Historical romance novels have always been the best sellers and continue to do so. And the main reason is why not? When you are combining two of the most intrinsic aspects of human life, the past and romance, it is bound to be accepted by readers.
If you are planning to write historical romance novels, you need to keep a handful of things in mind. The main thing that is required is to incorporate fresh elements to be a best seller. While this also needs effective promotion, for which online book promotion sites, like pillow talk books, we shall, here be talking about the tips that will help you create a good novel.
Here are 6 tips that will help you write a successful historical romance novel:
- Idea generation: This is where the story comes from.
a. Brainstorming: The most important thing in this is to let go of any preconceived notions and judgments. Your imagination should be the only thing working towards this. Only then you will be able to see them clearly in your head. Another very important thing is to narrow your choices and not get lost in them. Or else, it can be tough to concentrate on a single idea. If the base is clear, everything else will take shape eventually.
b. Focus on a group of people or an individual: The best romance novels of all time are known due to their characters. You can certainly take help from these characters and create your own. The people can belong to a group of suppressed people or poor folk or belonging to aristocracy during some historical event. Or you can easily think of a male or female character who has his or her own set of flaws and the story revolves around these. Developing a character or characters is very important as they should be a manifestation of what they stand for and not stereotypes.
- Setting: This is where the story takes place
A vivid setting: The location of your story shall be based on the historical event you are having in the backdrop. For example, if you are writing about the Holocaust, Germany is naturally the place of choice. When talking about the place, talk about not just how it looks but also its sounds, smells, feels, and tastes. All this adds to the reader’s taste and engagement.
Do not overdo: Many a times while creating the setting, people tend to move away from the main plot. This loses the interest of the readers who do not like descriptive paragraphs. So, while explaining details about the setting, try to involve actions of a person, for example, someone roaming around a hallway or entering a castle. This is a great way to explain how the hallway or the castle looks i.e. add a perspective. Mere explanations of settings will not work unless there is an emotion attached to it.
- Dialogues: Something to talk about
Tense, clever, and includes society: The most important thing for you as a historical romance writer is to write dialogues that showcase the society of the time as well as carrying something about the character. Include signs of sexual tensions in the form of glances, gestures, frowns, etc. Dialogues are not just words. They are expressions.
- Sexual Tension and Intimate scenes: After all, it’s a romance
a. Go for it: Do not hold back. Remember, you are a writer. The best historical romance novels have the most erotic scenes. So, let go of your imagination and make use of what you have read. Everyone knows what is about to happen but it is the description that makes a reader crave to turn the page.
b. Use the setting and add emotions: Some of the intimate scenes in the best romance novels of all time are remembered due to their explanation which carries a touch of that era. For setting, you can use the back of wagons, tunnels, carriage houses, etc. Adding feelings is necessary. And love-making can involve everything from joy to rage. So, use them mindfully. Readers love to know what is going on in the minds of the characters during such moments. From “why am I doing this?” to “Is it right?” It is your job to give the readers what you know they will love reading.
- Flawed Characters: Everyone cannot be nice all the time
In order to give your characters life and make them relatable, you need to make them flawed. Perfect characters are boring. Do not base your characters on stereotypes give them room to grow along with the plot. This is what happens in real life. Mistakes, wrong doings, regrets, pain, weakness all are necessary for readers to connect with the readers. Strong character development is a necessary element for historical romance novels.
- Twists, Climactic scenes, and a happy ending: The “what”, the “why” and the “alright then.”
a. Surprises: Readers love surprises. So, go for it. No one likes to read a novel that is predictable, especially historical romance novels. For this, go for unconventional means or things that are very unusual for the time period in which your novel is set. For example, it is very unusual for a single mother to go into a secret love affair in the 1950s. A surprise can be in any form, so just imagine.
b. Multiple build-ups: Try to bring in fresh elements to lead up to your climax. Do not make the climactic scene too long or too short. And the best way to do this is too give it scope. If it has lots to tell, it will naturally not need touch-ups. Make the readers think as if anything can happen next. Make them think about the diffident outcomes and give them the best one.
c. Raise the stakes: Add multiple plots with characters acting differently in different situations. A great way is to make a character do something that is not prevalent during the time, e.g. like a 1950s suburban woman having a passionate affair. Create the unexpected. The end should make the reader feel that everything has reached the apex and now either all will come together or fall apart. Telling the inevitable is boring.
There are many sites, like Pillow Talk Books that offer book promotion services based on different price packages along with a daily email service of romance ebooks. Such sites are great places for effective book promotion. Keeping these 6 tips in mind will certainly help you give shape to your historical romance novel in a clear and better fashion.
