5 Characteristics of a Romance Hero

By Cassandra Samuels

What makes a great hero, someone we can fall in love with?

Here are my five 'must haves' for a hero.

Definition: A hero is someone who gives of himself, often putting his own life at great risk, for the greater good of others - with or without a cape!

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In Romance, a hero doesn't always have to be saving the day. Instead he is trying to win the love of the heroine. He still needs to have the characteristics that will make, not just the heroine, but also the reader fall in love with him.

1. A sense of duty

Giphy.com

You want your hero to be able to stand up and do his duty, whether that means to family, friends or country. He may not know, understand or want to at the beginning of his journey but there will be something in him that makes it impossible for him not to do his duty in the end.

2. A sense of self-awareness

The hero must know he has faults as well as strengths. He must try and work on his faults and not rely on his strengths alone. This may be something he isn't aware of at the beginning of  the story but by the end he has a better understanding of himself and how he can be a better man for the heroine.

3. A sense of mystery

A hero who is an open book is dull - there is nothing special about him. He needs a bit of mystery. Something that is, perhaps, propelling him towards something that is not evident to the heroine or the reader. Maybe he has a secret or a bad past, but it is the fact that no one is quite sure that makes for an interesting character.

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4. A sense of individuality

Our hero has to to have something about him that is different from the other men around him. A quirk, his physicality, or even his heritage. Whatever it may be, it has to be intriguing enough for the heroine to want to know more about him.

5.  A sense of worthiness

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If we don't empathise with our hero he is lost. There has to be something about him where, at some stage in the story, we are on his side. Whatever his past may be, whatever his experiences have been, whatever his goal may be. If he is likable, despite his sometimes irrational (to us) decisions, and we still want him to be happy, then the author has done her job well.

There are many more characteristics that make a great hero. Can you add any?

Who is your favourite hero and why?

Using Google Chrome as your browser will enable you to leave a comment.

Love to Love  how my grandson's greet me at the door with excitement and hugs every afternoon.

Love to Laugh at the tv show 'Have You Been Paying Attention'.

Love to Learn: about other authors' processes.

The Art of Rejection

by Jayne Kingsley

Rejection is hard to take. You spend hours, blood, sweat and tears, pouring words out of your soul to create your masterful romantic manuscript, only to send it off and after waiting patiently, (or if you’re like me, not so patiently!) to receive a thank you, but no thank you. 

Image courtesy of pexels.com

It’s hard.

I’ve been writing now for about three years, and I’ve spoken to many published and unpublished authors, all who have said rejection is part of the business. And no mistaking it – becoming a published author is a business and should be treated like one. Last year I took the plunge and finally pitched a manuscript at the Romance Writers of Australia conference, I received a request for the full manuscript and dutifully sent it off a few days later. 

I waited and waited. I followed up, and then about 8 weeks later I received a very pleasant, and encouraging, No. I won’t lie, at the time I was upset, and allowed myself to wallow for about five minutes, (ok, internally I maybe wallowed longer than that) then I got on my treadmill and I sweated my way into a more positive mood. I decided this was to be a stepping stone for me on my road to publication. Which is what it is. 

Image courtesy of giphy.com

Very few authors gain a publishing contract on their first submission. What is important, is how you view the rejection and what you learn from it. Writing romance is a creative craft, and the best authors I know have all said it’s a continuous journey, one where learning is constant and necessary. 

For my part, I set aside the rejected MS and decided to work on a smaller project. A friend had shared an anthology call out – themed Kissing in the Rain – Springtime in America. I love the idea of kissing in the rain, running in the rain; really, I just love rain, so this was a perfect theme for getting those creative juices running. 

Image courtesy of giphy.com

And I’m happy to say that project has received a more positive response. 

So: I’ve gone out and done a little digging on what others think about rejection – I’ve found this quite interesting and hope you do too. (Please note I have included only constructive comments here – I figured ‘drink copious amounts of wine and eat chocolate for three days’ was a given, right?) 

-      Take it as a learning

-      Were there specific comments? Are they true to your voice and your branding?

-      Persistence is key. Writing is a long journey, multi published authors all say this, the first deal does not mean instant success for life. It may do for a select few, but for most of us, turning writing into a profession means a lot of work. And persistence. Did I mention persistence?

-      Accept the fact that though you love your work, it may not be suitable for a particular publisher, and that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with it. Publishers reject manuscripts for a multitude of reasons that are outside your writing control:

o  Their publishing calendar is full

o  They’ve just signed something very similar

o  The sales dept has said sales in that genre have tanked

o  The timing was just plain wrong. 

-      Just keep writing. Write something new but keep writing. 

How about you? Have you any fabulous suggestions on how to handle rejections in the world of romance writing? 

I love to love... starting a new story idea.

I love to laugh... at myself. Yes, I do this quite often.

I love to learn... how many rejections other amazing authors had before they became multi-published. Really, go Google – it’ll make any rejection feel loads better.

Google+ for Writers Part 2: Engaging Your Audience

with Dee Scully

Regardless of what genre you write or what business you are in there are five essential steps to successfully engaging with your Google+ audience.  

1.  Pictures/Graphics

In the world of social media, books…or rather posts are judged by their cover. With Google+, viewers often have dozens of posts to read, most of which will be skimmed. You need a great visual to snag a viewer's attention. (Of course, you need awesome content to keep that attention, but that’s a whole other blog post!) A great picture will entice Google+ers to stop and read your post. Google+ even allows you the option of using animated graphics!

2.  Linking

Once you have that all-important visual, you need to get viewers to link into your blog or website and you need to make it easy for them to do! After all, this is the 21^st century—no one wants to go searching for a new post…there are too many other posts with easy access links to click into! Utilize the LINK ATTACHMENT to ensure easy access to your blog or website.

3.  Key Words

So your graphics weren’t the best and you didn’t utilize the link attachment. What’s left to grab a viewer’s attention? Key words. The first 40-50 words of your Google+ post should not only summarize your article but should also spell out in black and white text why a viewer should click into your link and read your blog/website content. Having said that, often viewers won’t read beyond the first line, so I prefer to make that first line all about them e.g. ‘Wanna win a red kimono? Visit the Breathless blog and leave a relevant comment for your chance to win.’

4.  Circles & Communities

Image courtesy of Nanette Nielsen & Flickr.

Tailor your key words/first lines for specific circles and communities. This article, Google+ for Writers, can be tailored to market to writers of any genre…Google+ for Romance Writers or Google+ for Suspense Writers, but beware: some communities don’t allow marketing and you could get booted from their community if you don’t adhere to their particular policies.

Also, remember to click the ‘Also send emails from you to Circles.’ This lets those in your contacts know a new post has gone up and helps when there is a time element to your post e.g. "Leave a comment by Friday for your chance to win a gift pack."

5.  Content and Posting Regularly

You want viewers to be attracted to your visuals, click into your links, read your content, and return often.  If your marketing is spectacular but your posts are abysmal (or even just ok) viewers will not return. It’s just like writing a book. You’re only as good as your last one. If you missed the mark with your most recent post, viewers won’t be swayed by pretty graphics and easy links again. Make sure everything you put out is your best work. 

Dee Scully Romance Author

Post regularly. People come to expect your weekly Google+ posts. If you skip a week or two, attentions will wander to the next best thing…and you’ll have to start all over again.

  

Do you adhere to all five steps?  Is there any one step you don't fully utilise?  Why/Why not?

I love to love...helping other newbie writers connect with a larger audience via Google+!

I love to learn...new ways to use Google+!

I love to laugh...at all the silly mistakes I've made marketing myself and my writing!

Check back for Dee Scully’s Google+ for Writers Part 3:  Optimizing Your Profile.

Newbies’ Corner: Why is Romance Writing so much Fun?

with Sharon Burke

Hello Everyone,

As this is my first blog, I’d like to introduce myself. The most important people in my life are my husband and three adult children. I teach chemistry full-time and write whenever I can. My writing career began over 25 years ago, but most of my publishing credentials are in non-fiction. As a romance writer I am a hopeful newbie.

I hope my blogs will serve as a “Newbie’s corner”. Writers, I believe, are on a journey of professional and personal growth. It would be great if published and yet-to-be-published authors would come and share their ideas on my blogs. I look forward to “talking” with you soon.

Best wishes, 
Sharon

Why is romance writing so much fun?

Here are some of the reasons why I think we enjoy our shared occupation:

Romance writers have a positive world view:

There is so much conflict and suffering in our world, it is easy to lose sight of the good. Romantic fiction describes the joy and fulfilment love can bring. I believe romance writers recognise human foibles and frailty, but have a strong belief in people’s power to take positive steps together as they grow in love, self-knowledge and understanding.                                                                                   

It is fascinating to create characters, place them in novel situations and watch them interact:

I think romance writers enjoy trying to understand people. Perhaps some are “people watchers” who know and value human strengths and weaknesses. Strengths enable us to achieve much; weaknesses give us something to strive for. They make us human. As a romance writer I enjoy playing “what if”. What if a strong, independent, feisty heroine with a goal she simply must achieve encounters a hero with equally powerful reasons to stop her? What if the stakes are raised? It is compelling to create vibrant characters with conflicting goals, put them together, and describe the joys and trials of their shared journey.                                         

Romance writers are positive people who support one another:

One of the greatest joys I find in romance writing lies in being part of the writing community itself. It is rare to find such a positive group of authors, eager to help and to learn from one another.

Relationships can make or break us:

I believe much of the joy in life comes from our shared humanity. Relationships can provide a place where each partner, supported by the other, grows and learns to be the best they can be. But, sadly, they can also be destructive. So, in this imperfect world, Romance writing provides the opportunity to promote the best of partnerships by creating characters who overcome conflict to pursue shared goals as they love, learn and grow together. Our job is crucial. We offer a path of positivity and hope.


So what do you love to love about romance writing? Leave a comment and let me know.

I love to love to create new characters.

I love to laugh; life is full of surprises.

I love to learn new things, to never stop learning.

A Breathless Birthday Bash--Just for YOU!!

with Dee Scully

Let's celebrate!!  It's party time!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

Breathless in the Bush!!  

But this isn't just our birthday bash--it's a celebration of you, our viewers/commenters/subscribers too!! To show our appreciation for your support throughout the year, we've scheduled a week of blogs, competitions, and giveaways--just for you!!

TUESDAY
Marilyn Forsyth—A Year in Review
Competition—Treasure Hunt
Giveaway—Kimono gift pack

WEDNESDAY
Miranda--More Musings
Competition—“How has your romance reading changed over the years?"
Giveaway—$20US Amazon voucher

THURSDAY
Cassandra Samuels—BITB Success Stories
Competition—Do You Wanna Build a Hero?
Giveaway—Book & Swag

FRIDAY
Enisa Haines—How Can BITB Help Your Romance Writing?
Competition—“What book grabbed you emotionally?"
Giveaway—Chocolate box & Book

At the start of each day, we'll post a blog and instructions for the competition to be played (or the question to be asked) and how a daily winner will be chosen. Remember to check the comments the following morning to see if you've won!

If you haven't already done so, subscribe to our fabulous blog! Simply scroll to the email or subscription bar on the right hand side of the home page, fill in your details, and you'll receive notices of our new posts!

We love to love...celebrating with you this week and throughout the next year!!

We love to laugh...enjoying all the fun blogging games with you this week!!

We love to learn...from your comments--so make sure to leave one...or two...or as many as you'd like!!

Accents: How to Write Them So Readers Hear Them

with guest blogger Alli Sinclair

If you've learnt another language, you know there is so much more than grammar to get right. There are inflections, complicated word orders, slang, rolling r's, silent t's… it can take years to master. Writers with foreign characters in their stories must not only have a good grasp on cultural differences, they need to understand the speech patterns of the nationality they're working with. It's easy enough to throw in oui or sí but most readers expect more than this.



Having learnt Spanish in Argentina, I understand the nuances of an Argentine speaking English, but you don’t need to move to a foreign country to perfect the accent you're working on; not with TV shows and movies giving us access to an array of nationalities to study.



In Luna Tango, the heroine is Australian and the hero is Argentine. My next book, Flamenco Fire, has an English heroine with a Spanish hero. His speech patterns and many of his words are different to my Argentine character—even though they both speak Spanish. It's like an Englishman speaks differently to a South African who speaks differently to an Australian.



So, how do I deal with these challenges? Bang my head against the desk? Some days I do, but that gets painful. So I resort to my network of foreign friends, immerse myself in movies or TV shows that have authentic characters from the nationality I'm writing about, and sometimes I just have a good look around YouTube.

Here's an example of how I wrote an Argentine speaking English (from 'Luna Tango'):
'Venting is cathartic, no? But please refrain from this when I am doing the teaching.’ He cleared his throat. ‘It is important for the leader to make sure the follower is feeling safe because if she does not, she will not reach a state of the meditation and this would be of great tragedy.'



You'll notice the extra 'the' and 'ing' words in this sentence. La and el (the) are used a lot in Spanish, so when my Argentine speaks English, extra 'the's' pop into his speech. And instead of saying 'this would be tragic', he says 'this would be of great tragedy'. Spanish is a beautifully poetic language so when Spanish speakers speak English they tend to use more words to say what they need to. Also, someone who doesn't have English as a first language often won't use contractions, so changing a don't to a do not can give extra authenticity. Just be careful you don't go overboard on this otherwise the character will sound like a robot!

Another thing to consider is your character's educational background. Are they now living in an English-speaking country? Someone who speaks English every day will be more fluent than someone who learnt it in a classroom in their native country. If English is their first language, where did they grow up? The UK has a wide array of accents that can affect how a character speaks.



Freaking out a little right now with so much to think about? Don't worry! There are many resources out there to help you nail the accent so beautifully that your readers will think you've channelled someone from the nationality you're writing about.



The best way to overcome the accent challenge is to research, listen, write. It may take a while to perfect but it will be worth it—your character will be more authentic and your readers will be thankful you went the extra mile.

Writers: have you ever tried writing your characters with an accent, and if so, how did you overcome the challenge?

Readers: can you recommend any authors/books that write character accents really well?

I love to love … my friends. There’s nothing better than connecting with someone who has a good heart and is fun and positive.

I love to laugh … at the crazy antics of my kids. They are an absolute joy and they love putting on performances to make people laugh.

I love to learn … of people's good news! It always makes me happy when good things happen to good people.

If you would like to read more about writing accents with authenticity, there’s a really fabulous post here: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/writing-accents-and-dialects

Alli Sinclair is the author of Luna Tango, the first in the Dance Card Series, published by Harlequin MIRA.

Flamenco Fire to be released (2015) and Turning Pointe (2016)

Website: www.allisinclair.com

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