When I first started to tell my friends and family that I was writing romance novels, they were a bit surprised. I was always one of those literary readers – bordering on literary snob, I suppose – who spent the college years lugging around my volumes of Keats and Shelley.
But all that changed …
Come over to my new blog, where I tell the rest of the story. And please join in with our many conversations about writing fiction, Flatsy dolls, avoiding elastic-waist pants, and drinking too much wine while making dinner … Ayeee. ….
May 22, 2009 at 6:42 pm
“I’m thoroughly in love with love. I’m not one of those people who is bothered by the constant “happily ever after” – I cherish that. . . And I believe in true love. I’m in it.”
Good Lord are you in my head? Absolutely following your blog now
Thanks for sharing.
May 22, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Hi Laurie,
I always hate it when any description of a “handsome male” includes a chiseled jaw. And not only that, but the description of how their jaw “works back and forth” when they’re angry.
I guess I have jaw issues…
I would love to read it when it’s done! Keep up the good work!
May 22, 2009 at 10:08 pm
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May 22, 2009 at 10:16 pm
Crystal — Thanks so much. Sounds like we have the same thought processes! Following you back … And welcome to the blog — please visit and comment often. Would love to learn more about what you’re writing!
Jeanne — Ha! Yes, the ol’ chiseled jaw … That’s a popular one because that square jaw is just so inherently … MALE, you know? One of those easily visible characteristics that’s so manly (and, we translate then, so sexy) right from the start. I know I’ve mentioned it for both my male leads so far, but um … [*shuffling papers*] … I don’t believe I mention um … [*getting out red pen*] “working back and forth,” exactly …
(Thanks, Jeanne! See, I need this kind of feedback!!!!) : )
May 23, 2009 at 12:38 am
I love a good storyteller. They fascinate me because they seem almost like magicians. They know how to misdirect you, in a good way, of course, get you swept up in the story, have wonderful props and characters. Yes, if they write well, know how to use the English language well, that makes it so much better, but even someone whose writing skills are not high falutin’, I still love the story. I may not make friends here but that is the way I thought of The Da Vinci Code.
I wish someone could tell me why Nights of Rodanthe drove me insane though.
May 23, 2009 at 2:20 am
Laurie -
Keep your chiseled jaw. I think you could probably count on one hand the number of women who don’t like a chiseled jaw. For some reason it reads too ruggedly good looking for me. But then, I like a guy who has some quirkiness. He doesn’t have to be hot. In fact (and this is really weird) hot guys turn me off. I mean, the ones who rely on just their hotness (see Matthew McConaughey.) SO – all that to say, it’s probably just my weird read on the whole jaw thing. But why do they ALL have to have them? It has to be asked…
May 23, 2009 at 2:31 am
The problem with very good looking guys is they don’t have to care. (A generalization, of course.) My ex-husband was in the Air Force and flew a trip with what he even admitted was a very good looking guy. He said he was it weirdest trip he had ever been on. Women would throw themselves at him, left their phone numbers, and just generally made fools of themselves. When my ex would ask why he was so blase about all these beautiful women, he said because it didn’t matter, he could have his pick of whoever he wanted. He wasn’t a total jerk but he did not have to think about women, find out what them tick, nothing. But I still love chiseled jaws…sorry Jeanne~!
May 23, 2009 at 3:35 am
Kat and Jeanne — Yes, describing a hero is a tricky thing, because what “works” for one female reader may not work for another. (As evidenced by you two!) Since your objective (as the writer) is to get ALL of your readers to fall a little in love with your hero, you walk a fine line. (What if one reader doesn’t like curly hair? What if another’s despised ex had blue eyes? etc.) The best approach, I think, is for authors to be very, very vague. Sometimes it’s best to just let the reader fill in the blanks with her own imagination.
Now, that said, there is usually one stand-out characteristic. If you’re really, really good, you make the physical characteristic represent an emotional need he will end up fulfilling for the heroine. For instance, if he “sees” something in her that no one else does, his unique characteristic might be his eyes. Or if he “protects” her in a way she’s never experienced before, his unique characteristic might be his arms.
The jaw thing is usually a “catch all” characteristic to make him simply, intrinsically male! It’s like mentioning an Adam’s apple or a forearm muscle. So Jeanne, it probably just rubs you the wrong way because maybe it seems sort of lazy! Like it’s an attempted “shortcut” to quickly get you to think “hot.”
Some writers have heroes who are not hot at all, though, which you guys might get a kick out of. Suzanne Brockmann does this especially well — she has heroes who often look weird or slightly bizarre. Laura Kinsdale, too, has heroes who are super flawed, physically. (One, believe it or not, is a stroke victim!) But great storytellers like those two can make their heroes sexy by their behavior and other heroic characteristics (honesty, courage, etc.). They work at it, but man, it works!
I love your feedback, both of you!
May 23, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Haha Kat – see, I know most women love the jaw.
And I think you’re right Laurie – I do read it as cookie cutter. And truly, how would it be interesting if it read “I was immediately drawn to his double chin and hairy back.” Ugh. Yet, it’s possible to fall in love with someone with both those characteristics. So I totally get what you mean when you talk about the chiseled jaw being intrinsically male. I guess it’s just not my particularly cup o’ tea. Now the strong arms? Yes, please. ;p
I’ll have to look up the authors you mentioned. I love to read and am ready to go and get more books from the library anyhow, so it’s perfect timing.
May 26, 2009 at 4:53 am
OK, this is probably too personal for a blog site, but I want to say this. I have just been catching up on Laurie and Jeanne’s blogs (I know, I’m horribly sporadic), and I am SMILING at the conversation between you two. What a joy for me!
And on a different note, having just read some of your comments to Mark, he says he’s thinking of getting a hair transplant…on his back. You haven’t discussed the attractiveness of WEIRD.
May 26, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Rosy -
I literally laughed out loud when you wrote that about Mark! Too funny. And for the record, I like weird! Maybe it would be better if we just termed it “interesting…”
May 27, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hi, Rosy — Yes, thanks for electronically introducing me to Jeanne! : ) Love her blog, too.
And Rosy and Jeanne — Weird? Maybe. Interesting? Definitely. But Mark is smart and witty! Always a good combo for a hero.
More on hero qualities in a future post. …
November 15, 2009 at 3:17 am
[...] long (and still ongoing) education to do the very thing I always dreamed of doing – write novels. I decided on romance novels specifically. And I’m three years in, and as determined as ever. I have other work, too – there’s the [...]