From a reader’s perspective, how good does a romance novel have to be to be worth reading? When you talk about plot, characterization, and other writing skills, a lot of the romance novels I’ve read would rank pretty low. Which makes me think there’s a kind of spectrum: ok to read once worth re-reading but … More How Good Does a Romance Novel Need to Be?
Did you ever notice how many characters in romance novels are wealthy? Or at least pretty dang comfortable. A lot, right? And the number of rich people in romance novels has a pretty big effect on the plot. Need to take a week off suddenly to hide from a murderer? No problem. Need to travel … More Rich People in Romance Novels
You hear about people writing on their lunch breaks, and maybe their lunch breaks are different from mine. I’m not sure I’d be able to write at lunch at work. I especially can’t see writing romance novels in public places like that. First off, I don’t like people looking over my shoulder when I work. … More Writing Romance Novels in Public Places
I know I mentioned this before, but I second-guess myself about it a lot. Having read many very complicated books, I start to wonder, “Is My Plot Too Simple? Do I need to add some potential suspects or red herrings? Subplots?” Honestly, the answer is probably, “Yes.” But in my saner moments, I realize that … More Is My Plot Too Simple?
Men rely on magazines and videos. Women have romance novels (well, and the other sometimes). After years of reading them and some time trying to write my own, I can see a definite pattern – what you might call the ingredients of the generic fantasy written for women. 6 Parts of a Standard Romance Novel … More The Generic Fantasy of Romance Novels
In Born Not Made (working title), magic users conceal themselves in modern society or face the risk of being imprisoned and “studied.” The most common magic types are witches, detector talents, and weres (shifters). There are also varieties of the undead that can be created through combining murder and magic, and the characters learn the … More Chapter 2 Excerpt: Born Not Made
