Thursday, July 7, 2011

Welcome Guest Blogger: Author Amelia James


Paranormal romance: make me feel it

I’m not a huge fan of paranormal, sci-fi, or fantasy books. I’m not very visually oriented and those genres require more imagery than my wordy brain can handle. I do, however, enjoy movies and TV. I’m a big fan of Ladyhawke, Willow, the Lord of the Rings, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, and the X-Files to name a few. There’s my geek cred for you.

But if you throw a little romance in your paranormal novel, you’ve got my attention. I have a sensory brain. If I experience an image, I like it. I want to feel the first exploring touch, taste each hungry kiss, smell the lovers’ dripping sweat, hear their gasps and moans, and see the ripped up sheets in my visually stunted brain. Make me feel his lips on my hot skin. Make my body beg for his touch. Damn, I wanna be in her place! I have your attention now, don’t I? That’s what I mean

I wrote a historical paranormal adventure romance (how’s that for genre blending) ten years ago, and I’m getting ready to publish it now. No vamps, no werewolves, just a variety of demonic creatures, an exotic woman with a magic touch and a badass hero with a lot of guns. I’ve learned a lot about writing in the last ten years, so I’m going through the story with my sensual imagination and adding those little touches that make the story an experience. I hope to have it available in mid-July on Kindle and Nook for 99 cents. (/end commercial)
When I write, I’m constantly asking myself: How does it feel? That question reminds me to focus on the senses, not just for love scenes, but for every scene. It’s a challenge. Dialogue and action come easy to me; description not so much. I’m learning new techniques every day, and that’s the key: never stop learning.
Show, don’t tell, everyone says. That’s true, but I also want to touch, taste, smell, and hear the action. Reading—and writing—is an experience, and if it’s powerful enough maybe you’ll get the attention of readers who aren’t typical fans of the paranormal genre.   You can find Amelia on the web via her author blog here:
 Author Blog: Trashy Treasures   
Twitter: @TrashyWriter
On Facebook: Author Page

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Amen!

I 100% agree with what you said, Amelia. If you can't draw the reader into the scene, then you're in trouble when it comes to romance and 'the big moment'. I recall the 1st draft of Darkness & Light, with my 300 word effort for the characters' 'big moment'. A critiquer of mine read it and went, 'What, is that it? I wanted more. Make it bigger. Make it better. Gimme MORE!'
So, I did. It's four times as long and a 1000 times better than the original attempt.
Love paranormal romance. I love paranormal, too, but I do sometimes find myself reaching the end of straight paranormal and wondering: but ... but ... where was the romance? Hehehehe.

Penumbra Publishing said...

Whether it's romance or any other genre, details skillfully blended with action and dialog up the believability for readers. Some readers like more details than others, and some writers don't know when to quit when it comes to describing the draperies and the various colors in the sunset, but a skillful writer will be able to put in just the right amount to please almost any reader. Pertinent to the story is the measure of whether a detail belongs or not. Great post, reminding authors that sensory clues are usually the best way to reach into the readers' hearts and make them feel the story.

Amelia James said...

Sometimes you need more, but sometimes less is more. Choosing the right words is key as well as finding balance.