Tag: novel
Trope Sighting! Competition for the Heroine’s affections at the (in)opportune moment
3 Types of Rivals for the heroine's affections who make their move when the hero and heroine's relationship has hit a rough patch and the hero's reaction when he comes onto the scene
Archetype Sighting! Mothers-in-Law in Contemporary Romance
4 Archetypes Often Used for the Hero's Mother: Monster-in-Law, Mother She Never Had, Shrewd Matron, and Mother-Figure Housekeeper/Cook
Trope Sighting! Falling for the ex-lover’s sibling
When the hero/heroine falls for the ex-lover (or even ex-spouse) of his/her sibling
Trope Sighting! Taking a bullet for love
The hero gets shot protecting the heroine vs. the heroine gets shot protecting the hero: Which is more romantic, more compelling to the plot?
Teaser from “Gingerbread and the Fox”
Rurik stopped and stared in awe. The runner was glorious, her breath unfurling though she hardly panted. Wavy red hair, as long as her waist, fluttered around her like a tattered cape, glittering with snow. The color was and radiant against the tundra. She was almost on top of him, but hadn’t spotted him yet,… Continue reading Teaser from “Gingerbread and the Fox”
Trope Denied! NOT Running from an Arranged Marriage
When the heroine is forced to marry an anti-hero, but instead of hatching an elaborate but doomed escape plan, she recognizes running is not an option
Writing like a Control Freak
As a writer, I'm a ruler-wielding, bespectacled School Mistress of Pain .... But once the books are out there, it's not as if I can rap readers' knuckles as they turn the pages.
Self-Destructive Underestimation
I am the worst at predicting how many words my stories and novels will be When I decided on a plot concept for an anthology submission, I worried about making the 8,000 word minimum. Today, the day of the deadline, I had to cut 1,000 words to make the 15,000 word maximum. The story was… Continue reading Self-Destructive Underestimation
Sticking with the Novel
I used to flit from story idea to story idea like a stereotypical player hooking up with the next tight-skirted, doe-eyed co-ed who flirted by ... Feeling a bit like an addict trying to break a habit, I employed several tricks to hold myself accountable and stay focused: