We are thrilled to have Josh Lanyon with us at RU! When you think of sexy, well-written, and riveting M/M romance and gay fiction – 
Josh is the first one who comes to mind. His witty, evocative prose and tightly woven mystery plots have created fans of anyone who picks up his novels. (I picked up the first Adrien English book and lost a weekend reading all five in the series). Josh joins us today to discuss key questions to ask when creating believable male characters in your M/M fiction.
The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit
Probably the number one question I’m asked by women hoping to write m/m or gay romance is how to make their main characters believably masculine. Usually the primary concern revolves around the sex scenes, but the sex scenes — the insert tab A into slot C are actually the easy bit and any biology book should be able to tell you what you need to know if you’ve never actually enjoyed sexual relations with a man (or you kept your eyes and ears shut the whole time).
No, while I do totally understand why so many writers prefer to pay closest attention to the most obscure details of sexual relations in the interests of “getting it right,” it’s actually more when it comes to male psychology that most of these books fall flat. Alas, I can’t give you a magical tip for capturing The Male Psychology anymore than one size fits all when it comes to female psychology.
What I can do, though, is offer you five super easy tips for adding believing dimension to your male characters by answering the following questions.
1 – What is your main character’s political affiliation?
I’m not saying turn your character into a vehicle for pushing your own ideological agenda, but it’s fascinating to me how few characters in m/m fiction have any political thought beyond that of gay rights. Most of us identify with a political party and a set of political beliefs. Would it surprise you to know that there are gay Republicans out there? Gay does not automatically equal Liberal. There are gay socialists. Gay independents. Gay people who have never voted and don’t think beyond the next party. And I don’t mean political party.
Your character’s political beliefs probably won’t come up in the course of the story, but thinking them out ahead of time will give you fresh insight into exactly who this man is.
2 – What’s on your main character’s bookshelf?
This is another one that intrigues me — how few characters in m/m romances have ordinary reading habits. They either don’t read at all or they’re fabulously well read and spouting Shakespeare at the drop of a hat. None of them seem to own Kindles or Nooks. Few of them take anything other than a generic newspaper. And yet there’s no better way to get insight into someone than taking a peek at their bookshelf. Likewise, if your character is someone who doesn’t read beyond thumbing through Car and Driver occasionally or looking up a recipe, that tells the reader something too.
Ask yourself: is your main character the kind of guy who kept his treasured childhood favorites? Or was the last thing he read a high school textbook? Does he glance over the National Enquirer headlines while standing in the grocery checkout? Does he subscribe to Mother Jones or the National Review? Does he read Lee Child on long plane flights or Agatha Christie? Does he strictly read non-fiction? Any or all of these mentioned in passing will tell your reader something interesting about the character and make him more real. The character, I mean. Hopefully the reader is real.
3 – Does your character believe in God?
Most of us have some opinion on whether God exists. Again, it doesn’t have to play a role in your story, but answering this question about your character will give you a different perspective on who he is. Almost always it’s going to reveal aspects of his personality that you hadn’t yet considered.
4 – What music does your character listen to?
There’s a standing joke in the mystery genre that all hardboiled PIs listen to jazz. Usually classic jazz, at that. In m/m fiction, an inordinate number of characters listen to classical music or classic rock and roll. Nobody wants their character to confess to a love of musicals or Liza Minnelli or Snow Patrol or Emmy Lou Harris or girl bands or boy bands (unless the characters are in a boy band). But the fact is, almost all of us listen to music.
Think about how interesting you find someone’s taste in music when you’re first falling in love with them. We expect to gain insight into the person through their taste in music — and we’re not far off. Well, think about it. You want your readers to fall in love with your main characters, so it’s only natural that those readers would find your characters’ taste in music of interest.
5 – What does your character wear?
Clothes maketh the man and I’m not talking about boxers or briefs. M/M fiction is clothed mostly in jeans, tee shirts, kilts, and Italian suits. And, yes, it’s about that generic. There’s nothing wrong with any of these choices, it’s just that digging a little deeper will tell us more about the character. What slogan or graphic is on the T-shirt? Or does your guy have an aversion to free advertising? What colors does he like? There’s a difference between a guy who chooses designer jeans and a guy who prefers button fly Levi’s. Is your character self-conscious about his weight? Does he wear pajamas to bed? Does he pay to have his suits tailored? Would he rather be garroted than wear a tie? Does he use shoe trees? Does he travel with garment bags?
There’s a very good chance that having painstakingly answered these questions, you won’t use a single piece of this information in your m/m romance. But having this insight into your characters will make them both easier to write and more grounded and real to your readers.
***
Do you struggle with trying to create believable masculine characters? Have you considered writing M/M fiction but are afraid to take the plunge? Josh will be here today to answer your questions.
Stop by Friday when Wayne Jordan, Kimani Press author, talks about being a man who writes romance fiction.
***
Three lucky commentors will win a downloadable copy of Josh’s October 2011 release, MUMMY DEAREST
Drew Lawson is on the clock. He’s got twenty-four hours to authenticate the mummy of Princess Merneith and get back in time for his boyfriend’s garden party. What the wound-too-tight professor didn’t calculate in was a centuries-old curse, a reality TV show crew, and handsome, brash Fraser Fortune.
Drew just might not ever make it home in time for that garden party. What’s worse, he just might not care.
Josh also has DEAD RUN coming out on September 13.
Dead Run
Book #4 in the Dangerous Ground series
Contemporary, Action-Adventure, Law Enforcement
The boys are back in town — and Paris is burning!
For Speical Agents of the Department of Diplomatic Security, Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt, the strain of a long distance relationship is beginning to tell after eleven months of separation. A romantic holiday could be just the thing to bridge the ever-growing distance, but when Taylor spots a terrorist from the 70′s, long believed dead but very much alive, it’s c’est la vie.
Now instead of sipping wine and seeing the sights, the boys are chasing a wily and deadly foe through the graveyards and catacombs of Paris.
Of course, it could always be worse — and soon it is.
Similar Posts:
- Weekly Lecture Schedule for August 29 – September 2, 2011
- AMM: A Male Author Writing Under A Female Pseudonym
- A week full of winners!
- Sloan Parker – Write What You Know: A Woman Writing M/M Romance
- Anatomy of the Male Mind: Women Writing in the Male POV
Hi Josh,
Welcome to RU! I love your 5 steps to understanding male psychology. These are going into my character profile sheet.
I just started a new historical romance and my hero is giving me a bit of a hard time. In the first book, he was the character everyone reported to (secret service agents). He’s aloof and a loner. Now, in my current story, I have to make him talk more
and soften him up so readers won’t dislike him. He’s an I’ll-do-what-I’ve-got-to-do kinda guy, which doesn’t always make him heroic.
Thanks for joining us!
Tracey
Posted by Tracey Devlyn | August 31, 2011, 4:51 amThanks for having me today, Tracy. You know, I have to tell you that the male character you’re describing is actually one of my favorites to write and read about!
There’s nothing more romantic than watching that icy facade melt slowly away when confronted by their perfect match.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:17 amHi Josh! Welcome to RU! Great post!
How much pre-work do you do on your characters? Do you know everything there is to know about them before you start writing or do you discover them over time?
How do you keep your series characters fresh? Adrien and Jake. Will and Taylor. Kit and J.X. I enjoy reading about them so much and they never feel stale. Any tips?
Robin
Posted by Robin Covington | August 31, 2011, 5:08 amThank you so very much for the invite, Robin. It’s great to be here.
To be honest, I used to do more prework on my characters, but I didn’t used to write so much either. Now I usually know quite quickly who these guys are going to be…some of that refines itself as I write the story. Especially if I decide there’s not enough natural conflict in their characters.
Once in a while a character is tricky and some of their development issues have to be resolved in the course of the story.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:21 amVery interesting stuff. I don’t write, and I never thought about authors getting to know their characters that way. But it makes sense. Just as I want to know tiny details about my friends in real life, I want to know about my fictional friends too. Thank you, Josh.
Posted by Marilyn | August 31, 2011, 6:42 amHi there, Marilyn! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:25 amThanks for sharing your insight Josh. I’m not a writer but I always ponder how writers invent their characters. I never would have thought they have so much background info that we, the reader, never even know about. It gives me a whole new way of looking at a story. Thanks for adding to my experience of reading your books.
Posted by Diana Quilty | August 31, 2011, 7:14 amThank you, Diana! I’m always pleased when these articles have general entertainment value.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:26 amMorning Josh!
Great post! Some angles I never thought about when “designing” my man….=) I usually do the “who’s his favorite sports team” and “what does he wear”. Thanks for giving me new ways to dig in deeper!
=)
carrie
Posted by Carrie Spencer | August 31, 2011, 7:25 amThanks for reading along, Carrie. I’m glad you found this of use.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:27 amHi Josh,
This list is great for all characters. Amazingly, I hadn’t given much thought to political affiliation– but that’s brilliant, because it’s such a huge part of who people are. Another thing I always dig into is the character’s relationship with their parents. I write mostly Indian characters(Bollywood romance) so it’s all about the family.
Great post, thanks!
Sonali
Posted by Sonali Mayadev Thatte | August 31, 2011, 7:48 amHello there, Sonali. Yes, it’s surprising to me how utterly apolitical most characters in books are. At least in m/m they generally care about issues vital to the gay community, but that makes the absence of other political opinions all the weirder, frankly.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:28 amJosh –
We’re so stoked to have you here at RU!
I have often wondered how so many women write M/M romance. Getting one guy right in a story is hard enough. But two? Challenge extraordinaire!
I want to expand on Robin’s question. Can you give us a small taste of your character development process? Do they come to you fully sprung? Or do you muck around for a while getting to know them? If it takes you a while, can you share how (journaling, etc.) you go through that exploratory process?
Thanks so much!
Kelsey
PS – can’t wait to get my hands on one of your books. Oh, to have more time to read!
Posted by Kelsey Browning | August 31, 2011, 8:15 amHi there, Kelsey. It’s an honor to be here.
To be honest, even back when I first started writing, I didn’t have to give a lot of thought ahead of time to the characters. Once in a while I’d realize that a character was a bit too cipher-like and I’d glance through an astrology book or a Men’s Health magazine and consider who my character was beyond his appearance.
But journaling and index cards and white board…I think those are luxuries for people who don’t write a lot of books in a year nad can really savor the creative process.
One thing I do really recommend (and wish I remembered to do it more often) is jot down a list of your MC’s vitals. Age, height, weight, where he went to college, etc. That’s really useful stuff if you’re the kind of writer who jumps from project to project or puts a project down for months at a time or if you’re writing a series.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:34 amKelsey – My favorite is the Adrien English series. Just amazing. And I really read all 5 in 48 hours – just awesome.
Posted by Robin Covington | August 31, 2011, 12:27 pmThanks, Robin. ;-D
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 12:34 pmHi Josh,
I focus on clothes. In my current manuscript, the guy has no fashion sense and my heroine owns a boutique. Music is my muse and I try to pull it into my work too.
Mary Jo
Posted by Mary Jo Burke | August 31, 2011, 8:39 amThat’s great, Mary Jo. The not having fashion sense tells us a lot about him right there — and the fact that his romantic oppo owns a boutique is just built-in fun.
I think music tells us so much about characters.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 9:36 amI enjoyed your article, Josh. I am not a writer, but I like understanding the process. It reminds me of what an actor friend of mine goes through to get in character by imagining all the background that isn’t written in the script.
Posted by JSidelinger | August 31, 2011, 9:41 amJ, it is kind of like that — like an actor thinking through who his character is. Some of that unfolds though the story itself, and some of the character traits that develop will even surprise the author.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 10:17 amJosh – I love your suggestions, especially “what is on his bookshelf?” In real life, the first thing I do when I visit someone is check out their bookshelves. If they don’t have any (shock! horror!), I get a little panicky.
Your books sound great – I just added FAIR GAME to my reading queue! (I’m not sure if your books should be read in order, but this one looked good!)
Posted by Becke Davis (Becke Martin) | August 31, 2011, 10:08 amThanks so much, Becke. I always check out the bookshelves when I visit someone’s home for the first time. I find it fascinating insight.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 10:29 amBecke – FAIR GAME is fantastic. And if I’m really good I’m hoping that Josh will write a sequel . . .
Posted by Robin Covington | August 31, 2011, 12:17 pmI do plan to write a sequel, yes. Thanks, Robin.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 12:33 pmHi, Josh!
Thank you for sharing your view on the matter.
It is true that some of the ”ingredients” in your list are often missing from m/m books. And I like when an author mentions them.
In my opinion books and music are very important to define a person. When I visit someone I do the same Becke said – check out their bookshelves – but also the CD collection. I still remember how shocking was for me to find out that one of my best friends didn’t have any CDs in her house. We are still friends though
Ciao
Antonella
Posted by Antonella | August 31, 2011, 10:26 amI get so many suggestions of things to listen to from friends. Some of my best memories are having dinner at a friend’s house and listening to music I would never have thought of in a million years — music is very revealing.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 10:32 amI’m a reader. And after reading your post this morning, I realized that is exactly why you excel in creating the most remarkable characters and stories. Seems to me that because you know your characters, this allows you to guide and then follow them as you write. I think that’s why no plot, dialogue or sex scene you write reads the same. Each element reveals and drives your stories forward in the most satisfying ways. It’s in the details.
Of course, you’re the writer. I’m supposing. Thank you.
Posted by Carlita | August 31, 2011, 11:11 amThank you so much, Carlita!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 11:40 amHello, Josh.
Interesting post.
Never thought about politics for a character.
The musical business also interesting– seems most authors avoid it for fear of stereotype.
One thing I consider is the character’s house/living situation. Old or new? Modern furnishings or comfortable clutter? (especially on the bookshelves).
QUESTION: When you started out, did you write M/M or something else?
Do love your books.
Thanks– Kelly
Posted by Kelly | August 31, 2011, 11:25 amYes, the house usually gets plenty of attention — at least from writers who bother with setting at all.
Basically, the choices we make reflect our taste and our preferences, and those things are just as telling for the characters we craft!
Thanks, Kelly.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 11:42 amThis article reminded me of a scene in This Year’s Prom King:
———-
I hopped in myself and started the car, cringing and diving for the volume knob as the stereo spun up in the deafening middle of ‘Take on Me’. In the relative silence that followed, Tristan gazed at me in personally offended horror. “I didn’t know anyone listened to that non-ironically.”
“Are you kidding? It’s classic.” I pulled out of the parking lot, drumming on the steering wheel as I waited for the light to change. “So, uh, what kind of music do you like?”
Tristan leaned his head against the window, looking out at the rain. “Nothing you’ve heard.”
When Coach Don made me the captain of the football team, he told me it wasn’t my strength or my skill that had earned me the position, but my unbridled optimism in the face of overwhelming odds. “I’ve heard some stuff,” I offered cheerfully.
He poked something on the floorboard with his shoe, and I knew without looking that it was the case for my Top Hits of 1985 mix. “Neutral Milk Hotel?”
For a second, I thought he might be speaking in tongues.
———-
Posted by Charming | August 31, 2011, 11:34 amYes, quite a lot of character development through little, telling touches in that scene.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 11:45 amLiked this!
Kelly
Posted by Kelly | August 31, 2011, 11:55 amHi Josh! Welcome to RU. I’m so excited to have a fellow Carina author here. This is a great checklist that I’ll be adding to my binder.
Do you find that you have a tendency to write a particular character type? Say an alpha versus a beta? If so, do you think you are better at writing that type of character?
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | August 31, 2011, 11:53 amHey there, Adrienne. Apparently (according to what I read about my work) I seem to write a lot of Alpha/Beta pairings. And even when I write Alpha/Alpha, the second Alpha is often perceived as a Beta. Sometimes the POV switches off, but I do a lot of first person and that character is often perceived as a “Beta.”
I guess from my perspective, the Alpha/Beta is a bit too limiting to describe my character types, and yet I think readers would agree that I have definite character types, with variations within those types.
Well, I guess that’s kind of the thing about creating real life characters. Like, I’ve never heard anyone in real life describe themselves as a B-personality. Everyone frets about being an A-personality — worries about what it’s doing to their health.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 12:32 pmJosh – A little off topic but . . . how often do you plan for one of your books to be a sequel? If you do plan for it, do you figure out in which book you will parse out the different sides of who they are? Am I thinking too much about this when it jsut happens?
: )
Posted by Robin Covington | August 31, 2011, 12:51 pmI almsot always plan a series in advance. There have been a couple of exceptions. Mummy Dearest (The XOXO-Files) was going to be a standalone, but the publisher loved it so much — and it was a natural for monster of the week storylines — that I rethought it a bit and turned it into a series.
I think it’s best to know in advance if you’re going to do a series or not because you don’t want to answer all the quesitons and conflicts in the first book if you’re going for a series. That’s a mistake a frequently see. A book is popular and so the writer rethinks it being a standalone, but the second book just doesn’t have the oomph because all the big questions were already resolved.
I don’t think you can overthink these things, Robin!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 12:59 pmAn interesting interview, I hadn’t considered before how true it is, like others I look at the movies, books and music people have on display. And whether they are tidy or not.
I shall be looking at characters in more detail now. I wonder how many will live up to Josh’s?
Posted by jan | August 31, 2011, 12:56 pmOh, I fall in love with other writer’s characters all the time, Jan! There are some great storytellers out here.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:00 pmHi Josh!
Thanks for coming by today and sharing with us! Those 5 tips are getting saved for my character profiles. I’m going to try my hand at writing M/M fiction sometime soon here! I was wondering, does anyone give you a hard time about writing romance?
Posted by Ashley Applebee | August 31, 2011, 1:03 pmAll the time, Ashlee. Just like comedy, romance writers get no respect. ;-D
And yet the funny thing about that is the great classics of all time are romance stories!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:09 pmReally great advice, Josh!
You’re dead on about the importance of authors really knowing their characters as people.
And though much of this information may not seem to play a pivotal role in the plot, it does inform the voice and action of the characters, often creating a subtle uniqueness that reads so much more like a human being than a mere check list of masculine traits.
Posted by Ginn Hale | August 31, 2011, 1:04 pmSo true, Ginn! Granted, I find character driven fiction the most interesting.
Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:11 pmHi Josh, I have been reading through all the questions and responses. I am a reader only and this gives me a better idea of the evolution of your characters.
I love reading your work and many times I am brought to tears by it. Is there a reason you write more shorts than full length novels? Do you prefer one over the other? I find in your Shorts I am wanting more by the time I am finished.
Posted by David | August 31, 2011, 1:09 pmI try and mix it up, David, but I do love short form for exploring relatively simple character dynamics and conflicts. In particular characters or stories that I’m not sure readers will warm to.
And of course, from a practical standpoint, the more titles I have out there — the more money I make.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:14 pmAmen!
Posted by Adrienne Giordano | August 31, 2011, 1:35 pmSo what do you do if the bookcases, cd’s, dvd’s aren’t in the public areas of the home, but kept upstairs or in the basement? How do you get a read on the person then?
Posted by Linda | August 31, 2011, 1:10 pmWell, that’s the difference between fiction and real life. In real life, we just ask the person what music, books, movies, etc. they like. Usually on a first date.
In a book, even if none of this comes into play, the writer should still know these things about his or her own character.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:16 pmHave you ever used yourself as a main or secondary character in any of your published works? Or the people in your life? Or do you try to always start from thin air?
Posted by Linda | August 31, 2011, 1:34 pmWow. Linda.
I think every one of our characters is a little bit of us, at least in as much as we can only conceive of what we know or imagine — and what we know and imagine is constrained by what we experience either first hand or through education.
I’m not my characters — my characters are probably both more flawed and more heroic than me. I try not to lift people from my own life, but of course part of being a capable writer is being both observant and able to translate what you see into good fiction, so some of my real life and some of the people I know do find a way into my work. Which I guess is one reason prolific authors repeat themes and motifs and character types and dynamics.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 1:56 pmJosh, have you always been a storyteller, even before you were published? Where do your story ideas come from? And, at what point in the process do you know the story is working for you? I know, a lot to ask, but I’m curious.
Posted by Carlta | August 31, 2011, 1:31 pmYes, Carlita, I’ve been telling stories before I could write. Quite literally.
My ideas come from everywhere — from the news, from dreams, family history, from movies and other books I read, from music I listen to…and then there are the ideas that just seem to well up from nowhere and everywhere.
That last question of yours is actually something I’ve been thinking about writing a blog on. Sometimes a story just doesn’t gel. It’s fine, it’s competent, the pieces all work — you know it’s going to be some people’s absolute favorite — but somehow it’s just not…there. It doesn’t have that certain something. I usually have that sinking feeling about halfway through the project. Happily it’s rare.
The awful thing of it is there isn’t any fixing it. It’s a matter of simply scrapping the story and starting over or going with it. So far I’ve always gone with it.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:02 pmAnother thing I’ve noticed is that no one ever watches TV. Percentage-wise, that’s ridiculous. Most people not only watch TV, but I’ll bet that most of them have some show they would never admit watching. (Mine is Hoarders) And what about sports? Not all gay men are clueless about the difference between a soccer and football. Some are fanatics. Your character lives in Minnesota, but loves the New York Jets. He tvrs One Life to Live so he never misses an episode. He cries every time he watches Titanic
What news programs does he watch? Fox? Local only, weather only. He worships Peter Jennings. He screams at the TV every time he sees Glenn Beck.
Another thing would be his phone type. Does he still have a land line? Does he refuse to get a smart phone or a cell phone at all? Maybe he’s like me, he love his iPhone and is addicted to Angry Birds and plays it when no one’s looking.
What’s his dream car? Someone who day dreams about a Maserati is not the same as one who wants a Hummer.
It can be fun to figure these things out. Like Josh says, even if you never use it, it gives the character more depth in your mind and that will show on the page.
Posted by Pat Brown | August 31, 2011, 1:52 pmThose are all great observations, Pat! Thanks for sharing them.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:06 pmAnother thing would be his phone type. Does he still have a land line? Does he refuse to get a smart phone or a cell phone at all? Maybe he’s like me, he love his iPhone and is addicted to Angry Birds and plays it when no one’s looking.
Fellow addict here. ;-D
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:05 pmI’m thinking of starting an Angry Birds Anonymous for all addicts.
Posted by Pat Brown | August 31, 2011, 2:08 pm
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:31 pmHi Josh,
It amazes me the detail of character development you have – I know with the Adrien English series you had those interviews/chats with the characters – is this a tool to further get to know them? Or just a bit of fun? I know as a reader I love these extra snippets – to me they feel like another dimension in knowing the characters.
Posted by Barb | August 31, 2011, 2:12 pmBarb, that was just a bit of me indulging readers.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:29 pmVery informative article that I’ll keep in mind in my writing. But I just have to know, will you and Laura Baumbach every do a follow up to Mexican Heat. Those characters were so well written. I was stalking your site and Laura’s for a long time but then gave up. Put me out of my misery. Yes or no?
Posted by Vanessa | August 31, 2011, 2:41 pmVanessa, I’m sorry to disappoint you. No.
Or at least, no from me. I’ve heard that Laura hopes to tackle it on her own one day.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 2:46 pmAll very good points. Thanks for giving us much to think about, as usual.
Posted by Phoenix Emrys | August 31, 2011, 2:57 pmThanks so much for stopping by, Phoenix Emrys!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 3:14 pmHi Josh,
こんにちは。I’m a native speaker of Japanese living in Tokyo, the one tweeted with you the other day. I’m truly delighted to happen to come across your titles among huge number of m/m romance books. I’m not a writer or anything, but I’ve been curious to know one thing, especially being a Japanese, and that is if you have any intentions when you use Japan related things in the story. Are you trying to provoke certain image?
I’m thrilled to read all of your books ! Excuse my tottering English.
ずっと気になっていたことが質問できて、うれしいです。
Posted by MrsMalone_emmie | August 31, 2011, 2:58 pmEmmie, my high school journalism teacher was Japanese. I adored her and I gained a love of all things Japanese from her. I also love Chinese things, but I have no idea where that love sprang from.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 3:16 pmHi Josh!
After reading your post I don’t feel so foolish for debating on whether one of my male characters should wear a Hermes or Charvet tie.
I have a tendency to obsess about the tiniest details of my characters, details that never make it onto to the page.
I have your book on writing M/M characters, which has helped me with the male perspective in writing love scenes.
I’m curious about the reaction you’ve received about some of your covers that sport bare-chested men. In mainstream romance, covers with buxom heroines and shirtless heroes are often ridiculed. Has it been different for you?
Thanks so much for being with us today.
Posted by jennifer tanner | August 31, 2011, 3:03 pmHi there, Jennifer. I’m with you all the way on obsessing over the tiniest details.
For a while the double naked torsos were pretty much the standard on m/m books but they seem to be falling out of favor with readers (if only because after a million naked torsos they all begin to look pretty much the same).
I’d love to see more imagative book covers in this genre. Something a bit more mainstream. I’ve really, really loved my last two covers from Samhain: Come Unto These Yellow Sands and Mummy Dearest. I think they’re beautiful and original.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 3:18 pmWell, clearly I didn’t think out my first question. OF COURSE you would write before you published. (laughing at me!) So glad you understood what I was asking and answered.
Posted by Carlita | August 31, 2011, 4:00 pmGreat minds.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 5:07 pmThanks for coming by Josh! Today has been awesome.
I’m not closing down the party but I gotta run for a bit.
I’ll post the winners in the next couple of days.
Posted by Robin Covington | August 31, 2011, 4:09 pmThanks for having me, Robin! I’ve had a great time — and I’ll continue to answer any questions that pop up.
Going to go treat myself to a little swim now.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 5:07 pmGreat post, Josh! Your character development tips are excellent for any genre. I’m adding them to my list.
I’m curious if it’s more difficult to show emotion with a cast of male characters.
Rochelle
Posted by Rochelle Staab | August 31, 2011, 6:51 pmRochelle, I think part of the challenge in writing two male characters is giving readers a satisfyingly emotional romance while still keeping the characters masculine. Masculine in a romantic novel sense — which requires equal measures of fantasy and reality.
Thanks for commenting!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 7:05 pmHey Josh!
I read a lot of agent/editors and avid romance readers who don’t like gay couples to “hook up” too early in book. They claim they “fall into bed too easily” purporting that it would be unrealistic of two gey men to do so.
But they are TWO MEN, right? I’m torn between writing two male characters that take their time, explore each others interest, get to know each others minute details, and just having them behave like to two red-blooded attracted-as-heck to each other men who do what men do when they want each other. How do you know when it’s right to have them acting like a het-romance couple and when to have them acting like two MEN?
This always seems to trip me up! Thanks Josh!!
Posted by Leah (KnightLined) | August 31, 2011, 7:58 pmLeah, don’t confuse having sex with having a relationship. A romance novel is about a two guys having a relationship. A porn novel is about two guys having sex. M/M is romance. So even if your guys have sex early on, make sure you’ve got enough conflict to keep them apart (emotionally, that is) for the majority of the story. It’s the emotional journey that your readers really care about.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 8:20 pmSorry for the typo’s! It’s late, and I’m tired.
Posted by Leah (KnightLined) | August 31, 2011, 8:01 pmI know the feeling!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | August 31, 2011, 8:21 pmExcellent post Josh, especially loved your comment about how M/M romance means relationship, and those about hooking up for the sake of sex are porn, couldn’t agree more.
Great advise about characterization. Love your character/relationship with the writer, it’s hard to put into words sometimes. You’ve made it easy to understand.
(sorry I’m late, but wanted to comment anyway)
Dottie
Posted by Dottie (Tink's Place) | September 1, 2011, 3:36 pmNever too late, Dottie! Thanks for commenting.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 1, 2011, 3:39 pmThanks, Dottie!
By the way, it’s never to late to comment.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 7, 2011, 11:16 amWhat an incredible article! Great ideas for reflection! Thanks, Josh.
Posted by Patricia Paterson | September 1, 2011, 10:21 pmThanks, Patricia! Happy writing.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 2, 2011, 8:19 amI love that we’re getting insight into all different kinds of romance books and writers here. Thanks for sharing, Josh!
Posted by Kris Bock | September 2, 2011, 8:54 amThanks, Kris. Glad this was of use.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 7, 2011, 11:16 am“Hopefully the reader is real.” LOL.
Thanks, Josh!
Posted by Greta | September 4, 2011, 7:07 amThank YOU, Greta!
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 7, 2011, 11:17 amSo . . . drumroll please . . . here are our winners:
For Josh Lanyon’s new release, MUMMY DEAREST:
Ashley Applebee
Phoenix Emrys
Dottie
Please contact me at robincovingtonromance@yahoo.com
Congrats!
Robin
Posted by Robin Covington | September 4, 2011, 5:23 pmGot ‘em, Robin. I’ll be sending them out right before the official release.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 7, 2011, 11:18 amJosh;
I am currently working on a M/M story and wanted to thank you for the added tips on making the guys more real and masculine. You have a new reader..keep up the great work. Thank you from a new fan.
Lib
Posted by LIBBY SCHULTZ | September 6, 2011, 10:48 amLib, I’m very glad you found the article of use.
The main thing to keep in mind is that m/m is romance fiction. It is not a restructuring or recapturing of reality any more than any mainstream romance novel is, and the sooner we all get past the notion of some definitive male experience, the better we shall all be.
Posted by Josh Lanyon | September 7, 2011, 11:20 am