Writing Tip of the Day-Secondary Characters

Contemporary category romance novels of 50-65,000 words allow for only minor secondary characters. Space limitations prohibit the development of complete secondary plots involving these characters.

Writing Tip of the Day-Secondary Characters

Secondary characters should remain just that: secondary. They must not become so colorful or intriguing that they compete with the main characters for reader attention.

Writing Tip of the Day-Secondary Characters

Secondary characters should only be included if they serve a specific story purpose. This may be, but is not limited to, mentor, comic relief, sounding board, safety net, support person, mirror character or as an aid in illustrating the story setting or theme.

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

Genre fiction tales which have a recognizable villain, including romance novels, are stories about the triumph of good over evil. Recognizing and using this truth can lead to a stronger story.

"Death ends all things and so is the comprehensive conclusion of a story, but marriage finishes it very properly too and the sophisticated are ill-advised to sneer at what is by convention termed a happy ending."~W. Somerset Maugham

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

Politically correct attitudes can make it difficult to find an acceptable villain. Be aware of the danger and avoid using any person or thing that may push the hot buttons of readers. Controversy works against the essential romantic fantasy.

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

Physical description and mental attitude for the antagonist should be as well thought out and realized as that for the hero and heroine. The power of your story can be enhanced by the power of your villain.

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

Your villain should be given a background, back story and personal goal which provide clear motivation for his/her actions. To do less can result in an annoyingly flat portrayal, or the classic "cardboard" character.

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

The jealous or conniving woman as villainess, the so-called "witch with a B", has been so overdone in romance novels that it's a cliché. Avoid using her unless you have a brilliant idea for making her character and/or motivation unusual.

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

Avoid traditional villain stereotypes; you want a strong antagonist, not a caricature. The actions of the most evil person usually have logic within his or her mental framework.

June Newsletter 2010

The Jennifer Blake Newsletter

June 2010

Greetings:

Done, yes! The final draft of BY GRACE POSSESSED, book 2 of my medieval trilogy, was finished in good time in May, and sent to my editor via email for its June 1 deadline. I sometimes feel a little like the French writer who used to follow his manuscripts into the printing room, correcting and polishing until the last possible moment. I was still correcting and polishing scant seconds before I sent the book file this morning.

So do I get to rest now? No, not really. I have page proofs to read for ROYAL SEDUCTION, a 1983 New York Times best seller which will be reprinted this fall in the "Re-launch of a Classic" program from Sourcebooks, Inc. This book was certainly edited when first published, but every publishing house has its own criteria for punctuation and other bits such as foreign words set in italics. My task is to make certain any changes of this kind didn't alter the original meaning of the sentences or my intention as the author. Errors found—which I hope are few!—will be jotted down as a list and sent to the production person for correction. Maybe I'll transfer this book file to my Sony e-Reader, and then transfer myself to an easy chair for the job.

When this chore is done, I'll need to get serious about the proposal for medieval book #3. I’ve been thinking quite a bit about it; what isn't roughed out on paper has been worked out in my head. Getting it off to my editor by July 1 should not be a problem then. I'll begin actual work on the book in August. It's too hot in Louisiana then to do much else, anyway.

I'm still adding to the list of Writing Tips on my web site blog and have now reached #140. The subject at the moment is "villains", their use in romance novels. Though only one tip is displayed at the time, clicking on others listed in the sidebar will take you back and forth among the rest. Check it out at: www.jenniferblake.com/jennifersjournal

Not much else is going on right now. Because of the way my deadlines fell this spring, plus other plans for the summer made far in advance, I've by-passed most of the romance writing conferences, conventions and other "working" trips. This leaves a couple of pleasure vacations with friends and family in the months just ahead. I'm looking forward to getting away, doing something totally different—I may not write even a postcard! With luck, however, I'll have photos from these trips to post on my Facebook page as a way of sharing my adventures. Look for me there as JenniferBlake01.

Warmest wishes for a grand summer with loads of fun and reading time,

Jennifer

Writing Tip of the Day-Villains

The hero can serve as the antagonist, particularly in shorter, category romance, if something in his part or present forms an insurmountable obstacle to the accomplishment of the heroine’s external goal.