Writing romance isn’t just about
stringing words together to convey what you want the
reader to know. It’s about creating imagery, making that
reader’s imagination go to work. Let’s face it. If
someone is reading a romance book, they want more than
just the basic facts, the bare minimum, so to speak.
Take the following sentence for example.
She was very pretty.
Those four simple words say what the
writer wants to convey, but what does the reader see? Do
they picture a voluptuous blonde with artificially white
teeth, or do they just skim the words and move on? As
writers, we have the ability to use words as our tools,
to shape and define a novel into a moving picture of
words. Now, let's try the sentence again, and this time,
let's jazz it up a little.
Her beauty haunted him.
Hmm, certainly better than what we last
tried, isn't it? It packs a different punch. It's
obvious to a reader that the writer isn't talking about
your everyday attractive woman, at least not where the
hero is concerned. I'm sure you get my point here. Words
can either speak to or bore a reader. Get in the habit
of using active verbs which catch the reader off-guard,
words that will linger long after the reader's eyes have
covered the last page.
What about boring adjectives like pretty
and handsome? In my first romance novel, I used pretty
to describe the heroine every single time she entered a
room. Twenty-two years and many novels later, I've
discovered an expanded vocabulary which makes my readers
see what my characters are doing.
Which brings me to my final point…making
your words work for you. As important as this is in
your manuscript, it's equally important in the first
glimpse an editor gets of your talent. Anyone can write
a book composed of simple, boring sentences like I
was bored or She read the book. But can you
excite the reader using different verbs?
How about My brain screamed in agony
as boredom set in, and She combed the linen pages
of the book, held captive by the story?
Your novel is yours and yours alone. No
one can tell you how to change it or how to tell the
story you want to tell, but these guidelines can make
your story better…if you'll let them.
About the Author:
Rachel Carrington is a multi-published
author of paranormal and fantasy romance and currently
writes for Ellora's Cave, Red Sage Publishing, and
Samhain Publishing. Additionally, she is the
editor-in-chief and co-owner of Vintage Romance
Publishing and has written non-fiction articles for
Absolute Write, Writers Weekly, Funds for Writers, and
Writing for Dollars. Readers may visit her on the web at
www.dawnrachel.com
