One of the many, many, many jobs for a writer is making everyday events extraordinary. Everyone gets up in the morning, takes a shower, gets dressed, goes to work, comes home to eat, and then sits in front of the television (or some variation thereof). So how do we as writers, make those things something the reader will want to know more about?
We insert specific actions and words that make those things special.
For instance, let's take the typical day outlined above. Now let's pretend you're a heroine in a romance novel. You wake up and your beloved is smiling at you. You kiss tenderly (ignoring morning breath, which characters in romances don't have) and then engage in wild monkey sex as you shower together. You dress in a fabulous outfit and go to work, where you do a big presentation and land that elusive multi-million dollar client. Your beloved comes to the office bearing congratulatory roses and you have wild monkey sex on your desk. You arrive home after a hard day to find your beloved has cooked your favorite meal. You sit down on the couch to eat and then snuggle as you watch the chick flick your beloved got you on his way home to cook.
I've got to tell you, that sounds exhausting. And that hero sounds boring as hell, but maybe that's just me...
For a writer, the devil is most definitely in the details. Details are what makes your story come alive and sets it apart from a recounting of wake, cleanse, dress, work, eat, veg. If we wanted to hear about that, we'd all write autobiographies.
What details do you enjoy or notice most in romance novels?
Take Me at the Ballgame, m/f erotic romance (short story) EC for Men line
Blurb: Sports writer JT Lovejoy has a chance that’s too good for a middle-aged, divorced guy to pass up—no-strings sex with a hot young intern. Of course, there might never be a bed involved, since they keep meeting in the press box. Not that JT’s complaining. How can he when a beautiful woman offers herself with no commitment? If he’s smart, he won’t. And JT is a smart man.
Blurb: Professional bull rider Conner Raub hides a secret from the world. He’s a Dom. When he meets a submissive on tour who pulls at his Dom tendencies, he fights to deny his true self, believing his colleagues will condemn his lifestyle.
Jessica Talbot is new to the BDSM scene and the bull riding tour, but after seeing Conner come to the aid of a submissive being mistreated in a club, she sets out to have him for her own. After their first night together she asks him to train her to submit and he refuses, afraid to mix business with pleasure. But Jessica isn’t deterred. She’ll do whatever it takes to make him realize he can have it all—a career, true love, and the BDSM lifestyle he craves.
5 comments:
Hi Cassandra, great to have you here. Please help yourself to the buffet and open bar. Chef and Tyrell are at your beck and call.
I like the hidden details, the things the characters don't actually say.
Open bar at 8:30 in the morning? Why, don't mind if I do!
Yes, I'm a big fan of hand gestures, body stances, facial expressions, dialogue trailing off, etc.
Hi Cassandra,
I love reactions. Facial or stance. Hand gestures are my fav. I often find my heroines knocking over things as they nervously try to stay out of trouble with the hero. Hehehe. I lub that.
Riley
Nice, Riley - I like it! :-)
Can't wait to read your book. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey Cassandra...Saw you were hanging out with Lynn today and thought I'd stop by. (And no, it wasn't just so I could smile hopefully at Tyrell.) When I'm reading, the thing that makes a character for me is the stuff that reminds me that they're human, things like Sookie Stackhouse picking a daily vocabulary word from a neverending stream of romance novels or Anita Blake sleeping with a stuffed penguin. Those little signs of vulnerability make the character work for me.
Thanks!
(and bye, Tyrell...see ya later)
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