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The Perfect Side-Kick

Hi everyone! This post originally appeared on Shirley Bourget's blog, under Buzz From The Best, but I kinda like it, and thought I'd share it here, as well.

Andy Griffith and Barney Fife?

...or Laverne and Shirley... or The Lone Ranger and Tonto?

Okay, you get the idea. It’s about the sidekick.

I don’t think I’ve written a book yet that doesn’t have a strong sidekick. I write contemporary romance, so the sidekick is generally a friend, or a roommate. Or in some cases, a pet. I grew up with both dogs and cats. Love ‘em both, but if there’s an animal involved, it’s usually a cat.

I’m not fond of stories in which the main character is too introspective. That type of structure usually leads to long paragraphs of telling instead of showing. Boring, boring, boring. But on the other hand, if we impart the information via dialogue with the sidekick, it’s alive, and ultimately, interesting. If not, it shouldn’t be there.

I use the sidekick to say things the reader might be thinking. For example, the main character utters some emotionally charged dialogue, and you just know the reader is rolling her eyes and saying “give me a break”. Eh voila – the sidekick can say “give me a break”. This allows you to include that small, overly-dramatic but necessary scene, and yet keep it real, thanks to the sidekick.

Creating this character is something I enjoy...perhaps more than I should. Because the sidekick is me. Wait, let me qualify that. It’s the me I’d like to be. I’d like to be tall, slender, dress in a bomber jacket, tight leather pants, and be an international correspondent. Something ‘glamorous’ like that. What’s that you say? The job of an international correspondent isn’t all that glamorous? Never mind; you know what I mean. Besides, this is romance, and romance is mostly fantasy.

Do you notice how often the secondary character is the complete opposite of the main character? There are many ways this can be accomplished, but one of my favorites is age. Several of my stories have older women mentoring the heroine. A surprising number of readers have said that they’d love to read a story about the older characters. In Then Came Love, the older woman is named Agnes. She’s a feisty old broad who has outlived several husbands. We like her immediately, and she becomes integral to the story.

Yes, sidekicks aren’t only fun to write, they enrich our stories. Let’s hear it for the Barney Fifes of the world, and may our characters be as memorable.

 

It's In The Details

...not an original sentiment, but true. I’m talking about research.

As I consider the options open to today's authors, I wonder how writers of old did their research. I suppose some of their questions could be answered at their local library, but I suspect that the facts they dredged up were dry and boring. Perhaps that’s where the expression “write what you know” came from. How could they do otherwise?

When it comes to research, I consider myself to be in the golden age. Will it get easier than an internet search? I wouldn’t bet against it, but writers today are surrounded with information. We have no excuse not to get it right.

So what interesting facts have I looked up over the past couple of years? I’m looking at an alphabetical list of my self-published books, and I researched the following:

Blogging From The Heart: Although I’m a keen hockey fan, I didn’t really know how the league is structured. I needed to know about the different Divisions, Conferences, etc., and how the playoffs work. It’s added to my enjoyment of the game.

Deception: I learned about CAR – the Central African Republic; what diseases go untreated, food staples, airports, and general terrain. I only skimmed the surface, but knowing these things added texture to the story.

Fallen Angel: I researched Hellfire missiles. I needed an idea of how a pilot would know if it was too late to abort firing his missiles. It’s amazing what you can find.

Fixing Freddie: Most of the details in this book are from personal experience. When I was young, I worked in downtown Vancouver and walked the streets the characters walk. I’ve been to Whistler, and the Gulf Islands. What surprised me, however, was that after the book was released, it was featured in a gaming magazine. The hero (the love interest) owns a computer gaming company and Fixing Freddie's cover, the storyline, and the link to Amazon was given a prominent spot in their online magazine. I was seriously impressed.

Full Circle:  I researched the markets at Venice Beach. Even though I wrote the story a couple of years ago and it’s been read by thousands of people, I’d still like to go there. I’d like to walk the pier at Santa Monica, where Bella and Sofia got the idea to sell childrens’ clothing. Some day I’ll do that

I could go on about my books, but you get the idea. I’m working on a book now, and one of the characters has a shop on South Granville Street in Vancouver. That’s not an area I’m familiar with, and I needed to know if there were many high-rises. Simple! I walked the little Google man around the streets and looked at the buildings. Research simply doesn’t get any easier, or better, than that.

Sometimes I look up what songs were popular in the era I’m writing about; what movies were playing. I look up Swiss, Chinese, or Australian names for my characters. And guess what? It’s fun...at least for me.

I read a romance by a well-known author some years ago where a lot of the action took place at an archaeological dig. It went on and on and on, divulging more details about how to set up a dig than any sane person could possibly want to know...at least this sane person. I bought the book thinking I was going to get a romance, not a how-to manual. I’ve never forgotten that, and I’m careful not to overdo it in the information department. What do the youngsters say? TMI? That was definitely too much information.

But details do matter. And nowadays, we authors can be more accurate than ever when presenting them. Write on!

A Shout-Out to Kindle Book Promos

Sometimes you just get lucky...and I feel I got lucky to be interviewed by Kindle Book Promos. This site is user-friendly for authors as well as Kindle owners looking for good books to download.
   Thank you, Laura.
    See the interview at http://kindlebookpromos.luckycinda.com/?page_id=6926

Is Chivalry Still Alive?

My dictionary describes chivalrous as ‘graciously courteous and considerate, esp. to women’, and ‘having the characteristics of a knight, e.g. valor or gallantry’. Kinda makes me warm and tingly all over.

Chivalry is still very much alive in my personal life. I strongly believe that chivalry boils down to a simple principle. People (in this case, the men in our lives) will treat us the way we expect to be treated. Call me old-fashioned, but why would I waste my time with a man who doesn’t respect me as a woman? It goes both ways, of course. I wouldn’t choose a man I don’t respect.

A lot is written about young people these days...teenagers in particular. But as with any controversial topic, we’re told about the instances that make us raise our eyebrows, but not about the growing number of young people who respect themselves enough to demand the same from their peers. I’ve seen it among the young people in my small town, and I salute them for that.

Perhaps chivalry has been in the forefront of my mind recently because of being a romance author. I write contemporary romance, but it doesn’t matter if the romance is set in a futuristic colony somewhere in space, or in Regency England, a man who is considerate to women has a strong appeal. Is the ‘bad boy’ appealing? To many, yes. But that’s what’s so great about being an author. We can take someone perceived as being the classic bad boy and either show his transformation, or reveal that he’s not bad after all.

As I think back on the many heroes I’ve written, I realize that they’re a varied bunch. They have different backgrounds, different goals, and different motivations. But one thing remains: they are strong men who know who they are. To use a slightly overused expression, they’re comfortable in their own skin. And yes, they’re often a bit larger than life. But after all, this is romance.

Please don’t ask me to write about men who inflict pain on the women they’re supposed to care for. Don’t ask me to write about a man who cares about his own pleasure more than his partner’s. Don’t ask me to write about a man who uses his position of authority to subject a woman to degradation. There are plenty of other people doing that, but count me out.

Give me a chivalrous man any day. Trust me, they’re the best kind!

Writing From the Heart

  It’s a question authors ask themselves all the time. What are readers looking for in a romance?

  Of course if we knew the answer, every book we write would be a best-seller.

  Instead of trying to figure out what the reader wants, and twisting our prose to suit what we think might appeal to them, perhaps we should write what interests us.

  Think about it. If we write what is real to us, our stories will be heartfelt. We’ll be able to express genuine emotion, instead of throwing out words and hoping that some of them stick. Have you ever read a passage in a book and thought to yourself “that just doesn’t make sense?” Me too.

  All of the ‘How To’ books will, at some point or another, tell aspiring authors to ‘write the Book of Your Heart’. It’s become such a trite and over-used expression that most authors recognize the acronym BOYH without even thinking about it.

  So why don’t more of us write from the heart? Perhaps because we’re chasing the latest trend. Or maybe we’re afraid to expose ourselves; to let the reader see our fears and insecurities as well as our hopes and dreams. How’s that for four over-used words? Over-used perhaps, but true.

  Fiction writers love to discuss which is more important, character or story. I’d also add setting to that mix, although to a lesser degree. As a writer, I need to like my protagonists, even if they’re flawed. As a matter of fact, it’s more interesting if they’re not perfect. I need to be invested in their story and know the setting. I care about what happens to them. That’s what keeps writing fresh for me...and fun. And when all three elements come together, I have a smile on my face when I hit that final keystroke.

   My book Then Came Love is an example of writing from the heart. The characters are ones with whom I easily identify, and the setting is familiar to me...a winning combination. And I’m happy to say that a lot of readers agree.

Predictability: Good or Bad?

I have a confession: I think about writing all the time. For example, the other morning I pulled up at McDonald’s drive-thru window and the girl had my order ready. I laughingly asked her if I’m that predictable, and she said ‘yes’. That got me thinking...about writing.

Romance novels are, by and large, predictable. As recently as a few years ago, when authors were submitting their books to the few major publishers in the romance field, we were told how many words to write, what level of sensuality was suitable to their line and how quickly the heroine should meet her hero. These are just a few things, but they show you how restricted an author used to be.

Don’t get me wrong. Many readers want to know what to expect when they buy a romance novel. But let’s be honest; the availability of e-books has caused a seismic shift in the romance genre.

Nowadays, with the rising popularity of independent authors, the reader can expect to be delightfully surprised by the fresh new directions of romance fiction. For example, some of the main characters in my books have actually died, and the book didn’t suffer for it. As a matter of fact, readers have commented that such realistic storylines have made their reading experience richer.

And yet, predictability in a romance novel is comforting. We know that we’ll almost always get a ‘happily ever after’ ending. If we don’t, we’re usually disappointed. But what’s to stop today’s authors from stepping a little outside the box? Happily, nothing. If the readers don’t like it, they’ll let us know soon enough.

Are we authors walking a tightrope here? Not really. Thanks to the new freedoms, we’re able to break free from former restrictions thrust upon us and fly free. Yet we know not to go too far; that beyond this place there be dragons. I enjoy keeping my stories fresh by inserting interesting twists and surprises. The reader and I are usually on the same page at this point. She (or he) has an inkling that something is being held back, but we go hand in hand to the end of the book, delighted when our suspicions are proven to be true. As a bonus, we’re left with the warm, fuzzy feeling of a happy ending.

Ah, romance. Predictable or not, there’s nothing like it.