Fiction Genres Explained--Part One: The Romantic Suspense and the Mystery Romance

The classic mystery novel may or may not contain romance.  If it does, the romance is usually a minor sideline and not an integral part of the story.  However, for mystery readers who enjoy a stronger romantic thread blended in with the mystery, there are two types of books that contain both romance and mystery.

Romantic Suspense

In a romantic suspense novel, about half of the story is devoted to romance and the other half to mystery.  The hero or heroine is often a suspect in a mystery or murder case. Gothic romances and other books where the heroine is being stalked or is jeopardy are good examples of the romantic suspense. 

The famous novel Rebecca could be considered a romantic suspense because the mystery centers around whether or not the hero is guilty of murdering his first wife...and is his second wife in danger?  A good part of the novel  revolves around the relationship between the hero and the heroine, and romance plays a strong, major role in the plot.

Mystery Romance

Just as a romantic suspense is heavy on the romance, a mystery romance is more of a mystery with a touch of romance. In this type of book, romance plays a stronger role than in a classic mystery, but is not as strong as a romantic suspense.  Less than half of the book is devoted to romance. The mystery is the strongest element in the story and it is never overshadowed by the romance. 

There really isn’t a lot of difference between the two.  In fact, on online lists the romantic suspense and mystery romance are almost interchangeable.  However, from a publishing perspective, the romantic suspense or books that are heavy on the romance angle are much more likely to be categorized as a romance than a mystery romance, which remains firmly in the mystery genre.

My sister and I enjoy reading and writing romantic suspense and mystery romance.  We started out writing gothics and romantic suspense before we moved on to mystery romance and writing a traditional mystery series.  Many of our first novels were published by Avalon Books.  Below are three of our mystery romance titles.  For a limited time read Path of the Jaguar for 99 cents.

                     Click on link to order Flames  of Deceit 

                        Click on link to order The Vanished Lady 

                  SPECIAL PRICE!  Click on link to order   Path of the Jaguar for only 99c.

Tips For Writing the Perfect Ending

 Every story deserves a good, satisfying ending.  But what elements make up a memorable ending?

 

The Hero should Solve his Own Problem

The resolution of the novel should logical and should, at least in part, be brought about by the hero (or heroine's) quick wit, thinking or reaction.  It is unfair to the reader to have the problem solved too easily, or by chance or circumstance.  For example, if the hero is in a shootout with the bad guy, it would be disappointing if a brick suddenly fell from an overhead building and instantly killed the bad guy for him.  This would certainly make the hero’s day and solve his problem, but it is unsatisfying because the hero has done nothing toward saving his own life. It would be much better if the hero had made a plan in advance, perhaps rigged the brick so that it would fall, then lured the bad guy over to the spot where it will land. In any event, the hero should use his wits in some way to save his own life.  His actions should make sense and be products of his own logic, not fate.

Resolve any Subplot

By the end of the book, any subplots, such as romantic subplots, should be resolved.  If the hero has a fight with his girlfriend, do they reconcile or are they forever estranged?  Other subplots that should be resolved by the end of the book are conflicts with family members or major life decisions.  Readers are interested in even small details about the hero or heroine.  For example, in your novel the heroine might be looking for a new house to buy.  This may be only a minor aside, yet the reader wants to know and will be disappointed if the heroine has not found and purchased her little cottage by the sea by the end of the book.  Keep the subplots hanging until the end of the book, but not indefinitely.

Tie up all Loose Ends

“And they lived happily ever after.”  It is customary for a novel, especially a genre novel, to have a happy ending, or end on a positive note.  The ending is usually a time to assure the reader that all the wrongs have been righted.

However, a book does not absolutely have to have a happy ending. In fact, some of the greatest novels of literature end on an unhappy note.  If your book does not have a happy conclusion, then it must be in some way satisfying.  The hero must have grown or learned some valuable truth about himself.  By the end of the book, the problem that plagued the hero should be resolved, one way or another.  The hero should either be on his way to a happier life or have in some way come to terms with, and be at peace with, the decisions he has made. 

End with a Strong Sentence

The ending is a good place to provide a kind of closure.  What has the hero learned (or not learned) about himself?  Has this experience made the hero a better person in some way? If possible, end with a deep thought or emotion

In A Tale of Two Cities, when Sydney Carton commits the noble act of dying in another man’s place, the words "it is a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done, it is a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known,” will stay with the reader long after the pages have closed.  And who can forget the ending line of Gone with the Wind, when Scarlett O’Hara pronounces, “After all, tomorrow is another day!”

Tips for making a good ending:

*make sure the ending is logical

*the hero should solve his own problem

*resolve any subplot

*tie up all loose ends

*leave the reader with a strong sentence, thought or emotion

For more writing tips click: 

FICTION: FROM WRITING TO PUBLICATION

Writing the First Chapter: How to Plan a Strong First Chapter

Developing a strong first chapter is often a matter of trial and error.  The first chapter is usually the one that is rewritten the most.  Here are some tips to help you get it right the first time

The first chapter is the most important chapter in the book because it is the first example of your writing the readers will see. It must have the power to draw them in and interest them in the rest of the book. The first chapter also determines the voice, tone, and atmosphere of the story.

Start with Conflict or a Point of Interest

While the first chapter doesn’t have to start with soap-opera drama, it must have enough action to interest the reader.  Many writers choose to begin their story at a point of conflict such as at a place where the hero is in immediate danger.  For example, the logical place to begin a mystery would be with the discovery of the body, not the detective commuting to work or reading the morning newspaper.

Providing Background Information

Many instructors habitually advise their students to throw away the first chapter.  Should you?  That depends.  Many writers make the mistake of including far too much background information in the first chapter.  This is because they are anxious to set the groundwork for the rest of novel. They want readers to know everything about their character from the start.

The first chapter should start where the action begins.  This action can be either physical, such as a fight or a boating accident--or emotional such as losing a love one or other trauma that might cause strong feelings. 

The first chapter should not start with a lot of who, what and where explanation about your character and how he got into this mess. The first chapter should provide only the bare essentials in background information.  For example, it might be necessary for the reader to know where your hero lives, but not, at this point, where he went to school, how many kids he has, whether or not he gets along with his mother.  These points can be introduced if and when they become pertinent to the story. Though additional information is necessary, it does not all have to be crowded into the first chapter.  If there is too much explanation, most of it can be discarded, and what is essential should be threaded into to a later part of the book.

What goes in the Middle of the First Chapter

Now that you have gotten their interest, you must develop the chapter by deepening the conflict.  If you have started with a point of action, now is the time to bring into focus the details of the event, and the character’s reactions to the event.    

If the chapter begins with a car accident, now the protagonist can react to the situation and a bit can be told about his or her reaction the the situation.

End with a Question or Cliffhanger

Just as the first chapter begins with a bang, it should not end with a whimper.  The final lines should pose a question that draws readers into the next chapter.

If your book is a mystery, have the detective discover an unusual lead or clue he plans to follow up on.  If your story is a romance, cut the first chapter off at the point where the boy asks the girl for a date, not after the reader already knows her answer.  If you are writing a thriller, stop the first chapter with the hero hanging onto the ledge of the building, not after he has jumped to safety.

By the end of the first chapter the reader should

*be introduced to the main characters

*know where the story takes place

*Have a feeling for the atmosphere of the book

*be introduced to the main problem or conflict and some kind of mental or physical excitement

  More Writing Tips:  Fiction: From Writing to Publication

Check back for more tips on writing the middle part of the novel and the ending!

Best Known and Most Familiar Quotes about Writing

Write What You Know, Kill your Darlings, are oft-quoted sayings about writing.  But where did these quotes originate and should they actually be applied?  We've gathered up some information about them below. 

Write What You Know

These might be the most quoted, misquoted and misunderstood words ever uttered about writing. Still, Write what you know may well be the first words aspiring authors hear from teachers, friends and other writers.

Who said them first? Who knows?  Though there are similar quotes, the origin of the quote, write what you know in its purest form has been lost.  And it may be a good thing. In the words of P. J. O’Rourke, Creative writing teachers should be purged until every last instructor who has uttered the words "Write what you know" is confined to a labor camp. Please, talented scribblers, write what you don't. The blind guy with the funny little harp who composed The Iliad , how much combat do you think he saw?

In any event, write what you know has become a cliché.  It is open to many interpretations.  Some take literally-- to mean that you should not write about things you have not personally experienced.  Others interpret it to mean you should write about what you love, what you care about.  In the words of Valerie Sherwood,  Don’t write what you know—what you know may bore you, and thus bore your readers. Write about what interests you—and interests you deeply—and your readers will catch fire at your words."

Kill your Darlings

This quote is most often attributed to William Faulkner (1897-1962), though it has also been attributed to Mark Twain (1835-1919).  Probably both of them said and practiced it. So what does it mean?  Many misinterpret kill your darlings to mean one should strike out any fine passage.  Kill your darling” doesn’t mean a writer should murder the muse or throw out fine writing.  However, every writer has “darlings”, little anecdotes or bits of wisdom they would like to stuff into their current work even though they know the passage doesn’t quite fit.  If a witty phrase or observation fits, use it, if it doesn’t add to the overall purpose of the novel you are writing, then it should cast aside.  What it means in a nutshell: cut the bull.

The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair.

This quote is attributed to Mary Heaton Vorse (1874-1966), though there are many variations.  Author Kingsley Amis (1922-1995) said, The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of one’s trousers to the seat of one’s chair.  Same difference.  The meaning is perfectly clear.  If a person does not go about the task of writing and do it often, the book will never get written.  (I once heard a variation of this quotation as apply the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and when you get up twenty years later you’ll be a writer)  As Thomas Edison said, Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

Other Quotes that Commonly Appear in How to Write Books

 Writing is like prostitution.  First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends and then for money.

Moliere

One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it.  Anton Chekov  

There are three rules for writing a novel.  Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

William Somerset Maugham

Writing is easy. You only need to stare at a piece of blank paper until a drop of blood forms on your forehead.

Douglas Adams

Everything stinks till it's finished.

Dr. Seuss

For more writing tips, check out our book on writing:  Fiction: From Writing to Publication.

Click link to order a Kindle copy from Amazon for only $2.99

Planning a First Novel: Five Steps to Complete Before Writing a Fiction Book

Before starting a novel, it makes sense to make a few plans before beginning. A little pre-planning will give a new writer confidence and make the first draft go more smoothly. If a few items are decided upon and gathered beforehand, the writer will have necessary details and information at their fingertips.

1. Get Organized

Before starting a new project, get organized by preparing the computer and paper files. You will need to to name computer files for a first draft that can be saved and kept separate from a second or any following drafts. It helps to keep the latest draft of the novel in progress carefully marked and separate from the working drafts. Also, find some way to copy the final draft to a flash drive or to a file-hosting service such as Dropbox, so there is more than one copy in case of a computer crash.

You will also need paper files for notes and research. Always keep your research in a separate file from the book notes so you won’t have to shuffle through tons of research to find notes related to the actual writing.

2. Make a Character Bio for Each Character

Before starting a novel, make a character biography for each main character. This handy reference sheet will provide a description and background information for each character. This detailed character information will become invaluable later on. It also serves as a quick, handy reference as to a character's eye and hair color when writing about a character.

3. Create a General Plot Outline

Make a general plan of events. A plot outline is usually broken down into chapters. Key events are planned that will happen in the first part of the book, the middle section, and the ending. Though it is not necessary to work out every single detail of the book before writing it, the more that is planned or plotted ahead of time, the more smoothly the actual writing will go. Plotting the book ahead of time also saves revision.

4. Describe the Setting

Having a ready-made description of the setting keeps the writer from having to stop working on the story to create a background. The writer should know beforehand the general area in which the story will take place. Writing down a description of a town, the landscape, and other important settings within the story will allow the writer to focus upon the characters and action of the book.

5. Gather Necessary Research

If research is needed for the plot, gather and organize it ahead of time. If the novel is set back in time, then a general knowledge of the time era is necessary so the writer won't have to stop in the middle of a scene to see how people talked or dressed. If a novel is a police procedural set in Los Angeles, then knowing a little about how the police department is set up, and having a good idea of what the area looks like is helpful for giving the book a sense of reality.

While the actual writing of the novel does not need to be delayed until all of these steps are completed, the more knowledge the writer has about plot, character and setting beforehand, the easier writing the first draft will be.