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But in a 21st century world, is it really believable that someone would be so alone in the world, and what does it say about them that they are? If you’re asking readers to step into the shoes of, let’s be brutally honest here, a lonely virgin, is a best friend hovering in the wings the most useful weapon in your empathy arsenal?!
First of all, what’s the function of the BFF?
Simple! On a positive note, they can offer much needed advice in times of need (I love a friend who encourages the heroine to take a risk with the hero, or better yet, the best friend who tells the hero to go get his girl – think Miranda at the end of Sex and the City!); they also provide a contrast to the heroine, showcasing why she’s like no other woman and is worth the hero’s attention. Alternatively, sometimes a BFF plays false, forcing the heroine to accept she needs to let go of her past life and throw her lot in with the hero. But regardless of their functions – as a catalyst or contrast – well-written best friends can add texture and depth as they orbit the central relationship.
So, advice time – here are Romance HQ’s top three tips of making your heroine’s best friend the best ever…
1. Make sure the support network is series-appropriate! For example, in Medicals, chances are the best friend will also be a colleague, someone who shares the same vocation as well as being compatible personality-wise. (My recent hen-do was for a work friend. You’ll be pleased to hear the not-entirely-sober M&B contingent tried to commission our jaw-droppingly built, nude waiter to write a ‘Confessions of a Naked Butler’ exposé for RIVA, but he wasn’t biting…now that’s what I call dedication to the job!) In Cherish, the heroine is often more embedded in her local community and/or family, whereas RIVA is where the more outrageous BFFs hang out – the girls who encourage the heroine to have that one-night-stand etc.
2. The reasons behind the friendship need to be believable. Friends with opposite personalities – the quiet heroine and the ballsy BFF – are great as a vehicle to encourage the heroine to leave her comfort zone, but extra thought needs to go into explaining their connection.
3. Finally, think about how the dynamic of the friendship will reflect on the heroine. For example, if you love the idea of using a heroine plus friends scene to open your book, remember that girly and giggly can be fun and believable (my friends are definitely pretty squealy when we get together) but it can also fall into the trap of cliché. A more adult friendship can work nicely too, and allow your heroine to bask in reflected emotional depth and maturity!
But if you decide a best friend isn’t for you, that’s ok too!
The challenge with writing a more isolated heroine is making that aloneness exceptionally convincing, so that the readers truly get on board with it and can still identify with her. Always ask yourself, why would this woman be like this? And think outside the box here – what other ways can your heroine be emotionally vulnerable or isolated that doesn’t preclude having no friends/ family?! Ultimately, it’s going to come down to uber-sympathetic characterisation – if she’s alone, we have to want to step into the book and befriend her ourselves, not be secretly thinking no wonder she doesn’t have any mates…
Now, it goes without saying that the emphasis always needs to be on the central romance, but to ensure our stories remain as contemporary and believable as possible, hope you’ve enjoyed this Romance HQ take on the heroine’s best friend debate – let us know your thoughts! (And don’t even get me started on how much I also love a good bromance…maybe I’ll save that for another blog!)
Love Flo x
And another popular example – editor Anna Boatman discusses the role of children in romance – watch out for this blog on the 2011 New Voices website!
After spending a recent train journey listening to the hysterical screams of a vocally powerful and worryingly eloquent toddler, I stumbled off the train with my ear-drums still shuddering, vowing fervently to remain child-free for the rest of my life. Yet only the next day, I came across an adorable child who totally changed my mind. The catch? This one was fictional! It got me thinking about the children who populate our books - they can change the whole feeling of a story, for better or worse, and something that can present a challenge to a wannabe writer is dealing with a child in their romance story – as we all know, children don’t always do what they’re told!
Babies are a classic theme to help bring couples together and they are a reader favourite – there’s something about a tall, powerful hero protecting a tiny baby that tends to resonate for almost everyone. However, once that baby starts talking the writer’s suddenly dealing with a whole other little personality that can be determined to steal all the attention…
So here are our top tips for making your fictional children adorable rather than annoying:
Focus on the romance: First and most importantly, the romance should still be driving the story, not the children – no matter how demanding they are. Having too much page time spent dealing with babies or children around can distract from the intensity of the relationship (which alas can feel all too realistic!). As an example, although children can sometimes act as a barrier to romance (for example if your heroine wants to focus on being a single mum and isn’t looking to fall in love), they mustn’t be the only thing holding your couple apart – no matter how adorable the kids are, they are only secondary characters.
Warning: contains sickly-sweet children, may cause nausea…
Sadly, outside the world of fantasy, children aren’t perfect – and we love them for it! A child without a spark of naughtiness is, let’s be honest, a dull child. In the same way as heroes and heroines need flaws to feel real, a perfectly good child is too good to be true. Equally, watching your characters struggling with their children on occasion will make it easier for readers to relate to them and to trust in their happy ending; it’s easier to believe that a billionaire hero’s going to stick around once he’s dealt successfully with baby vomit on his handmade Italian loafers!
Put your children to work! How can these little secondary characters help to move the romance forward? Shared responsibility for a child can be a great way to bring couples together, while they’re also a way for the reader to see another side to a character, e.g. a softer side to a haughtily alpha hero, or vulnerability when an otherwise completely competent mum tries to reach her teenage daughter.
Finally, I asked the editors for some stories of their favourite real life children in order to counteract my horrible memory of the Toddling Devil Child. Below is my favourite:
“When babysitting for my 6 year-old cousin, she realised her favourite teddy bear’s jacket was missing. Having searched all over the house and found nothing, it was way past her bedtime and I said she would just have to look for teddy’s jacket in the morning. Response (with tear filled eyes and quavering voice): ‘Oh, poor little me - I’ll have to cry myself to sleep!’ It was extremely difficult not to laugh.”
So what about you? Does a baby on a cover make you run to the shelves, or run for the hills? Do you have any favourite fictional children? I personally have a soft spot for the accidentally naughty child – Just William is pretty hard to beat!
Chapter Two - Conflict
This was a hot topic in last year’s competition, so read on for our selection of New Voices 2010’s best blogs on how to tackle this ever-tricksy issue…
First up, what is an emotional conflict?!
When talking to aspiring authors about how to write a Mills & Boon novel the question we get asked almost more than any other is – what is emotional conflict?
The official Mills & Boon definition of an emotional conflict is:
The internal battle a character has to overcome something intrinsic to their personality that prevents their happy ending.
This could be specific personality traits (lack of trust, a guarded heart) or motivations and aspirations. In Pretty Woman it’s not Julia Roberts’ profession that gets in the way – but Richard Gere’s heart of ice that Julia and her fabulous red hair must thaw before they can drive off into the sunset in their limo!
Emotional conflict can also occur within a relationship, when a specific emotional situation – unexpected pregnancy, an arranged marriage, a curse or a dangerous situation – provides a further barrier to happiness. E.g. In Twilight Edward is a vampire and he wars between his desire to love Bella forever (by turning her into a vampire) or by letting her live the life he believes she deserves (and thereby not being with her for eternity).
These internal emotional struggles should always be the main focus of your story.
Where do external conflicts fit into this?
To be honest, as little as possible! External conflicts – misunderstandings, circumstances or a secondary character’s influence – should only be brought in as additional support to the developing romance and plot. Allowing the focus to fall on to theme and plot is a common and easy trap to fall into whereas the strongest editorial comes from character and in turn, emotional exploration.
It’s all very well knowing what emotional conflict means, but how do you go about creating it?
Simple – it’s all down to your hero and heroine! They are at the heart of the story, and it should be a conflict intrinsic to their personalities that drives the story forward. But for a conflict to be sustainable and convincing, you need to know your hero and heroine inside out – from when they were born to what has shaped each one into the person they are now!
Aargh, I’m still confused!
Don’t panic…we’ve roped in Colin Firth and everyone’s favourite diary-writer Bridget Jones to show you the light at the end of the emotional conflict tunnel!
First up, the deliciously brooding Mark Darcy’s external conflicts – well, there’s the embarrassing Rudolph Christmas jumper, the conversation he overhears that leaves him thinking that Bridget isn’t remotely interested in him and of course the totally unsuitable, remarkably uptight and so not as cool as Bridget’s other love interest.
But what really keeps them apart is Mark’s inability to truly open up his heart to Bridget and tell her that he loves her (just the way she is!) before the end of the story. And this stems from his past where he walked in on his then-wife in bed with his best friend. From this day we see that Mark Darcy’s heart is closely guarded – and it takes finding the one (and Bridget running down the snowy street in her pants!) to make him realise that she’s worth fighting for!
We hope that’s helped! We’re off to rent the DVD for the 1000th time…
How do I make this come alive in my story?
To get you thinking along the right lines, here are the big five questions to ask yourself about your prospective hero and heroine…
What draws them together?
What keeps them apart?
What emotional obstacles do they encounter on the way?
What are the turning points of the story going to be – positive and negative?
Why will the reader truly care about their happy ending?
Remember, the reader must be able to see what motivates a character to act the way they do – every little thing has to be backed up by a believable, realistic, emotional issue, so constantly ask why, why, why!
Any other tips?
A good exercise to try is deciding what story you would tell if your characters were trapped in one room for the entire book! Think of the emotional journey your hero and heroine would go on without any outside influences. How would you sustain the tension between the couple, build up to the highs and lows, when all they can do is talk to each other?
We’re not going to lie, it’s a tough challenge – but no one said this was supposed to be easy!
We’re looking for authors who bring something different to their series of choice. This means we’re very open to pushing the boundaries, exploring exciting, contemporary and character-driven conflicts that will speak to each and every female reader. Whilst it’s still fine to use popular themes in a story, to make your submission stand out from the crowd it’s important to consider why you are using them, how they impact on your characters and how you can give them a fresh twist!
Phew! If there’s one thing you can guarantee Mills & Boon will deliver apart from a happy-ever-after it’s an emotionally intense read – something that is achieved only through a compelling emotional conflict. So go forth and give your characters some real angst!!
So, that’s conflict sorted – but how do you make sure your story gives it room to shine? Here is more 2010 New Voices advice to help you out!
Don’t Let the Plot Get in the Way of the Story
Have you ever wondered why you can’t get your characters to behave in the way they should? Or why your ending isn’t as satisfactory as it ought to be? Well, worry not, for Romance HQ has the answers! Well, some of them… We’ve polled our trusty editors and come up with what we think are some of the most common pitfalls of plotting a romance novel.
Your enemies are…
• Clichéd Openings
• Puppet Characters
• Plot – Show and Tell
• ‘Crunch Time’ – Your Ending
Let’s begin with those pesky first scenes…
Here, collated for your reading pleasure, are the official Mills & Boon Top Ten Most Clichéd Openings:
#10 “It’s not you…” We’ve all heard this one! Dumped, heartbroken heroine discovers ex is a faithless devil and swears off men. #9 “I’ll be back…” Absent husband returns to seek revenge. #8 “Promise me! Promise…meee…!” Deathbed vows to contrive a meeting. #7 “You see, there’s something rather unorthodox…” Will readings to force conflict. Or even “Till death do us bring together.” Funerals, what a cheery way to start a romance ;-) #6 “I’m getting on the next plane to…” Heroine leaves To Start A New Life. #5 “To sir, with love” Your new boss, that one-night stand. #4 “Insufferable man!” Heroine and hero take an instant dislike to each other. #3 “Crying over spilled coffee” Accidentally bumping/crashing into each other. #2 “The name’s Jones. Bridget Jones.” Hero catches heroine in embarrassing situation. #1 “Fancy meeting you, ex, in the middle of my desert trek…” Coincidental reunions
But wait! Before you scrap those opening chapters, remember that clichéd openings are clichéd for a reason.
When and how clichéd openings work:
They can be an easy way to get straight into character and conflicts, e.g. “dumped” is an easy way to bring out the heroine’s back story.
They involve an immediate event to pull the reader in. You need to grab the reader by the throat/heartstrings/whatever you can and keep her attention!
A familiar plot allows the reader to understand immediately the sort of read they are getting, and with your feet on safe ground you can play with other elements!
They can help you engage readers immediately to your characters. Who can resist a heroine who’s struggling to get into big pants for a hot date! A heroine in an ‘embarrassing situation’ immediately gets the reader onside.
They’re a useful springboard to your plot – it’s not always easy to get your hero and heroine on the same page!
When clichéd openings don’t work:
They can lack individuality in their detail and voice.
When they’re plot driven. If the plot is just used as a vehicle to get characters together it can feel contrived, it’s the characters’ unique reaction to the situation that creates the magic.
They often involve too much focus on mundane details.
A talented writer uses these openings to showcase their individual voice, and often gives these openings a unique twist of their own, rather than relying on them. To help avoid the pitfalls, here are three basic steps to follow:
1. Choose your set-up carefully and be aware of why you are using it.
2. Question if this is the best way to bring your characters together.
3. Understand the convention before twisting it.
Now, onto Characters Behaving Badly…
Acting out of character for the sake of the plot is a no-no. If your characters start bending every which way just to reach your desired conclusion then you are writing puppets, not people. Individual motivations and reactions are key – if these are not believable then your story won’t work. Remember how annoying it is when your favourite characters start acting crazy?
