How to Write a Brilliant Romance: The Easy, Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Romance (Go! Write Something Brilliant) Read Online Free
Author: Susan May Warren
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General Fiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
andfirechiefs.Butforallthetoughnessofmyheroines,theyneedagoodman.Sowhatmakesa strongheroine?
Heroines
Give your heroine a goal. Inmanyearlyromancenovels,theheroinehad“gettingmarried”asher goal.Thisiseventhegoalofsomeheroinestoday,especiallyinhistoricals—Regency,Amish,Gilded Age.Butifwelookmoreclosely,thereisoftenalargergoaldrivingtheirdesiretobemarried.
Perhapstheheroinewantstomarryadukesohecanpardonherbrotherforacrime.Orsupporther sister,orchild,orevenrisetopowertohelptheoppressed.
Thefactis,readershavechangedandthemajoritytodaywant,yes,togetmarriedandhavechildren, buttheyalsowantsomethingelse.Theywanttoimpacttheirworld,tobesomeonewhodoes somethingcourageousorcompassionate,evenbold.
Inabookwrittenfortoday’scontemporaryaudience,beingmarriedismoreofa vehicle to a goal than thegoalitself.AndwhileI’mallformarriage(andromance!)wealsoneedtocreateheroinesto whomreaderscanrelate.
Thus,whenyouarecraftingaheroine,thefirstelementshemusthaveisagoal.Agoalgivesher somethingproactiveandcauseshertofightforsomethingshebelievesin.Asareader,wewantto embracehercauseandfightthefightwithher.Makingherproactiveandstrongmakeshernoble andsomeonewemightevenwanttoemulate.
Thisgoalissimilartoourhero’sNobleCause.However,isourheroinesareofteninnatelynoble. (It’sjustthewaywomenare,let’sbehonest.)Notthatmenaren’t,butmostwomenareborn nurturers,sowedon’tneedsomethingdarkandcompellingfromourpastinordertomakeus throwourselvesinfrontofaspeedingvehicletosaveourchild,orsitoutinthesleettowatchtheir footballgame.
Butwomenstrugglewithgoals.Men,ontheotherhand,oftenhavenoproblemsettinggoals.It’sa partofaman’sinnatenature.
Behindeverygoalisa reason forthatgoal.(Anditmustbeareasonthatresonatesormakessenseto thereader.)It’sin this waythattheheroine’sgoalisverymuchliketheNobleCauseofthehero.
Let’stakealookatthegoalsofourheroinesinourfavoritemovies: My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Ourheroinejustwantstogetawayfromherfamilybusiness(the restaurant)anddoherownthing.Yes,ithelpsthatsheseestheherointhebeginning,whichgives hermotivation,butherrealgoalistorespectherselfandlivelifeonherowntwofeet.
Shakespeare in Love: Ourheroinewantstoperformaroleinaplay—todosomethingforherself beforesheisassignedtomarryamanshedoesn’tlove.
Pride and Prejudice: Ourheroinewantstomarry,yes,butmarryforlove,notconvenience.(Although sherealizesthatconvenienceistheconventionofthetime,andsheisgoingagainsttheflow.)
Return to Me: Ourheroinewantstofinallydothethingsshecouldn’tdowhenshehadabadheart: rideabike,gotoItaly,fallinlove.
You’ve Got Mail: Ourheroinewantstosaveherbookstore,TheShopAroundtheCorner.Itwasher mother’sstoreandshewantstoholdontothosememories.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days : Our heroine wants to write “meaningful” articles that can change the world.
Whateveritis,thegoalmustalsobemeasurableandspecific.Ifitisn’t,howwillsheknowifshe reachesit?Anditmusttouchtheheartofyourreader—somethingtheycangetbehindandbelieve in.
Acaveathere:Yourheroinemaynotreachhergoal,becausealongtheway,shemightfind somethingbetter,akathehero!Butwithoutagoal,aheroinesimplyisn’theroic.Andshehas nothingtofightforinthestory.
Sometimesauthorsaskmeifthegoalofthecharacterandthegoaloftheauthoristhesamething. No. Yourcharacterbelievesshewants/needsonething.Astheauthor,youwillhaveadifferentgoal foryourcharacter,muchlikeaparentmighthavefortheirchild.Buttheauthorgoaldoesn’tkeep yourcharacterfrompushingforwardto their goal.
Here’s a hint: Whenyou’rebuildingyourromance puttingtheheroononeside,theheroineontheother,andcomparingandcontrastingtheir NobleCauseandGoals.It’sagreatwaytofindthoseobstaclesthatkeepthemapart,whichwe’ll talkaboutinamoment.
Todiscoveryourheroine’sgoal,askyourheroine: What do you want?
Give your heroine a flaw. Althoughyourheroinehasagoal,wecan’tlethergetthere,atleastnot withoutastruggle.Thismeansourheroinealsoneedsaflaw.
Weknowwomenaren’tperfect.Butwetry,oh,wetry.Andthekeytoagreatflawissomethingthat
Heroines
Give your heroine a goal. Inmanyearlyromancenovels,theheroinehad“gettingmarried”asher goal.Thisiseventhegoalofsomeheroinestoday,especiallyinhistoricals—Regency,Amish,Gilded Age.Butifwelookmoreclosely,thereisoftenalargergoaldrivingtheirdesiretobemarried.
Perhapstheheroinewantstomarryadukesohecanpardonherbrotherforacrime.Orsupporther sister,orchild,orevenrisetopowertohelptheoppressed.
Thefactis,readershavechangedandthemajoritytodaywant,yes,togetmarriedandhavechildren, buttheyalsowantsomethingelse.Theywanttoimpacttheirworld,tobesomeonewhodoes somethingcourageousorcompassionate,evenbold.
Inabookwrittenfortoday’scontemporaryaudience,beingmarriedismoreofa vehicle to a goal than thegoalitself.AndwhileI’mallformarriage(andromance!)wealsoneedtocreateheroinesto whomreaderscanrelate.
Thus,whenyouarecraftingaheroine,thefirstelementshemusthaveisagoal.Agoalgivesher somethingproactiveandcauseshertofightforsomethingshebelievesin.Asareader,wewantto embracehercauseandfightthefightwithher.Makingherproactiveandstrongmakeshernoble andsomeonewemightevenwanttoemulate.
Thisgoalissimilartoourhero’sNobleCause.However,isourheroinesareofteninnatelynoble. (It’sjustthewaywomenare,let’sbehonest.)Notthatmenaren’t,butmostwomenareborn nurturers,sowedon’tneedsomethingdarkandcompellingfromourpastinordertomakeus throwourselvesinfrontofaspeedingvehicletosaveourchild,orsitoutinthesleettowatchtheir footballgame.
Butwomenstrugglewithgoals.Men,ontheotherhand,oftenhavenoproblemsettinggoals.It’sa partofaman’sinnatenature.
Behindeverygoalisa reason forthatgoal.(Anditmustbeareasonthatresonatesormakessenseto thereader.)It’sin this waythattheheroine’sgoalisverymuchliketheNobleCauseofthehero.
Let’stakealookatthegoalsofourheroinesinourfavoritemovies: My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Ourheroinejustwantstogetawayfromherfamilybusiness(the restaurant)anddoherownthing.Yes,ithelpsthatsheseestheherointhebeginning,whichgives hermotivation,butherrealgoalistorespectherselfandlivelifeonherowntwofeet.
Shakespeare in Love: Ourheroinewantstoperformaroleinaplay—todosomethingforherself beforesheisassignedtomarryamanshedoesn’tlove.
Pride and Prejudice: Ourheroinewantstomarry,yes,butmarryforlove,notconvenience.(Although sherealizesthatconvenienceistheconventionofthetime,andsheisgoingagainsttheflow.)
Return to Me: Ourheroinewantstofinallydothethingsshecouldn’tdowhenshehadabadheart: rideabike,gotoItaly,fallinlove.
You’ve Got Mail: Ourheroinewantstosaveherbookstore,TheShopAroundtheCorner.Itwasher mother’sstoreandshewantstoholdontothosememories.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days : Our heroine wants to write “meaningful” articles that can change the world.
Whateveritis,thegoalmustalsobemeasurableandspecific.Ifitisn’t,howwillsheknowifshe reachesit?Anditmusttouchtheheartofyourreader—somethingtheycangetbehindandbelieve in.
Acaveathere:Yourheroinemaynotreachhergoal,becausealongtheway,shemightfind somethingbetter,akathehero!Butwithoutagoal,aheroinesimplyisn’theroic.Andshehas nothingtofightforinthestory.
Sometimesauthorsaskmeifthegoalofthecharacterandthegoaloftheauthoristhesamething. No. Yourcharacterbelievesshewants/needsonething.Astheauthor,youwillhaveadifferentgoal foryourcharacter,muchlikeaparentmighthavefortheirchild.Buttheauthorgoaldoesn’tkeep yourcharacterfrompushingforwardto their goal.
Here’s a hint: Whenyou’rebuildingyourromance puttingtheheroononeside,theheroineontheother,andcomparingandcontrastingtheir NobleCauseandGoals.It’sagreatwaytofindthoseobstaclesthatkeepthemapart,whichwe’ll talkaboutinamoment.
Todiscoveryourheroine’sgoal,askyourheroine: What do you want?
Give your heroine a flaw. Althoughyourheroinehasagoal,wecan’tlethergetthere,atleastnot withoutastruggle.Thismeansourheroinealsoneedsaflaw.
Weknowwomenaren’tperfect.Butwetry,oh,wetry.Andthekeytoagreatflawissomethingthat
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