For like minded romance writers

[emma112]

Thanks for the advice flights of fantasy!

I don't really know about much yet. It was one of those spare of the moment decisions. I actually intended Chris to being a side-character, but he wanted himself to be more involved with Eleanor and eventually told me that he was in love with her.
That's not what the story is revolved around though.
However, you have given me some good idea's about a side plot that I could introduce. I did think that something would happen between Eleanor and Chris, but she told me that she wouldn't be with him in that way. So, I scrapped that. In the book she does definitely meet the love of her life, let's call him A for now. He loves her immensly and because what I'm writing is a fantasy story, let's just say that their love is non-human. So, it is kind of impossible for Eleanor and Chris to be together, because of what she becomes (don't want to reveal too much, hehe).
But, I agree that Chris definitely has to be involved more and maybe he will become a main character. He might try to win her over and surprise her so much of his love that maybe she will grow feelings for him.
Or... she could realise that she falls in love with him, before she becomes this... creature. Ok, I might aswell say it to stop confusion. She becomes a vampire. And I guess that she will have to let him go, afraid that she will kill him for his blood, something like that lol. I'm only on the third chapter, so she hasn't even turned yet. Man A hasn't even been introduced yet, all I know is the basic outline for my story. I have a rough idea of what's going to happen, but it may change in the future. Who knows, maybe Chris will die! Maybe Eleanor kills him! But, I doubt that (she just screamed at me right now...).

Anyway, thanks a lot!
Emma x x x

[flights_of_fantasy]

LOL! I guessed vampire before you said it. 

Okay, so you're going to have a sort of Buffy/Xander thing going on between Eleanor and Chris. (the only reason why I draw this parallel is because I've been watching old episodes of BtVS recently while ironing, so they're fresh in my head)

If Chris is stepping forward, wanting more involvement, you could always try to steer him towards a protector role. Eleanor can probably look after herself, but Chris will never want to believe that. Perhaps he sees the toughness in her, but thinks its only a façade. He might underestimate her inner strength. When she meets 'Mr. Right', the warning signs might go off in Chris' head, even if he doesn't quite know why. He wants to shield her from the dark side of life, but Eleanor might want to embrace it.

Her decisions might either turn their relationship sour, or Chris might hang around, wanting to make sure she's safe with this new guy he can't quite trust. He might be the equivalent of the lovable spaniel/guard dog who wants to protect his mistress, regardless of the fact he's impotent to do so.

Chris could sacrifice himself (die) to save Eleanor - not from Mr. Right, but perhaps one of Mr. Right's enemies? Or he could find his own true love through his interaction with Eleanor and her new partner. (perhaps she's a possible victim, who he does manage to save in a way he was never able to save Eleanor, thereby giving him some kind of closure on the whole relationship thing) A lot might hinge on whether Eleanor is going to become an evil vampire or a good one. (a vegetarian, so to speak)

Whatever you decide to write, I hope it goes well. It's not like you're going to have much choice in the matter anyway, with Eleanor and Chris screaming in your ears all the time. Let them have their head for now. You can always rein them in later.

[Lin]

A mush moment!!  Yes definitely one of those occurred in my Chapter 9!! 

I also got the feeling that maybe your own feelings are getting in the way of this too.

Emotions are very strange things!!  You can get too many of them and then you are feeling mixed up between your own personal daily life and the fantasy world.  Your enthusiasm Emma is wonderful.  I wish I had so much, but when I used to be like you I realised it got me into all kinds of trouble, so I had to dampen down a bit.  Take a back seat for a few weeks and recharge the batteries.  Its your brain telling you maybe you are getting too involved with your characters.  he he!!

It will come - writers block happens to everyone who writes!!  Even the dynamic me!!  LOL

Im sure your story will be OK, but if you dont want to reveal all send me a PM and we can do it that way.

I would like to help you with ideas and I am sure that 'flights of fantasy' will be good for you too.  You are a young person taking on a tremendous role.  Being a writer is not an easy decision.  For most people they procrastinate about writing "their story" and it never gets done.  For you Emma I can see you have the potential to carry this through.  Well done.  Keep it up and smile!  Have a nice day!

Lin x

[Lin]

Who do you relate to whilst writing your romance novel?

I think I am looking at a mixture of "Darling Buds of May",  Danielle Steele style, Annie Murray's "Belles of Bournville" (more on the conflict) and Mary Wesley's family crisis "Camomile Lawn"

I am me as my own style,  but in there are these authors who have influenced me.

Lin x

[emma112]

LOL! I guessed vampire before you said it. 

Hey, flights of fantasy!

Wow! You don't realise how much you have helped me! Eleanor is going crazy at the moment and Chris is trying to figure out where his life is going to end up, now that you've given him some good ideas! Hehe! I've decided to scrap my whole story, start a fresh. I think that's what went wrong... I started it too quickly, eager to get started but never really planned it to the full. Yeah, I had a rough idea of what the whole book was going to be about, but never really delved into my characters lives much. So, I'm starting again and explaining Eleanor's feelings more so I can get to know her a little better. If I do this at the beginning, then their lives may unravel more better through out the story. You have given me some great ideas and I can already see Chris doing some of those. Just which one to choose? Lol. I'm sure it'll come to me though.

Thank you for all the brilliant ideas! I owe you one!

Emma x x x

[Lin]

And you know Emma you might change it another twenty times before you got the balance correct.  This is something we writers do.  We know what we want but sometimes it doesn't quite turn out as we expected.  Don't totally scrap your ideas though, you might need them again.

Well done girl!! 

Lin x

[emma112]

A mush moment!!  Yes definitely one of those occurred in my Chapter 9!! 

Hey, Lin!
And I love your chapter 9 by the way! Hehe!

Well, I took a bit of a break for a few days this week and I took the advice of Alice, to write a 'diary' kind of thing, where you write down what you are feeling the minute you wake up, even if you can't think of anything, just write down whether you are tired or not or whether you had a dream.
I tried that and it worked wonders! Eleanor has come back and made me sane again, giving me new ideas about story lines and how she feels. Chris is still a bit quiet, but that's what his personality is like, so I'm letting him figure out some things of his own until he has the confidence to tell me.
I'm making a fresh start, as this forum and well, everyone on this website have given me so many ideas and my head is running wild with them! Especially you, Lin! You've given me a lot of confidence in my writing! Glad that we met!

I think I relate more to my own feelings and how I would want to be loved. Maybe that's why it seems like my own feelings are getting in the way lol. But, I recently read the Twilight Saga which is basically made for my age, and I related so much to the character that when she felt love, it felt as if I felt the same way. I needed to write down how I felt, because I have a very emotional and passionate personality. I love life and try to help other people to feel the same. I try not to dwell on things and think of the happy aspects more. That's why I feel like I need to share how I feel, because it's such a good way to live!
I put a lot of my personality into the book, as if I want my life to be like that. I don't know if that's a good thing to do or not, however.
Thank you everyone for helping me out! I'll let you know how it's going!
I haven't scrapped the whole thing, I've kept what I wrote in another folder, for future use! Hehe! I will definitely be sending you some of my work through PM, Lin, so be warned! Lol.

If there's any way I can repay you, Lin, let me know!

Emma x x x

[Swampfox one]

Thank you Lilly (country4girl) for the blair site.  These are not words that come up in the oil fields.

[Lin]

That's fine Emma

Its so important that you younger generation have got something to hang on to with regard to a hobby which you might be able to turn into sometime very positive as you get on with your life.

Writing I feel is very important when you are in your teenage years.  If some of the young folks of today could write more about their experiences, they would be more in touch with their feelings.  Writing it all down IS important.

Being a teenager is so hard because you are still learning about life and  always being told off by parents for doing the wrong things at the wrong time.  There is so much emotion flying about with teenagers and parents.  When I see someone like you Emma trying to do something good for yourself through writing, then I just can't resist congratulating you for trying.

So keep it up and get a mentor, someone at college or school who understands what you are trying to do.  I know your Mum supports you, so go for it.  Having someone outside the family who understands about what it really means to be a writer could end up being your best friend in later years.

Is there anyone you know who can spend time listening to your words?  Is there a young writers group near you?  I think you need someone close by to share all this with you. Some support.

Find something on the internet.  Maybe a local writers group might let you join in their more adult sessions.  Make them win their respect for you.  Show them you aren't just a teenager you are a serious writer.  I wish you every success.

As they say on Strictly - KEEEEEP Writing!!

By the way, putting your own personality into a book, isnt a bad idea provided you aren't too close to yourself otherwise your friends and family will see through it as being you,  and wonder what message you are trying to convey!!  LOL   I am sure there is some of the author in every book.   They say write about what you know and that is exactly as I have done in my book "First and Last Outpost"  All my knowledge has been put into my story.  One thing to remember is to check it out for authenticity, you may have got it wrong.

Lin x

[emma112]

Thanks so much, Lin!
You don't know how great you make me feel! Lol. 

I agree, I have so much emotion going on that I really feel like I need to do something with it. I've wanted to write for years now, but never had the will to really try until now. I guess I'm at the point in my life where I'm happy. I have great friends, college is great and right now, my story life is going great, too! I have one friend at the moment who is also writing, and I do believe that I have become very, very good friends with her in just the space of five months.
That's the reason why I looked everywhere for this website. I live in a place where there aren't much... interesting places around town, for people like me. It's more of a leisure area, with football fields and gymnastic clubs. It doesn't really have the resources for writer's I guess, unless I need to do more hunting around! Hehe!
I'll take your advice and have a look on the internet about my local area.
But, the thing is, I was pretty scared that people might not take me seriously, because I am so young. I am so glad that you don't feel that way, Lin! I feel like you're the only one who I can talk to about this, but I will take a look around town! There isn't really anything at college that has a support group for writer's my age or anything like that either.

I've tried very well to not put too much of my personality into my book. It wouldn't sound right to me anyway. I could easily ramble on about all the troubles in my life, and not concentrate on the actual character. So, I haven't put a lot of 'me' into the book.

But, now I'm gonna stop rambling on about me, because I feel like I've took everyone off the main subject! Sorry, everyone! I'll shut up now!
Emma x x x

[flights_of_fantasy]

Here's a question. What sort of romance hero do you like? 

I'm a sucker for the guy with the secret identity, not just in romance, but all genres. I don't necessarily mean the superhero kind of secret identity, where you strip off his jeans and find lycra in place of boxers, but just the fact that our hero isn't all he first appears.

Such as in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) when Lauren Bacall finds out that Cameron Mitchell is a rich guy, and not a 'gas pump jockey'. (Gosh, don't you just love American English? That sounds so much sexier than petrol pump attendant!)

He doesn't have to be rich, though. It can just as easily mean being a different species, or even from another planet, but it must be positive, something the heroine will love, or will learn to love about him. Already being married doesn't count. Nor does being your half-brother! Ugh!

[Swampfox one]

FofF, I think we have been reading the same books. In Cajun Lust my heroine has a guardian angel that is a vampire.  Is that what you are talking about?

[emma112]

I totally agree, fantasty!

I love reading about a man with a mystery! Something that is suddenly revealed, but like you said, you've got to love it. For example, I'm writing a fantasy book about vampires and of coarse there has to be a beautiful man involved! My main characters fall in love, because they are such mysterious beings and plus, the male vampire is irresitably gorgeous! To me anyway!

Emma x x x

[Swampfox one]

what male vampire isn't irresitably gorgeous in the written word??

[flights_of_fantasy]

In Cajun Lust my heroine has a guardian angel that is a vampire.  Is that what you are talking about?

It depends. Does she know he's a vampire? If she doesn't find out until the latter third of the book, then yes, he'll be a hidden hero. 

I wasn't specifically thinking vampires when I spoke of having secret lives, although I'm as happy to read about them as anything else.

I was fairly late to romance, having only been reading them for the last five years or so. (prior to that, I wouldn't be seen dead with one) However, during that time I've read most of the sub-genres: vamps and werewolves, shape shifters and aliens, spies and Lords masquerading as servants. (that's a popular concept in historical romance)