Deepening Internal Conflicts in Romance Novels

Yesterday I sent a partial to a trusted friend for some feedback. I mainly wanted to know: Is the story strong enough? Do you like the characters? Is there enough tension?

Naturally, fifteen minutes after I sent it, I realized my hero's internal conflict keeping him from falling in love wasn't fleshed out enough in the opening chapters. He had a good reason to avoid relationships, but I hadn't really shown how that affected him emotionally.

This got me to thinking. My favorite romance novels stick right to my heart. It's as if I'm taking the journey with them.

A good reason not to fall in love isn't enough. We need to show how the good reason emotionally affects the character.

Example of a good reason:

John's girlfriend died in a car accident two years ago. He loved her and was devastated when she died. He hasn't been willing to take a chance on dating since.

John's beloved girlfriend dying IS a great reason for him to avoid romance. However, it's not really enough. How did her death affect him? Why, specifically, is he scared to try again?

Possible emotional reactions:

- John is afraid of his heart breaking again if a new girlfriend dies. (Afraid of getting hurt)

- John feels betrayed by God that his love was taken from him so young. (Can't trust that God is for him)

- John doesn't believe he could ever love anyone like he loved his dead girlfriend. (He's unrealistically forgotten all the girlfriend's faults, putting her on a virtual pedestal. No one can live up to the memory of her.)

- John feels responsible for her dying, even though he wasn't involved in the accident. (False sense of control--he should have driven that night, etc...)

- John had his life planned out with girlfriend. (Doesn't believe a future with someone else could ever be as good as the one he lost.)

It's important to not only give our characters reasons to avoid love, but to show the emotional impact as well. If you took three real people and gave them the same reason for avoiding love, each would have a different emotional reaction. Our characters do too!

Is there a fictional character that stays in your mind? Do you know why? 

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Have a terrific weekend!!

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3 Fun Websites for Fiction Writers

Fiction writers and the Internet--terrific combination! I Google things often when I'm writing a first draft. The spelling of a word, a grammar question, pictures of my characters, job details, you name it--I'm checking it!

I bookmark the sites I like and organize them in folders in my bookmarks toolbar. Here are three fun websites that fiction writers will find helpful.

1. Behind the Name: Random Name Generator 

This site is awesome! If you're stuck on choosing a name for your character or want a name specific to a culture or country, start here. Simply select if you want the first name and middle name or only the first name, the gender, and any filters that apply to your character. The generator will spit out a name for you.

Example:
a. I chose first name only, female, Russian and got Rufina.
b. I chose first and middle name, male, Hillbilly and got Joey Ray Hoghauler.
c. I chose first and middle name, female, French and got Ariane Rosette.

This site also allows you to browse names and their meanings and check the etymology.

2. 100 People Doing Extraordinary Things

When I'm in a plotting rut, the characters I'm brainstorming tend to act similarly to characters I've written in the past. Instead of moaning and searching my brain for fresh ideas, I read lists like this. Seeing the unique things real people have done in their lives always sparks a way to make my characters fresh.

Warning, offensive language blasts you in the first sentence; however, the list itself inspires me when I'm plotting. 

3. Writers Helping Writers

This site was formerly The Bookshelf Muse. I own The Emotion Thesaurus, and I've used many tools on the site itself. There are articles and charts and tips for just about everything a fiction writer deals with. Scroll down the site, look to the right sidebar, and find Categories. Have fun! You could read through the articles for hours.

What fun websites have you found lately? 

Have a terrific weekend!

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