Setting the Stage for a Summer Romance
By Kelli A.
Wilkins
Hello romance lovers!
Memorial Day Weekend is the official start
to the summer season, so today I’m sharing a few ideas on how you can set the
stage for your summer romances.
Take a minute and consider this scenario: A
young woman runs a bed and breakfast in a resort beach town. While kayaking
early one morning, she sees a swimmer caught in a rip current. She helps him
get to shore safely and learns that he’s spending the summer in town. They are
attracted to each other, but don’t immediately act on their feelings.
How would you write the rest of the story?
Where would you take it from there?
As an author, I’m free to invent anything
I want in my books. I create the characters, their backstories, goals, hopes, dreams,
and disappointments. I’m also in charge of the setting and the details—and they
are two important things to consider when writing a summer romance.
Summer is generally considered a “fun”
time (except for the mosquitos!). Kids are out of school, people take
vacations, friends and families gather around the pool, lake, or barbeque, and
everything is more relaxed. All that can lead to summer love.
Everything’s hotter in the
summer—including romances! Characters get hot—physically, as temperatures soar
and the humidity rises—and hot for each other. Suppose a hero and heroine meet
on the beach. They can get an eyeful of the other person’s muscular chest or
long, lean legs. They’re both hot and sweaty (maybe he just finished playing a
volleyball game). They may flirt, playfully touch each other, ask the other to
apply sunscreen, or simply fantasize about what’s under that bathing suit.
In my summer romance, A Deceptive Match, Vin
and Danni are stuck driving across the country in July. At the start of the
book, she’s professionally dressed, but as things heat up between them, she
starts wearing playful summer sundresses, sandals, and shorts. Her outfits were
a great way for Vin to notice her legs and fantasize about touching her. (And
his tank tops showed off his huge arms…)
Setting a story in the summer months opens
a world of possibilities. Writers have more opportunities to bring the hero and
heroine together and keep the interest going with summer escapades. Where you
set your romance often leads to the types of encounters between your characters
and also can influence the plot.
Suppose your heroine lives in a beach
town. Give her an interesting job that gets her out in public and she could
meet Prince Charming. Maybe she’s a waitress at a tiki bar, is a lifeguard, or
just happens to meet a hot guy on the beach. Or, maybe your hero is on a beach
vacation to get over being dumped by his ex and finds himself falling for the
woman (or man) he meets on the boardwalk.
When writing any story, it’s always fun to
play the “What if…” game. What if your hero is a lifeguard at a pool and
rescues the heroine—or her child? What if a boater is stranded out in a lake?
Suppose your hero and heroine meet on a fishing trip? They play on opposing
volleyball teams? Meet at a Civil War reenactment event?
Don’t be afraid to turn things around and
try something unusual. What if a surfer meets someone who absolutely hates the
sun? (That is the premise to my summer paranormal romance, Confessions of a Vampire’s Lover.)
What if the hero is terrified of the water and has to overcome that fear to be
with (or rescue) the person he loves?
But not every summer romance has to
involve the water, sun, and sand. Anywhere you can get your characters together
doing any summer activity is a great way to create mood and setting. Suppose
your single mom heroine is taking her son to day camp and falls for the camp
instructor? Maybe your hero loves the woods and likes to hike, camp, or rock
climb. Is your heroine attracted to the hot guy who mows the lawns in her development?
The hero meets a sexy new neighbor at a community barbeque or fireworks display?
And don’t forget about summer sports:
surfing, baseball, softball, or any outdoor event is a good way to have your
characters meet. County fairs and concerts in the park are also great settings
for love to blossom. Maybe your heroine falls for a member of the band…
Some summer romances have nothing to do
with people on vacation or doing “outdoorsy” things, but can still retain that
summer heat. How? Work in plenty of seasonal details to give the book a summer
“flavor” and spice things up!
If it’s really hot outside and your
characters are the naughty, adventurous types, have them go skinny-dipping in a
pool, a lake, or the ocean. If your lovers are camping and feel the urge for a
quickie, they could sneak off and do it in the woods (with the added thrill of
the risk of getting caught), under the stars, in a tent (where someone might
hear), or on a boat during a fireworks display.
Readers love being swept away by summer
romances and writers enjoy creating them. In fact, summer romances could very
well be a separate romance genre. They’re fun reads for a day at the beach—and
they’re an excellent way to add a little “summer heat” to cold winter nights.
So… grab an icy beverage, set out that
lounge chair, and lose yourself in a hot summer romance.
Happy Reading,
Kelli
A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins
is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 20
romance novels, 6 non-fiction books, and 2 online writing courses. Her romances
span many genres and heat levels, and she’s also been known to scare readers
with her horror stories.
In
January 2020, Kelli published Love, Lies & Redemption, a
western romance set in 1877 Nebraska. This novel blends a sensual love story
with mystery and danger.
She
released Romance Every Weekend: 104 Fun Ways to Express Your Love, a
non-fiction guide to romance in 2019. The book features 104 fun and easy ways
you can express your love to that special someone in your life. Perfect for men
or women, it focuses on tender, everyday gestures that let your
partner know how much you love him or her.
Kelli
published Extraterrestrial Encounters, a collection of
18 sci-fi stories, in 2019. If you like horror fiction, don’t
miss her disturbing novella, Nightmare in the North.
Kelli has authored
two online writing courses: Fiction Basics: Finding Ideas and Fiction Writing for Beginners.
These courses are perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to write. Visit: https://kelliwilkins.teachable.com/
for more
details.
Not
just an author, Kelli is also an amateur photographer. Visit her pages on Shutterstock
https://www.shutterstock.com/g/kelli+wilkins and iStock https://www.istockphoto.com/portfolio/kelliwilkins to
view her photos.
Kelli posts on her
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor.
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