~Help Please~

[Wood Cookie]

So I'm writing a romantic/adventure book. I've got the romantic part down, I just need help with the adventure part. biggrin  

[EstoPerpetua]

Keep the reader hanging. Never leave anything the way it seems. Try not to bore the reader with details, but don't leave them without a clue as to what an area looks like. Always keep people in danger and on the move. Take the reader to extreme places whether extremely beautiful, extremely frightening, or extremely disgusting. You need to just overwhelm the reader and keep them entranced. I don't know whether this will help or not, but I hope it gave you something. Let me know if I can try helping you in a different way, or maybe give you an example.  

[SaraDiva728]

As I see it, you can take two approaches:

1) Add a third party. EX- Jack and Jill are deeply in love. They're young and hopeful about their futures. One little problem though... Jill's parents and rich, Jack's are poor, and they've already given Jill away to a very wealthy old coot named Xavier who doesn't want her but can't stand to lose his possessions. Where's the adventure, you ask? Traveling the world to escape the ruthless Xavier who plans to kill them both for making him look bad of course! Our heroes will travel by rail car, stow away on a boat (this may not be a modern day tale, wouldn't be as much fun) and all the while their love will grow stronger with the passing days. And for a twist, you can have Xavier kill them, or Jack kills Xavier and spends the rest of his life in prison, or Jack and Jill run into Europe's good-old-friend the black death. Or maybe Jill decides to go back with her husband and Jack kills himself in utter dispair. Who knows? This is just an example to jump start your creative juices.

2) Follow the cliched-brick road. Jack is a pirate/prince/adventurer/outlaw and Jill is the nobleman's daughter/peasant girl with a crush/village outcast who tags along to escape angry villagers because he helped her during some dire hour of need as any gentleman would/simple school teacher in the held up wagon train. Now add your sprinkling of twist: Jill's looking for revenge against Jack for drowning her dog when they were kids/Jack is assassinated and Jill falls for his murderer, Leroy, who takes his thrown/Jack is leading Jill back to her village for execution, he just didn't know it was her at first/Jill is actually a young man who really likes teaching. Etc., etc..

Actually, another bit of advice is to rewrite a fairy-tale in your own way. This is good when you're plumb out of things to write, but you feel like writing. Its also a lot of fun. EX- Cinderella--whose still Chandler at this point in the story--lives with his closed-minded stepmother and stepsisters, but one day dreams of becoming a real girl and marrying her prince charming Stefan. However, Princess Stephanie is an adventurous tomboy, who has been sneaking off from the palace at night under the guise of Stefan, a mild mannered hobo. She hopes to one day have the great fairy godmother come and grant her the same wish as Pinnochio had got. Which she deserves because it would be totally gender biased of the fairy godmother to grant him such a wish and not her--which she actually only granted because she was in love with Gepetto or whatever his name was. Although that doesn't explain why she helps Chandler that one time later on in the story... Anyways, we haven't even gotten to Stephanie's evil cousins, Hansel and Gretel, who are becoming teenaged serial killers and stalking witches (for their emense weaving-straw-into-gold abilities) whom they have come to believe Chandler is now in league with. Etc., etc. (Horrid example, yes, but so were the other ones so bear with me).

Both of the first paths are pretty well worn, but I'm just putting them out there to give you something to springboard off of. You will add your own spin. And that last bit (the springboarding part) goes along with the third idea as well. And that's my advice, in case this is what you were meaning. Hope I helped a little.  

[Wood Cookie]

you two helped a lot thx a lot. But some things about the story are:
-They live in a diffrent world
-Godesses created them
-There's Elves which are more holy then Humans
-Humans were created by the Godess of Lust (which I'm planning on making them run into sooner or later)
-Princess Bliss of the Humans and Prince Zero of the Elves are in love with each other
-Elves and Humans cannot marry each other
-Bliss and Zero feels like 'Well that's just too damn bad!'
-But Bliss' mom (the queen of humans) is like 'Oh Hells no!'
-Bliss and her Mom have this five pointed Star Stone so they can communicate
-Bliss can stop time
*I'm thinking about there being a war to keep the story moving into how the two love birds start their adventure!*  

[EstoPerpetua]

Maybe you should go for a mythical modern day Romeo and Juliet story. Including the characters dying. The war aspect would totally work for you then. I find that stories where characters die are much more enchanting and worthwhile. I personally would have killed off Harry Potter were I J. K. Rowling, but most people disagree with that. They say I have a very morbid mind.  

[SaraDiva728]

Three of my fave books are "Lowboy" by John Wray, "The Quiet Room" by Lori Schiller, and "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. The first two are about schizophrenics (with the second being an autobiography) and the third is an exploration into the darkness that is HUMAN. Books about serial killers, like "Iron Star" by Brian Kelleher (it was very funny actually) or murderous, flesh-rending werewolves (they were actually people who used magic to become werewolves, forget what that's called though) like those in Jim Butcher's "Fool Moon" also make my top list of books. The deeper it goes into the human psychy, the darker the soul, or the more power the character holds over another... all the better. Murder-suicides--not exactly romantic, but is more interesting than happily-ever-(man, this is so cliched)-after. Not sure why I'm like that, but that's what I like to read. So, morbid is fine with me too.

Anyways, I think what kapow123 said will be your best bet for a story like what you have. Just be sure to throw in some sort of twist somewhere that will make your story different. Here's an: EX- the humans and elves are at war, have been for centuries, but the goddesses of the races created Bliss and Zero in hopes of bringing peace between them. Eventually it looks like its going to work, but then the goddesses begin over-stepping each other's roles and begin to fight between themselves over the power of the people. Elves begin leaving their goddess for that of the humans and vice versa, out of curiosity or 'seeing the light.' This creates more dischord, especially between the goddesses, so they decide to break the lovers up. However, our heroes don't know what's happening (it's not like the gods EVER discuss their affairs with mortals) and they try to hold on to each other despite. Unfortunately, no matter what they do, they start to see and feel that fate is somehow working against them. The people see that things are falling apart. They point fingers, give their I-told-you-so's, everyone questions the goddesses (one or the other) and contention builds again. So, what do the lovers do? Well, they yadda, yadda, yadda; you get the point I'm sure! Anyway, this is just an EX to try and help you out.  

[Wood Cookie]

Ok, so u guys r really helping a lot. I love your recent idea SaraDiva728, the whole war aspect is really intriguing if i was reading this. What kind of books do you enjoy with the whole romance aspect?  

[Stelle Cadenti]

This doesn't belong in the main forum, only announcements go there. I'm moving this to the writers discussion.  

[Wood Cookie]

So I think I've got that part covered!
Now I was planning to have a ball be in the story. I heart ball gowns! But I suck at thinking them up!

1. What should happen at the ball
2. What should Bliss wear?!?!  

[Jeyrin]

Here's my advice. I don't know if you'll like it, but it's what I would do:

A lot of modern day teenage books are too focused on the concept of love. While love is fine and dandy, and can add a new dimension and give the characters motivation in the story, one of the biggest things that make me put a book down immediately is if it has obsessive love. Like, in the case where the characters can "just feel it that they're meant to be together and they are already helplessly in love. They are soul mates, and one simply cannot breathe if the other is not nearby."

Like I said, love is fine and dandy, but make sure it's not the focal point of the book and make sure the characters take it slow.

Like I said, I don't know if that'll help you, but I hope it did!

 

[Wood Cookie]

So like the characters have another goal then living happily ever after  

[SaraDiva728]

Deranged Bliss

Ok, so u guys r really helping a lot. I love your recent idea SaraDiva728, the whole war aspect is really intriguing if i was reading this. What kind of books do you enjoy with the whole romance aspect?

((Sorry, for the late response. College finals gonk !))

Right now I like J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series in audible form (from audible.com). I haven't heard them all yet, but I love book 3! Its the best, hands down. I'm listening to 8 now and it has some slow parts, but it still seems really good too. I love troubled characters with dark, violent, or really sad pasts that they have to overcome. And who doesn't love the brooding guy who takes life in silence, follows his own path, and seems fine until you mess with his woman/way of life and he has to go limb-rending psycho on your a**? I mean, characters like that make paranormal classics in my book!

Quote:

Now I was planning to have a ball be in the story. I heart ball gowns! But I suck at thinking them up!

1. What should happen at the ball
2. What should Bliss wear?!?!

For the first, I truthfully can't really help you there. I used to read a lot of Julie Garwood books and other historical romance writers like her, but the ball was never a big deal for me. Typically, they followed a checklist of ideas that went like this: 1)the heroine walks in, 2) everyone is awed by her beauty, 3) she's the most wanted woman of the season, every guy wants to marry her, 4) she talks with the guy who wants to/will marry her though she has no interest in him, 5) she steps out for air and to think things through, 6) then--thank god--the hero of the story finally comes to whisk her away in a kidnapping attempt to save the lives of his people at war with her fiance/father/brother and the romantic adventure finally begins. You can think Disney's "Cinderella" or "Beauty and the Beast" (just imagine there are many other people there watching as Belle and Beast take center floor). For references you could look up authors like Garwood or Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. Its been a while I'm afraid, so I can't seem to recall more right now. You could also research the Victorian era in England, when, I believe, many such tales are based. And I don't know what time-frame they considered 'the season' to be in (I'd guess the spring, yet I was never really sure), but you could look that up on the internet. Heck, any of this info could be I'd wager. As for your second question, she needs to wear something considered beautiful and maybe prom-like in the world that you're creating. Assuming its not in the here-and-now, your story may not allow too much similarity with reality (there's elves, so that spells J.R.R. Tolken off the bat). Besides, if your story's ball runs too much like what is in the historical romances--with the same dresses the like--then reader's like me may have trouble relating to the fact that there are Elves in a Victorian-style England (unless they actually are). Just be careful with that.

A last thing. Jeyrin is right in her statement too, and makes a very good point that needs to be held in thought the entire time you are writing. Please, please, please, don't pull another Twilight on us! For god's sake tread softly!! The characters can find a happily-ever-after, but if readers have to take a mental Fellowship-of-the-Ring style trip through mush-land as they trudge along behind your character's Edwella lives, you've already stereotyped your story into the trash bin for a lot of your readers. But every writer of romance needs to consider that.  

[Wood Cookie]

Going back to another thing of SaraDiva728's post:
Hecks no! Not another Twilight! Ew college finals, my brother said their a pain in the a**! The typical ball i wasn't really going for that, I, my friend, am not the typical writer! Thinking of some major drama happening, getting the story kicked off.
You see in Bliss' (whose name I am soon going to change) whole male part of the family has fallen to the war of Kimunkuria (it is not a Victorian England type thing, its a made up world). Her last older brother is still fighting his a** off in the war. He can't die yet because Bliss hasn't married a HUMAN guy yet (her mom dosn't agree with the whole marrying an elf thing). So back to the main thing I was talking about, there's going to be this messanger from the war, all messed up and dirty freaking out about 'OMG Bliss' brother died!' (her brother's name slips my mind so lets call him Jack).
So Bliss is all like 'oh he** no, he did not die!!' So she and Zero (whose name I also plan to change, who names their kid Zero?) go the the war ground, and fight and ect.ect.ect. to find Jack!!!! Like it???  

[SaraDiva728]

Ah, don't be so hard on 'Zero.' I do like that as a name. It's just... not an elf name. Lord of The Rings would have felt very differently as a movie if the elf's name was Zero Greenleaves or something terrible like that.

Now, and this is a very intriguing storyline, IMO. Let me see if I'm understanding what you've got so far. They (our lovers) begin at the ball where, I'm presuming, we learn about Zero and Bliss' forbidden love. Maybe as well as how others feel about it. The mother and other brother hates it for sure, but here comes defiant Bliss being all rebellious and wanting to marry our hero, Zero, who's as handsome and graceful as a demon from the Inuyasha series (Cue Sesshomaru heart heart heart ... and sudden envious hatred for Bliss scream burning_eyes [
Also... wahmbulance POSSIBLE SPOILER wahmbulance , do the goddesses have something to do with all this? You haven't mentioned them anymore, are they being shelved for now?  

[SaraDiva728]

Also... wahmbulance POSSIBLE SPOILER wahmbulance , do the goddesses have something to do with all this? You haven't mentioned them anymore, are they being shelved for now?

You didn't have to answer that really. I was just wondering if they were still in the story or not. I didn't mean anything...