I read a really good story premise today. Sadly, it was rejected. <\/p>\n
Hero and heroine were together pretty quick. For nearly 20 pages, she was unconscious or barely coherent (car accident victim). Oh, they talked. She remembered nothing the next day. So basically, everything written was a non-event and not necessary to the progression of the developing relationship. I\u2019ve decided to create a list of rules for that first meeting of the hero and heroine.<\/p>\n
1. They must be sane, sober, conscious and in their right minds. If they are unconscious or nearly so, this is not \u201ckeeping the hero and heroine together.\u201d When your common sense is compromisd, the relationship isn’t real. The decisions and judgment of the character is off-kilter. The hero and heroine, by their very definition, must choose a partner wisely, and well. <\/p>\n 2. They must feel the awareness of each other as a potential partner in marriage \u2013 it can be off-hand, such as her noticing his shoulder is just the right height to lean on, or him noticing that she smiles at babies in strollers. This awareness should be played up each time they meet. It is romantic tension. By using their senses, actions and thoughts, the author can build a terrific couple whom the reader will want to get to know. <\/p>\n 3. No instant anger upon meeting. I have no idea why this is so popular. When a heroine is instantly angry upon meeting a man, the reader\u2019s subconscious hackles go up, thinking this is the villain. That negative connotation immediately puts the reader, who is identifying deeply with the character, on the defensive. \u201cThat man might be the bad guy, I\u2019m not trusting him until he proves otherwise.\u201d In a mystery or an intrigue, this might be a good conflict, in Christian fiction, it must be handled carefully. I\u2019m not saying you can\u2019t write edgy Christian stories, simply be careful about painting your hero or heroine with negative emotions right at the start of the story. The reader does not warm up and begin rooting for this couple to make it…which leads that reader to find something else to read if the author doesn\u2019t hold their interest. <\/p>\n 4. Spending 15 pages describing the heroine\u2019s fear, terror, pain, screaming, shock, repeated prayers to God, horror, etc. is too graphic for most romance readers. They are exposed to reality on the nightly news and sometimes in their daily lives. Most people read to escape for a little while. Romance allows them to feel good, and know that happy endings can lighten a burden. A few paragraphs will suffice in explaining the heroine or hero\u2019s horrible plight. <\/strong> <\/p>\n Now that we\u2019ve covered some basic rules, let\u2019s move to the burning question in every author\u2019s mind. How do I create romantic tension?<\/p>\n Use their senses. Use their thoughts. Use their actions. Blend these elements into the hero and heroine. <\/p>\n Jane reached for the door just as it swung open. The man holding the handle smiled. \u201cAfter you.\u201d He pulled the door wider, making the bells tinkle. Jane and John are reacting to each other. They\u2019re communicating through the child, but the looks, the implied understanding is pure adult. The child is a foil, a way for the hero and heroine to continue talking. In most cases, a secondary character should only act as such, not truly relating to either one. The nuance is between the two older characters. The reader feels Jane\u2019s understanding, her cares slide away, and her empathy with the man. The reader feels the man\u2019s politeness, his love for the child, his awareness that the child only has him and his acceptance of the child\u2019s plea. And if that\u2019s not enough, the cliffhanger, the clincher and the surprise is the child\u2019s last statement. <\/p>\n The reader now KNOWS who the hero will be. The reader understands that Jane has had a tense day. The man is out and about with his child (one loving relationship already in place). The child acts with confidence. And two people who would\u2019ve otherwise simply passed each other through a door, are suddenly together. What will happen? I have no idea. You, the author, will need to build that romantic tension to a satisfactory conclusion. <\/p>\n I\u2019m waiting for a good book. And so are your future fans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I read a really good story premise today. Sadly, it was rejected. Hero and heroine were together pretty quick. For nearly 20 pages, she was unconscious or barely coherent (car accident victim). Oh, they talked. She remembered nothing the next day. So basically, everything written was a non-event and not necessary to the progression of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[504],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editing-writing-advice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=619"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/619\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pelicanbookgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
A young boy charged out before Jane could take a step.
\u201cThanks, Dad!\u201d the child said, as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the curb.
\u201cMy son,\u201d the man said wryly. \u201cSomeday, I may even be able to teach him some manners.\u201d
\u201cMommy was teaching me manners before she went to heaven!\u201d The boy swung around to look at his father and Jane. \u201cI learned to say please and thank you. And to wash my hands.\u201d
\u201cThose are good manners,\u201d Jane said, smiling.
\u201cThank you,\u201d the man murmured.
\u201cNo, thank you, for showing your son that politeness counts.\u201d Jane felt warmth creeping into her heart. Maybe today would be a good day after all.
\u201cWould you like to have ice cream with us? I can show you some more manners. I\u2019m Chase and Daddy\u2019s name is John and now we\u2019re not strangers anymore, either.\u201d
\u201cI\u2019m sorry…he doesn\u2019t know\u2026\u201d The man began.
\u201cOh, please, Daddy?\u201d
Jane saw a flash of sorrow in the man\u2019s eyes and knew he was having difficulty saying no to the boy.
\u201cI\u2019d love to have some ice cream.\u201d She hoped the man caught her understanding look. \u201cAnd I\u2019m Jane.\u201d
He stared at her for a moment and then flashed a grateful smile.
The boy looked at his father and gave a loud whoop. \u201cYeah! We\u2019re gonna have ice cream with the pretty lady!\u201d
\u201cChase\u2026\u201d
\u201cDaddy, is this a date?\u201d <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n