Romantic Suspense author Karen Rose spoke at our local RWA chapter this past Saturday and then she did a special "after class" presentation as well. What a great lady to go all the way out like that and give us writers extra time to learn from her experiences.
Anyway, I took some notes and wanted to share a few things I learned. There was so much she went over, but these few things are still fresh in my mind.
One thing that stuck in my mind is to make the villian as real as the hero/heroine. Don't make them cardboard like. You need to know the villians back story. What makes him tick? Chilling villians are great. Give them goals, motivation and conflict just like you do your H/H. Greed and Revenge are good motivators. But they also need to have a vulnerable side to them as well.
Karen also talked about Secondary characters and how they add so much more to a book. They can provide a richness to a story. A neighbor for example. They can be funny, scary or crazy. They can give insight into your main characters. They can be a professional expert in a field that the hero or heroine happens to need or the can provide conflict.
I had the opportunity to spend some time with Karen, and I enjoyed every second. If your planning to go to Nationals, stop by Karen's book signing and tell her hello.
Dawn Chartier
NOT AN ANGEL, OUT NOW!
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/not-an-angel-p-4016.html
1 comment:
I enjoyed her talk at the meeting, just wished I could have stayed for the after class presentation.
Post a Comment