Make A Living Writing Romance

Hubby and I went for a long ski in the mountains the other day. This is Mt Audubon in the Brainard Lake Area in Colorado. As we were hiking out we came across a fit man. I stopped to talk to him (he had interesting skis on) and he told us he was heading to a cabin in the park where he was meeting friends, most of whom worked for the National Park Service. One of his friends was turning 40 and they were skiing and snowboarding in the mountains there for they guy’s birthday.

Sounds like fun, right? Then I imagined what it would be like to be a woman out for a day of skiing who runs into trouble. She finds the cabin and stumbles into a room full of outdoorsy, and rugged, men.

So that’s where this story starter begins…

Your heroine is dodging a terrible snowstorm. She finds the cabin and decides to take shelter there until the storm passes. She finds herself amidst a man’s weekend. What happens next? Are they happy to see her? Disgruntled? Does she feel threatened? If you write erotic romance this is certainly fodder for a kinky scene or two.

I’ve recently finished reading another Ilona Andrews novel. The husband and wife writing duo has one of the most enjoyable writing styles I’ve ever come across. They’re particularly talented with their ability to describe a scene perfectly. Metaphors and vivid imagery help the reader envision the unique worlds the characters live in.

I have a more dialogue heavy style which doesn’t rely on too much description unless it’s part of the dialogue. However, I believe that everyone can benefit from practicing and improving their descriptive skills. Imagine your readers being able to become gracefully enveloped into your story and forget their reality for a short while. That’s what we all want, right?

So here’s a fun way to broaden your descriptive skills and step outside of the sensory box.

http://www.bluecatsandchartreusekittens.com/Blue_Cats_and_Chartreuse_Kittens_Rel.html

Are you familiar with the concept of Synesthesia?

It’s actually a condition where the senses mix up.

According to Synesthete.org  “Synesthesia is a perceptual condition of mixed sensations: a stimulus in one sensory modality (e.g., hearing) involuntarily elicits a sensation/experience in another modality (e.g. vision). Likewise, perception of a form (e.g., a letter) may induce an unusual perception in the same modality (e.g. a color).”

For example, a person may hear a color or taste a sound. Interesting, right?

So here’s the fun exercise:

Write down the colors of the rainbow on a piece of paper. ROYGBIV, right?

Then next to each color write down what the color would taste like? What would it smell like? How would it sound? Have fun with this exercise, let your imagination go with this.

Once you’ve covered the basic colors consider broadening your horizons. Get out one of those 64 boxes of crayons. Pull a crayon out of the box and imagine what the color would sound, feel, smell and taste like.

You can download the print here http://blendedsosplendid.blogspot.com/2011/03/she-believed-she-could-so-she-did.html

“The belief in a thing makes it happen.”
- Frank Lloyd Wright

Your heroine owns a candy shop. Every day she gets up early and makes delicious chocolate candies – (hungry yet?).

Every day the same man comes into her shop and buys a small gift box of chocolates. Who is he? Why does he buy a gift box of chocolates every day?

“Achievement seems to be connected
with action. Successful men and
women keep moving. They make
mistakes, but they don’t quit.”
- Conrad Hilton