Love is my favorite part of any book - gaining it, losing it, feeling it. But still, I sometimes find myself asking what love is. To be a writer, you need to be able to answer that question, at least for your characters. So, today I'm asking myself: what is love all about?
In my experience, love starts in one of two ways: instant attraction that blossoms into something more or friendship that gradually transforms into something more. And, these two processes are complete opposites of one another. The first is lust before love and the second is love before lust. To help figure out the difference, I'm zooming in on each.
Instant Attraction To Love
First, I want to say this is not love at first sight. I personally don't believe there is such a thing, but I do think this is what people often mistake for love at first sight, but there is a big difference. This is lust at first sight. You walk into a room, make eye contact and suddenly butterflies are floating around your stomach. You're interested and you're attracted. You know nothing about each other, but there is something instinctual that draws the two of you together.
Now, let's be honest, the lust part of any relationship is awesome: the butterflies, the touches that make your heart skip a beat, the exhilarating nerves. But, it is not enough to sustain a relationship. Once you get to know each other, love can grow or you'll find out that you aren't compatible. But, there will always be some unspoken thing that draws you together in some way.
I studied psychology in college, and I never read any convincing report as to why this instant attraction can happen. Sometimes, things can't be explain, but I don't think that means they aren't real.
If you're writing about this sort of love, the attraction is the easiest sell. I've never met a single person who hasn't gotten a crush on someone they've never spoken to or been attracted to a stranger. The hardest sell in this sort of love is the next part - the getting to know each other. Lust is not enough to sustain a healthy relationship, so if you're writing two characters who are supposed to be truly in love there must be something else. They realize they have similar personalities, they are both outsiders and connect on common ground, or maybe they're opposites that match perfectly. No matter what, the instant attraction needs to become something deeper, or the writer needs to show how it all fell apart.
Friendship To Love
The second way I believe love begins is through friendship. You're best friends, you get along like no two other people, but you never thought that way about each other. Sometimes, friendship stays that way. But, other times, you wake up one day and see each other differently, the attraction forms. Maybe one friend confesses his or her love to other, or maybe it happens organically, but something changes.
In real life, I've found that this is how the strongest relationships amongst my friends formed, because you love each other before you lust after one another. Friendship in many ways is love without lust, so when you add the attraction, something really powerful can happen. But, as a reader, this is not as common to find. And, I think that is because it in some ways is not as exciting to write. Most often, I see this used at the end of books. The main character found instant attraction with a guy who was completely incompatible with her, but then in the last thirty pages of the book she realizes her guy best friend is actually the love of her life. We've all read that, right?
As a writer, you need to build a very strong friendship before introducing the lust. But, that can take a lot of pages and might not be as exciting to read. So, other tools like a misplaced affection or other obstacle, pushes the story along until the main character can come to this realization.
So, there you have it, the two ways I believe love begins. Obviously, from there love can go in any direction. It can be true and lasting, it can be lost in tragedy, it can fall apart, it can all be misunderstood...whatever the writer wants!
In my first book, Ignite, I focused on instant attraction that potentially began to become love and on a deep friendship (the love part is still nonexistent there). If you've read it, I'd love to know if you found my relationships convincing. I'll still be building on them in the books to come, changing the relationships, making them deeper or making them fall apart.
I'm thinking about another post on the idea of opposites attracting - what do you think on the subject? Have you read books that have done this convincingly?
Any other love questions you think I should consider? How do you think love starts and how do you think it grows? What is your favorite type of love story?
Showing posts with label how to write characters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to write characters. Show all posts
January 8, 2012
December 1, 2011
How To: The Ins and Outs of Creating A New Paranormal Species
(This was my guest post for the 'I Just Want To Sit Here And Read' blog. A huge thanks to Kate and Jessica for the feature!! Check it out here or keep reading.)
One of the reasons I love paranormal romance is the sheer creativity involved. Just having a vampire or a werewolf in your story is not enough anymore. Everything has been done already, so now it is all about creating something new - a new twist on an old character or a new species all together. In my new book, Ignite - Midnight Fire Series Book One, I do both. But, a lot goes into creating a new species. For anyone else trying to invent the new and next paranormal idea, here are the most important aspects of developing your own fantasy character.
1. Create a Unique Idea
First and foremost, you need to come up with something unique. If you create a whole new species, and it sounds just like a character another writer already created, you might sound like a copy-cat or a less legitimate writer. If you want to make a new version of an old character, like a new shape-shifter, write down everything you've read about shape-shifters in other books. Pick and choose which ideas you want to borrow, and then make sure add something completely new - and make that the highlight of your character. Writing is often times about stealing something else's idea and adapting it. Twilight stole vampires from Dracula and pop culture, but transformed the species into something entirely new.
To make an entirely new species, think of all of the books you've read and write down all of the characters they used. Then, set those paranormal creatures aside and think of what is missing. Once you have an initial idea, develop it further by asking yourself questions, such as what are their powers and what are their limitations, are they good or bad, and so on.
I got the idea for my character during a walk on the beach when I let my thoughts run away from me. Sometimes, taking a long walk and letting your thought wander without bounds is the best way to create.
2. Make It Believable
After you come up with an idea, you need to make it believable. The first step is a name. I prefer simple names, so they are easily remembered and people can talk about them without stumbling on pronunciation. However, ancient sounding, hard-to-say names are fantastic too, and it is an easy way to make a species seem older. In my novel, I went with a simple name. However, in the sequel, the reader will dive further into the history of my species and will learn more of the ancient traditions and names. This way, there is a modern name and an ancient one.
After you choose a name, you need to come up with a creation story. Every species came about in some way, and it needs to be stated to make your characters believable. Whether you decide on a concrete story or one that is more like a myth does not matter, the reader will just want something.
Try to think of other aspects of the species too, maybe by answering some of the following questions. Will other creatures like vampires or weres be involved in your novel - how does your species fit in or interact with them? Who are their enemies, who are their allies? How do they reproduce? How long do they live? What are the myths or stories that get passed down through generations?
I personally, as a reader, like having these sorts of questions answered. If they are answered, I am usually left more satisfied at the end of a novel. However, even if you as a writer don't intend to share so much information, you should still know the answers yourself. That way, when writing, you will rarely contradict yourself and your character will sound more complete.
3. Create a Structure
After forming a history for your species, think about their present day structure - most importantly, are they hidden from the human world or out in the open (like in True Blood). Do they run on a monarchy or a bureaucracy or is there no structure? Are they scattered around the globe or is there a central hub or multiple cities where these characters live and grow? Do they have laws to abide by? What are the punishments for breaking those laws?
4. Never Forget A Weakness
Lastly, you need to have a weakness. Even all-powerful creatures can die, and you need to create some sort of fatal flaw. No one wants to read a story where one creature can not be destroyed. And, thinking of this before writing will help you create a believable weakness, and not one just thrown on at the last second.
There is nothing I hate more than a lame weakness. Think about Independence Day versus Signs. In Independence Day, the heroes figure out how to use the alien technology to turn off the aliens' shields and bomb their butts. In this instance, the aliens' weakness was in thinking they were all powerful, and the ending was fantastic. However, I compare this to Signs, where the heroes discover that the aliens are burned by water....what?! I've always hated that, and thought it was a complete cop-out, because why would aliens invade a planet whose surface is almost totally water if they could be killed by it. Do you see what I mean? A good weakness can make or break a story. If you create a lot of tension to keep a story going, nothing will deflate it faster than a lame weakness.
I hope this has helped a bunch of you! I would love love it if you would check out my book Ignite, and I can't wait to hear what you all think of my new species. Good luck with your own paranormal endeavors!
One of the reasons I love paranormal romance is the sheer creativity involved. Just having a vampire or a werewolf in your story is not enough anymore. Everything has been done already, so now it is all about creating something new - a new twist on an old character or a new species all together. In my new book, Ignite - Midnight Fire Series Book One, I do both. But, a lot goes into creating a new species. For anyone else trying to invent the new and next paranormal idea, here are the most important aspects of developing your own fantasy character.
1. Create a Unique Idea
First and foremost, you need to come up with something unique. If you create a whole new species, and it sounds just like a character another writer already created, you might sound like a copy-cat or a less legitimate writer. If you want to make a new version of an old character, like a new shape-shifter, write down everything you've read about shape-shifters in other books. Pick and choose which ideas you want to borrow, and then make sure add something completely new - and make that the highlight of your character. Writing is often times about stealing something else's idea and adapting it. Twilight stole vampires from Dracula and pop culture, but transformed the species into something entirely new.
To make an entirely new species, think of all of the books you've read and write down all of the characters they used. Then, set those paranormal creatures aside and think of what is missing. Once you have an initial idea, develop it further by asking yourself questions, such as what are their powers and what are their limitations, are they good or bad, and so on.
I got the idea for my character during a walk on the beach when I let my thoughts run away from me. Sometimes, taking a long walk and letting your thought wander without bounds is the best way to create.
2. Make It Believable
After you come up with an idea, you need to make it believable. The first step is a name. I prefer simple names, so they are easily remembered and people can talk about them without stumbling on pronunciation. However, ancient sounding, hard-to-say names are fantastic too, and it is an easy way to make a species seem older. In my novel, I went with a simple name. However, in the sequel, the reader will dive further into the history of my species and will learn more of the ancient traditions and names. This way, there is a modern name and an ancient one.
After you choose a name, you need to come up with a creation story. Every species came about in some way, and it needs to be stated to make your characters believable. Whether you decide on a concrete story or one that is more like a myth does not matter, the reader will just want something.
Try to think of other aspects of the species too, maybe by answering some of the following questions. Will other creatures like vampires or weres be involved in your novel - how does your species fit in or interact with them? Who are their enemies, who are their allies? How do they reproduce? How long do they live? What are the myths or stories that get passed down through generations?
I personally, as a reader, like having these sorts of questions answered. If they are answered, I am usually left more satisfied at the end of a novel. However, even if you as a writer don't intend to share so much information, you should still know the answers yourself. That way, when writing, you will rarely contradict yourself and your character will sound more complete.
3. Create a Structure
After forming a history for your species, think about their present day structure - most importantly, are they hidden from the human world or out in the open (like in True Blood). Do they run on a monarchy or a bureaucracy or is there no structure? Are they scattered around the globe or is there a central hub or multiple cities where these characters live and grow? Do they have laws to abide by? What are the punishments for breaking those laws?
4. Never Forget A Weakness
Lastly, you need to have a weakness. Even all-powerful creatures can die, and you need to create some sort of fatal flaw. No one wants to read a story where one creature can not be destroyed. And, thinking of this before writing will help you create a believable weakness, and not one just thrown on at the last second.
There is nothing I hate more than a lame weakness. Think about Independence Day versus Signs. In Independence Day, the heroes figure out how to use the alien technology to turn off the aliens' shields and bomb their butts. In this instance, the aliens' weakness was in thinking they were all powerful, and the ending was fantastic. However, I compare this to Signs, where the heroes discover that the aliens are burned by water....what?! I've always hated that, and thought it was a complete cop-out, because why would aliens invade a planet whose surface is almost totally water if they could be killed by it. Do you see what I mean? A good weakness can make or break a story. If you create a lot of tension to keep a story going, nothing will deflate it faster than a lame weakness.
I hope this has helped a bunch of you! I would love love it if you would check out my book Ignite, and I can't wait to hear what you all think of my new species. Good luck with your own paranormal endeavors!
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