Romance Author Kelli A.
Wilkins Shares 5 Fun Writing Tips!
In
my last guest blog, I shared six simple writing tips all authors can use. In
this blog, I’m back with five fun writing tips that will help you bring your
romances to life.
Writers
will find them useful and readers will get an inside look at a few “secrets”
that go in to plotting interesting romances and creating unique characters.
These writing tips are based on advice I received in my writing classes and
discoveries I made as I wrote. I included brief examples to illustrate a few
points.
Let’s
get started…
1. Lights, Camera,
Action!:
Always start your story with an interesting hook to capture the reader’s
attention. Begin either 5 minutes before, during, or 5 minutes after “the big
moment” that gives the character a problem and draws the reader into the
character’s world. Keep the action going in the first few paragraphs. Don’t
waste the first page describing the weather or how a character got dressed in
the morning. Jump into the story and take your readers with you.
For example, in my historical/western, Lies, Love and Redemption, I started
the story about 5 minutes before shot-and-left-for-dead Sam wanders into
Cassie’s store and collapses into her arms. The reader is instantly pulled into
Cassie’s situation and intrigued about Sam. Where did he come from? Who shot
him? Why?
My
historical/fantasy romance novel A Most Unfortunate Prince begins
just after Prince Allan learns he’s been banished from the kingdom and must
live as a pauper. It sets the stage for what’s to come and gives Allan a big
problem from the outset of the book.
2. What’s Your Sign?: One of the keys to
writing a good story is creating a believable cast of characters. As the
author, it’s your job to know your characters better than anyone. (After all,
they’re your inventions.) Before you
write your story, spend some time with your characters and learn everything you
can about them so they come off well-rounded and “real” to readers. Some of the
details you should know are:
·
Hair
and eye color, general build/body shape (We need to get a good mental image of
everyone.)
·
Left-
or right-handed (A great detail to know if there’s a gun involved in the
story!)
·
Birthday
and astrological sign. (You can develop character traits based on the sign. An
astrology reference book is an excellent tool for this.)
·
Distinguishing
marks (Any scars, missing limbs, tattoos? What are the stories behind each?)
·
Family
life (Have brothers and sisters? Adopted? Parents together or divorced? Raised
by uncle, etc.) Have children? Wants children? Never even considered it?
·
How
much of a dark side does he/she have and how does it show?
·
Recreation
(Likes sports on TV, hates all sports, plays hockey, hikes, surfs)
·
Fears
and phobias (water, dolls, monkeys, wasps, falling, fire – and why!)
·
Wears
glasses/contacts/braces or has any medical conditions?
·
Where
and how did they live/grow up? Poor, middle class, member of royal family?
·
What
secrets do your characters have? What would happen if people found out about
them?
·
Dreams,
aspirations, goals, and regrets. Are they happy with their lives or do they
wish they had done things differently?
·
Sexual
history (straight, gay, experiments, virgin, non-virgin with regrets, loose,
never been in love, had heart broken, etc.) Knowing this is VERY important for
romances!
The
more you know about the characters in your story, the more you can make the
reader (and other characters) identify with them through details. You can also
build on these details and use them to move the plot along, add conflict, build
dramatic tension, or liven up a love scene.
You
don’t have to use everything in the story, but knowing that your character has
to overcome her fear of water to save a child trapped during a flood will bring
her to life.
3. Do Your Homework: I once tossed a book
across the room because the author had tulips blooming in October. (Nope,
sorry. Didn’t work for me. On my planet, they bloom in spring.) Maybe it’s a
small detail that a non-gardener wouldn’t notice (or care about) but a little
research could have fixed that problem.
Whatever
you’re writing, it pays to do your homework and research a topic. This is
especially true if you’re writing historical fiction, and it’s essential if
you’re writing non-fiction. Research provides interesting details the reader
might need to know for a part of the story, but in the very least, it lends
itself to the believability of the setting, characters, and plot.
If you write historical fiction, learn about the time period where you’ve set
your story. What did people eat, where did they work, and what did money look
like? How did they live? What did they have around the house? (Wood-burning
stoves, fireplaces, butter churns, cast iron skillets?)
What
was invented then? If you’re writing about a character living on the Nebraska
prairie in 1877, you have to know everything about the time period and “live”
through the character to show the reader what that person’s life was like. For
example, don’t surround your Revolutionary War-era fort with barbed wire—it
wasn’t invented until the late 1800s.
Sometimes you have to do research for contemporary stories. If you live in the
Northeast and set your story in the springtime in Arizona, you should find out
what the weather is like during that time of year, what flowers are blooming,
etc. (It’ll be different from where you are.) Ditto if you’ve set a story in
another country—find out all you can about the food, culture, housing, what
time the sun sets, what kind of trees, flowers, they have, etc.
When
I wrote my historical romance, Dangerous Indenture, I researched
what life was like in Colonial times. I needed to know what chores my
indentured servant heroine would perform each day, how servants were treated,
and why anyone would sign up for indenture. These details deepened Shauna’s
character and added to the overall story.
4. Gotta Have a Goal: No matter how grand or
simple, everyone has a goal. When you’re writing a story, you have to know what
your characters want most—at least for right now. Different characters should
have different goals, and along the course of your story, goals will change and
characters will develop secondary goals.
Goals
vary depending on the type of story you’re writing, but they generally fall
into two categories: emotional, or internal goals, and physical, or external
goals. An internal goal is something the character needs or wants. (This can be
meeting a soul mate and falling in love or healing grief after the loss of a
loved one.)
An
external goal is something the main character physically must do, such as climb
down into a cave to rescue his beloved. Sometimes goals start out simple (like
getting to a wedding on time), and your job as a writer is to make it hard for
your character to achieve his/her goal by throwing in conflicts and obstacles
that force your heroine or hero to work harder.
Vinnie
Valentine’s goal in my wrestling romance, A Deceptive Match, was pretty
simple: hide his knee injury from everyone and make it through the most
grueling wrestling match of his career. He had a lot at stake both personally
and professionally, and needed to stay focused despite all the distractions
around him. When he learns that Danni (the heroine) is involved in his match,
his secondary goal of protecting her adds to his burden. Remember, the worse
you make things for your characters, the more they have to grow and that adds
drama and tension to your story.
But
writers don’t just give their characters goals; they also have to motivate them
to reach those goals. Ask yourself “what’s at stake?” for the character. What
if he/she doesn’t reach the goal, then what happens? If the answer is “nothing,
he just moves on” then you need to up the stakes and get your character
motivated. It will increase the action and keep the plot moving.
In
the opening scene of my paranormal-historical romance, The Viking’s Witch, the
heroine, Odaria, is about to be burned at the stake. Her goal (obviously) is to
avoid that by any means necessary. Once she does, she realizes that the village
has been overtaken by violent Norsemen. Now she has a new goal—to avoid being
captured. Over the course of the book the stakes get higher for all the
characters. This builds tension and keeps the reader hooked.
5. Sex is personal—for your characters!: Readers always ask me love scene-related
questions. Some people want to know how to keep the sex fresh from story to
story, wonder how much graphic detail is the “right” amount, and others want to
know how hard it is to write a love scene.
My
romances run the gamut from mild to scorching hot. I let the characters in each
story determine the sexual content, graphic details, and overall heat level.
Every story is different, and so are the sexual lives of the characters. Some
characters are wild and experienced and like to spice things up, while others
may be hesitant about taking a lover for the first time. Writing for the
different characters and their individual situations helps keep things
interesting and fresh.
When
I write love scenes, I stand back and let the characters do what comes natural.
I generally know how far the scene will go ahead of time, but I let the
characters take over and enjoy themselves. (After all, it’s their story, they
deserve to have fun!)
As
for “how much to show” within a book or a scene, I think it depends on the book
and the characters. Sometimes it’s nice to give the characters some privacy and
imply what goes on; and yet, other times, readers want to see the passionate
side of the relationship. I blend a little of each into my books.
I hope you enjoyed these writing tips and find
them useful. If you’re interested in learning about the writing process and
getting more tips and writing advice, check out my non-fiction writing guide, You
Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction. The book is designed for writers who need a boost of motivation and
simple instructions on how to get started. It’s packed with writing
tips, advice, and fun exercises.
If you’re
ready to write, order your copy here:
I welcome comments and questions from readers. Be sure to
follow my blog for the latest updates and visit me on social media.
Happy Reading & Writing!
Kelli
A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who
has published 100 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books.
Her romances span many genres and heat levels.
In 2016 Kelli began re-releasing her romances
previously published by Amber Quill Press. Visit her website and blog for a
full title list, book summaries, and other information. Kelli’s third Medallion
Press historical romance, Lies, Love & Redemption, was
released in September 2016.
Her writing book, You Can Write—Really! A
Beginner’s Guide to Writing Fiction is a fun and informative
non-fiction guide based on her 17 years of experience as a writer. It’s filled
with writing exercises and helpful tips all authors can use.
If you like to be scared, check out Kelli’s
horror ebooks: Dead Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.
CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here are a few links to find Kelli & her writings on the web
