Trope-tastic

Tropes are conventions, or familiar plot lines or set-ups, that are instantly recognizable to readers, because we’ve seen them so often that they’ve become commonplace. They’re recurring themes that work as a ‘shorthand’ to help authors, readers and booksellers identify what a story is about. 

Aren’t tropes a bad thing? 

 I’ve heard a lot of writing advice (mostly from literary writers) that tropes should be avoided, as if they’re somehow a bad thing. That might be true for literary fiction, but in genre fiction tropes are unavoidable. Yes, it's true that tropes can seem cliched, but every genre has its own tropes, and it would be impossible to write without them. What would a suspense story be without the trope of the ‘ticking time bomb’? What would a cosy paranormal mystery be withiut the friendly ghost or amateur sleuth? Not only are tropes unavoidable in genre fiction, but they’re actually a good thing! 

Why are tropes important? 

Tropes are excellent marketing tools. Look at almost any book description and you’ll see them used as a quick way to convey the book’s contents. We all recognise what a Cinderella story will be about, or a best friend’s brother story. And for many readers, a favourite trope is enough to make them auto-buy a book! 

In Romances with limited word counts, tropes are a quick way to introduce a concept to readers. We’re familiar with the concept of fake engagement, forced proximity, secret baby or friends to lovers tropes, so we don’t need to have every detail explained to us. Harlequin even uses tropes in their titles as a quick guide to identifying the type of story you'll find between the covers. 

The other reason that tropes are a good thing is that they work. In the words of LiteraryTerms.net, “Tropes get used again and again because they speak to us on some deep level and connect with our experiences, fear, and hopes.”

Click here for a lengthy list of romance tropes.

As a reader, what are your favourite romance tropes?

Image by Bingo Naranjo from Pixabay

Sheritha Singh: The plot behind plotting

Today's guest post is from ROSA member Sheritha Singh.

Plotter or Pantser?
I’ve been a pantser ever since I began crafting stories some twenty two years ago. I always enjoyed playing with words, twisting them around, teasing the reader or painting endless pages of meaningless prose that took my story nowhere. I could churn out fifty thousand words a month creating a story that had no direction. It took me about three hundred rejections from publishers and literary agents and a few years to figure out what the problem with my writing was. I asked myself a simple question: What is the point of my story/book/series? Was it all about a teenage boy and girl romancing each other? Because that’s what I’d written. Almost all my books comprised endless flirting, lamenting and heart break. It wasn't a real story.

I learned the fine art of plotting through my tutor at a local writer’s college. Working through the plotting table, word counts and sequence of events quickly turned into a nightmare because the pantser in me refused to take a vacation. The plot table alone took me a few weeks to grasp and figure out. I hated it so much that I never used it again after I completed the year long writing course (I passed with a distinction).

After receiving a rejection from Harlequin Mills and Boon in December last year, I took a long and deep look into my writing. The friendly and helpful editors suggested using secondary characters to move the story along and also hinted at developing the main characters further. Lastly conflict needed to be added in regular and equal doses through out the story. I borrowed a stack of Harlequin romances from my sister and read. And read. Eventually I began to dissect the novel. I worked with a template that looked something like this:

CHAPTER ONE SCENE 1

• INTRODUCED TO HERO, PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION, ATTITUDE, AND APPEARANCE. (200-300 words)
• HERO IS FURIOUS AT HEROINE BECAUSE … (1,000 words)
• HEROINE’S ACTIONS REMINDS HIM OF A TERRIBLE, PAST EVENT (INTERNAL CONFLICT). (200-300 words)
• HERO HAS A FEW DRINKS WITH A VERY CLOSE BEST FRIEND TO DESTRESS. THEY DISCUSS GUY STUFF AND HINT AT AFFAIRS, SEX, ETC. REVEAL HERO’S PAST THROUGH THIS INTERACTION. AND ALSO HINT AT ONE OR TWO REDEEMING FACTORS CONCERNING HERO. (INTRODUCE SECONDARY CHARACTERS IMPORTANT TO HERO’S DEVELOPMENT). (1,000 words)

CHAPTER ONE SCENE 2

• INTRODUCED TO HEROINE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION, ATTITUDE, AND APPEARANCE. (200-300 words)
• HEROINE IS FURIOUS BECAUSE HERO SENT AN EMAIL, COURIER, MESSAGE (ANY RELEVANT MEANS OF COMMUNICATION) OPPOSING HER DECISION. (500-600 words)
• HERO’S ACTIONS REMIND HEROINE OF AN INCITING EVENT IN HER PAST THAT RESULTS IN HER BEING WEARY AND VERY COLD TOWARDS MEN IN GENERAL. (INTERNAL CONFLICT). (200-300 words)
• HEROINE COMPLAINS TO BEST FRIEND / MOM / SISTER ABOUT HERO. (INTRODUCE SECONDARY CHARACTERS CRUCIAL TO HER DEVELOPMENT). (1,000 words)

And that’s how I managed to complete writing a full-length formula romance in about fifteen days.

Breaking down a story is an excellent indication of how well the story is working out. It helped me identify crucial moments to sprinkle tension, conflict or secondary characters. It also assists in eliminating telling and focusing on the all important showing.

I will always be a pantser at heart. There were many times my story dived over the plotting board and into the vast ocean of pantsing possibilities. It happens. I simply went back to the plotting chart and if the pansting scenes didn’t fit in — I deleted them. Pantsing is now reserved for my journal, blog or facebook posts.

Alissa Baxter: The Essence of Attraction

Today's blog post is from ROSA member Alissa Baxter

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

When you write a romance novel, the attraction between the hero and heroine needs to crackle off the pages. It’s this romantic tension between the two main characters which drives the story forward and makes you want to continue reading.

An important aspect of attraction is mystery… the hero and the heroine need to spend time wondering about each other. A good way to create mystery in a novel is to have short, sparkling scenes of dialogue between the hero and heroine, interspersed with scenes where the main characters reflect about their interactions with the other person. The more they wonder about each other and try and figure each other out, the more they will become attracted to each other.

Another important aspect of attraction is desire… in order to keep the desire building between the hero and heroine, you should create obstacles between them that need to be overcome. This applies particularly to the hero of a novel, because the more he has to work for the heroine, the more he will appreciate her. Heroes in romance novels tend to be Alpha Males, who have the world (and most women) at their feet. That’s why it’s so important for men of this ilk to work hard for the heroine, because heroes who have it all need to be shaken out of their complacency if they’re ever to fall properly in love.

The third important aspect of attraction is confidence… even if you’ve created a shy, retiring female character she needs to have some element of confidence in herself, if she is ever to be a believable romantic heroine. If a heroine has no self-belief, it will be hard for the reader to believe in her and her love for the hero – it’ll appear to be a wishy-washy kind of thing without form or substance. The hero also needs to portray confidence in a romantic relationship so that the heroine (and the reader!) will fall in love with him. Just as a man leads a woman when they are dancing, in the same way a man’s confidence will either sweep a woman off her feet if it is present, or cause her (and the romance) to stumble if it is not.

Another important aspect in creating attraction between a man and a woman is unpredictability. In the beginning of a relationship the hero shouldn’t be able to predict the heroine’s behaviour, and vice versa. This generates romantic tension in a relationship, which creates an interesting dynamic between the hero and heroine. Of course, as the romance progresses the main characters will become more familiar with each other, in that they’ll start to know each other better, but this shouldn’t make them predictable.

What adds to the attraction between a man and a woman is some sort of challenge. The hero should find the heroine challenging in some way. Even if you’ve created a meek and mild heroine, something in her demeanour should challenge the hero. For instance, the hero might find it exciting to see if he can discover whether passion lurks beneath the quiet surface of the heroine; or he might try and find out why she behaves in a particular manner with certain people, while behaving quite differently around him…

The heroine should also find the hero challenging – either to her ideas about love and life in general, or something in his personality should intrigue her to get to know him better.

Social status is another important aspect of attraction. This doesn’t mean that the hero must be a powerful, wealthy character, but he should be able to command some sort of respect from the people around him. It boils down to a natural authority the hero should command, to be well… a hero! A similar thing applies to a heroine – she should have aspects of her character that other people admire, because think about it – if no one in the book likes and respects her, why would a reader bother to spend time with her between the covers of a book?

Another crucial element when it comes to creating attraction between a hero and heroine is likeability. Now I’m not saying that the hero and heroine will necessarily like one another all the time. In most romance novels, sparks are usually flying, and it’s fair to say that the hero and heroine don’t always see eye to eye on matters. But in a good romance novel the hero and heroine will often find themselves liking each other – even if it’s against their will.

Leading on from this is the idea of humour as an import aspect of attraction. In a heated discussion between the hero and heroine, what often diffuses the scene, and also adds to the likeability factor between the two characters is humour. Nothing is more likely to create a buzz between your two main characters than some humorous exchanges.

Humour and intelligence are often linked, and when two characters connect, it’s because they have an appreciation for each other’s mind or way of thinking. This is a very important element of attraction because if two characters cannot connect on an intellectual level, then they’re doomed as a romantic couple… just think of Mr and Mrs Bennet in Pride and Prejudice for a telling example of a couple who were mismatched intellectually… If the heroine never catches the hero’s jokes, or she finds him an inferior intellectually, any attraction between the two will fizzle out after a while, and die.

Now I’ll come to the final element of attraction – which being the most obvious, I’ve left till last… and this is physical attraction! The hero and heroine must find each other physically attractive otherwise the relationship will never get off the ground, let alone approach anywhere near an altar.

You can find out more about Alissa Baxter and her books at www.alissabaxter.com.

Sheritha Singh: How my MBA helped me improve my fiction writing

Today's guest post is from ROSA member Sheritha Singh. Thank you, Sheritha!

The start of my professional writing career coincided with the first year of my Masters studies. Having written fiction for the better part of my life I honestly thought writing a dissertation would be a breeze. I was wrong. I'd just secured my first writing contract with indie publisher Breathless Press and within a few months I had four books lined up for release. Amidst edits for my young adult, new adult, paranormal and contemporary adult romance I asked myself if signing the contract with Breathless Press was a wise decision while struggling to grasp the basic concepts of academic writing. The two styles of writing are worlds apart and sometimes switching between the two was disastrous. Eventually I contemplated giving up either my MBA or writing career. Both, however, were equally precious to me. Amidst my internal struggle, my supervisor informed me that my research proposal was far from ready as my writing was academically poor and that I would not proceed to the next level of my studies. My first reaction was to give up pursuing the MBA. I actually emailed my supervisor informing her that I would not be coming back. She encouraged me to take a two week break from all writing and think about what I really wanted.

Two weeks later I decided that I wanted my MBA and I wanted a writing career. After deep introspection I realized that completing my MBA was exactly what I needed to improve my fiction writing. The writing style may be worlds apart but the technique of describing a research problem bore a striking resemblance to describing a fictional world. I have taken the lessons I've learned from the last five years of writing my dissertation has taught me a few important lessons, a few of which are listed below.

1) Write daily - even when inspiration hasn't struck. It's important to keep the writing rhythm flowing as each dissertation chapter has a deadline. It doesn't matter if I'm not using the stuff that I write. There are times when I delete thousands of words. There are other times when I use every word. Just like research, some aspects of fiction can simply be written better. Writing every day has also helped me to maintain my writing speed and prevent procrastination. In fact it has helped me focus on writing and I'm now able to set tighter deadlines for my fiction writing after having met academic deadlines for the last 3 years.

2) ‎ Research! Research! Research! Factual errors in a paper seriously affects the credibility of the paper. Similarly, a book that isn't well researched in terms of world and character building can easily be picked up by readers. A necessary part of research for writing fiction is reading. Reading helps writers build credible worlds and relatable characters. Readers are incredibly smart. They are also quick to leave a negative review if something does not match up to their expectations. The trick with research is to apply only the knowledge that is needed and to avoid an info dump. The knowledge that is used has to be relevant.

3) Be prepared to sacrifice words all the time. Editing and deleting words reduces the word count but it is a necessary part of rewriting. There are always better words that can be used. The process of active editing also reduces the chances of plagiarizing someone else's work. In most cases I've found that there is always a better method to write something.

4) Researchers are constantly pressurized to take a fresh spin on topics that have already been researched. Similarly writers are constantly pressurized to create fresh new stories for an ever demanding and critical market. Almost every theme, plot or storyline has been used and it is next to impossible to find one that’s waiting to be written into a best-selling book. Avoiding clichés, overused tropes and exhausted stereotypes can be difficult but it is possible to create a plausible fresh story by simply thinking out of the box. Despite being published I must admit that I was somewhat clueless when it came to clichés and tropes. I had to learn fast. Fortunately researching academic articles between a full-time day job and demanding family life has honed my reading skills.

5) I spent so much time studying that I learned to value the time I spent doing other things I really love and I made that time matter. I've learned to value my time and when it comes to writing I always save what I've written and go back and read it. It doesn't have to be perfect. For me it captures a memory of something I've enjoyed doing.

6) Although this may be hard to believe, academic researchers must adopt a specific writing style and also have a special flair with words. Academic articles and dissertations must be written in a flowing rhythm that is both concise and accurate. One aspect that took me forever to master was the style of broadly discussing a topic and then narrowing it down to the aspect under research. In retrospect the art of narrowing down a broad topic helped me create three dimensional worlds with a past, present and future for my characters. It helped me express what my characters felt through using the five senses. The trick though is to show the reader which aspect of the scene is the most important to the character through the characters sensual experience.

7) Researchers use many different techniques and methods to test the research hypothesis. Some methods of testing work better than others. The latter has taught me to experiment with different genres of writing. Although I have always written across the young adult, new adult and adult contemporary genres, I have recently begun experimenting with flash fiction and poetry. My current favourite poetry form is the haiku. Learning about the different forms has been fun. I've also signed up for an annual poetry marathon which sounds like fun (I will write about that after the event).

8) Enter competitions. My research has been funded. The competition for funding amongst applicants is incredibly intense. And just like writing completions I've always given writing contests my best shot. It’s a wonderful way to network, gain new fans and meet other writers. I've challenged myself to enter competitions that require entries in genres I haven't written before. Since writing is a creative journey, I believe that dabbling in other genres strengthens my writing.

I’m happy to conclude that writing my dissertation helped me tighten my writing and perfect my writing consistency.

Narrative Structure: the skeleton that holds your story together

Today I'm blogging over at Savvy Authors, talking about the importance of understanding narrative structure in order to give your stories a solid backbone, and to ensure they deliver on your promise to the reader.

The blog post is an introduction to the course on narrative structure I'll be teaching through Savvy Authors for the next month, starting on Monday 12th February.

The entire month-long course is only $40, and for that you receive personalised feedback as well as lessons. This is huge value, and you only have until Sunday night to sign up, so don't delay!

You can find out more about the course and register here: Savvy Authors' Narrative Structure Course.

What can our ROSA community do for you?

I belong to a lot of author groups on Facebook (probably way more than is healthy!). Some are super helpful, some degenerate into places where authors just advertise their books to other authors, and some are echo chambers. We strive at ROSA to keep our Facebook group in the first category - a place where we can share publishing news, articles on publishing, and writing advice - and occasionally our members post about their successes so we can all share the joy.

You might think my biggest fear is that the group gets hijacked by authors who pop in to post adverts then disappear again, but actually my biggest fear is that the group becomes an echo chamber.
What do I mean by that?

Echo chambers are places where eveyone agrees with everyone else. Where everyone pats each other on the back and says "congratulations - because you did it OUR way."

From the very beginning, when we founded ROSA, we wanted it to be a place where all writers feel welcome. Irrespective of whether you choose to submit to traditional publishers or whether you want to self-publish, irrespective of whether you're a complete newbie or a multi-published author, you're welcome in ROSA. But I am actually going to add one condition to membership (there had to be a catch, right?)

In order to be a member of the ROSA community, you need to be open to learning and to constructive, calm debate. ROSA isn't just about tolerating those whose paths are different from our own, it is about constantly striving to improve our writing and to up our game.

Even our most established writers tell me that they give back to this community because through giving back they learn. As I've discovered through working as a writing coach, mentors learn as much as those they mentor. No matter where we're at in our journeys, we are open to learning.

This is why it horrifies me to discover just how many writers out there have no interest in learning. They just want to be told how talented, how clever and how right they are. They don't want constructive feedback, they want a pat on the back.

Example: recently, in one of those many Facebook groups I belong to, someone posted that they really struggle with writing synopses, so do they really have to do them? The answers flooded in: "No, of course you don't", and "don't do anything you're not comfortable with", and "how can you possibly sum up your novel in one page?", and "don't query - just self-publish."
The original poster them commented saying: "Thank you all. The last group I was in, they told me if I wanted to get my book published I really needed to write a synopsis, so I left that group."
Um, no.

That seems to be the number one answer in many of these groups: if you don't want to do things the established way, then self publish. And if they tell you something you don't want to hear, leave the group.

An editor asked you to revise your baby? "They just don't understand you. Self pubish!"
A critique group said your female characters are too hard and unlovable (a criticism I often get!), then "who needs that kind of negativity? Leave that group!"
An agent didn't love your book? "What do they know anyway? Self publish!"

I have self-published. I love being a self-published author. I love the amount of decision making control it gives me over my own career, but it is not the answer to all problems. The books I self publish are the equal of the books I've had published by HarperCollins. The only difference is that I chose to self publish them. They still follow all the rules of good writing that I learned over many years of working with editors at traditional publishing houses.

If the quality of your writing is not yet equal to that of your favourite authors, then self-publishing will not save you. It will crucify you. Readers don't care if this is your first book or your 90th (unless they're your friends and family, but are they the only audience you want to reach?)

The readers leaving reviews on your books probably also read Tessa Dare, Alisha Rai and Debbie Macomber, and if your books don't match up to their level of quality, the readers will point it out to you in ways that will make you want to curl up in a little ball and cry.

I promise you, it is way, way better to receive advice and criticism from a small and supportive group of authors who want to see you grow and succeed, than to receive that feedback from the feral reviewers on Goodreads.

So the advice I'd like you all to take forward into this new year is this: stay open to advice. Even if you disagree with that advice, or decide not to take it, at least listen and give it some thought without bashing the person giving it.

If a more experienced writer tells you "you need to learn to write a synopsis", or "romances need happy endings", or "books should have a beginning, middle and end", or if an editor says "you need to make your heroine softer and less aggressive" or "your characters need to be more pro-active; things shouldn't just happen to them," they are not telling you this to be negative. They are not trying to box in your creativity with rules or make your writing formulaic. There might just be a reason they are giving you this advice. If you're not sure what that reason is, ask!

If you are at the beginning of your writing journey and open to learning, and if you are looking for a safe space in which to discuss writing and publishing, please consider joining ROSA. We have a lot of established writers who are willing and eager to pass on what they know - because they're looking to learn from you too!

In our next post, we'll be sharng tips on how to write an effective synopsis, so watch this space!

Types of Sex Scenes and How to Write Them

If you're like me, sometimes writing that steamy scene flows like a river, and everything just clicks together. But other times, I literally sit and stare at what I've written and hit the backspace button because I'm just not buying it, and if i'm not convinced, well, then how can I expect my readers to be? Also, and I'd love to hear if this influences your writing too, but if I've read a particularly hot book, I find myself projecting some of that on my characters. Note to self: Do not read 50 Shades while writing, unless your genre is erotica, of course!

So, how do we keep a cool head while writing the nitty gritty about the down and dirty? I found this video entertaining and quite informative and it's helped me to kind of characterise which kind of writer of sex scenes I am.

I'm a 50-50, how about you?

The Tipping Point: Creating Sensual Tension in Scenes

Fellow ROSA member Anthony Ehlers shared some useful tips for creating sensual tension in scenes at ROSACon 2016. Here's what he had to say.

"In my workshop on writing scenes at ROSACon 2016, I spoke about the need to build sensual and emotional tension in each scene. This is probably the real reason readers come to romance novels – whether they’re erotic or sweet, modern or historical. That’s why it’s so important to keep the reader in mind when you’re writing a scene."

Top Tips for Creating Sensual Tension

• ·        Don’t bog the scene down in plot – give just enough to keep the story going.
• ·   Focus on the developing relationship between the characters – play on their fears, vulnerabilities, etc.
• ·        Use as many of the senses as possible – touch, taste, smell, sound, sight.
• ·       Sometimes you don’t need a lot of dialogue – wordless tension and a sense of mystery can work well.
• ·      And most of all, slow down: don’t hurry the scene and you’ll keep the tension drawn out.

 A lesson from the pro's

image credit: abebooks.co.uk

Anthony says, "One my favourite Mills & Boon titles, the classic 70s Leopard in the Snow by Anne Mather, makes imaginative use of the timeless Beauty & the Beast theme. Helen, our heroine, is trapped by a snow storm at the country retreat of Dominic, a racing car driver the world believes has died in a crash. And because she knows his identity, he forbids her to leave!

In one of the most memorable scenes, Helen sneaks down into the basement of the house where a naked Dominic lies prone in a sauna room. He is expecting his manservant, Bolt, to administer his afternoon massage to his damaged body – instead Helen creeps in and starts to touch him. The tension here is off the charts. Will he discover it’s not Bolt? How will react to Helen seeing his vulnerable body? 

image credit: goodreads.com

In Jane Porter’s awesome Modern/Presents title, Christos’s Promise, Alysia has been secluded in a convent and is rescued by wealthy Greek magnate, Christos. Theirs will not be a marriage of convenience, he declares, and while he will never force her into intimacy, they will share a bed.

On their honeymoon yacht, Alysia lies awake while her new husband slips into bed beside her. As he falls asleep, he cradles her and becomes aroused. The tension between the natural state of sleep of Christos and the hyper-awareness of his bride make this one of the most breath-stealing scenes in romance fiction – even 15 years after reading it!"

What are some of the amazingly sensual tension scenes you’ve read or written?

image credit: bookslive.com

Anthony Ehlers is a writer, scriptwriter and creative writing teacher. In 2014, his scripts were shortlisted for the Jameson First Shot competition, as well as the European Independent Film Festival. In 2010, his story “Limerence” was a runner-up in the annual Woman & Home short story competition. He is one of only two authors to appear in the first two Short.Sharp.Stories collections. His story Breaking the Rules was published in the Adults Only collection in 2014.

#ROSACon2015: Romy Sommer on Conflict

Thank you to author Linze Brandon for this report back on Romy's talk on External vs Internal Conflict.


Romy dealt with the one subject that differentiates a narrative from a story, the dull from the exciting - conflict.

Without conflict in a story, there is no motivation for the reader to finish the story. The reader will not be rooting for the hero (and heroine) and will soon be bored since there will be nothing that drives the story to its conclusion.

Does the hero overcome his biggest obstacle? Do the hero and heroine finally overcome their past prejudices, fears, histories, problems and let their hearts embrace the love waiting for them?

Even in romance fiction external conflict needs to assist in the internal conflict that drives the story forward. The main plot is the development of the relationship, and the focus must remain on the romance even in romantic sub-genres.

Romy addressed both the aspects of internal conflict and external conflict in category romance fiction with clear examples and focus on the genre's expectations.

Romance stories are primarily stories about relationships, and the motivation (or lack thereof) that the main characters experience to get to their happily ever after.

All other story structures need to support this concept and Romy addressed this with clarity in her talk. She also went on to explain what conflict is not, as these situations are often confused with what does constitute the conflict in the scene.

Overall a talk well worth listening to, even for published authors as we sometimes need a reminder of the essential elements of the stories that we write.

~Romy Sommer is the Chairperson and one of the founding members of ROSA.
~Linzé Brandon is a member of ROSA and the administrator of the official Twitter account @SARomance

#ROSACon2015: Carolyn Meads on 'Wat uitgewers in Liefdesverhale begeer'

Once again thanks to Elsa Winckler for this report back on #ROSACon2015. The guest speaker, Carolyn Meads is an editor at NB Uitgewers, responsible for their Afrikaans romance lines. She spoke about what publishers look for in romances.

Wat uitgewers begeer:

Carolyn Meads, Uitgewer: Queillerie (drukkersnaam van NB Uitgewers)

Carolyn het in haar hoedanigheid as uitgewer gesels oor wat uitgewers verlang wanneer dit by die liefdesverhaal kom.

Plot/Verhaallyn:

• Die kernverhaal = ontwikkeling van verhouding tussen held en heldin. Storie van verlief en lief word.
• Die leser weet wie die held is en dat hy en die heldin uiteindelik saam sal opeindig, maar die lekkerte lê in hóé hulle die struikelblokke gaan oorkom.
• ’n Goeie liefdesverhaalplot bevat niks wat irrelevant is nie. Alles dra by tot die opbou van spanning tussen die held en heldin.
• Geen streng resep by NB-Liefdesverhale, maar sekere kern-gebeure:

◦ Ontmoeting (vroeg reeds)
◦ Struikelblokke (opbou van spanning)
◦ Klimaks
◦ Gelukkige einde

• Spanning = opbou van begeerte en konflik

Plot/Verhaallyn: Begeerte:

• Leser wil saam met heldin op die held verlief raak. Lees agter emosionele belewenis aan. Bly geboei want wag vir uiteindelike vervulling.
• Selfs sexy boeke nie net oor fisieke begeerte nie. Eerstens emosionele vervulling. Wanneer hulle besef dat hulle lief is vir mekaar en dit vir mekaar sê.
• Opbou verloop min of meer só:

◦ Ontmoet en is aangetrokke tot mekaar – al ontken hulle dit◦ Verliefdheid groei (verhouding vorder fisiek en emosioneel)
◦ Een, uiteindelik albei, besef hulle is lief vir die ander, maar sê dit nie (baie belangrike oomblik!)
◦ Liefdesverklaring geskied na aan einde (as dit vroeër gebeur is daar geen spanning nie)

Plot / Verhaallyn: konflik

• Pasop vir te veel eksterne konflik. Opeenstapeling van gebeure.
• As jy dít doen is daar nie genoeg ruimte om die hoofkarakter se gedagtes en emosies te verken nie.
• Interne, emosionele konflik is belangrik: Vloei uit verskillende geaardhede en oortuigings, hoe jy grootgemaak is, agergrond en ervarings. Lyk eers onoorkombaar.
• Baklei oënskynlik oor uiterlike kwessies, maar innerlike konflik lê daaragter. Wys gedagtes.
• Diepte en kompleksiteit aan konflik, nie eenvoudige misverstande soos in ouer verhale nie.
• Elke keer as ’n struikelblok oorkom is, ontstaan ’n meer intense een. Moenie te maklik oplos nie.

Karakters:

• Plot groei uit geloofwaardige, volronde, gemotiveerde karakters.
• Emosionele band vorm, verstaan karakters se motivering. Realistiese emosionele reaksies.
• Die skrywer moet die karakters deur en deur ken. Maar nie alles vind neerslag in die verhaal nie. Net wat relevant is.
• Verklap inligting oor karakters bietjies-bietjies op subtiele wyse deur verloop van verhaal. (Gedagtes, stukkies dialoog, kwalifiserende teks.)
• Nie een groot blok beskrywing aan die begin nie. Pasop vir telling in plaas van showing en infodumps.
• Hoofkarakters is geïdealiseerd, maar geloofwaardig binne die konteks van die verhaal. Nie karikatuur, emosioneel kompleks.
• Moenie die leser oorweldig met te veel karakters nie.
• Elke karakter daar vir ’n spesifieke doel, nie oorvleueling.
• Newekarakters moet ook volronde karakters wees maar nie die verhaal oorheers nie. ’n Tweede paartjie moenie ewe veel aandag kry nie.
• Karakters moet deurlopend volgens hul aard optree. As hulle verander, moet dit gemotiveerd wees.
• Karakters moet met verloop van die boek groei. Held en heldin leer hoe om haakplekke tussen hulle uit te stryk sodat hulle gelukkig saam kan wees.

Carolyn het ook in detail beskryf hoe lyk die hedendaagse held en heldin.


Perspektief:

• Alomteenwoordige verteller: staan ekstern tot die aksie, ontaard in “telling” en headhopping. Vertellerstem verbreek die illusie.
• Subjektiewe derdepersoonsperspektief (“Deep POV”) kom so na as moontlik aan die fokaliseerder / perspektiefkarakter, alles word haar bewussyn filtreer. Leser beleef als deur haar.
• “Sy” word gebruik, maar impliseer ’n “ek”.
• Bewerkstellig ’n hegter band tussen leser en karakter.
• Tradisioneel net die heldin se perspektief, maar ons laat ook die held s’n toe.
• Nie meer as twee perspektiewe per boek nie. Een perspektief per toneel.

Dialoog:

• Moet soos natuurlike gesels klink. Nie info dumps, heeltyd op naam aanspreek.
• Maar moet ook doelgerig wees – die storie voortstu.
• Doellose, niksseggende (en vervelige!) dialoog is nie welkom nie, al praat ons in werklikheid so.
• Karakters moet na mekaar luister en reageer op wat die vorige een gesê het. Nie verby mekaar praat nie.
• Elke karakter met sy / haar eie stem hê. Ouer mense, mense in hul 20’s, tieners en kinders praat anders.
• Moet eerder nie fonetiese spelling van dialek gebruik nie. Gebruik sinskonstruksie om aan te dui.

Dialoog – kwalifiserende teks:

• Kwalifiserende teks / Tussen-dialoog teks: stukkies teks tussen dialoog wat ietsie meer oor die gesprek sê.
• Hoef nie heeltyd te vermeld wie praat nie, solank dit duidelik uit die dialoog blyk.
• Moenie voor die hand liggende woorde gebruik nie.

◦ “Hou op om jou broer te terg!” sê sy kwaai.

• Pas op vir te veel bywoorde en byvoeglike naamwoorde
• Gebruik kwalifiserende teks om meer oor die karakter, sy/haar gedagtes of die ruimte of die plot te verklap.
• Vermy te veel herhaling.
• Wees oorspronklik, maar moenie te hard probeer nie.

Tydsverloop en tempo:

• Hou liefs by chronologiese tydsverloop. Terugflitse is nie wenslik nie.
• Belangrike, bepalende momente in verhaalhede moet voor die leser afspeel. Moenie die karakter net daaraan laat terugdink nie.
• Agtergrondinligting moet nie in groot homp aan begin vertel word nie. Verklap relevante inligting stuk-stuk.
• Redelike vinnige tempo in liefdesverhale. Maar moenie afjaag nie. (God is in the details.) Neem tyd om sekere gebeure te wys, moenie in telling ontaard.
• Moenie heeltyd dieselfde tempo handhaaf nie (hetsy vining of stadig) want dan word dit vervelig. Vinniger dele moet afgewissel word met meer uitgesponne dele

Ruimte:

• Oriënteer leser, maar nie ellelange beskrywings nie.
• Gee hier en daar subtiel iets van die ruimte weer. Wys hoe die karakters in interaksie met die ruimtes tree.
• Beskryf net wat nodig is.
• Ruimte is funksioneel in liefdesverhaal, byvoorbeeld karakteriserend, skep atmosfeer.

Styl:

• Wys, moenie vertel nie. (Showing vs telling)
• Vermy clichés, byvoorbeeld “stormagtige oë”.
• Maar moet ook nie so vernuwend probeer klink dat dit ongemaklik lees nie. Daar is ’n verskil tussen ’n cliché en ’n idiomatiese uitdrukking wat goed werk.
• Pas op vir komplekse, uitgerekte beelde en metafore.
• Moenie soveel aandag na jou ongewone taal- en beeldgebruik trek dat die leser uit die verhaal geruk word om te probeer sin maak daarvan nie.
• Pas op vir te veel byvoeglike naamwoorde en soetsappighede.
• Gebruik wel gelaaide woorde as jy iets meer wil sê.

Versorging:

• Goeie taalversorging van ’n manuskrip skep onmiddellik ’n goeie indruk.
• Belê in ’n goeie speltoetser (maar moenie net daarop staatmaak nie).
• Kry ’n goeie woordeboek, byvoorbeeld Pharos Online www.pharosonline.co.za
• Bekyk die Afrikaanse Woordelys en Spelreëls
• Skryf Afrikaans van A tot Z
• Redigeer- / proefleeskursus? www.nbakademie.co.za
• Anglisismes en sleng net toelaatbaar in dialoog en direkte gedagtemonoloog (indien dit by karakter pas).
• Ons is nie so streng oor ’n vloekwoordjie hier en daar nie, mits dit gemotiveerd is.
• Elke uitgewery het spesifieke tegniese vereistes vir voorleggings.
• NB-liefdesverhale se vereistes: www.liefdesverhale.co.za

Carolyn het afgesluit deur na die hele proses te verwys vandat ’n manuskrip aanvaar work vir publikasie totdat dit op die rakke verskyn.

Sy beveel die volgende bronne aan vir voornemende skrywers:

• Die Afrikaanse Skryfgids, saamgestel deur Riana Scheepers en Leti Kleyn
• Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies deur Leslie Wainger

Vir meer inligting oor NB-uitgewers se liefdesverhale, besoek hulle webtuiste: www.liefdesverhale.co.za, sluit aan by hulle Facebook-blad, https://www.facebook.com/NBLiefdesverhale of stuur ’n e-pos aan Carolyn by carolyn.meads@nb.co.za

#ROSACon2015 Report: Writing Compelling Dialogue

Thank you to Clare Loffler for today's report on Joss Wood's talk on Writing Compelling Dialogue. Joss is a multi-published (17 books and counting!) author for Harlequin and Tule Publishing. Her latest book, Claimed by the Warrior, is out now.


Joss Wood spoke on the art of “Writing Compelling Dialogue” at ROSACon 2015. She said that dialogue reveals characters’ relationships to one another, moves the plot forward and increases tension.

She said it is important to keep the following questions in mind when writing dialogue:

Will the story still make sense if the dialogue is removed?
Does the dialogue increase the suspense for what is to come?
Does it change the character’s situation for better or worse?
Does the dialogue shed some light on what the character wants?
Does it serve to strengthen the character’s resolve or perhaps weaken it?

Joss Wood

Joss stated that it is important to listen to conversations happening around you and to take note of the gestures and tones used as these will help you to write compelling dialogue. Be aware that men and women talk differently, and remember to keep your character’s dialogue consistent and realistic. Dialogue is not just quotations she said, it is also grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouses and so on… Including physical reactions also helps the reader to identify which character is talking. Action, she said, was a good way to break up dialogue, while simple descriptions are a good way to slow dialogue down. She warned against writing dialogue that serves no purpose, and advised writers to be on the alert for characters telling each other things that they already know.

Conference Report: Anthony Ehlers on a Plotter's Guide to Romance

Anthony Ehlers led a workshop on Sunday morning at #ROSACon2014 on 'Classic Love Stories: a Plotter's Guide to Romance'. Thanks to Lorna Senior for this report.

Report by Lorna Senior

All love stories are a search for a soulmate. This concept comes from Zeus having split humans in two and banished the halves to opposite ends of the earth. Hence the term ‘other half’ which suggest we are never complete without this mate.

Anthony talked about a few of the original romances, eg Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice, illustrating that romance stories all have shared elements.
For example, the stories start with a magnetic attraction which includes a sense of the forbidden. This is followed by a brief moment of happiness then the lovers are ripped apart and everything seems impossible. It’s important to delay the reunion to create yearning. At last, there is happiness at the final rejoining of both body and spirit and the ultimate freedom.

It’s interesting to notice that early romances were frequently tragedies suggesting that the ultimate rejoining could only be attained by death eg Romeo and Juliet, but contemporary romances have the happy ever afters, which is our ultimate wish fulfilment.

Anthony also illustrated the importance of virtue being rewarded and pointed out the heroine couldn’t be a bitch! The readers have to believe that she is deserving of endless love.

It was a fun and informative talk and Anthony suggested that we all reconnect with the classics. Another very enjoyable and informative presentation in a fantastic conference.

Conference Report: Rebecca Crowley's talk on Self-Editing

Thank you to author Rae Rivers for her report back on Rebecca Crowley's workshop on Tips for Self-Editing on the Sunday morning at ROSACon2014.

Report by Rae Rivers

Day 2 of the conference dawned bright and early as we all gathered with great eagerness, notebooks in hand, to listen to Rebecca Crowley share some self-editing tips.

I adore the storytelling aspect of writing a book but sometimes find the editing aspect a bit daunting. The more books I’ve published, the sharper my editing eye has become – even though I still have heaps to learn so I was so keen to attend this particular session. For me, looking at my book objectively and trying to find all its faults is a bit overwhelming so it was useful that Rebecca broke down the self-editing tips into three parts:

• Plot, Conflict and Characters 
Is your plot, conflict and characters well defined? Are you able to sum up your story into a synopsis or a one-sentence elevator pitch?

• Pacing and Consistency 
Is there consistency between chapter and scene lengths? She suggested keeping an eye on word count to ensure that lengths are consistent. Are the details correct and constant – clothing, time sequence, setting, hair/eye colour etc. Another tip is to check these details after edits too as inconsistencies sometimes occur during the editorial process.

• Polish and Proofread
Finally, it’s critical to give your book one last read to polish and proofread. Check for words that are often repeated, delete unnecessary dialogue tags, watch out for repetition and passive voice and be wary of purple prose. (I for one, found that last tip interesting!)

It was wonderful to see such an eager audience, share ideas and gather some tips. A big thank you to Rebecca for sharing her knowledge and experience!

Conference Report: Marie Dry's talk on GMC

Report by Clare Loffler

Marie Dry focused on the issue of Goal, Motivation and Conflict (GMC) in her session on Sunday 26 October 2014.

She reported that she found the following pairing helpful:
Goal (Wants) → Motivation (Because) → Conflict (But)

Marie stressed the need to remember who your character is when determining GMC, and suggested having multiple goals which should then crash into each other. She also advised writers to dig deeper rather than to pile. Instead of just adding more elements to your story when it starts to sag, she suggested digging deeper into the plot and characters with GMC in mind to find something that works.

She suggested starting with internal motivation first and then adding external motivation. Goals don’t necessarily have to be opposing; conflict arises in the way characters achieve their goals. The strength of your book is your conflict, she said, suggesting that writers need to lay in a foundation for conflict, create believable goals, motivate characters, and nurture the conflict to the inevitable crisis or climax.

Marie also emphasised that coincidence, bickering and misunderstanding are not conflict. She suggested doing a GMC chart for each character, as this will ensure that they have a solid reason for being in the story.

Conference Report: Suzanne Jefferies' talk on Writing Dialogue

Thank you to Kathy Bosman and Carlyle Labuschagne for their report backs on Suzanne's talk on Writing Dialogue at #ROSACon2014.

Report by Kathy Bosman

I attended Suzanne Jefferies’ talk on 8 Simple Rules for Writing Dialogue. My interest was piqued when she shared that she had experience writing screenplays. In screenwriting, you have to learn to show and not tell and you learn to use dialogue to move the story forward. I know I sometimes struggle with dialogue, especially for the hero, so I wanted to learn more about it. Suzanne didn’t disappoint. I loved that she went into the differences between how men and women talk. She gave some very useful tips and advice which I would like to refer to from time to time. She used real-life examples of dialogue in books and movies to show her point. Dialogue is definitely vital for a good book and if we can get it right, we’ll hook the readers. Thank you so much to Suzanne who showed us how with some enlightening and understandable advice.

For more on Kathy and her books, visit kathybosman.com


Carlyle Labuscahgne’s take on Spectacular Dialog tips by Suzanne Jefferies

Wow, first I have to say, I always struggle with the confidence of delivering good, believable dialog. Are there simple rules to follow or a secret formula to nail it? Yes there is…. *happy dance*

When sitting in on this wonderful topic presented by Suzanne Jefferies, I not only learned that I was on the right track I walked away with knowledge and the confidence to add improve on my writing skills. I will now share the tips I took to heart.

Dialog creates the central shape of the story, bringing us back to the fundamental rule of Show don’t tell.

Think about how conversations happen in real life
~ We cut each other off.
~ Finish each other’s sentences.
~ People don’t always say what they mean.
~ And we all make our own minds up of what was rely implied.

Dialog creates Tension, and as a romance writer it is important to create that tension right up front – readers love that!
Within dialog we find content. An interesting and fun way to bring location, age, character physical traits would be during a conversation.
Pay attention to how men and woman speak to each other, men do not talk about feelings. Men Ask questions during dialog to gain information, and usually let each other talk before answering.
Woman usually speak over each other, or say the same things at the same time, and are eager to have a conversation.

What we say isn’t always what we mean. (Sarcasm)
Dialog sets the scene and setting.
When a character often feels save he will reveal more information about self, or background.

Using dialog to cut out the shape of your character.
Nothing ages writing more than using slang, but that said, using slang can add to character for instant his/her age.
Think about accents, pronunciations this will show the reader where the character is from. Using nonstandard grammar, or specific words.
The general rule with this should always stand that if it is not familiar to you, then stay away from using a certain dialect.

Talking Heads
To gain deep Point of view, don’t always he said she said, she retorted, he answered – yeah they bantered we get it!

Enter dialog, add action, and follow up with thought.

“I thought you said you were going to be late?” Susan shrieked upon finding that her mom had gotten home before her. She closed the door in Ivan’s face thinking to herself how she would explain to her mother why Ivan was at their doorstep this time of night, and why she had been out in the first place.
Mom cleared her throat, “Did I interrupt something Susan?” Although her words were polite, her tone was anything but, she was going to be grounded for sure.
“Umm, “Susan struggled for the right words.

ALWAYS READ YOUR DIALOG OUT LOUD.

Dialog is a great tool to add information to your story.

More about Carlyle and her books: carlylelabuschagne.com


Next up: Check back here tomorrow for the report back on Tristan Banha's talk on Social Media & Branding.

Conference Report: Rebecca Crowley's talk on Standing out from the Slush Pile

Today's report backs on #ROSACon2014 come courtesy of Erich Viedge and author Rae Rivers. Rebecca's talk on How to stand out from the slush pile followed the lunch break on the Saturday of the conference.


Report by Rae Rivers

Every writer serious about publishing wants to stand out from the slush pile. Thankfully, in our world of technology, the internet is full of information, advice and tips on this topic. Usually, the advice comes from editors or agents so it was so interesting to hear that Rebecca was offering advice from a reader’s perspective.

Several years ago, before becoming a published author herself, Rebecca worked as a freelance reader for a publishing house. A professional reader – of which she was paid to read manuscripts.

So what does a professional reader working for a publishing house do? As we all know, editors are super busy and not always able to sift through their never-ending slush piles so they employ readers familiar with the genre with a love of reading to do this job for them. Although being a professional reader may sound like fun, I imagine it must be a challenge too as the reader has to sift through a lot of mediocre books in search of a few gems. (I was amazed to learn that in the two hundred plus manuscripts Rebecca had read, only a few were contracted!) Each reader receives a few books to read and has to offer a report on each one, along with a personal recommendation. (Either Reject, Reject with Encouragement, Accept with Revisions etc.)

In essence, a professional reader is often what stands between a newbie manuscript and an editor. If she doesn’t approve for whatever reason, chances are the manuscript won’t make its way further.

So it was from this perspective that Rebecca offered advice and tips on how to stand out from the slush pile ... how to get past the gatekeeper between a book and an editor. It was so interesting to hear what worked for her as a reader – what captivated her, maintained her interest and kept her turning the pages. This was usually a combination of several things: author’s voice, consistency, creativity, character development, conflict etc.

This was a great behind-the-scenes glimpse of what happens in the acquisition process. A big thank you to Rebecca for sharing her experience.

Report by Erich Viedge

Rebecca’ Crowley’s session Standing out from the Slush Pile was a real highlight of ROSACon 2014.

The conference organisers made sure the speakers had real experience that could help real authors by giving them the inside scoop. And that’s what made Crowley’s talk so compelling.

In her 20s, Crowley worked in publishing in New York. To supplement her tiny income she found a gig as a “freelance reader” for a publishing house. This is the person who is going to read your manuscript. It’s not an editor, it’s a cynical 23-year old in a one-bedroom flat on the seventh floor of a New York apartment block in a building without a lift.

She’s doing it for $30 a manuscript — the longer books paid as much as $50 — and she’s certainly not doing it for fun. In fact, she was reading books outside of the genres that she liked! On the contrary — she’s doing it, said Crowley, for the money. And the $30 per manuscript meant so much to her at the time that she would drop the completed manuscripts and reports off in person so she didn’t have to waste two days in the New York postal system.

The result of all this industry?

Crowley says she must have read north of 200 manuscripts, and she approved only 10 of them for publication. And even that wasn’t enough. Some of the books she approved weren’t published by the publishing house she was working for.

The biggest AHA for the audience was that Crowley wasn’t looking to Accept a manuscript — she was looking for reasons to Reject.

If she could see in the first few pages that this book wasn’t going to pass muster, then she would skim the rest of it to get enough plot points to fill in her report, stamp it with a big red R and exchange it for the next one.

She took the audience through four reports that she had written for her publishing house. A “Reject,” a “Reject with Encouragement,” an “Accept with Revision” and finally, “Accept.”

She spoke through the reasons for her choices and she went a bit further. She looked for the book online. The rejected manuscripts seemed to have disappeared without a trace. And one manuscript she said had lots of problems in it had been picked up by another publisher; but the reviews on Goodreads.com were scathing of the book, which made Crowley feel vindicated.

She gave us concrete tips on standing out and being one of the 10 in 200 that get some form of “Accept” stamp — and she cautioned that the reader has no influence over the rejection slip that lands on the author’s desk. She may have loved the book, but felt it was wrong for the imprint, and the author may still have received a form Rejection slip. She had no way of knowing.

We in the audience, felt encouraged and emboldened. If we could impress today's 20-something-year-old Crowley equivalent, we had a fighting chance of being in the five percent. And if we got a form rejection, maybe, just maybe, there was a freelance reader out there who loved the book — and whose recommendation was spiked by the editor.

A very worthwhile session for any author.


Next up: Tomorrow we'll bring you the report backs on Suzanne Jefferies' talk on Writing Dialogue.

Rebecca's rapt audience