on a mountain cabin deck. Life’s too short to be stuck in traffic, to drink bad coffee, or to read books with a sad ending. Dora and her real life hero make their home in North Carolina, but with a world full of amazing places to explore, that’s only a landing point.

Come hang out with Dora on Fiction Faith & Foodies, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram. She loves hearing from reader friends at DoraHiers@gmail.com. Dora also writes sweet romance that sizzles under the pen name, Tori Kayson.

Tricks to Showing Emotions by Robin Patchen

Today we are fortunate to welcome Robin Patchen to Seriously Write. Robin is a great author, fantastic freelance editor and amazing friend. She has taught numerous workshops and I've learned something from every one of them. Today's post first appeared on Neal Abbott's blog “A Word Fitly Spoken."

How do most of us (note—I’m one of the us) show emotions in our stories? Often, we use physical responses. Here are a few:

▪                     Sad—eyes filling with tears

▪                     Angry—fists clenching or slamming stuff

▪                     Worried—gut twisting

▪                     Happy—smiling, grinning, laughing, chuckling, giggling

It works, it’s easy, and it makes the point. It’s perfect.

Maybe not.

It has been said that the purpose of fiction is to evoke an emotional reaction. So let me ask you, when you read the words, “Her eyes filled with tears,” do yours? Because mine don’t. And I don’t even know what a twisting gut feels like. Those phrases may show us how your character feels, but they don’t evoke any emotions. So how do we make our readers feel along with our characters?

I don’t have a step-by-step plan. However, I have recently had an epiphany. Counselors tell us that thoughts lead to emotions, and emotions lead to actions. So what happens if you show us your characters’ thoughts and actions? Seems to me their feelings will be obvious, and you won’t need to tell us about their rumbling guts and teary eyes. And if you do it right, you can make the reader feel what your characters do. An example:

John hefted his bag and limped down the metal stairs, forcing himself not to rub that sore spot. Plenty of guys had worse injuries than his. He stared across the tarmac. A band played on the left. An array of dignitaries stood in his way. He scanned the crowd. They held signs that read Welcome home and God bless our heroes.

It was time to be a different kind of hero.

She stood beyond the suited politicians. His wife had curled her hair that day, just like he liked it. A year had passed since he’d seen her last. A year of dust and death, of protecting the innocent and chasing the guilty. A year he’d never get back.

He circled the official greeters, ignoring the protest from his colonel, and approached her. He stopped a few feet away and peered at the bundle she held in her arms. His wife shifted so he could look. Three months old. Blue eyes that looked so much like his own. Curly brown hair. The baby smiled and turned away. John returned his gaze to his wife. “He’s perfect.”

“He looks like you.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t—”

She stepped into his arms and fell against him. “You’re here now. Home and safe. That’s all that matters.”

In that scene, we read the man’s thoughts, and we see his actions. His gut didn’t twist at the sight of those dignitaries. His heart didn’t speed up as he scanned the crowd for his wife. His eyes didn’t fill with tears when he saw his child for the first time. But he did feel something. Did you?

So how did it work? A few observations:

1-Start with a character your readers care about. I took the easy road and created a wounded hero, but I only had 200 words to work with. With an entire novel and some skill, you can make your readers care about almost anyone.

2-Let the character’s thoughts reflect his feelings. He thinks about his time overseas—“A year of dust and death…” and follows it up with—“A year he’d never get back.” Do you hear regret?

3-Give us a glimpse of the character’s desire. In this case, I added that one remark—“It was time to be a different kind of hero.” Life as he knew it was not enough for John. He wanted something more.

4-Use compelling dialog. He could have said, “Hello.” She could have responded with, “How are you?” But while those ordinary expressions are realistic, they don’t mean anything. Instead, dump all the banal stuff and make your dialog reflect your characters emotions.

5-Use feelings and snapshots to set your scene. Show the scene through the eyes of your character, so his description reflects his feelings. The dignitaries weren’t just in front of him, they “stood in his way.” He immediately looked past them to scan the crowd. And if you can think of a snapshot that resonates with readers, use it. In this case, I used a welcome home reception for soldiers. I think that touches a lot of us.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of how to charge your scenes with emotion, but it’s a start. I challenge you to go through your manuscript and find every place you’re showing emotions through physical reactions. See where you can use description, thoughts, actions, and dialog (another form of action) to evoke that emotion instead. You probably won’t be able to rid your manuscript of every tear, but maybe if your characters cry less, your readers will cry more.

Robin Patchen lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, with her husband and three teenagers. Her third book, Finding Amanda, released in April, and its free prequel, Chasing Amanda, released in July. When Robin isn’t writing or caring for her family, she works as a freelance editor at Robin’s Red Pen, where she specializes in Christian fiction. Read excerpts and find out more at her website, robinpatchen.com