Writing a Romance...

Writing a romance is very easy. But writing a good romance is a little more difficult. Writing an amazing, best-selling romance is very difficult. But hey, some people can write like they breathe, as I've said before. But what I am saying applies to the majority of people. Anyway, where do I start?

Romances have a system. Naturally, the human race thinks romantically. It's mostly women, but believe it or not, some men have a little romance in them... I'm not trying to emasculate you, guys, don't worry. But despite the presence of these lovey-dovey cogs in our minds, we get very bored of romance easily. Ever read a romance book, which you've put down disappointedly, after just reading a few pages? Maybe, like me, you'll think, Nah, it'll start up soon, surely, it has to. So you get through a quarter of it, and still it's just...boring! I am adamant that you and I - with the inclusion of all writers - never want our books to dishearten a reader so much. So, good on you for visiting this blog, because I am going to tell you how to avoid that devastating result. 

Back to that system, now. The terminology I am going to use in a second is not made-up by me. I have acquired the words from research. Anyway, in a romance, you have a heroine (the female character) and the hero (the male character). On the contrary, you could be writing a homosexual romance, but in most gay relationships, one of the men/women take the male role and one takes the female role. Both characters have different characteristics - which are created and designed by you. Whether your hero is masculine, hot, ugly, feminine, horrible, kind or whatever, it is up to you. But the more different your heroine and hero are, the better your story will be. 

Most romances have the women: a wishy-washy, weak, emotional, vulnerable, beautiful little lady. Some steer away from that and make them masculine, strong-headed or sharp-tongued. With men: it's hot, sexy, dark, tall or thoughtful, kind, mysterious etc. But it doesn't all rely on the characters in your romance. There needs to be some corruption, a clash between the characters, a drama! This is what most authors like to call a conflict. 

Conflicts are anything from: the heroine not liking the heroes interests, such as aquariums, or the hero finding out that the heroine is taking heroine and strongly disagrees with it. (Haha, my imaginative thinking). It is a rift in their relationship, something that pulls them apart and hence makes the story exciting. If everything was la-de-da and butterflies and roses, readers would get bored. They want tragedy, death, loss, adventure! It's up to you to come up with those conflicts. They should be original too, not too ordinary. 

From my writing of romances, I have come across some tips for how to make a successful one. 

1. Don't jump straight into the romance part, unless you know it's going to benefit the story. Let your readers get to know your characters, so that they understand them better and know the reasons for their actions or thoughts. For instance 'why Sally kissed Lee right after he had flirted with a random girl.' If you knew that Sally liked competition and found the relationship more hot when she has to fight for Lee, you would understand. When the reader doesn't understand, they feel unsettled and get bored easily. Result: unsatisfied reader.
2. Draw out the tension. This links into my last point, kind of. Use that conflict to stop them from falling in love, to stop them for kissing or entering a relationship. That will piss the reader off, when someone walks into the room just as they're about to kiss, but that's good. It keeps them coming, as the saying goes. Warning, though: don't 'over-draw' it out. That will eventually make the reader bored and they will give up waiting for that romantic moment. 
3. Moreover, don't base your story on sex. I, myself, have never done this, but I have read books that have and trust me, it's boring and very unimaginative. You're just expecting the hero and heroine to make love in every chapter. And when they do, you sigh and flip through the rest of the book, scanning for dirty words that show you if the rest of the book is just sex, sex, sex.

Well, people that's all I have today on the writing of romances. Thank you for reading this and putting up with my crazy persona. More to come, still!

More Inspirational Songs!

Hi! :) I just thought I'd add some more inspirational songs to this blog. I'll leave little comments on them to get you started. But with inspiration, it's personal and somewhat different for every person - depending on the connotations that the music has for you. Give them a listen! 

Celine Dion - Ave Maria

I, myself, am not entirely sure of the meaning of this song. I think it might be about a maiden - a girl - praying that she will be heard by the Virgin Mary or maybe just another maiden. But I think that the sound of this song is inspiring enough. 

Annie Lenox - Into The West

As you can probably tell, this song is about death and not being afraid of it. A very touching song. But what does it mean to you? Could you shape another meaning from it - an idea? 

Enya - May It Be

This song is mainly about hope and going on a journey that will change who you are. The phrase "may it be" supports the notion that the person they are singing to is uncertain and lost. Inspiring, no?

James Horner - Braveheart theme tune

Well, let's steer away from those Lord of the Rings songs! This song is, as you might have guessed, from the title, from the film Braveheart. It's mournful, sentimental and quite romantic. 

Titanic

Need I tell you? James Horner is an incredible man :) I put the whole soundtrack on so there is a variety.

Interview with the Vampire - Libera Me

Quite scary and disturbing but if you're working with mystery, thriller or horror this may be very useful. Also, may I recommend that you watch this film. It is brilliant! :)

Interview with the Vampire - Born To Darkness

Another track from Interview with the Vampire! Very dark. 

Well, that's all I have at the moment. I hope they have been inspirational! Gemma out. 

Some pretty posters I made to get you in the Christmas mood!

I'm back! ...with another piece of advice.

Greetings! 

I am back from my long break from blogging. Sorry about the unexplained absence. I have been starting my A Levels and boy, are they stressful and encumbering! I haven't had any time to write, really. Anyhow, I do not think I will be able to blog on this as fluently as I once did, so expect some more lengthy silences. 

Well, I think I owe you another piece of advice, since I am back :) 

Use metaphors and similes as well as other techniques you can think of to spice up your writing! Using these will make the reader more interested and it will also make your work more inspiring. For instance, if you only said:

"I hate my homeland. It's so boring. I get lost in the streets all the time because they're always changing and being rebuilt,"

the tone may become monotonous thus your reader will quickly lose interest and engagement. However, if you tart that narrative up a bit:

"I hate my homeland. It is a lost, foggy continent on a dark, mysterious sea"

it sounds more inspiring and appealing. Instead of simply stating that their homeland is "boring" and "always changing" hence making the person "lost," they compare it to a "lost, foggy continent" on a "dark, mysterious sea." The idea that it is lost reflects how the narrator is feeling and the adjective "mysterious" suggests that the homeland is hiding its own identity and is not what it seems. This extends the idea of the person feeling lost. If you're interested, the technique used in the previous quote is: a metaphor. 

A metaphor is commonly known as: stating that something is something that it is not. But I like to aim for more technical terms. A metaphor is where you compare two things, when literally they are not the same, and effectively suggest that they possess the same qualities. For instance, "My dad is a bear." Let's assume that we understand that the "dad" is not a "bear." Therefore, this statement is untrue, but a message is sent. Comparing the dad to a bear implies that they both have similar characteristics. Because the dad is being compared to the bear, the bear dominates this common ground between them both. Bears are widely known for being violent, vicious and aggressive, therefore we assume that the dad has these qualities. This idea of the bear dominating the common ground is linked into what a metaphor consists of. We're about to go into even deeper detail, so try to get your head around it! 

In a metaphor, you have the canon, figure and ground. 

Canon: the subject being compared to the object. (Dad)

Figure: the object that the canon is being compared to. (Bear)

Ground: this is the common ground between the canon and the figure; the dad and the bear. 

So now you understand metaphors, I think you'll have no trouble at all with using them in your writing. Remember, metaphors are not similes, though. A simile is still comparing something to something else, but it is not saying that they are the same, in a literal way. Similes usually use the word "like" to link the two objects together. For example, "My dad is like a bear." This still creates the same pictures in our minds as the metaphor does, but I like to say that metaphors are more powerful because they defy reality and truth, therefore their meanings are more conspicuous. 

QUALITY not Quantity

This is a problem many writers make. They think, "when my book is made finally, I want it to be a novel not a novella." So they start adding useless, pointless information to the book, babbling on, just to make it longer. But really, whether it is a novella or a novel DOES NOT matter!

Your book could be shorter than the length of your thumbnail and it could definitely be better than a book as wide as the length of your finger! It's what is inside that counts. Just like a person. It doesn't matter that they look spectacular, with fine hair, crystal blue eyes, or that they appear in control and perfectly successful and happy with everything they do. Their personality is the core of them. What's inside defines who they are. So, having said that, your book could be the best looking book ever seen, but if it's written terribly, with little stability in the plot and characters, it will never be the best. 

Good written books, that go far, take time and patience to make. Just thought I would add this to the list of advice! :) I really hope it has helped.

Gemma Out. 

Puking Out Too Many Ideas

This is a mistake I have made recently and it's a mistake a lot of beginners make too.

When you are planning to create your first novel, you get ambushed and hypnotized by all the ideas you have - a whole creative, intelligent mindful of ideas! But all your ideas that you have fantasized about can not fit in one book. So it's best to just focus on one main idea for the book you are writing. Focusing on several ideas and writing different books or stories at the same time will just befuddle and confuse you into failing. Although I am not saying it can't be done. (There are some lucky geniuses out there who can write like they breathe). 

So it is always best to focus on one idea. Do you research, plan, plan, plan, and then write, write, write and guess what? Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. (I did not enjoy typing those three words three times but I did it to emphasize my point - for you!) And lastly, it's always best to craft afterwards so your book will become even better! It may be a tedious job but in the end, it's you who will have people criticizing your book for having simple errors you could have corrected easily. 

This is a simple tip, really. There's nothing more I can advise you on really, for this topic. 

Thank you for reading! :) 

Gemma Out.

Inspirational Songs

So I told you that music inspires you when you're writing. Maybe I should set you on your feet by showing you some deep, thoughtful songs that use metaphors along side poetry and so on.

Have a listen to...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those are all the songs I can think of at the moment. If I think of any others, I'll be sure to add them :)

Sorry that some of the videos don't have the lyrics - it's hard to find videos that are good quality and not sped up or slowed down. Well, listen to the lyrics and let yourself be inspired. These songs sure did inspire me to write the story I am writing now. Even if romance isn't what you want to write. These lyrics could link to anything...

Thanks for reading my blog! Hope this post and all the others are helpful and beneficial to you x


Gemma Out.

Story Gaps

Hello. I told you I would tell you what gaps in your stories are. Sorry for the wait.

Right, gaps in your story are parts of your story - little pieces of information - that you don't conclude in the planning of your story. So when you write your story, "chickens come to roost" and you find it difficult to make some of the other parts work. For example, where your main character was born or where they move to halfway to the story.

Gaps are terrible things to have in your story. If they don't cause trouble and difficulty at first, they will soon. Just like secrets. The longer you hide them, the heavier the blow is when they're found out. So additionally, I advise you to not leave gaps in your story. Fill them up while you're planning the story.

Thanks again for reading my blog. I hope this post has benefitted you - or will in the future! x

Gemma Out

Music will inspire you!

Hello again! I have come up with a new way to find inspiration to write well. 

I was listening to Ed Sheeran's X Album and I really focused on the lyrics and their meaning. Through many of the songs, I found inspiration to add ideas to my new story, A Compatible Tune. When I picked up on this method, I tried it with my favourite songs. It worked with all of them. I became even more inspired through Sam Smith's and Gabrielle Aplin's songs.

Listening to songs is very helpful, just thought I would tell you. Songs are filled with meaning and thought just waiting to be found by writers such as yourselves. It works so well I just thought I'd share it with you all! :)

Thank you for reading my blog once again x

Gemma Out

Lacking confidence?

Confidence is something every author needs to carry on with their piece of writing. Here's an example: the making of a story or book is like a body. Each organ within it is vital, just like every organ we have is vital. Say, confidence is our liver in story/book making, without that, the story can't survive. Just like we cannot survive without our liver. Now just think that all vital parts to story making are a vital organ. Each one is needed or if it's not present, there will be long-term and future consequences. It's a strange example but it works!

So how do you know if you're lacking confidence in your writing?
Ways to recognise that you are lacking confidence in your writing are:

You feel like whatever you write or whatever plot you produce for your story or book, it is not satisfying.
You feel like the book you are currently reading puts your story to shame. (This can be called 'competing with another author').
You feel like your story/book doesn't grip you, therefore you come to believe that it would never grip anyone else.
You feel like your story/book is boring.
You hate your story/book.
You think your story/book will never become a best-seller.

If you have experienced any of these doubts, thoughts and/or feelings, here are the solutions:

1. If your piece of writing does not appeal to you then you are doing something wrong. To explain further, for instance: you might be pushing yourself too far, setting your goals too high (but who is to say that you cannot achieve what you desire to achieve?), 'competing' with another author's piece of writing, rushing your story/book etc. If you recognise these problems as one of your own, then read on.

2.  If you're rushing your story/book/writing, slow down. It is not a race. There are no deadlines. This is your book or story - you name it! If setting deadlines helps you work more fluently, then by all means, set deadlines. But if this is making you rush your writing, resulting in your writing becoming distasteful and unsatisfying to you, hence you losing confidence, then I recommend that you stop using deadlines.
  If you are setting your goals too high, like pushing yourself to write five chapters a day or more, this can cause your writing to become dry or less inspirational and readable as it could be. But if your writing has become any of those above, there is no one to say that you cannot proof-read it and improve it in your spare time. 

3.  Also, setting your goals too high could involve having high expectations. For instance, you might be trying to make your writing amazing, inspirational, gripping and monumental all at once. This is a bad idea. I like to say, "Great books do not come from nothing. They come from courage and hard work." Lower your expectations a little. Focus on one thing at a time. So instead of focusing on making your story amazing, inspirational, gripping and monumental at the same time; try making it only one those things. Then after that part is done and dusted, sweep onto the next one. It works! :)

4.  Furthermore, focusing on another author's work of writing is a bad idea. As I said before, this is 'competing with another author'. So for example, don't try to create a book as good as Stephanie Meyer's Twilight book. It's all right to have an author as a role model who inspires your work and ideas, but constantly comparing your writing to theirs and focusing only on producing better writing than theirs is not going to help. A lot of people fall in this trap. Some of those people are afraid to admit it. I'm not! I have fell into this trap before. It's one of the reasons that I developed a deep depression. (Writing is what makes me whole. Without it, I would not be who I am today. And I'm not afraid to say that I was born to create! Isn't everyone?) Well anyway, enough about me. What I'm trying to tell you, is that it's okay to make mistakes in writing. It's forgivable and not embarrassing at all! I can guarantee that most of the world's most famous authors have developed Writer's Block, committed 'competing' and have made many other mistakes in their writing. Making mistakes when writing is what makes us successful because we learn what our mistakes are and how we can overcome them and see them as something that strengthens us and our writing: a pathway to success. Making mistakes is what makes us human.

5.  Something that I recommend you think about is: what you write reflects who you are. If you write about death and murder, you are most likely depressed and/or a very cynical person. If you write about romance and happiness, this could mean that you long for love and compassion with other people or that you are a very cheery person. It all adds up to who you are. That is why you should let your writing flow from your core. You should not echo another author's core and who they are. In my opinion, writing is a personal hobby or career for every person. It is your creation.
 
That is all for now. If I think of anymore solutions, I will add them to this list! :) I really, really, sincerely hope that these listed solutions work for you. They worked for me. I want to help those who are suffering what I have suffered. 

Gemma Out.

Who are you listening to?

Well, I think that it would probably be best if you knew a little more about me. It's easier to understand someone and their sentiments when you know more about them.

Well, this may come as a little bit of a shock: I am fifteen years old. I have not completed my GCSEs yet but I will do next summer. Scary stuff, huh? Well anyway, I don't want to drone on about myself so I'll just keep it short.

Ever since the first long book I read, Shiver (by Maggie Stiefvater), I have been a writer and a reader. I drifted away from expressing my creativity through drawings and pretty colours. I went to something more sophisticated: writing. Constantly, I was getting told how good I was at English by my English teacher. I wish he hadn't ever done that because he made me vain and egocentric when it came to writing. I was very, very confident. I was over confident. I know my English teacher was only being a teacher - being a man who is proud of his student's success and hard work - but when I got out into the real world of education, it hit me: I never was really that good at English. I may have been the "best female writer" at my secondary school, but when I moved to my high school, I was only good. I can write. I can grip people with my writing. I can evaluate poems and pieces of writing. But I was only "good". I wasn't excellent or outstanding. How arrogant I was! I didn't even see it.

So when I realized the true extent of my "excellency at writing", I went through major depression. I developed Writer's Block over a few months. I couldn't even write a paragraph. Whenever I came up with a good idea for my story, I savoured it, I laughed with tears, clinging onto that feeling that I have created something! with my fingernails. 

After months of feeling worthless and depressed, I realized that I had GCSEs to think about, future careers, goals, a new beginning of life ahead of me. I knew I shouldn't be moping around, wishing for something that I would never get if I carried on acting the way I was. So I let go of writing. I knew I would return to it. One day. But I had to let go in order to seize my goals in school. It took a great deal of hard work weaning myself off writing. But I did it! Soon, I turned to reading. I read a lot of books. One book: "The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire." It inspired me so much that I could actually consider writing. I longed for it. So I did. I began writing and writing and writing. Before I knew it, my story had developed so much! I was so happy! And my Writer's Block is gone. Sometimes I feel like nah, can't be bothered anymore with it. But then I think about how long it's taken me to get to where I am. I could actually finish the book!

So - sorry for the babbling! - you can probably guess what my passion is: writing books. But my goal in life so far is to: actually finish a book! ...and pass all my GCSEs of course :)! 

I don't know what else you might find in me...I think I've all that's relevant in the paragraphs above. I know I shouldn't say this but I am overall a boring person. I'm the sort of person you'd meet and think, 'I can't imagine her having a life.' I've thought that about other people before too! So I'm not angry, I'm just accepting. I'd like to interest people - to not come across as "boring" and "dull" one day. I would like to become known through the writing I create. Just as I'm sure you want to become :) Otherwise you wouldn't have visited this website.

Yeah, basically I am your average teenager - used to think I was amazing - and fell back down to earth with a nasty thud, went through depression - don't we all! - and picked myself back up. 

And this is my blog! :) Hope you absorb from it what you need. 

Gemma Out.