Morning, RU crew! Romance readers love their HEAs (Happily Ever Afters), but we don’t want the hero and heroine to hit that spot in their relationship immediately. We want to go along for their relationship roller coaster ride first. Only after the H/H weather those ups and downs do readers think the author should allow them happiness. Laurie Schnebly Campbell is here today to tell us how writers can throw their characters on the tracks before allowing them to board the love train. Welcome, Laurie!

Challenging couples in love is fun. We get to take two wonderful people who are really just perfect for each other, and make them suffer. If you’re cringing at the very idea, you’re not alone — most of us became romance writers because we believe in happy endings, and we hate to see the people we care about suffering!

So all too often, we don’t let it happen. My critique partner used to warn me, “Laurie, you’re acting like a counselor again…you’re trying to fix these people’s problems in Chapter Two. 

You gotta make ‘em suffer.” And I’d flinch — “I don’t wanna be mean to these people!”

 But of COURSE they need to go through that suffering in order to deserve their happy ending. Who’s gonna want a book where everything goes perfectly from page 1 right to the end? By the time our characters are marching up the aisle to their happily-ever-after, everyone’s bored.

So we writers are actually being very NICE by challenging these couples. Because we’re saving our readers from boredom…we’re giving them something to root for.

Which means we need to take two people who really are just perfect for each other, let them fall in love, and then show how loving each other makes their world a lot tougher. Yet BECAUSE they love each other, they can’t just walk out. (If they could, we wouldn’t have a book.)

So we’ve got these two swell people, and they’re both reasonably intelligent and reasonably kindhearted and reasonably willing to compromise. (If not, it means one of the characters is a jerk.) But if they’re BOTH nice, competent, good-hearted people, how can there possibly be conflict between them?

That’s a question that marriage counselors face every day. And they’ve saved us a lot of work, because the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapists has come up with a list of the seven basic conflicts that are most likely to cause problems between couples in love.

These aren’t weird, exotic conflicts like “she’s a mermaid who has to live in the ocean; he’s a birdman who has to live in the sky.” Or “one’s a vicious child-abusing serial killer; the other is an angel come to life.” (Not to say you couldn’t get a decent conflict out of that situation, but it’s not one that troubles many couples.)

No, what we want are realistic conflicts. Things that could bother any couple…things that might’ve even bothered US at some point. Things that can tear a couple apart — or, if you want a happy ending, that can be overcome when the couple is willing to work at it.

So, those seven basic issues are:

1. GENDER ROLES (things like who should make decisions for the castle, who should change the flat tire, who should nurture or protect the other one?)
2. LOYALTIES (where does each person rank the importance of family, work, community, friends, etc?)
3. PRIVACY (is each person a “glommer,” who likes to glom onto their loved ones and spend as much time together as possible, or a non-glommer who wants more time alone? Either can work fine, but couples are a lot better off when they’re both the same type.)
4. MONEY (how does their approach to earning-spending- saving reflect their values? It’s not too likely their choices will be a perfect match.)
5. SEX (when-where-how-why-what? It can be a huge source of conflict in real life, but sex rarely creates problems in a romance novel…well, unless maybe they break the bed?)
6. POWER (or CONTROL can be the worst of all, showing up in any of the other areas or in unrelated areas — like who decides on the dinner menu?)
7. CHILDREN (should we have any? How should we raise them? What about kids from a previous marriage?)

Now, children aren’t usually a problem during the first date. The problems change as the relationship develops, and a hero & heroine probably aren’t going to run into any issues about privacy while they’re gazing rapturously at each other. Once they’ve been together a while, that’s a whole different story.

A first-date problem might be something like Gender Roles — he expects to pay for everything and she expects to at least buy the popcorn — or Loyalty — he wants an evening for just the two of them; she wants to give her sister a ride home since they’re driving that way.

But whether it’s on the first date or later in life, any of those problems can create wonderful conflict for your characters! 

And we NEED those issues — because, in romance novels just like in real life, no couple ever gets by without facing some kind of challenge.

Some challenges bring the couple closer together. Some drive them apart. And depending on whether we’re setting up the black moment or the happy ending, we can make it happen either way in our books.

Let’s take a shot at this — think about Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. Which of those seven areas do you think bothered them? Or how about Beauty and the Beast? Elizabeth and Darcy? Buffy and Angel? Ross and Rachel?

Along with any questions on making things better or worse, I’d love to get your opinion on which of the seven issues challenge the couple in a book YOU love — one you’re writing, one you’ve read…

And since I believe in rewarding people who post, this weekend we’ll have a drawing where somebody wins free registration to one of my upcoming online classes: “His Personality Ladder” or “Plotting Via Motivation.” So I can’t wait to hear your thoughts and/ or questions on challenging couples in love!

RUers, what’s the biggest “challenge” you’ve forced on your hero and heroine in one of your books?

Don’t forget to join us Monday when Tracey Devlyn talks about the benefits of recruiting a beta reader (or two).

BIO

Laurie Schnebly Campbell (www.booklaurie.com) grew up in a family that discussed psychology around the dinner table. With a marriage counselor for a mother, she felt well equipped to get her romance-novel couples to a happy ending…which might be what helped her win “Best Special Edition of the Year” over Nora Roberts. 

The only thing she loves more than writing romance is working with other writers, which is why she now teaches an online class every month and has written a book for novelists who want to create believable characters with built-in fatal (or not quite fatal) flaws.

Today, I’m dancing a jig at the thought of discussing the kind of men (at least fictional men) many of us like most. That’s right, today’s interview with author Jami Alden is all about the A-Man, the alpha male. What’s essential in this type of character and how should writers construct him? Jami will answer those questions and more.

Thanks for being with us today, Jami!

Kelsey: Could you define the alpha male/hero for our readers?

Jami: I follow a pretty standard definition:  a hero who is a natural leader, one who doesn’t necessarily know all of the answers, but is wicked smart and confident in his abilities as a problem solver to figure his way out of a tough spot.  He tends not to be superficially emotional.  That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care deeply, it just means he doesn’t spend a lot of time sitting around, talking about his feelings.  He’s single-minded and goal oriented, which can sometimes cause him to come off as brusque and insensitive.  Physically, he’s imposing, tall, strong, athletically fit, and generally hotter and sexier than the average guy

Kelsey: What is the most common trait among alpha males?

Jami: I would have to say confidence.  A true alpha is a man who is confident in his ability to overcome challenges and face down the odds. That doesn’t mean he automatically knows the answer or thinks he’s always right, it means that he knows his own abilities, is smart enough to know his limitations and capabilities, and brave enough to take extreme risks when necessary.  He’s the guy who can overcome almost any obstacle no matter what form the obstacle takes. 

Kelsey: Are all your heroes alphas?

Jami: Yes.  I love reading Alphas, and for me, there’s something really sexy about a man who can take charge of a situation.  I’m going to sound so anti-feminist here, but there’s something so appealing about offloading everything onto a pair of big broad shoulders and saying, “Why don’t you just handle it?” and having absolute confidence that it will indeed be handled!

Kelsey: What’s your process for constructing an alpha character?

Jami: Wow, I have no idea!  I guess I have a construct based on the characteristics I mentioned, and then I add the finish work to round out his personality.  Is he a strong, silent type, or quick witted and ready with a snappy comeback?  Does he linger in the shadows observing the crowd, or does he swagger into a room and take it over?  It’s all that finish work that’s the fun, but also challenging part. 

Kelsey: Any trait that’s a “must have?”

Jami: I’m so cliché, but for me, aside from the confidence and intelligence that I mentioned, my heroes have to be physically imposing and attractive, even if it’s not in a conventional way.  I like my heroes big, muscular, with chiseled features, big appetites, -  testosterone overload all the way! My favorite heroes are those whose outside strength matches their inner strength. 

Kelsey: What type of heroine do you typically pair with an alpha hero?

Jami: Well, every alpha, no matter how perfect, has a flaw, so I try to choose a heroine who’s going to hit him right in that weak spot!  For example, in my latest book, Unleashed, I have a hero, Danny, who’s very smart, very strong, very no nonsense.  At the same time, he’s totally emotionally closed off.  He thinks love is nothing but an excuse people use for their dumb decisions.  So I paired him with Caroline, his ex girlfriend, the only woman he ever loved, the woman who broke his heart, the only woman who knows just how vulnerable to love Danny can be. 

Kelsey: Do you have any tips for writing the alpha hero?

Jami: First and foremost, don’t force it. If you don’t love reading alpha heroes, and you don’t love the idea of an alpha hero, you won’t be able to write one with conviction.  You have to fall in love with your hero before anyone else can.  Other than that, my biggest tip is watch your language and be careful about your word choice. When you’re in the hero’s POV, ask yourself, “would any straight man actually use this word or phrase to describe what he’s thinking or feeling?” 

Kelsey: Could you suggest resources or authors that our readers might use to learn to write the alpha hero?

Jami: I personally think Linda Howard writes fantastic alpha heroes, as does Shannon McKenna.  I also love Julie Garwood’s older historicals – she was so great at writing Alpha heroes who weren’t at all cruel, just products of their time and cluelessness!  I also think it’s a great idea, no matter what subgenre you write in, to watch male oriented movies and TV programs.  A few I can think of off the top of my head are Black Hawk Down, Rescue Me

RU readers, do you have questions about how to write a believable alpha male your readers can fall in love with? Also – who are your favorite A-Men?

Please stop back by on Friday when author Therese Walsh is here to chat about the differences between romance and women’s fiction.

Jami Alden is the Holt Medallion nominated author sexy romantic suspense.  Her latest novel, Unleashed, is the third installment in the successful Gemini Men trilogy published by Kensington Brava. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her socially well adjusted alpha male husband, her sons, and a german shepherd who patiently listens to dialog and help her work out plot points. You can find out more about Jami and her books at www.JamiAlden.com

Dear Theresa,

I finally got a rejection that wasn’t a form letter, but it says the editor didn’t connect with my characters.  How am I supposed to revise my manuscript with this comment in mind? 

How do I make an editor like my characters more?  My crit partners think my characters are good.

Stephanie

Hi, Stephanie,

This is a great question for two reasons. First, we get to talk about likability. This is a key factor for creating good characters in many genres. There are other factors, too, such as shock value and power plays, that can let you get around likability, but they’re much harder to pull off. Master likability first, and then tackle other methods for creating character-reader bonds.

What makes a character likable? The same things that make real people admirable. I find that this concept makes more sense if we phrase it in terms of admirability rather than likability. Make sure your characters are warm-hearted, fair, selfless, courageous, goal-oriented, solution-oriented, and so on. Make them avoid negative traits like whining, fatalism, dependence, helplessness, and inactivity. It’s not enough to put a hero in a blue shirt because women “like” men in blue. But if the collar is scratchy, and the hero wears it anyway because his niece picked it out for him, now we have the beginnings of a character that readers can admire and bond with.

This doesn’t mean you must turn your heroes into boy scouts. Even the most fierce, leather-clad, lone-wolf killing machine of a hero can be made likable if he is imbued with a strong sense of fair play and justice. Even the shy librarian orphan heroine can be likable if she comes out of her shell long enough to stop the neighborhood bullies from kicking the stray dog. It’s not just about type and traits, but about behavior.  

Second, this is a great question because it’s a very common problem.  Sad to say, but I routinely reject manuscripts because the characters are not strong enough.  So what makes a character strong?  They must have solid, powerful personalities that don’t disappear into the background.  They must have a strong sense of self.  They must be vibrantly presented, actively engaged in their own lives, and clear and consistent enough that we can predict how they would behave in a variety of settings.

When evaluating characters, I sometimes try to imagine how they would behave in an amusement park. Would they rush straight to the line for the scariest ride, or would they stand in the walkways and laugh as other people scream?  Would they study the map and come up with a plan to see the most in their allotted time?  Would they memorize showtimes?  Would they take time to eat a meal in the restaurant, or would they suck down a burger while standing in line?

The reason an amusement park works for this kind of analysis is that amusement parks must cater to a wide variety of personality types in order to be successful.  They need to appeal to thrill-seekers and fraidy-cats, those who collect experiences and those who collect objects, the methodical and the spontaneous, and every other personality dichotomy you can imagine. It’s a marvelous environment for understanding personality types.

It sometimes happens that I like a manuscript but I’m hesitating about it, and as soon as I put the characters in the amusement park, I know why.  I can’t figure out how they would behave in that environment.  This means that the author has not presented the characters clearly enough and strongly enough to allow me to understand their personalities.  I may understand why, in chapter four, they decided to drive across country.  But take them out of the context of the book, and the characters fall apart.

Strong characters don’t do this.  Your critiquing partners might like your characters, and your characters might behave in a way that’s consistent with the plot needs of your story.  But try this test.  Find a new beta reader, someone who is not familiar with this book.  Ask them to read it, and then ask them how your characters would behave in an amusement park.  Their answers might surprise you, particularly if they can’t answer at all.

Writing strong characters is a tricky business, and there are many, many resources available to help you with that, including Romance University with their fantastic ongoing series on the male mind.  Also, browse your bookstore shelves in the writing and psychology and a self-help sections, and you’ll find books on everything from archetypes to personality tests to — well, really, the list is a long one.  Writers never stop studying character because character is the basis for good fiction and because, as we age and mature, our understanding of the human condition evolves. Embrace this as part of the writing process, and your characters — and your readers — will love your books for it.

Theresa

To our RU readers, what do you think makes a character likable?  We’d love to hear from you.

If you have a question for Theresa you can submit it to askaneditor@romanceuniversity.org.  Don’t miss this great opportunity to have your concerns addressed by a top-notch editor!

After earning degrees in creative writing and law, Theresa Stevens worked as a literary attorney agent for a boutique firm based in Indianapolis where she represented a range of fiction and nonfiction authors. The lure of the courtroom led to a nine-year hiatus from the publishing industry, but now Theresa is back as Managing Editor for Red Sage Publishing, a highly acclaimed small press. Her articles on writing and editing have appeared in numerous publications for writers. Visit her blog at http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/ where she and her co-blogger share their knowledge and hardly ever argue about punctuation.

Today we welcome Cathie Linz to class.  Creating dialogue has always been my favorite part of the writing process.  I love when characters lose their cool and try to talk their way out of it.  I love when two buddies trash-talk each other and burst out laughing.  That, for me, is the good life.  Cathie is going to give us some great tips on making that dialogue jump off the page. 

Cathie is the award-winning, bestselling author of over fifty contemporary romances published worldwide in nearly twenty languages. Her previous book, Big Girls Don’t Cry, was recently chosen by Booklist as one of the Top Ten Romances of the Year.  Cathie’s newest book, Smart Girls Think Twice, is receiving wonderful reviews–Library Journal says, “With her typical sense of humor, Linz has given readers another joyful, laughter-filled story to savor.”   Booklist also gave it a highly coveted starred review.

 Here’s Cathie!

 I write a character-driven book.  I’ve often said that if I could only teach my characters how to type, I’d be in great shape.  When the writing is going well, it’s as if I’m taking dictation, trying to keep up with what my characters are saying. And they tend to talk a lot.

 So let’s look at how you as a writer can use what your characters are saying to let the reader know more about them.  That’s not to suggest that your characters give their life story in dialogue a mile long.  But the way people communicate tells you a lot about them.

The first differentiation I make is between men and women.  They communicate differently and they certainly speak differently.  I suggest reading You Just Don’t Understand by Deborah Tannen, which addresses the differences.  She’s not a writer, she’s a sociologist (I believe) who studies the way we communicate.  I highly recommend this book to all writers.

So the first thing you need to be aware of is the difference in the way your hero and your heroine converse. I’ve heard editors say that a common mistake they find are heroes who speak like women and don’t make believable characters.  Now some of you may be saying “My husband just grunts. He doesn’t talk. Is that how we’re supposed to write our dialogue?”  No, you are writing fiction so you want it to be realistic but not boring.  Listen to dialogue on some of your favorite shows or rent DVD’s like Gilmore Girls (which is very dialogue heavy and uses it to show characterization very well).  Luke on Gilmore Girls doesn’t talk much and he certainly doesn’t speak the same way the female characters do.

Note that men speak to men differently than they speak to a woman.  The same goes for women talking to their female friends.  Again, be aware of the differences.  Janet Evanovitch does a great job as a writer of using dialogue to paint her characters.  So do Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jayne Ann Krentz.

The next group for separating characters is generational.  Each generation has it’s own touchstones. For example, the Baby Boomers have their own music (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones).  Someone who became a teenager in the 50′s instead of the 60′s has an entirely different set of touchstones.  Our 28-year-old or 30-year-old heroines have their own links – to cell phones and Blackberries, to iPods and Coldplay.  If you have her using phrases like “Jeepers” you need to explain why.  Because it wouldn’t normally be a phrase intrinsic to her age group.

Writing an 80-year-old’s dialogue is very different from writing a 60-year-old’s.  Baby boomers are in their sixties now.

When I run into a stumbling block, I’ll often have a “story conference” with my characters and ask them what’s wrong.  I’ve had the pizza delivery guy character ask what his motivation was (to deliver the pizza and leave <g>). I’ve had heroine’s complain the hero gets all the good lines and vice versa.  You can try this story conferencing and see if it works for you.

Okay, you say, but I’m not writing contemporaries.  I’m writing historicals.  Well, the same would be true regarding male and female means of verbal communication.  And story conferencing. 

Even after writing over 55 books I still am surprised by what my characters say and do.  For example, I wasn’t expecting Oliver to show up in my last book Smart Girls Think Twice (still available).  He’s a great secondary character.  I can say that without blushing because it feels like I’m complimenting Oliver not bragging as an author. He said some wonderful lines that cracked me up. And that’s one of the joys for me as an author.  To keep writing in order to find out what’s going to happen next, what’s going to be said next.

I hope you find some of these tips useful in your writing, “Now get back to work,” I hear Megan, the heroine of my new book, telling me. I’d better obey.

How about you?  Do you hear your characters’ dialogue?

Thank you to Cathie for visiting with us today.   If you do hear your characters’ dialogue, please let us know by leaving a comment.  We’d love to hear from you.  If you are anything like me, those characters start chatting away at about three in the morning when you’re trying to sleep.

To learn more about Cathie Linz, please visit http://www.cathielinz.com/.  Join us on Monday when Kelsey will interview Christie Ridgway on the state of contemporary romance.