Early on we learn conflict makes a great story. Conflict elicits emotion. Tension is necessary to keep the story flowing and the readers turning pages. In romance, it’s easy to put the hero and heroine in conflict with each other. They are the main players, the key figures on the stage and well, why not have them at opposite goals, fighting, arguing, hating one another. Donald Maass says, “He’s hot, she’s hot, but they can’t stand each other.” Well, true, that does make for a good story. But in our ameturish hands, a fighting hero and heroine can come across snarky, mean, petty and well, too stupid to live. What we need to demonstrate is WHY the hero and heroine belong together. What is it about her that he loves? […]
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What are you so afraid of?
Creating a Hearthrob Hero…continued. My husband used to hate to dance. Last year, because he’s a hero, he gave me dancing lessons for my birthday. Now, this flaw kept him from dancing for years because…he was afraid of looking foolish. (which is why we have to make sure our dancing is perfect. It’s like dancing with a drill sergeant.) I finally figured this out and helped him conquer this fear by buying us dancing tapes and letting us learn the basics in our kitchen. Then, when we enrolled in dance class, he looked like he knew what he was doing. (And wow, you should see him now!) Behind every hero’s flaw…there is a fear. Yesterday we talked about flaws…those problems our hero has that makes him less than perfect. […]
Read the RestACFW Conference this week
But first. . . Sweet Caroline is this months Women of Faith Book Club novel! Thank you Thomas Nelson and Women of Faith! Check out my interview and other tidbits here. Now, on to the ACFW Conference. Susie and I will be meeting up in Denver tomorrow for the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Conference. We are really excited. One, to meet up with each other and all of our Voices, as well as ACFW friends. Two, to teach a Continuing Education class “Become Your Own Book Therapist.” We’ll give you all of our secrets! A conference can be an exciting as well as stressful time. Meeting old and new friends, going to be late, getting up early. Attending classes. Making editor and agent appointments. One moment thinking you’re on a […]
Read the RestMBT Interview: Thomas Nelson Senior Editor, Ami McConnell
I’ve been privileged to work with some wonderful editors in the CBA. For the past four years, I’ve been under the tutelage of Thomas Nelson’s Senior Acquisitions Editor, Ami McConnell. She’s such a gift to me as a writer and story teller, helping me hone my skill and art, but by being my champion. When I sold my first 2 books to TNI, the ACFW Conference was in Nashville that year, home of country music and Thomas Nelson. The conference hotel was right across from the fiction (then West Bow) offices! Ami had just given birth to her third child, a beautiful girl. Even though she was on maternity leave, she took time to meet with me, picking me up from the hotel, driving me to coffee, and spending a […]
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