This article will help you navigate and tune in. Plot, characters, language of narration, plot - these are the three pillars on which the novel rests.

Let's deal with the characters.“The heroes of a novel should be living people…” as Mark Twain said in The ABC of the Novel by Mark Twain. To characters novels turned out to be real, full-blooded, the author himself must clearly see and understand them. Some writers advise to think over the biographies of the main characters and put them in a separate file. And then choose the most "tidbits". This is an awesome method. True, labor intensive. Ready? Get started! Where he was born, how he studied, family circle, friends, first kiss, successes and failures. It turns out like a cheat sheet, where you will find clues already in the process of creating a novel. Spoken language helps to "revive" the characters. The dialogues show their attitude to the world, to the situation, to each other. Let's say a friend can tell the main character who is going on a date.

You are lucky! You don't have to paint your eyes! All my life I envied your eyelashes, so black, long!

And it becomes clear that, firstly, they have been friends since childhood, and secondly, the heroine has expressive eyes. The use of slang, favorite expressions, sayings "colors" the character and makes it convex, reliable.

Plot. You can act freely with the elements of the plot, no one is obliged to write according to a clear plan. How to start? This question worries every writer: both novice and professional.

Here are some forms of introduction that can be used in a romance novel:

1. Narrative. It's simple: you tell, describe.
2. Dialogue or monologue. Very convenient, winning start. You can choose any pace and any theme: landscape, eternal truths, heroes. You can cut off the conversation interesting place, revive with a variety of intonations, slang.
3. Letter. The main option is the correspondence of heroes. Here, the advantages of a monologue dialogue are preserved, in addition, the payload of the text and information content increase.
4. Document. This may be a statement of divorce or, conversely, a marriage certificate. A court verdict, a certificate from a mental hospital, a bank account.

The plot should keep in suspense, intrigue. Alternate the dialogues and actions of the characters, cut off the scene at the most exciting moment, dilute the dynamic episodes with descriptions. Flashbacks help to change the scenery well - that is, the recreation of the past of the characters. It can be both yesterday's events and childhood memories. Psychological flashbacks perfectly dilute the dynamic action, allow the story to be told in different time planes, and provide an opportunity to make an intriguing stop before a tense episode.

Artistic expressiveness. As one of famous writers no one can write five hundred bad stories. So the main thing to create own style- an experience. Stuff your hand. Remember Y. Olesha: "Not a day without a line!". Very important point in the manner of writing - the use of stamps. "Their hearts sounded in unison", "her eyes shone like stars", "delicate as a violet" - such expressions are worn out to such an extent that any plot will lose its fascination. So do not fall into banality. As a last resort, if you can’t find the original turnover, discard this sentence altogether. Is the meaning lost? Excessive pretentiousness also spoils the impression. Do not cling to every successful image, postpone until better times if it does not “fit in” or clutters up the text.

Happy end. The romance novel genre implies a happy ending to the story. There are, of course, exceptions, but they only confirm the rules. The desire for originality is out of place here: the reader will feel deceived and disappointed if he stumbles upon something like “everyone died” at the end. Don't reinvent the wheel, love stories are relaxing reading. May your novel be as easy and fun to read as you wrote it.

HOW TO WRITE A GENIUS LOVE NOVEL

Text: Per. from Amer. and reconciliation of quotes from bestsellers - A. D. Stepanov

The romance novel is hated by feminists, despised by critics. But it has obvious advantages:

b) it is easy to write;

c) you can.

Ready? Sure? (Ready? Exactly? - Amer.)

Sit down at the computer and follow the instructions.

1. alias

If your passport says “Nina Ponchikova”, you need to take a pseudonym. In all other cases - too. Feel free to launch a new brand - there are already so many of them that no one will suspect anything. But remember: a pseudonym should make you dizzy, like a queen's smile. Let him remind you of art, history, better world Cast: Monica Delacroix, Aphrodite Renaissance, Natasha Sanssouci, Nonna Barcelona, ​​Marina San Marino, Rosa Luxembourg. Mythology is welcome. Brands noble families, great writers and composers are definitely busy.

One pseudonym is not enough, you need a memorable image. Information about the author can be submitted in two versions - sincere and business. Soulful option: “Esperal Satori was born on Christmas Eve in the wild forests of Virginia and immediately became an orphan. She graduated from Berkeley with a degree in cactus growing, but decided to devote herself to people. Published 119 novels. He loves the smell of nasturtiums, travel, his heroes and all of you. Great for making lasagna. Lives on his ranch in Barbados. The presence of one hundred and fifteen adored creatures, including her husband, four children and forty-eight parrots, does not allow her to become a hermit. Attached is a photo of the author with three hand koalas. Newest business option: “Suzanne Beach was born in Big Ess, Virginia. Trained as a cactus grower. In 1998 she carried out her first book project, since 1999 she has been a writer. In 2001, she left the market of short love stories, in the same year she joined the mainstream of romantic literature. Sold 119 novels totaling 132,000,000 copies” (count the zeros, there should be six). Make sure the name on the author's information matches the name on the cover.

3. NAME

(Consists of a noun and a definition.)

Angel: silver, personal, defiant, misguided, vicious, fallen, for Emily.

In the arms: sunset, forever yours, prince, viking, pirate.

Star: midnight, wild, jade.

Bride: obstinate, overseas, tomboy, rival, deceiver, heiress, hostage, large-caliber, accidental, returned, almost.

Scoundrel: sweet, beloved, desired, unique, irresistible, mine.

Love: in the fire, in the clouds, in the Ritz Hotel, among the ruins, on the chopping block, on the edge of the moon, on the air, and eternity, and witchcraft, and thunder, and wind, and revenge, and Lucia, and kisses, and the suffering of Princess Maritza , smuggler, filibuster, pirate, viking, velvet, reckless, stronger than the devil, on order, to the rescue, on-line, better than chocolate, always wins, conquers everything.

A heart: flaming, distrustful, iron, not a stone, open your own, only knows.

Captive: beautiful, golden, hawk, viking, sheikh. (Note: If "Prisoner", then only passions. Prisoners of Azkaban in another department.)

The adjective "other" in the title should be avoided. This word is listed only in the market for alternative orientations. Think about who you are writing for.

The name of the heroine should hint at her divine (royal, alien) origin. Optimal names: Angelica, Angelina, Angelica, Angela, Angela, Angel. Names with "e" reversed hit the top ten - Ariel, Adele, Belle, Claire, Clarabelle. The name should mean something bright and beautiful (look in the dictionary). The hero's name is short and energetic, like a barking bulldog: Rolf. The titles of princes are formed from any combination of letters with the addition of "-Shirsky" or "-Minster". The names of sheikhs must contain two "al" and three "abu".

5. APPEARANCE

Mandatory attributes of the heroine: a mop of shiny luxurious hair, matte smoothness (sic!) Of the skin, the correct oval of the face, silky hips. The appearance of the hero: think about the film adaptation. Best of all: "A thin, oblong face that looks great in front of a TV camera from any angle." But in the Most Important Scenes, you need to give a close-up: "The eye-catching golden growth of curly hair on the chest narrowed to the waist and became thicker in the groin." Special meaning have eyes. Her eyes: emerald, huge, feline, burning. His eyes are only blue. Her eyes are needed for beauty: "Huge, angry sparkling emeralds clean water". His eyes are needed to look at her: “Blue eyes stared at her breasts” (middle manager); "Icy blue eyes searched her body from head to toe" (Viking).

This is the easiest. There are two pairs of roles: a) Cinderella - Princess; b) Monster - Prince. In the course of action, Cinderella becomes a princess, then Cinderella again - back and forth, back and forth, many times. The monster turns into a prince only once - when he falls in love with the heroine. The princess is offended by villains (relatives, blackmailers, robbers, competitors - blind them in contrast with the main characters) and the elements (storm, flood). The direction of the plot: defeat enemies, overcome obstacles and improve the heroine's quality of life. Intermediate points: five rescues (two from water, two from rabid animals, one from a rapist), three faints, ten descriptions of the incredible beauty of the surroundings (more castles!), twenty-eight disguises, one transformation of the Beast. The final destination - The Princess and the Prince are doing the most important thing in life.

7. THE MOST IMPORTANT

The culmination and meaning of the project are the words "entered it." According to the number of “entered it”, the novel is assigned stars. In a one-star novel, “entered it” is located exactly in the middle of the text (and also, of course, in the final - this is not considered an asterisk), in a two-star novel - after every third, etc. The novel is not a hotel or cognac, stars may be like in Hollywood. But there must be at least three pages of respite between the stars. The correct description of the most important thing: ““Connect with me, my love,” he said in a broken voice, pressing his lips to her luxurious hair, “you are my salvation and my heaven.” “After hugging Angelina, he entered her again” (middle manager). “Lightning entered her deep into the fire of his body” (Viking).

Style consists of adjectives, nouns and verbs. Adjectives: mysterious, strong, long-awaited, unique, tart, hot, burning, violent, sweet, sinful. Nouns: flower, fragrance, innocence, prince, kiss, passion, ecstasy, hurricane; hair, lips, thighs, bosom, surface, flesh, chest. Verbs: run away, find, meet, snuggle, hug, melt, crave, bite, enter. Naturalism is forbidden, euphemism is welcome. A euphemism is the following: "The bud of her innocence blossomed and longed to receive his flesh." In mild versions, the Most Important is replaced by the words "clung to the chest" (the "Dreams" series), "embracing his neck" (the "For Girls" series) and, finally, the words "their lips met" (Barbara Cartland).

The detail must be expressive and unambiguous. The brightest you will find in romance novels with a political lining: "Are you ready to sacrifice thousands of votes for a few hours ... - She gestured at the panties lying on the table." In addition, there are details indicating the origin and upbringing of the characters. When portraying social life, remember that the lords always have handkerchiefs - use them more often.

Short, related to the action. Should begin with the word “any”: “Any small animal, even the weakest, when it has nowhere to run, is ready to pounce on a predator”; "In any family where both spouses are busy with careers, problems are inevitable." The frequency is one maxim per three pages.

The novel ends with The Most Important, but the ending should be true to the title: "Hang on, Riley, I'm going to keep you in bed for a while," Bryn purred, settling herself comfortably on him. - I have long been convinced that the morning is yours best time("Kiss at Dawn").

Follow these rules, show perseverance and diligence - and your life will become a fairy tale, like Barbara Cartland. You will publish 20 novels a year, live in a castle, drive a white pug in a white Rolls-Royce, and by the age of 90 you will be the great-aunt of the Prince of Wales. But even if the prince cheats and does not appear, even if you are not published at all, then do not be discouraged: in any case, a review from a reader of Forget-me-not will come to your page in LiveJournal: SIMPOTIC.

What is the difference love story from everyone else? In a romance novel, the plot is based on the passion of the main characters for each other. Cut it off and there will be nothing left of the book.

The purpose of a romance novel is to give readers the beautiful illusion that they love and are loved.

A few years ago, the Romance Writers of America did an interesting study. It turned out that romance novels make up about a third of all art books. In 2005, 64.6 million Americans read at least one romance novel. Fans of this genre are people from 15 to 75 years old, with half of them included in age group from 25 to 54 years old. Surprisingly, but true: men make up 22% of readers of women's novels. Many of them subscribe to receive books by mail, but they do everything in the name of their wife - so as not to embarrass themselves.

Romance novels are usually published in series with a general layout. Some publishers typeset the entire series so that each book has the same number of pages, which cuts down on printing, packaging, and shipping costs. Books with some unifying feature are selected for the series: it can be mysticism, erotica, office romance, detective story, etc. But the main storyline is love.

Romance subgenres

Chick-lit(from the English Chick-Lit - literature for chicks). The subgenre originated from numerous television series featuring young girls who think more about a career than about marriage. The heroines are in their 20s, working in low-paying jobs and dreaming of a stellar future. And then HE appears - inflated, smart and rich. At the same time, the Heroine is by no means a Turgenev girl. She can smoke, swear, and even have not one, but two or three loves of her life. The style of presentation is usually ironic. The story is often told in the first person.

In the West, they also single out hen-lit, that is, literature for older ladies. The style of presentation is similar to chik-lit. The difference lies in the fact that the heroine of hen-lit is over thirty, she has everything in order with money and social position, she is married, but to the wrong person, or has just divorced. Another offshoot is mam-lit or mam's literature. Everything is the same, but the main character has children and they significantly influence the development of the plot.

Women's prose. The heroine is less emancipated and self-confident, does not smoke, does not drink, and generally behaves like an exemplary young lady. Belongs to the middle class. The goal is the same - to find the man of your dreams.

Glamor. A story about the heartbreaks of the rich and famous. They are also looking for the Prince, but always with half the kingdom in addition.

Erotica. Along the way, the Heroine and the Prince often have sex for a long time. All this is described in colorful detail.

Historical novel . The search for the Prince is carried out against the backdrop of castles and lush crinolines. History is everything that happened before the 1950s. The later period in the eyes of readers does not look so romantic. The heroine and the Prince are ahead of their time and are distinguished by their broad outlook and freedom from prejudice.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The search for the Prince leads the Heroine into the future or into a distant kingdom. Obstacles of love are repaired by galactic pirates or the Lord of the Black Iron.

Mystic. The love story develops with the participation of otherworldly forces, such as witches, werewolves, vampires, genies, angels and other paranormal creatures.

Thriller. The heroes are in terrible danger, they cling to each other, and the result is love.

Detective. Usually in these novels there is a third extra - a dead man. The heroine and / or the Prince investigate what happened and simultaneously love each other.

Saga. Tells about the life of a woman - from childhood to retirement. Accordingly, love for the Prince sweeps through the years.

Teen Literature. Aimed at girls aged 12-17. Dedicated to first love.

Romance plan

A typical outline of a romance novel looks like this:

1. The hero and heroine fall in love.

2. A problem arises that prevents them from connecting their hearts.

3. Feelings deepen. The heroes understand that this is the Love of a Lifetime.

4. The problem is solved, and the characters exchange kisses, declarations of love, wedding rings, erotic allusions, etc.

The characters in a romance novel should be likable. While reading a quality work, readers easily associate themselves with the Heroine and easily fall in love with the Prince. Therefore, the petty bitch and the elderly criminal with lice in his beard immediately disappear. But working according to the template “he was handsome as a god and smart as a snake” is also not good. The hero must have a bright personality - that is, stand out from the crowd of book machos.

Aspiring authors often describe their heroines as 20-year-old beauties with an unprecedented IQ and a director's chair under a lovely ass. Unfortunately, this does not happen. Girls with a model appearance work as models, not presidents of international companies. And the reason here is not that beauty does not combine with the mind, but that a successful leader must have experience, connections and knowledge that you will not get in general education school. So either give your beauty 10-15 years, or demote her: let her work as a secretary or an assistant accountant.

The other extreme is to make the heroine too impenetrable. No model will calmly collect evidence, stumbling upon a corpse under the bed. And if she starts, then this girl does not need a groom, but an ambulance. The young ladies who believe any lies, love idiots and purposely put themselves in mortal danger also look implausible.

The same goes for the Princes. If your macho is rich, smart and beautiful, it is unlikely that he has suffered from loneliness all these years and was waiting for true love. Smart people do not wait and do not suffer: they are engaged in business. Especially if funds allow.

Throughout the novel, the characters have to face at least two problems: the first problem leads to the acquaintance of the characters, the second - prevents their love.

There must be some circumstances that will force the characters to continue communication: joint work, natural disaster, war, common housing, etc.

If the characters initially hate each other, it should not be unreasonable hatred. The same goes for love. Show what exactly attracts the Prince to the Heroine, and the Heroine to the Prince.

Sexual attraction and passion at first sight is not love. If we are talking about genuine feelings, then we need to write down how the characters communicate with each other, why they respect each other and what exactly excites their passion.

In a genre romance novel, everything should be simple and recognizable. For this reason, you should carefully choose the place and time of action. Novels that appeal to familiar cultures, historical events, and geographic regions sell well. For example, a love story from the life of a wild tribe from the banks of the Limpopo is an almost guaranteed failure. Russia, Europe and North America is a good place for action; it is better if at least one of the heroes is a Russian. Exotic countries will do, but the heroes, again, must have a connection with Russia.

If the author wants to tell about the love of an Afghan girl for a one-legged cripple, he will have to write not a ladies' novel, but the mainstream - that is, take not so much the plot as the beauty of the style and smart thoughts (as Khaled Hosseini did, the author of one of the largest bestsellers of recent times - A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Writing a book at the intersection of the mainstream and the pink genre, as a rule, does not justify itself: the labor costs are high, and the return is zero. Aesthetes will turn up their noses - it's too vulgar, but non-aesthetics will still not appreciate the author's efforts. So it is important to decide from the very beginning - for whom you are writing and whether you have the qualifications to carry out your plan.

What tricks await the author of a romance novel

If you are applying for a place in a love series, do not start the story from the childhood of the heroine, with a description historical events, parallel worlds, beautiful countryside, etc. You're selling a love story - so start with a promise interesting history love. It will be possible to return to childhood and worlds later - in the order of a flashback. A great start is an action that shows the heroine in all her glory: what kind of woman she is, what exactly she is interesting for, etc.

Do not use clichés typical of romance novels:

Petya's car crashed into Masha's car; the characters fight, and then they start to love each other.

Petya picked up Masha in his arms and carried her up the stairs - to make love, of course.

Masha fell from the third floor (from a ladder, from a tree, etc.), and Petya caught her.

Petya suffered from a bandit bullet (cougar claws, Jewish pogrom, etc.), and Masha cured him of his wounds.

Masha came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and ran into Petya.

Petya spied Masha bathing.

Masha was forced to marry Petya, and then it turned out that Petya was the dream of her whole life.

Masha's heel broke, and Petya carried her in his arms into a brighter future.

The first kiss of Masha and Petya takes place against the backdrop of fireworks.

Heroes kiss - the audience applauds.

If the Prince has an Other, don't make her a complete idiot or scumbag. This casts a shadow on the mental abilities of the hero. After all, he contacted her for some reason, right? The same applies to the ex-fiance (husband, lover) of the Heroine.

Check to see if there is conflict in your novel. The reason the characters can't connect their hearts shouldn't be down to arguing, or because their explanations are interrupted all the time, either by a curious neighbor or a mischievous cat.

Sex

A love story must be passionate. This doesn't mean that the characters have to have sexual orgies on every page. Passion is emotional tension, and the key to it is unsatisfied desire of heroes.

There, on the soft sand, a few steps away from the elders, we lay all morning in a numb frenzy of love torment and used every blessed flaw in the fabric of time and space to touch each other: her hand, through the sand, crawled towards me, moved closer and closer. closer, shifting narrow sunburned fingers, and then her mother-of-pearl knee set off on the same long, cautious journey; sometimes an occasional rampart, erected by other younger children, served as a cover for a quick salty kiss.

V. Nabokov "Lolita"

Tomorrow you must disappear, flee to Moscow, hide from everyone with this shameful misfortune of deceived country love, so obvious even to servants in the house! But at this thought, the memory of the velvety of her cherry lips so pierced that her arms and legs were taken away. If he was sitting alone on the balcony and she happened to pass by, she would say something particularly insignificant to him as she walked, with immoderate simplicity - but where is this aunt? didn't you remove it? - and he hurried to answer her in a tone ready to sob from pain. Once, as she passed, she saw Zoya on his lap—what did she care about that? But she suddenly flashed her eyes wildly, shouted: Don't you dare, you nasty girl, climb on the knees of men! - and he was seized with delight: this is jealousy, jealousy!

I. Bunin "Zoyka and Valeria"

Aerobatics - writing about sex is sensual, but not vulgar. Describing emotions and key images that create the right atmosphere is what makes an erotic scene tender and refined. Therefore, the grossest mistake would be a detailed technical description of the act itself, as well as the use of medical or vulgar vocabulary. The worst option is all kinds of "wet lagoons" and "peaks of pleasure."

The classics described sex scenes like this:

Raised the veil, tilted her head, kissed - she rejected a little more. I went up the slippery greenish silk stocking, to the clasp on it, to the elastic, unfastened it, kissed the warm pink body of the beginning of the thigh, then again into the half-open mouth - she began to bite my lips a little ...

I. Bunin "Galia Ganskaya"

She rolled over to my side, and her warm blond curls fell on my right collarbone. I faked waking up pretty badly. At first we were quiet. I softly stroked her hair and we kissed softly. I was somewhat blissfully embarrassed by the fact that her kiss was distinguished by a somewhat comical refinement in the sense of the flutter of an inquisitive sting, from which I concluded that she had been trained in early age some little lesbian. No Charlie could teach her such tricks!

As if wanting to see if I had eaten my fill and learned the lesson I promised earlier, she leaned back a little, watching me. Her cheeks flushed, her plump lower lip gleamed, my disintegration was near. Suddenly, with a flash of hooligan fun (a sign of a nymphet!), she put her mouth to my ear - but for a long time my mind could not break the hot rumble of her whisper into words, and she interrupted it with laughter, and brushed the curls from her face, and tried again, and an amazing feeling that I live in a fantastic, just created, crazy world, where everything is allowed, slowly overcame me as I began to guess what exactly was being offered to me.

V. Nabokov "Lolita"

The description of the feelings of the characters looks very impressive when the most important thing is already behind.

I am proud and happy, like Herodias. This head is offered to me. I thank fate for dancing the dance of the seven veils for me. I am ready to kiss this greatest of sandals her dirty heels for a magnificent and one-of-a-kind offering.

Morning rays stream through the cream curtain.

Damned sun! Disgusting sun! It will wake her up from sleep. It stomps around the room with its copper boots like a draft cab.

This is true.

Olga lifts her eyelids heavy with weariness; stretches; With a sigh, he turns his head towards me.

- Terrible, terrible, terrible! All the time I was sure that I was getting married by calculation, but it turned out that I got married for love. You, my dear, are thin as a chip and in December you will not warm the bed at all.

A. Mariengof "Cynics"

Friends, I distribute June debts. Firstly, as promised, I open it - however, I must immediately warn you, most of the participants have already been recruited, and the recording will close ahead of time. So, if you wanted exactly this project, I advise you to hurry up! Repeat, at best, will be in the fall.

Secondly, after, I promised to say a few words about how you still need to write. I speak from the point of view of a reviewer who has read women's prose deep in my mind there are specific techniques that serve as pointers to what happens standing book . America will not open, everything is very banal!

These pointers are:

1. Good dialogues

Women's novels cannot be imagined without endless declarations of love and quarrels between lovers. Accordingly, much attention is paid to dialogues. It is very sad when the characters squeeze out strained beautiful speeches that can only make the reader laugh. If you're not sure you can write really elegant, humorous dialogue, keep it simple, don't force the characters to speak "pretty".

A little advice for those who doubt their abilities: to write at least more or less normal dialogues, try to avoid two mistakes:

1) don't force the characters to talk platitudes or "talk for the reader". Trite - this is when the characters chew on information that does not move the plot forward.

- Have you eaten?

- Yes, I went to a business lunch in a restaurant ...

What is this, let's be honest, not the most interesting dialogue about? What information does it convey to the reader? None? Then feel free to remove it. This boring dialogue could be left out if, for example, it brought the characters into direct conflict:

- Have you eaten?

Are you really interested in this? Since when did you start playing caring wifey?

Or would display a hidden conflict, for example, would show the tension between the characters:

- Have you eaten?

- Mm?

“I left you dinner on the stove, have you forgotten?”

— Oh, don't worry, I went to a business lunch.

— Is that how? Funny... I love to cook food and throw it away...

Or let the characters reveal themselves, for example, to show their sense of humor:

- Have you eaten?

— Yes, dear, the soup from the little red pot was wonderful...

- Actually, it's a compote ... chicken soup in a blue bowl in the refrigerator.

The training examples are simplified as much as possible, but the essence is clear: a dialogue without a function is words thrown to the wind.

Even worse, when the characters begin to reveal information to the reader through dialogue:

Do you remember under what circumstances we broke up?

- Oh yeah! You thought I was cheating on you best friend even though it was just one innocent dance... But you got so angry then...

Do not do that. Do not let the characters tell each other what they already know very well, otherwise the characters appear before the readers as complete idiots. It is better to enter information for the reader directly into the narrative, for example, using flashbacks:

She suddenly remembered that on the evening they parted, he was wearing the same or at least a similar shirt. The cornflower blue set off his eyes so beautifully... She shook her head as she remembered how the color of his eyes had changed at the end of the evening. One meaningless dance that was misinterpreted... One dance that turned her life around...

2) don't let the characters call each other by their first names. In one book, I came across love dialogues of the following plan:

“I will love you forever, Ann!”

Oh, Tom, don't let me go! Never!

Ann, I won't let you go. I won't let anyone come between us, dear!

And believe me, this was not a vulgar paperback novel, but a book that claimed a much higher status. Of course, such dialogues nullify the whole impression of the novel. Let's agree: real life people most often call each other by their first names only when they call someone or make a request/claim: “Lenusik, get on the phone!”, “Lesh, can you help me with the dishes?”. And in these cases, names are often replaced by nicknames: “Kitty, you are on the phone!”, “Bobblehead, can you help me with the dishes?”.

2. Lack of erotica

Strange, right? It's about about women's novels, and - here you go! - let's do without erotica, how so?

The fact is that few writers are able to create a truly beautiful erotic scene. All these “their bodies connected”, “they moved in a common rhythm”, “he ran his hand over her breasts, circled the semicircles of her nipples with his finger”, as a rule, look ridiculous and funny. If you're confident, try writing a quality erotic scene and post it on a writer's forum to see how independent readers react. Received good feedback? Then feel free to skip this paragraph.

If you are not a guru of sexual descriptions, avoid erotica. Experienced authors allow themselves only a few speaking details - "peppercorns", after which they provide the reader with the opportunity to complete the picture mentally:

“I stood on the sun-drenched earth and felt that I was about to explode. And then he stepped forward and pressed his lips to my nipple. I almost lost consciousness. And this time he didn't think to move away. This time it was for real. His hands slid down my body, skirt flew to the ground, jeans fell to my feet. I trembled, clung to him, wept with relief. The raspberries were forgotten, rolled across the grass, and we fell right on the juicy red berries.”

Sophie Kinsella "Goddess in the Kitchen" (genre - chiclit)

The book allows the fantasy to work with might and main, use it, leave hint details, according to which you can mentally recreate the scene. Too straightforward authors make readers bored.

Little tip: try to write a very, very hot scene, gradually raising the degree of passion between the characters. After the scene is completed, remove the most juicy moments, leaving gaps instead. See what happened. The tension will continue, and clumsy descriptions will give way to meaningful silence.

3. Unexpected (but justified!) plot twists

The problem is that many authors believe that their books have unexpected plot twists. For example, after twenty years of separation, the heroine unexpectedly meets former lover in ... his own office - it turns out that now he will be her boss. Probably those authors who included this scene in their novels believed that they came up with sharp turn. But if they read more books in their chosen genre, they would know that this is one of the most banal notions that one can think of.

Little tip: to come up with really interesting plot twists, read more novels. Read different authors, classic and contemporary, note unusual plot twists in their books. A poor girl Marrying a millionaire is not cool. The poor girl marries a millionaire and is desperately jealous of his first wife, who died under tragic circumstances. True, it soon turns out that the millionaire did not love, but hated ex-wife and killed her himself "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier) - cool!

One more little advice: use "Rule of Ten Tries" - try to come up with ten unexpected outcomes of a particular scene. For example, a girl meets a former lover - where, under what circumstances? Write 10 options: 1) on the street; 2) visiting mutual friends ... 10) in prison, where she was imprisoned on a false charge and where he works as a security guard. As a rule, the tenth option will be the most original.

An unexpected but justified plot twist - what does it mean? This means that one should not sacrifice the logic of the narrative in an effort to impress the reader. Of course, you can arrange for the heroine to attack a crocodile who escaped from the zoo, but why?

Here are two novels I have read recently. One begins with the death of the hero, after his death, his second wife and stepdaughter try to sort out their feelings and learn to build life in a new way. The author shows what stages of grief the characters go through, how the tragedy first separates and then unites them, how they build relationships with new lovers.

The second novel ends with the death of the hero. Throughout the book, the characters living in different countries trying to build relationships at a distance. When they almost succeed main character dies in a plane crash. Attention - the question is: why? Obviously, only to end the novel unexpectedly. Yes, the ending is unpredictable, but since there is no logic in it, it leaves a hint of disappointment.

4. Understanding the variety of the genre

Here we say "women's prose", but at the same time we keep in mind that within this genre field there are many specific areas: from the classic romance novel to chiklit. It is very important to understand what exactly you are writing.. If you're writing a humorous novel, you need to write in a way that makes readers chuckle at the descriptions and dialogue. If you have taken on a production novel, it is not enough to get off with general phrases, you need to show the ins and outs of the working process. Where one could just limit general description office documentation (for example, “we kept a bulletin for the boss”), the author of the production novel will explain in detail what the process looks like and at the same time try to create a portrait of the boss with the help of details:

“The newsletter was the quintessence of Miranda Priestley's life and - as it seemed to me at least - the meaning of her life. The idea of ​​the list was developed many years ago by some overzealous secretary; it was a regular Word document that Emily and I had access to. More precisely, either with me or with Emily: we could not work with the document at the same time. After a new line, idea or question was added to the list, we made a printout and put the latest version of the document in the file folder, removing the outdated version from there. Miranda could demand this folder at any moment, so Emily and I riveted new lists at an accelerated pace. Often we hissed menacingly at each other, forcing each other to close the document in order to access it and make our own additions. We printed them at the same time, then rushed to the folder with the files, sometimes not even knowing whose version of the list was more complete.

Lauren Weisberger

The Devil Wears Prada (genre - production novel)

Little tip: To determine the genre variety you are working in, find 1-2 published books that are similar to your manuscript and see how the publisher defined their genre varieties.

To be continued...

In the meantime, I'm writing the second part, let's play a guessing game. To prove that I am not exaggerating when I talk about the stereotyped thinking of the authors of women's prose, I will give the following example: in five (!) read English-language novels, the hero-lovers are engaged in the same professional field (oh, no fantasy!). Opening the first page of the book, I already know that the male protagonist will most likely turn out to be by profession ... what? Leave your guesses in the comments. I'll send a small gift to the first person who guesses - e-book on time management for writers . Are we playing?

The author of the article is Daria Korzh. All materials on the site are intended for individual use and are protected by copyright law (Article 9, paragraph 1 of the Law). Copying is prohibited. Citing articles and materials is possible only with the obligatory indication of the source in the form of an active link.

A Beginner's Guide to Writers.
1. As the theater begins with a hanger, so the female (it is also love, for where a woman is, there are passions, faces and love) the novel begins with a description of the main characters. The following rule applies here. If the author of the novel is a woman, then the description comes first (with an emphasis on the letter "a") main character, if a peasant - then from the main character. In both cases, there are unshakable rules that cannot be violated in any way.
a) Rule number one. The choice of the name of the main characters is very important and, however paradoxical it may seem, especially for the hero. If his name is chosen incorrectly, that is, as they say, "does not sound, does not roll," then the novel turns into a farce. Well, imagine the scene where the hero saves the girl from the hands of the villain, and she, all out of feelings, whispers to him:
- Oh my God, how I love you, Vasya!
Here, you know, all the pathos disappears into nowhere and naked mockery remains.
I have absolutely nothing against the name "Vasily", on the contrary, I really like it when the name of the wonderful artist Vasily Lanovoy or the outstanding chess player Vasily Smyslov is announced. Do not misunderstand me. If the characters are in a fairly close relationship, then it is unlikely that the heroine will turn to the chosen one named "Vasily", but she will not call Vaska either, but Vasya ... In a word, she doesn’t roll, no. Very a good choice- The name is Robert. Or Grant. Eduard, Andrey and Sergey will easily fit. But Benjamin will not do. In general, to say, this key phrase - I love you, (the name of the hero) - from the very beginning clearly defines which names are suitable, which ones are not. For example:
I love you, Igor (suitable)
I love you, Bartholomew (will not work)
I love you, Oleg (suitable)
I love you Wolfram (definitely won't fit)
I love you Columbia (definitely won't do).
Be especially careful not to inadvertently call the main character Sidor. Readers will instantly throw the book away when they read that the handsome oligarch, the owner of a steel plant on Spitsburger Island, is called Sidor. Otherwise, every time you meet the heroine, you can say with malice: "Aha, here is Sidor's goat." If the name of the hero is often mentioned, then it should also be harmonious. There is absolutely no need to reward Robert with the surname Shanshivy-Vshivtsev. Looking ahead, I’ll say that these names are just right for the villains, such as Katz-Sivushkin and so on. If the novel is designed, so to speak, for internal use, then the main character looks very good - a foreigner who, by the will of fate, ended up in Russia. The choice of the country - the homeland of the hero is also of no small importance. If this pretzel, let's say, is from Bangladesh or Ethiopia, then that's it - it's a cover. In such cases, the author is recommended to kill the hero as soon as possible and introduce a new one. The sending country of the hero must be listed among the green-eyed, long-legged girls, and therefore the choice must be made right. Only four countries are suitable for this purpose - the USA, England, France, Canada. If the hero is from the remaining one hundred and ninety-three countries, then one must be prepared for the fact that readers will perceive him as a little flawed. Of these four countries, England, with its existing institution of chivalry, occupies a special place. It is very tempting to start the book like this.
"Lord Edward, a young, tall, handsome unmarried blond with steely eyes, the only son of the aged Duke of Lancaster and Countess of York, was sitting in the first class cabin of an airliner bound for unknown, mysterious Russia..."
In addition, even when the choice is made, it is necessary to carefully ensure that the characters in the book, addressing the hero, do not distort his name in the most ugly way. Suppose the author chose the name Andrey for the main character. It is unacceptable if some frivolous person addressed him as "Andrusik" or "Andreek the brook." Or in the case of our lord, call him Eddie. Such treatment should be immediately and severely punished. Either with a sword or a pistol. You can throw a grenade, but you need to know the limits. There is no need to shoot this type with a howitzer or poison with phosgene.
b) It is advisable to choose a foreign name for the heroine, such as Zemfira, Juliet or Charlotte. Of course, there are also many suitable names in Russia, for example, Olga, Lana or Tatyana. But if the author wants to let in more fog, then one cannot do without mysterious foreign names. It must be borne in mind that the test mentioned in paragraph (a) may not give the desired results, since a man is a man and can forget the name of his beloved mademoiselle and easily turn out: "I love you (pause) my dear." Women are not like that. They definitely need to pronounce the name of the object of love, otherwise the readers will not believe the author and will not read further.
Let's move on to the second point.
It is not recommended to put heroes in a stupid position, especially heroines. It is absolutely contraindicated to expose it in a funny way. For example, you cannot say:
She ate greedily, smacking her lips and munching loudly.
After this phrase, the hero may continue to love her, but the readers will not. It is also considered bad form to show in detail how the heroine, swearing in unprintable words, squeezes out inopportunely (twenty minutes before the main date) a popped-up volcanic pimple. A few words about homework. The heroine should not wash anything except the bloody shirt of the hero, of course, provided that his wounds were received precisely because of her. Ironing a skirt and underwear is welcome, as well as aiming a marafet and various pedicures, manicures with other cosmetics. With regard to the hero’s champing, this can be said, but only on the condition that there is no one nearby and, therefore, no one will hear how he champs with relish. Nor should one describe how the hero washes his false teeth or picks his nose. It will look especially disgusting if our handsome man, due to the use of cucumbers with milk porridge, puts it in his pants at the most interesting moment. In such cases, you can sue the author in court and win the process. If it comes to that, then the hero should be isolated for a day or two and only then released for the next exploits. Such absurdities irritate people greatly and readers may inflame hatred towards him, which will naturally spread to the heroine, and after her to the author. In general, the less you describe the process of eating, the better. We must not forget that the book is primarily aimed at women who, as you know, go on a diet once a month. It is enough for the reader to read how the heroine devours beef stroganoff with Periguille sauce, drinking Tokay, and then revels in sausages and lobsters, as a verdict is signed not only for the book, but also for the author. Vice versa. it is considered good form to describe in detail festive table with fried turkey and sandwiches, and then make the heroine (Lana, Charlotte) sadly review the food and tell the servant to throw everything in the trash. Note - it is in the trash, because there is nothing good to give away right and left - let other women also keep a diet and eat water from the tap. It is also desirable that the heroine has a dog of an intricate breed named Arnie or Prince Eclerchik, but in no case a Bug or, even more so, Barbos. The dog must be terribly devoted to the heroine, although the functions of feeding are entrusted to the servant (sobakevich instinctively feels who is the boss in the house). When the author approaches the tragic situation of the heroine (a necessary, obligatory stage in the development of the plot), the poor dog, in solidarity with her, also refuses to eat, at least in her presence. If the author is prone to humor, then you can enter in this chapter funny scene how Arnie stealthily eats, choking on his saliva, or brings a cutlet from the kitchen, wanting to force-feed the poor woman. The situation is the same with cats. A very positive impression will be left by the fact if the heroine picks up the cat on the street at the very moment when the truck was about to run over her. Do not forget to add that that evening the weather was chilly, it was snowing with hail and rain in half, and the heroine herself had a fever (but not psoriasis or cholera). Of course, at home, the heroine, without undressing, first of all will wash the cat with shampoo, wrap her in a warm blanket, and, finding that there is no milk in the refrigerator, she will immediately go to the nearest grocery store. It should be noted that choosing the right name for the cat is a responsible matter. As in the case of the hero, one should not call the cat Vaska or Murzik. There is a simple rule here. If the cat is large, then feel free to call him Boniface, if small - Felix. Names for cats Greek goddesses- Aphrodite, Athena and Clytemnestra. If the author has a sufficiently developed imagination, then it is quite acceptable to reward the heroes with exotic pets, such as a helmeted basilisk or spotted gopher. The main thing is that at the first stage the heroine should love this animal more than her future cavalier. An excellent reason to get closer is just a bite by the pet of the hero in the leg (you can also in other parts of the body, um ...) with subsequent treatment of the wound and a breathy dialogue.
Third. About villains. Undoubtedly, in the novel there should be a person who puts spokes in the wheels of the heroes. Particularly advanced authors can reward close people with this role - sister, brother, mother. The most plausible character of the villain is the heroine's beloved friend or, if they are married, the mother-in-law, but keep in mind that by acquiring grateful readers, you will lose a certain percentage of indignant readers. The motives for hatred can be different, from the stupidest to the global. For example, you can make the villain remember how, as a child, the heroine did not share a bagel with her or sprinkled her new dress with orange juice (just don’t invent it from the tap). In a global aspect, someone (not necessarily a hero) falls in love with the heroine, for whom this madam had certain views. This situation is so plausible that it is quite possible that some irresponsible ladies will remember themselves in a similar situation and pour black envy towards the heroine. So you need to know the measure. Fail-safe reception - reward the villain with unearthly beauty and quarrelsome character. Babs don't like people like that. Or, for example, make the villain whiny, like Ramona from the famous television series. Let her hatch secret plans for the heroes, but in public she begins to cry, de, no luck in life, sheer troubles, illnesses and generally there is no money. Here you can dream up a little and reward the villain with a rare disease, for example, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome or neuronal lipofuscinosis. Make sure that the name of the disease sounds as impressive as possible. There is absolutely no reason to attribute to the villain a disease with the smell of maple syrup urine. The villain in all forms must look solid and in no case frivolous, so as not to detract from the dignity of the hero who struck him. An innovative method - when the author himself comes up with a new disease, for example - vitiligo with aggravated blastophoresis of the left heel.
Very good method- get a few villains in order to enter the readers into a stupor. So that it would be impossible to guess until the last chapter, so who really is this vile, slippery creature, plotting against the angels.
And finally, the last one. Come up with more tragic situations that the characters get into. The methods for doing this are extraordinarily extensive. For example, you can arrange an accident in which the heroine gets. Of course, nothing happens to her, but Arnie, poor Arnie swallows his own tail and dies in agony, stroking his beloved mistress with his paw. An extremely effective technique is when, as a result of a plane crash, the hero loses his memory and does not recognize anyone except his beloved speckled gopher Pufik. Since Pufik is far from being a fool, he begins to suck up to the heroine, from where the hero makes logical conclusions regarding his passion. Remember! Any female love story should have a happy ending. Especially successful are novels with a happy ending (these are those in which, plus everything, all the villains are punished, and the heroes, in addition to love, also receive a huge inheritance and all kinds of titles). Go ahead. If the book goes with a bang - immediately start the second volume. Good luck!