EXCERPT from "Put a Little Love in Your Plot: The Perks and Perils of Romantic Subplots" by Ron Edison in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction
Love has always been a part of popular fiction. Zane Grey referred to his westerns as "romances," and writing before the term "science fiction" was coined, Edgar Rice Burroughs called his interplanetary and prehistoric adventures "scientific romances." These usually involved lovers separated by fate or the deeds of a dastardly villain and dramatized the hero’s ride to the rescue. If your story seems a little flat, your characters a bit two-dimensional, think about adding a dash of romance. It might be the ingredient your novel is missing.
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EXCERPT from "Prevention: Techniques to Control Romance" by Ron Edison in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction
Adding romance can be challenging for some genres. Use these tips to keep on track:
1. Focus on character
Romance blends easier with stories that are character-driven rather than plot driven.
2. Don't start a chapter with a romance scene
Lead with scenes from the main plot. Use afterthoughts at the end of a scene or chapter for romantic musing.
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Ron Edison graduated from Seton Hill’s WPF program in 2006 with a focus in mystery. Day jobs have found him dabbling at teacher, programmer, instructional designer, technical writer, and agent of a foreign government. He currently works at the Chicago Tribune on a mission to save the newspaper industry. His humorous novels feature offbeat characters and improbable plots. Off hours you’ll find him in the kitchen, underwater, or on the bike trail. Ron and his wife have been running Writers @ Work, a Chicago-area critique group since 1995.
Ron looks very writerly in his picture.
ReplyDeleteYes, he does. Almost like a Papa Hemingway.
ReplyDelete