Laura Hamby
Romance, Passion and Laughter
Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.
Rhys Alexander
COMPONENTS OF A ROMANCE NOVEL
by Laura Hamby
by Laura Hamby
Okay, just like any other novel written, romances have characters who have goals, motivations and conflicts (both internal and external); a plot that advances the story to the Happily Ever After conclusion; a balance of exposition, narrative and action; the traditional beginning, middle and end; the climax... I'm probably stating the obvious here, but I wanted to set the stage, as it were, that romance novels-aside from the romantic aspects-really are no different than any other genre novel.
What are the components of a romance novel? Well, in my opinion, the main components are the following.
1. Romance. Even if you bring in intrigue or paranormal or romantic comedy elements, the main theme is romance-how boy meets girl (or girl meets boy), how their relationship develops, how they fall in love, their trials and tribulations along the way, and in the end, the big payoff- the Happily Ever After. Romance novels are all about emotion and the building of the relationship between the hero and the heroine. The rest is gravy. :D
2. A hero and heroine worth rooting for. Real people with hopes, dreams, goals, conflicts, motivations, personality quirks. Nobody is perfect, and while our heroes and heroines can be a bit fantastical, they should also have a human flaw or three. Makes 'em interesting, and is good for the plot.
Characterization is how he/she acts under pressure, responds to the situation he/she finds him/herself in and the decisions he/she makes. It's what makes a character three-dimensional, more than knowing what the hero did with his life in a time before the parameters of the story. Not everything has to be spelled out. It's enough to know that given X circumstance, our hero will do A and B, but not C or D. It's what he/she DOES in the here and now of the story that's relevant. While the reader does need certain things spelled out, there are others that the reader can and should infer for themselves. It's a mistake, in my opinion, to underestimate the intelligence of the reader.
3. A plot that's engaging, believable, well-paced. Another integral part of any story being told. Plot, essentially, is what drives the story. Plot determines why the characters do what they do, why the events that happen happen. At its most elemental, plot is "Boy meets Girl. Boy and Girl interact. Boy and Girl have Big Misunderstanding. Big Misunderstanding is resolved. Boy and Girl live happily ever after."
Simply, plot is the drama created around the characters in pursuit of their goals, and that their actions serve to advance the story to the resolution. Actions create obstacles that must be overcome along the way to the final, fulfilling resolution. The plot must escalate to continue moving forward toward resolution.
To make the plot more interesting, we add characters to drive it forward, learning and growing along the way to the Happily Ever After. There are many, many plot points that can be added: suspense, comedy, drama-for example-to broaden the scope and appeal of the story.
4. GMC: Goals, Motivation, Conflict. Goals: Each and every character MUST have goals. Both long term and short term goals. The short term goals are what the character needs to achieve their long term goal(s). The long term goal is the ultimate wish and desire they want to achieve and fulfill which would give their life purpose. Ask yourself: "What is it that the hero and heroine most want from life? From each other?"
Motivation: The reason why your character must accomplish those goals. Make it in keeping with your character(s) and make it realistic. What motivates them to go after what they want? Their back story comes into play on this, as well as their present.
Conflict: External and Internal. External: What outside forces are acting against the characters, keeping them from attaining their goals? Internal: The characters' inner struggles to achieve their goals.
Internal conflict is what hinders a character from doing what they must versus what they want. External conflict is what separates the characters to keep them from achieving their goal. It isn't something that a simple conversation could clear up.
Combined, a well-balanced GMC will round out the plot and make the story exciting. The characters will have depth and be "real" to the reader. The more intense the GMC, the more intense the story. The weaker the GMC, the more difficult the story is to write. Make the goals attainable, the motivation sound, and the conflicts difficult enough to sustain the storyline, but not impossible for a mere mortal to overcome.
5. The Black Moment. When all is feared to be lost. All the action in the novel builds to this point near the end of the novel. It is the culmination of the characters' actions, conflicts, motivations and has the power to make or break our Happy Couple. This moment shouldn't be something that can be resolved by a simple talk. This moment should be earth-shattering, highly emotional, gut wrenching. It should require both the hero and the heroine to take a good long look at themselves, each other and their relationship.
6. The Happily Ever After. This is what people read romances for, IMHO-the fairytale ending. If the hero and heroine aren't riding off into the sunset on a white horse, as it were, the promise that they will should be there.
Romance is first and foremost about the couple. The rest (for instance, the intimate scenes, secondary characters, friendships) are gravy. Yep. GRAVY. They add depth, texture, emotion, move the plot forward, are a natural extension to the romance in the case of intimacy, and help make the story believable, readable and memorable. Use all the tools in your toolbox for crafting a well-written, terrific story, and keep your eye on the ball. You'll do just fine.
© 2009 by Laura Hamby
TIPS FOR WRITING DURING SUMMER VACATION
by Laura Hamby
by Laura Hamby
If you have school-aged children at home, then you’re very shortly going to be enjoying summer vacation with them. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working mom who writes when there’s two seconds to rub together, summer vacation can make eking out your writing time a little more challenging. Here are some ideas to help you find and make time to cobble together a sentence or two.
1. Many schools have summer reading lists these days, so institute “Reading Time”—how about during the hottest time of the day, when it’s too hot to play outside? For incentive, make a chart for your kids to keep track of their reading: books they want to read, books they are/have reading/read, their ultimate goal, how many pages they’ve read, how many hours they’ve read—just a few examples of what can go on their reading charts. Because kids get twitchy, keep the Reading Time to about 20-30 minutes for elementary school kiddos, 30-60 for middle to high schoolers. Tally progress at the end of the week and give the kids little rewards. The rewards don’t have to be big or major, a simple Mom-made certificate printed off the computer would work.
2. Get up an hour earlier. For those of you who aren’t Morning People (I’m not a Morning People), stay up an hour later.
3. If you cart your kids to and from the swimming pool, and like me, refuse to leave them alone there, take your laptop, Neo, Alpha Smart, Notebook and Pen, and write while your kids swim.
4. Give the kids more responsibility for the upkeep of the house. Assign them an extra chore or two (like doing the dishes, cleaning the bathrooms, folding laundry) or something else you normally do, to free up the time you’d’ve spent on those chores.
5. If you’re a SAHM who writes, write when the kids are playing outside. The housework, laundry and shopping will wait. If you’re a working mom who writes, write on the weekend or whatever days you have off, when the kids are outside.
6. If all else fails, grab your laptop, Neo, Alphie, notebook and pen and lock yourself in the bathroom. Turn on the fan to drown out the sound of the kids pounding on the door.
(c) 2009 Laura Hamby
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