Is there a pattern to your books?

No, peeps, I'm not talking about china, wallpaper, or textiles here. I'm talking about your plot. Your characters.

I've written two books about two old flames reuniting (that's my favorite!). I like books were people reconnect. I've got more about this I'd like to write.

Then, my hero's tend to be alpha. Some super-alpha, some mushy-alpha, but still alpha. Then, my heroines tend to be a wee bit on the unlikable side and they are broken. Confused, but strong in their own way. They the ones in the story that usually need *fixed*. In comes the hero and works his magic!

My dear friend Sarah has a pattern to her books as well (not sure if she's realized it yet...HI Sarah!). She tends to write swoon-worthy beta-heros who are strong, have some serious issues, but would die a silent death for their girl. They are the ones who usually need *fixed* or saved and stuff. And her heroines? Strong, independent, smart, and likable. That's a hard combination to get, btw.

Nora Roberts tends to have stories with women who are one of two things: really fiesty or broken. There's generally not an in-between. And Lora Leigh writes stories with SUPER alpha men. Powerful, alpha men.

See what I mean about a pattern?

Think about the books you've written...go ahead, I'll wait.

No think of the underlying plots and issues facing your characters, and your characters themselves. Do you see a pattern? There's nothing wrong with a pattern (assuming you're not writing the exact same book over and over with a different characters names and changing the plot up a little). The reason you have a pattern is because those characters are what you are comfortable with writing.

Now, what if you see a pattern in your writing? You change it.

Okay, okay, I know that is a lot easier than it sounds. My dear friend Sarah may have an underlying pattern, but you'd never really know it by reading her stories. She makes them individual, giving characters more life than the story before, a different, remarkable twist than before, a plot you would never even consider, and stuff like that. And the emotions and details are so different, so spot-on it makes each story original and beautiful. So even though her stories still have those super beta-heros and super strong heroines, you've got stories that are on different ends of spectrum. That's what we (ME!) need to strive to do if we see a pattern in our own writing.

I know it's hard to break out of your comfort zone. You write certain characters/plots because you feel like you know them. You don't have to learn anything new or change the way you see things. And this is what has to change. Break free from the clutches of what you know. Because you never truly live until you are at the end of your comfort zone. ;-)

Tell me, did you find a pattern in your writing? Have you tried to change your pattern? Are you super uncomfortable hopping outside of your comfort zone? Why? Any patterns in books that you've read?

~JD

Grammar Police: Colloquialisms

The sheriff doesn't know about the rest of ya'll, but I tend to speak in a very colloquial manner. What's colloquial you say? Here be the answer:

Colloquial--

1. Characteristic of or appropriate to the spoken language or to writing that seeks the effect of speech; informal.

2. Relating to conversation; conversational.

Think of someone from the deeeep south who drops off syllable's and shortens words. Think of Honey Boo-Boo. 

Think of British slang. 

Ebonics. 

Gangster talk in movies. 

A hot-headed Italian. 

A cowboy in a western movie. 

And for me, a historical novel...I mean, who can understand that jibberish? lol 

Colloquialisms don't mean you're uneducated. It doesn't mean your talk is cooler, dumber, or even wrong for that matter. It's just the way you talk, the way you think, and prolly the way you write. Here is a good example, one that you could probably hear around my house when I was a wee teen:

"Ja eat yet?"

"No, jew?"

Another good example is the fact that I, and Indiana-er, tend to drop of the first word of sentence, automatically thinking everyone else will know what I mean. My good friend Sarah pointed this out in my writing. Since she's been around US, she's pretty sure it's an "Indiana" thing. LoL. 

Depending on where you live, you might say "pop" or "soda". 

Someone might say they have a "crick in the neck".

And if you have a teen, they might say things like: OMG, BRB, Totes!, For reals?, No. Way. and tons more. 

Colloquialisms tend to come directly from cultural influences on language. Which is why sometimes you'll learn a new language, visit the place of origin, and have no idea what the people are saying sometimes.  

What does this have to do with writing, you ask?

Well, you don't want to write in all colloquialisms for ninety-thousand words. For one good reasons:

1. It's ANNOYING. 

Oh...and it's also hard to read. Could you imagine reading an entire manuscript of colloquial slang? It'd look something like this:

"Whaja see?"

"I dunno, I'm not fer certain."

"This jez duden add up."

"I know. Iden right."

Could you read a whole book like that? Granted, this is just one example, and I could give you a gazillion more, but this makes my eyes hurt just looking at it. Sure, I even talk like this sometimes, but when I read it, it makes me actually have to concentrate and sound out what is being said. While physically talking, it's too easy to shorten our own words and drop of few of the enunciation's. But heaven forbid this ol' sheriff actually write like this. 

Now, if you have a character in a book that has/needs this particular trait, it's fine to write some of their colloquial speak into the dialect. Just don't do too much. Sprinkle a little at the beginning, so the reader gets a good grip and idea of who the character is, then ease up. Toss in a colloquial phrase now and again to keep our minds on the right path but don't fill up pages and pages of dialect that readers won't even understand. 

Got it, ya'll? Good. Good. Great. Peeps, it's time for the sheriff to lickidee-split! 

~JD 

News You Can Use (hopefully!)

Whoot! Whoot! It's Friday, peeps.

Friiiiiiiiiiday!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, let's get this party started with some important News You Can Use (hopefully!)

1. Captain Ninja Alex is hosting a Blogfest on Sept. 17th! His blogfest are like, awesome, so sign up here!

2. Deals of the week from Publisher's Weekly...here! 

3. Oh, the Tail of Fifty Shades. Think the genre/demand is spent? Not by a long shot!

4. Speaking of Fifty Shades, check out this weeks New York Times Best Seller list. Which I just noticed Sylvia Day is on...and she is one of my favorite authors! You should pick a book (or two) by her!

5. For you Indie Authors, Kindle has expanded their reach to India! (World domination continues...) :-)

6. The Editor (deareditor.com) is hosting a Newsflash: A DearEditor.com FREE EDIT Giveaway
Which means you could win a FREE substantive edit on your 80,000 word book! You've got until midnight August 28th to entry, so do it now!

7. And speaking of winning stuff...did you know you can enter to win a copy of my book on Goodreads? YAY!


Now that your brain is full of much needed knowledge, go have a rockin' weekend!

~JD

PS. If you got something you'd like to see on the News You Can Use post, hit me up! Er, well, send me an email. ;-) 

The Art of Poetry

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not all that versed in poetry (ha, see what I did there?)

I have a few poetry books and I adore them. Their style and content is exactly what I like to read. However, I didn't search them out or buy them. They were given to me by a friend. Had I not been given them, I probably would have never bought them. I surely don't peruse that section of the bookstore. Or Amazon for that matter.

However, I recently started a new job (same local, different position, really) and met a coworker who has an insane passion for poetry. Because I'm a writer, we have much to discuss. :-) And I've learned that some writers (poets) believe that poetry is becoming a forgotten art. More specifically, Epic Poetry. If you're unfamiliar with that term, check it out on Wikipedia. 

From what I gather, it's like a long narrative. Almost like a novella written in poetry form. That fascinates me!

Someone compiled a list of the 10 Greatest Epic Poems.  I researched them a bit and realized that I actually know some of the stories. I've actually read Epic Poetry! Sure, it might have been for school, but hey, I've read it.

So why do some folks think it's forgotten? Well, unless you write it or read it (like me), it's like foreign territory. Or maybe because you don't see collections of new poetry splashed all across best-sellers lists. Maybe it's because most agent now-a-days won't rep poetry collections. Maybe it's a lot of things.

But in any case, I urge all of you to take a second look at this art. Because it truly is art. I'll be the first to admit that I can write an 80,000 novel and yet I know I couldn't pull together poetry (in any shape or form) that people would actually want to read. (And really it's still debatable if people would actually want to read my novels...not that I'd stop writing them.) Sometime in the near future I'll post some high-school poetry assignments I found not-so-long ago.

If writing fiction is an art, than poetry is a art to the second power. ;-)

Do any of you like poetry? New or old? Do you have a favorite poet? What do you think about poetry being a dying art form? I for one can say that poetry just earned a new fan. :-)

Oh, and in case you missed the Publisher's Weekly announcement, Fall 2012 is supposed to be a big bang in poetry. It might be old stuff, but it's still good stuff. And I'm sure there's some new things thrown in there.

~JD

P.S. After writing the word poetry so much in this post, I realized it is one of those words that looks misspelled after you've seen it a million times. Always trips me up. 

Grammar Police: Teacher's opinion on importance of knowing your S***

My daughter, who embarked on her first week of high school just this past week (don't ask how I'm doing with that, either). Makes me feel way old if you must know.

Anyway, I've always proofed the Offspring's papers (not that I'm perfect mind you) and helped her in English. She thinks I'm too picky. And when she goes to school with a report/essay all marked up, apparently her teacher looks at her like she's grown a second head. But as soon as my daughter says: my mom's a writer, the teachers just smiles. Heh. Heh.

But I digress. The offspring has ALWAYS argued with me about you're and your. I swear she knows the difference, she just like to get a rise out of me.

Anyway, imagine my amusement when, during the third day of school, her English teacher picks the topic of grammar to discuss. And this teacher, this wonderful, amazing teacher said it all with just a few words. And she had me rolling with laughter when the offspring showed me the following picture, which is what was written on the whiteboard in her classroom:

In case you can't read it, it says:

Grammar is the difference between knowing your sh** and knowing you're sh**. 

So what have we learned here today, peeps? 

Grammar is SUPER important, yes?

I don't think the Offpsring will ever again doubt the proper use of you're and your. Or the importance of grammar. Lesson learned. ;-) 

~JD 

L = Love

Now this letter should have been a given in the A-Z of Romance.

WHY?

Because THIS is why we read romance. For the mushy love!

Most genre's don't have *rules* you have to follow, do they? Well, not with romance, peeps. If you write straight-up romance, their is one hard and fast rule that you MUST, must follow. Period. No exceptions.

The hero and heroine must fall and love. There must be an HEA (happily ever after). The characters don't need to have walked down the wedding isle by the end of the book. Heck, they don't even have to be engaged, but the thought must be there.

The two characters, no matter what you threw at them during the course of the book, must have fallen in love and by that last page, they must be blissfully happy. *sigh* That's why we love them so much. No matter the heartache they go through during the book, no matter the tears and struggles and fights, we always know they will end up together. In love. Hopelessly. And it's beautiful.

That's why I read romance. That's why I write romance. You can't find that aspect in any other book all the time. I know it's not a genre for everyone, but when you get right down to it, the endings are what makes us happy.

~JD 

K = Kindle

KINDLE.

KINDLE.

KINDLE.

Not kindling flames. Kindling an old love. Kindling...whatever.

This is  THE Kindle. 

That perfect little device that has made our lives so wonderful. Granted, I still love good, real, book now and again. But the Kindle? *swoon*

What does this have to do with writing? Well, when you're a writer you're supposed to read. A lot. Preferably in the genre you write (but other ones work, too). And the Kindle has made the job SO much easier...and cheaper. ;-)

Or the Nook.
Or the Ipad.
Or whatever e-reader you use.

Magazines, blogs, books, apps, it's all right their at our little writer fingertips. Perfection.

Has has you life as a writer changed since you got an e-reader? (Or are you one of those people who refuse to cross over to the dark side? lol)

~JD 

J = Just DO IT!

No, people, I'm not talking about getting someone in the sack or starting an eight mile run. Although since we've been talking about romance all month, I can see why you would think that (getting in the sack, that is).

We're going to swing back to the reader perspective today. Have you ever read a book and thought:

"Man! I wish the MC would open and eyes and realize that his own brother is the one sabotaging his business!"

"Jump the enemy and take over the world, already!"

"Jeez, I wish this man and woman would just start a relationship already."

"All the information is there...just solve the freakin' crime!"

Have you ever read a book that makes you frustrated at the characters because they aren't seeing enough? I have and it's the most irritating thing in the world. You desperately want the story to move forward and it just...doesn't. As a reader, I try my darndest to not do this as a writer. However, because I have all the parts of the story in my head, it's REALLY hard. ;-) Like, really hard, peeps.

So even though I want to scream at the MC's sometimes, I understand the concept. I might not like it, but I understand it. And you have to remember, just because we, as readers, can see something, doesn't mean the other characters can. Plus, the writer is trying to develop a story. Actions. Emotions. And while doing that, they are still trying to make all the words really count.

So while we may be screaming JUST DO IT! the characters might not be ready for it. And I know the author paced their story that way for a reason.

Have you ever read a story like this? I mean one that REALLY dragged on and on? I've never read one that annoyed me so much I had to put it down. What about one that did an excellent job in the opposite direction?

~JD

I = Introspection

The eighth letter of the alphabet down! Now we are up to I.

So let's take a good, hard look at Introspection. 

in·tro·spec·tion

   [in-truh-spek-shuhn]  Show IPA

noun

1.

observation or examination of one's own mental andemotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of lookingwithin oneself.

Now, I've read more than just romance in my day. And romance has by far the most introspection of any genre. YA has quite a bit sometimes (especially in romance), but straight up adult romance has A LOT. As the romance genre has progressed, it's gotten much better, though. Have you ever picked up romance book from the 80's? CRAZY amounts of introspection.

Introspection is the inner thoughts of the characters. What they are going through. How they feel about something. They are trying to figure things out in their head. Replaying scenes, actions, and considering what to do next. I personally like books that are more succinct in this area, which is why I'm glad most romances have evolved.

My writing itself has evolved in this area. I went from telling (like tons) to more showing. Character dialect and actions tend to take precedence over pages and pages of inner thoughts now. However, I noticed this causes the move forward faster, sometimes (the plot). At the same time, the books tend to get longer. What's up with that? ;-) BUT, introspection is still a very important aspect of romance. You can't convey every single feeling through actions. Sometimes thought are a must.

How do you feel about introspection? Do you read a different genre than romance have insight? Love it? Hate it?

~JD

H = Hopelessly Romantic

Today I'm going to steer away from the characters of a romance, and the writing of one, to talk a little about the people who read romances.

The ages range from 18 to 108. And let's face it, those younger readers who somehow manage to get something other than a YA romance in their hands.

The point is, why do women read these things? Why do they like them?

Two words: Hopelessly Romantic. 

Have you read a romance? Have you taken a good, hard look at the men in these stories? *swoon*

They can be a combination of things:

Protective
Loving
Caring
Careful
Aggressive
Quiet
Seductive
Gorgeous
Devoted

Above all else, there is one thing every romance has in common: a man who would go to the ends of the earth for his woman. He would protect her at all costs. Shelter her from hurt, pain. Die for her. And during their time together, he would always make her feel like the most precious thing on earth. He might show it with Alpha behavior or crawl at her feet, but either way, the heroine knows she is loved endlessly. Forever.

So you have this amazing man wrapped into a warming love story...because that's what contemporary romances are. Love stories.

Okay, it's also fiction. Frankly, I've yet to meet a man like in any of the hundreds of romances I've read. I doubt they exist. No man could be that broken or determined or focused, and can yet still be hopelessly devoted and loving to a woman. But a woman can dream, right?

And that's what romances let women do. We will curl up on the hammock on the porch and read for hours. We'll be sucked into a story of triumph, of heartache, of love. We'll go through the emotions of the characters, loving them and their journey each and every step of the way. It's passion. It's the act of reading about two people and the lengths they will go to save/keep/love each another. And certainly, there are those of us who dreams that one day we will find that same type of love we read about.  That perfect man. That perfect situation to show someone just how much we care. We want to feel that. And that's what romances let us do. It's a break from reality. It's our escape. It's our dream.

It's simple. We love a happily ever after. We love the men. We love the story. And yes, sometimes we even lust. We are sentimental dreamers who sometime look at love and life with rose-colored glasses. And hey, so long as we remember it's fiction, that's fine.

My name is Justine Dell and I'm a hopeless romantic. Are you?

~JD

G = Goals

And one of my favorite movies will kick us off for this topic!

Kit, drinking a slushy (or something): "You gotta have a goal, do you have a goal?"

*Woman twirls her straw and takes a drink: "I once wanted to join the Ice Capades."

Pretty Woman, one of the best movies all of time if you ask me, gives us the line that shows everyone's gotta have a goal. Or as someone else in the movie says, "Everybody gotta have a dream. What's your dream? This is Hollywood..."

Romance books are no different. Funny that Pretty Woman was a romance then, heh? ;-)

Goals, dreams, either way you play it. Characters gotta have them. They want to...

Open up a coffee shop.
Successfully provide for their children.
Get a job.
Keep a job.
Kick a bad habit.
Renovate a hotel.
Climb the social latter.
Climb the economic latter.
Climb the job latter.
Keep from strangling relatives.
Get memory back.
Visit Ireland.
Walk along the beach.
GET THE FREAKIN' EGG!
Visit Mars?

Uh, you get it, right?

In Romances, the H/H have goals. Granted, they might be opposing goals, but they are goals nonetheless. For instance, a cocky-alpha dude might want to (or already has) buy/bought a quaint little old-fashioned mom and pop type strip mall. (Haven't seen one of those in ages, btw). The graceful woman, who recently opened up a ballet studio in said strip mall wants to expand. But the dude wants to tear it down and build a mega-size mini-mall. Enter conflict.

Each of them has opposing goals and now they have to battle it out on the pages! That's what I like, two strong characters battling it out.

How about you? What's your goal?

You gotta have a dream...what's your dream? ;-)

~JD

F = Forgiveness

That's it. You've REALLY ticked me off.

I'm going to drop the F-bomb...

FORGIVENESS (or just forgive)

for·give

   [fer-giv]  Show IPA verb, for·gave,for·giv·en, for·giv·ing.

verb (used with object)

1.

to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.);absolve.

2.

to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation,etc.).

3.

to grant pardon to (a person).

4.

to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies.

5.

to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interestowed on a loan.

Not all books have forgiveness in them. Almost every romance book you'll pick up with have some aspect of forgiveness. Mainly because in every romance novel, there is that black moment, when the H/H get ripped from each other right before their happily ever after.

Maybe it's an old lover come back to claim was isn't theirs.
Maybe it's a lie the hero told at the beginning of the story that is finally catching up with him.
Maybe it's a secret the heroine didn't want to tell the hero in fear of losing him.
Maybe it's because the dude ended up with that darn egg and ran off with it!

It's human nature to make mistakes, and in romance novels, the characters generally make a lot of them. No, they aren't stupid, they are human. And if you read contemporary romance, you'll realize that a lot of the stories nowadays are a lot like real life. So mistakes are a plenty. In fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal romance, people can and do  make mistakes, too. Not matter the situation, someone, somewhere, in the book will need to forgive...or be forgiven.

Some stories revolve totally around forgiveness. Because it's something BIG. Sometimes it's the little acts that need forgiving. But somewhere in pretty much every story, there are acts of forgiveness and people that need forgiven. Again, it's an aspect that gets us deeper into the story, into the characters minds and hearts. It compels us.

Can you think of a good story that involves a heavy dose of forgiveness? Seventeen Again (with Zac Efron) comes to mind. Toss in a little redemption with that one, too. :-)

~JD

A-Z of Romance: E = Effort

I've decided after going through the first five letters of the alphabet that a lot of what I'm saying is also true for other genre. Just sayin'. ;-)

Now, on to EFFORT!

ef·fort

   [ef-ert] 

noun

1.

exertion of physical or mental power: It will take great effort toachieve victory.

2.

an earnest or strenuous attempt: an effort to keep to theschedule.

3.

something done by exertion or hard work: I thought it wouldbe easy, but it was an effort.

4.

an achievement, as in literature or art: The painting is one ofhis finest efforts.

5.

the amount of exertion expended for a specified purpose: thewar effort.

There are a lot of different angles I could take this, so let's see if I can keep my verbage focused, shall I?

We aren't going to focus on the effort of writing the book because let's face it...we ALL know how much effort that takes.

We aren't going to focus on the effort of planning a book/characters/plot/climax/blah because we also all know how much effort that takes, too.

We're going to discuss the effort in which you give your characters. Characters have to make an effort.

An effort to love.
An effort to solve a crime.
An effort to find a lost loved one.
An effort to change themselves.
An effort to make people see the real them.
An effort to keep a promise (or break one for that matter).
An effort to keep a secret...or create one.
An effort to develop relationships and keep them.
An effort to save the world.
An effort to learn how to use their superpowers.
An effort to become The President of The United States!
Heck, your characters have to making an effort practically the entire book!

Who knew they went through so much work? *whew* I'm exhausted just thinking about it!

The point is, your characters cannot just sit around letting the story happen around them. They ARE the story. What they are going through, doing, changing, is the story. And that takes effort!

Think back to when we discussed build earlier this week. Two people, a man and a woman from feuding families both want the same priceless egg. With GREAT effort, they will work together (try not to kill each other while denying their attraction) in order to get back the egg that was sold beneath their very noses. They will work with their own families, with each other, planning and calculating. Since they are working together to get the egg back, they will both also be thinking how to get the egg to themselves once the pair of them have it in their clutches. Lots of effort going on there.

Same goes with any book. If you have a murder-mystery...you have the effort of solving the crime. If you have sci-fi...you have the effort of learning how to fly a space shuttle in order to stave off an intergalactic war. If you have romance...you better believe you have effort between the characters--each trying to get what they want out of the story or each other. Effort comes in many forms, in many shapes, and many story lines. Every story line.

The Blindside? The effort of those parents trying to help out a homeless kid and help him succeed.
Finding Nemo? The effort of a father trying to track down his only son.
The Vow? The effort of a husband desperately trying to help his wife remember their lives together.

And within each of these main efforts, their are smaller efforts.

While your characters are going through all this effort, they are changing, building character, learning and growing. Without their effort, without their dreams or hopes or desires, their would be no story.

Now go pick up a book or a watch a favorite and really watch the effort of the characters. Then make sure your characters are putting out just a much effort in their stories. ;-)

~JD 

D = Details

Today in the A-Z of Romance, we'll discuss D. Detail. Which, like most things we have or will discuss, are a big part of every book. 

de·tail 

dih-teyl, dee-teyl; v. dih-teyl]

noun

1.

an individual or minute part; an item or particular.

2.

particulars collectively; minutiae.

3.

attention to or treatment of a subject in individual or minuteparts: to postpone detail and concentrate on a subject as awhole.

4.

intricate, finely wrought decoration.

Well, that's not quite the definition I was looking for, but I can work with this. Sorta. ;-) 

Details are what bring the pages to life. It is the slice of November wind through an angora sweater biting into your skin, it is the rustling of the leaves across the broken sidewalk or the shimmer and glisten of a cobalt eyes and a mischievous grin...otherwise you would just have: a cold winter day, fall, and pretty blue eyes. 

SEE the difference? And really, my examples are still pretty tame. Some folks are SO good a sensory details. My good friend Sarah Fine is one of them. She rocks a world and it's surroundings like nobodies business, I tell you. If you don't believe me, preorder her book SANCTUM (seriously, DO IT) and she'll show you how details can make a story that much darker, that much scarier, that much more poignant. The woman is amazing. 

Ahem, anyways, but to details. 

Details are in every book. Children's. YA. Suspense. Romance. Whatev. You must have details. Not boring details. Not telling. Details the reader can see, taste, and almost touch (withing their minds, of course.) It's all about the details of the details if you will. HAHA. Okay, that was just funny to me for some reason. 

MOVING ON!

Details are a place, a time, a taste, a sight, a sound, something, anything to ground the reader. To again, put them in the place of character. It's so easy to get carried away with the story that you forget to remind us where we are, who we are with, what we are doing. 

Nora Roberts once did an interview and said that she always writes the *story* and the dialogue and goes back and adds all the *details* later. Now, I could never do that, but I can totally see how that could work. She gets the basics down (and out of her head!) and then livens up the pages with all those wonderful details! The details we as readers remember and cherish when we put down a book. 

One thing to remember...you can go overboard with details. Don't get too wordy now, peeps. ;-) 

Can you think of a book that you thought had really good details? Either characters details, sensory details, etc? My favorite is listed above. The Dark City described in that book is just...*sighs*. And the emotions? (Yes, that's a detail, too!!)  *swoons* SUCH a good book. 

Now tell me about a book that left you breathless because of the details.  

~JD 

A-Z of Romance: C = CHARACTERS

AH! Day number three and we are stopping on the what I think can be the most important part of ANY book...

THE CHARACTERS.

And I'm not just talking about the main characters, peeps. I'm talking about the secondary ones, too.

Main characters, obviously, are the most important. They are the ones who drive the story. They are the ones who have to grow, change, develop (during that build we discussed yesterday!).

An example for romance would be the heroine being afraid to love because of a broken heart (pretty cliche...but don't most girls feel like this??). During the story, she goes through motions that change her mind. Normally the motions come at the hand of the hero. Awww. Some can come at the hand of other things, too.

An example in a uh...YA...yeah, a YA would be the uber-popular but snobby girl who grows to realize that the world doesn't just revolve around her. (Teenager girls...what can you do with them?) This change normally comes at the hand of various scenarios and other characters.

So, your main characters also have to have depth. Three dimensions. People need to like  them (even if they are a pain in the butt!). People need to relate to them, root for them, people must want to see them reach their goals at the end of the book. You do this by making them people. Not cardboard cutouts. You make them individuals...putting the reader in their mind and making them feel what the characters feel. Make them know what the characters know. Make the characters JUMP off the page! Give them quirks, give them problems, give them cute little habits, or annoying ones they need to break. Give them a mountain to climb or a problem to solve. And do it with class (or attitude...depending on your character).

Now, those secondary characters. Because I'm such a romance freak, I'm not super crazy about secondary characters. I like the story to be about the H/H and I like to have TONS of page time devoted to them and the building of their relationship.

I don't mind a secondary character or two that adds comic relief, a little insight, or someone who knows the characters better than we do (that makes the story feel more real). But I'm not fond of secondary characters that you find in most other types of books. Think action, suspense, etc. The reason might surprise you: I'm not the kind of person that can keep track of ten people in a story. It's not a bad thing, mind you, to have so many characters. And in a lot of YA (romance included), romantic suspense, and paranormal, there are generally a handful (or more) of secondary characters. Contemporary romance can have them, too, but I prefer the story that has less than five all together. If I could get away with just the H/H and not bore the reader to death, I would do it. ;-)

So the characters hold everything together. They are the ones that tell the story and move it forward. They are the ones we have to fall in love with. They are the build. The foundation, the walls, and roof. Without them, you've got nothing. Together with the plot, they can take over the world. :-)

Can any of you think of a story where you loved the characters? Hated them? Thought there were too many characters? Not enough characters? Come on...I know you've got something.

~JD

First Up--COVER Reveal

Today is A-Z of Romance, and after this post, I will do the *official* post of the day. BUT first, I have to show you my beautiful book cover! It was officially revealed on the twimomblog yesterday,  but here it is for all of my bloggie peeps!

I'm going to go swoon by myself. You go an take a look at the other post for the day. C = Characters (the most important part in any book!)

~JD 

A-Z of Romance: B = BUILD

Day two in the A-Z Romance, and today we have B for BUILD.

You’ve got the attraction between the characters, now you have to build a relationship. Two people just don’t see each other, fall in the sheets together, and then live happily ever after. Well, sometimes they do see each other and immediately fall in the sheets together, but that’s a topic for a different time.

How do you build a relationship? First, let’s learn about build:

build

   [bild]  Show IPA verb, built or ( Archaic )build·ed; build·ing; noun

verb (used with object)

1.

to construct (especially something complex) by assemblingand joining parts or materials: to build a house.

2.

to establish, increase, or strengthen (often followed by up ):to build a business; to build up one's hopes.

3.

to mold, form, or create: to build boys into men.

4.

to base; found: a relationship built on trust.

Ah…so it’s our job as a writer to increase the attraction, strengthen the relationship, establish more than just that initial umph, if you will.

So now you put the characters together in the story, develop their relationship, build their foundation (and many more levels above them!).  It's our jobs to construct this. Give them more than just that sexual attraction. Give them a common goal. Make them work together. Make them hate each other but still have to work together. JUST GET THEM TOGETHER. 

Maybe they’re star-crossed lovers thrown together in the middle of a family feud about a Fabergè egg. The man and woman meet at an auction for said egg. Both want it. They bid like crazy against each other, shooting each other stern looks and snarls. (All while thinking the other is cute…maybe). Then yank the egg from both of them from another ridiculously high bidder!

Now, the man and woman come together with a common goal = get the egg back. Each still wants it for themselves, but in the meantime they have to work together. During this working together, they get to know each other, get to know the problems between their families, develop a deeper attraction and respect. Okay, they end up in bed sometime and then get right back to *their* plans. All while the story is unfolding, the characters are talking, learning more about their lives, each other,  I mean really getting to know each other. No matter what story they're are in, no matter the plot, there has to be the build if this relationship. 

There’s a gazillion other ways to build a relationship and I’ve really only skimmed the surface here, but hopefully you get the basis of it. The main point being: you have to take that initial attraction (or hate for that matter) and build it into a relationship. That relationship has to grow, change, develop into respect, longing, kindredship, and finally love. And all along the way the characters will face obstacles putting them closer (and farther away) from their goals. At the very end, everything comes together. The egg will end up in the right hands and boy and girl will end up together. Happily Ever After.

Are than any good stories you can think of that have a great building of a relationship between a man and a woman? Most teens would say Twilight here. ..but I still say that the first ten minutes of the Disney movie UP has a better romance. *snicker*

OH! And today the cover for my book will be *officially* revealed by Mandy over at TwiMomBookBlog.  Go check it out if you get a chance!

~JD 

A-Z of Romance: A = Attraction

HELLO!!

I know it's be awhile since I've been around *peeks in and smiles*, but now it's time to get back into the swing of JD! ;-)

My debut novel, Recaptured Dreams, is going to be released by Omnifiic Publishing on Sept. 11th, 2012. To countdown, we'll be doing two things. ONE: for the whole month of August, I will be doing a post on the A-Z of Romance, cuz after all, that's what I write..  :-) And for September, I'll be bouncing around on some of my favorite blogs, hosting giveaways and a HUGE contest.

To kick us off, we'll start with A, which I have dubbed as Attraction. Let's discuss...

First, let's discuss what exactly is a romance novel.

ro·mance

¹    [n., adj. roh-mans, roh-mans; v.roh-mans] noun, verb, ro·manced,ro·manc·ing, adjective

noun

1.

a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic ormarvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic  exploits, etc., usuallyin a historical or imaginary setting.

2.

the colorful world, life, or conditions depicted in such tales.

3.

a medieval narrative, originally one in verse and in someRomance dialect, treating of heroic, fantastic, orsupernatural events, often in the form of allegory.

4.

a baseless, made-up story, usually full of exaggeration orfanciful invention.

5.

a romantic  spirit, sentiment, emotion, or desire.

So you see, romance is all about fiction, emotions, heroic, and getting to people together. And let's face it, two people aren't going to get together unless there is some sort of attraction.

at·trac·tion

  [uh-trak-shuhn] 

noun

1.

the act, power, or property of attracting.

2.

attractive  quality; magnetic charm; fascination; allurement;enticement: the subtle attraction of her strange personality.

In romance books, there are several types of attraction.

1. Instant
2. Distant
3. One that has to grow.
4. One that is forced.
5. One that slaps people upside the head.
6. One that is right in front of your face that you never see until it's too late.
7. One that you wish for and hope to get.
8. One that you see and wish you had.
9. One that you fight for.
10. One that fights for you.
11. A million more...depending on the novel.

Each of these types of attraction will depend on how the story is written, what types of things the characters have to go through, and how they get to that wonderful HEA (happily ever after).

 A woman might meet a man who she thinks is overbearing, pushy, but gorgeous and she just might end up in bed with him. A man might meet a woman who is so-not-his-type but is still drawn to her in some unspeakable way. This is the writer creating attraction. The characters might be working together, living together, be total strangers, one might save the other, they might be old high-school lovers (or enemies for that matter), etc. The point is, the author brings them together (somehow) and brings out the attraction factor.

What's the attraction factor? Well, that depends on the book.

It might be the hero's job. Or the way the heroine croons around children. It might be animals, books, a touch, a taste, a sound. Something that makes two people realize that they can be more than just coworkers, acquaintances, friends. I think it might be one of my favorite things about romance novels. It's what brings them together--as a couple (not necessarily as a plot).

There are attraction factors in books that aren't even labeled as romances. Nora Roberts (a successful romance writer) writing under the pen J.D. Robb, still has some serious attraction factors in her Born in Death series (which are not romances). Can you think of any of your favorite books that have attraction factors? What do you like/dislike about them?

Tomorrow stop by for the letter B!

~JD