Valentine's Day Book List

In Honor of Valentine's Day

I'd like to pay tribute to a few of my favorite romance books. Romance novels were a big part of my life when I was much younger and I still remember many of the plots and characters. Scarlett O'Hara's headstrong disposition kept me riveted through Gone With the Wind's one thousand pages. The shy and humble unnamed heroine in Rebecca was closer to my personality, but I didn't appreciate her until my adult years. I preferred feisty heroines like Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth Bennet.

I especially love historical novels 

They transport me to other places and eras. The first classic romance I read at age twelve was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, which was to be the catalyst to a genre that would sweep me away to foreign countries with castles and manor houses and brooding gentlemen, hidden secrets, family curses and sometimes insane wives locked in the attic.

I prefer happy endings, although some of the greatest love stories end tragically. I still have a second edition of Jane Eyre with yellowed pages and black leather binding, which I found in a secondhand bookshop many years ago. Unfortunately the text is underlined with pen (don't blame me) and it isn't worth much, but to read from this volume makes me believe I am part of C. Bronte's world.

The following list of great romance novels is not in order of preference

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Possession by A. S. Byatt
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James



I know I've left a few romance novels off my list 

Anything written by Georgette Heyer and Rosamund Pilcher deserve to be mentioned. I'm sure you've noticed that my list of great romance novels does not include books with vampires and werewolves. Please don't judge me. I really do love horror novels, but my list is for human lovers only.

Since my adolescent years I have held a fascination for Pre-Raphaelite artists and poets, probably because they represent Gothic romantic themes. Many of the titles on my list are Gothic novels that I never tire of reading. The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott is a poem so I left it off the list, but it's breathtaking.

Do you agree with my list? What is your favorite romance novel of all time? ♥

The Antagonist as the Main Character

The main character in the series I'm currently writing just happens to be an antihero who thinks he's the good guy. He has traits of a villain, but he is the central character in the novel. Of course, he's not all bad and he has a good reason to mistrust others whom he believes want to steal something important from him.

 A sympathetic villain protagonist requires several traits that a writer must consider. He must be believable and adapt to changes, whether he wants to or not. His flaws come from a survival instinct and fear of discovery and he must have one or more endearing qualities. It's the consequences of discovery that motivates his vile actions. His secrets should be revealed gradually throughout the novel.

He doesn't necessarily need to dislike the people he betrays and he only kills when threatened. This does not apply to serial killers, but my antagonist isn't mentally unbalanced. A believable antagonist acts on his desires and is highly motivated by his fear of discovery. He must have a few sympathetic traits, such as loving animals. Birdman of Alcatraz fits into that category. Robert Franklin Stroud was convicted of manslaughter, but his love of birds helped him pass the time in prison.

Dr. Frankenstein's monster is probably the most misunderstood character. He's kind hearted and kills only when threatened. Even then, he feels remorse. Characters in the novel fear his frightening presence, but those who know him, fear for his safety.

A few novels with the antagonist as the main character are, Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, the musical, Wicked, by Winnie Holzman, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. All of these characters have a few good traits and a few manage to mend their evil ways.

When I was a child, one of my favorite characters was The Grinch, created by Dr. Seuss. Cold and Heartless, The Grinch doesn't want anyone to be happy and spends all of his time sabotaging the sunny community of Whoville. Of course, he mends his evil ways by the end of the story.

Creating a villain protagonist allows the writer to use other characters to oppose him.

Just remember that the protagonist must strike a cord of sympathy with the reader and become an anti-hero of sorts.

As an experiment, spend twenty minutes writing a villain protagonist. Who is he or she? Why did he become evil? Is he a hopeless cause or can he be redeemed?

CURES FOR A SAGGY MIDDLE

By saggy middle, I don't mean belly fat. I'm referring to the middle of a story or novel. How many times have you read a book and loved the first few chapters, only to grow bored with the plot? The first chapter informs us that the protagonist has a specific goal or problem and yet, halfway through the book, the writer uses inessential details and drags the plot to an early grave. The middle is where the reader needs to be incited to finish the novel.

I find the middle of a story is the most difficult part to write. The beginning introduces the characters and their problems and the ending ties everything together, but middles can get saggy or worse, boring. By the middle of a novel, the characters should be all introduced, the setting fixed and the goal established.

The middle of a novel is where a major setback hinders the protagonist's efforts. Just as with real people, characters should grow and learn. Too many characters can weigh a novel down. Conversations where characters know the answers are a lazy method of explaining information.

Every scene needs tension or conflict. It must raise a question or advance the protagonist towards a goal. If a scene doesn't advance the plot or deepen characterization, it's just filler.

Open each scene with a hook and end it with a dilemma. Cliffhanger endings are a page-turner. Stretch tension by slowing a scene down. Use setting to increase tension. Suppose your main character is fishing in a small boat that runs out of fuel. Add a thunderstorm and you've escalated the tension.

Don't forget to use emotional and physical tension such as anger, fear, jealousy, illness or injury.

Raise the stakes by putting the protagonist in the middle of a conflict where he/she must make a difficult decision that goes against their nature.

Here are a few tricks to writing a more creative scene:

Leave out a crucial detail or introduce a red herring to keep the reader guessing. Every mystery writer uses these techniques.

Tell things out of order. This could include a flashback or simply moving time back and forth to show what each character is doing.

Let the reader know what is going to happen before the main character finds out. For example, someone expecting a huge inheritance buys an expensive item, but the next scene shows the lawyer reviewing a will that disinherits the protagonist.

End the scene in the middle of a dilemma, disaster or introduce an unexpected development.

Now for the fun part--pull out an old manuscript and review a couple of scenes, using some of the tips listed above.

Let's make a pact to keep saggy middles out of our writing.

My Writing Corner

Writing isn't easy. The only people who think writing is easy haven't actually sat in front of their word processor or a blank piece of paper. I have friends who say they're going to write a novel--they have the perfect story to tell. I smile and encourage them, knowing it will never happen. At the very least, writing takes discipline, time, energy and a creative mind.

It's taken me years to figure out that there is a right time and a place to write, and forcing myself to write during other times or in other places doesn't work.


I need a cozy spot to write, which happens to be my home office. It's a small room on the second floor of our house, painted Wedgwood blue. Some of my favorite things are kept there, among them, a large print of Monet's water lilies, an antique French rug that I carried home from the Antique Market in Toronto twenty-five years ago on the subway, incense burners, stones, candles and feathers I've collected over the years and a marble urn containing my father's ashes. I like to think he's encouraging me now as he did when he was alive. Of course there are several book shelves and a comfortable wing-back chair for reading.

The best time for me to write is in the afternoon at my desk under a window overlooking the backyard. I love the sound of birds singing in the trees, but I will only get off my chair to admire the blue jays and cardinals. I'll write for a few hours, make supper, walk the dog and settle down in the guest room beside the office. With the TV on, I'll plot out the next scene of my novel on paper with a pen or pencil. The next morning, first thing, I'll sit down at the desk and review the chapter I wrote the day before. Editing seems to work best for me early in the morning and it puts me back in the writing groove.

I get more writing done when I stick with this format. I like to write a fairly decent first draft. Other writers brag that they write 20 pages a day and can finish a first-draft in a month, but I'd rather write 4 to 6 pages that require minimal revisions, than 10 to 20 pages slapped down in an undecipherable mess that will take me just as long to revise.

The next time you find yourself writing something that flows effortlessly, make a note of the time and place. It might just be the best time and place for you to write.

As for blogging, I prefer late Sunday afternoons, while the dog and hubby nap in the living room. I'll tiptoe upstairs with a glass of wine and a plate of grapes and cheese and type my feelings and thoughts to people who understand the art of writing.

Where is your favorite place to write?

THE DARK DAYS OF WINTER

The ground is covered with snow that has hardened to ice and freezing rain is predicted today. It seems a long time since we could step outside without wearing coats and boots. I'm looking forward to seeing tulip buds and hyacinths peeking out of the ground and exploring the back garden to see what has survived and what will require my attention. The garden hides her secrets during the winter months and reveals them one by one as the snow melts and the sun rejuvenates the dormant foliage.

Despite the weather, it's my daily custom to feed birds and squirrels from a box, hanging on the branch of a birch tree and, occasionally, I am rewarded by the call of a bluejay or cardinal. My home office window overlooks the backyard and the small wildlife offerings help brighten the loneliness of a writer's life. 

I believe it's important during the cold months of the year to create a serene space where my creative juices are able to flow and not freeze like the landscape outside my window. I keep cherished knickknacks close by and my pens are stored in a blue china mug on my desk. A framed Monet print of water lilies and a vision board, showcasing cards and photographs of  people and places I love, share one wall, while the other walls are hidden behind white bookshelves crammed with favorite tomes that have all been read several times.

My writing room is constantly changing to accommodate new favorite items that give me pleasure and help inspire the inner writer in me.

What are some of the things that inspire your writing?

HOOKED ON GOTHIC NOVELS

It's that time of year when snow is falling and wind is howling through the bare branches outside. I find myself snuggled in a comfy chair, wrapped in a throw blanket, sipping hot tea or wine while I read a Gothic novel. There's something about cold winter nights that draws me into the pages of Gothic books. 

The formula of a good Gothic is a combination of elements. Atmosphere is crucial--the ancient graveyard at night, the crumbling castle or dark mansion, the misty lake, a black dog baying at the moon and gusts of wind blowing out candle flames. A woman in distress, an oppressive male threatening the heroine and a supernatural presence that might include omens, curses or ghosts are essential.

My introduction to Gothic Romance began when I was a young teenager. Staying at a friend's cottage in Muskoka and trapped inside during stormy weather, I discovered rows of leather-bound classic novels on a dusty bookshelf and immersed myself in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. I was hooked and went on to devour other Victorian Gothic treasures including, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Dracula by Bram Stoker and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Even Sherlock Holmes found himself lost on the moors in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.

When I was a few years older, Edgar Allen Poe drew me into darker horror that led me to H. P. Lovecraft, Stephen King and Anne Rice. The first Gothic novel is considered to be The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. I'll never know how I missed reading this one, but I'm off to the library today to borrow it. I found a list of the best 250 Gothic Books of all time on goodreads and I was surprised to find that I've read a great many of the titles with the exception of the more recent novels.

Modern Gothic novels continue to delight my love of horror. Susan Hill's ghost novels are short, but frightening. I discovered The Woman in Black many years ago in a secondhand bookstore and read it every winter. Last week I ordered two of her other ghost tales, The Small Hand and Dolly, and the former is wonderful. The Small Hand is similar to The Woman in Black in that it suggests a ghostly child touching the main character in a way that is so creepy I got goosebumps. 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is another favourite novel of mine. Of course I cannot leave out one of the best Gothic horror novels of all time--The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. 

Most of my writing reflects my love of Gothic themes and my bookshelves are filled with novels containing tales of terror and otherworldly thrills. My corner of the world is expecting a storm tonight that is predicted to be the heaviest snowfall in five years. I'm looking forward to my cozy chair, a glass of wine and losing myself in a Gothic novel.

Do you have a favourite Gothic novel?  

A Writer's Life

A writer's life is filled with books, pens, copious cups of tea and coffee and blank pages.

I finished writing the final draft of my fantasy novel last year and will begin Book 2 this month.

January flew by while I evaluated and edited a historical manuscript for an old friend. It was time well spent. Editing one's own manuscript is impossible to do without outside advice. I wish to thank my writing colleagues for their sage advice regarding my characters, plot and setting. Some characters wouldn't have survived my blue pencil. The plot is stronger and the setting clearer, despite its fictional backdrop.

Shall I construct a schedule? Will I stick to it? Will I find an agent for Book 1? Should I self-publish instead? So many questions with so few answers.

All I can do is forge ahead and not give up.