Gemini Rising

Writing Stuff & another Review

Just wanted to drop a quick line. Every genre has it's "rules" and in order to be successful in that genre it's best to follow the rules. Now, sometimes you can break the rules and it works out great, but the best way to break the rules is to know them well. Here are a couple rules for the romance genre:

Thinking of writing a romance novel? There are a couple of rules and guidelines that writers should keep in mind when they start out.

The traditional structure of a romance novel starts with the introduction of the characters and the problem. The writer can then begin to expand the characterization and intimacy of the story. At the mid-point of the novel there's a culmination of physical intimacy. The characters are then introduced to a new problem and the story should end with the resolution of the relationship.

Once the structure of the story has been plotted out, there are several plot points to consider, one being "happy ever after." A romance isn't a romance unless there's a happy ever after. This is a pretty set rule. If you keep to the traditional structure of a romance, but don't allow for a happy ever after, you have a relationship novel, not a romance.

Another pretty firm rule is known as "I've only got eyes for you." When the heroine and the hero meet, the story is about how they come together as a couple. There's no room for a third party love interest because then someone doesn't get happy ever after.

A third rule of romance writing involves point of view. The main point of view should be written using the heroine's perspective. Readers enjoy the hero, but he's not the one who is going to give the emotional content the story needs to reach the reader.

The romance genre, however, is very forgiving when it comes to multiple character points of view in a scene. This is commonly known as the "Lonesome Dove" point of view. This perspective switches between characters within a scene. Most professional editors/readers tend to shy away from it because it's also "head hopping" and that can be confusing.

Once the writer has established a plot that follows the above rules, then they incorporate the other rules which allow for a little leeway in the story. These rules encompass readers coming to care about the characters, identifying with the heroine and falling in love with the hero.


And now... another review.
Enjoy
Steph

*********************

Book Review for: “A Woman in Berlin”
Written by: Anonymous
259 pages
Picador
ISBN: 0-312-42611-9-51400
$14.00
5 Stars


“A Woman in Berlin” tells the amazing story of the fall of Berlin in 1944 and the subsequent Russian invasion before the allies arrived. The Anonymous author paints a riveting picture of the war’s aftermath and chronicles in brutal detail what she had to do to stay alive.

The novel is told in a journal format and starts on Friday, April 20, 1945. The story is by an anonymous woman who describes herself only as a thin, pale blond who wears the same overcoat. Her first entry presents a graphic scene. Berlin is under siege by the Russians. The author knows the Russians are about to liberate the city and she’s dreading it. They don’t have a good reputation as liberators. She lives in an apartment building with several other residents. The rations are poor, there’s no radio, and there’s no electricity. Gas stoves, central heating, and hot plates are all “gifts of the modern age,” but ineffectual if there’s no power.

The bombs intensify around Berlin. The fighting heats up and then nothing. An eerie lull settles over he city. The author writes with unflinching honesty noting how the German society was built around the strength of their men, but now shattered, their men are miserable and powerless, leaving the German women at the mercy of their conquerors.

On April 27, the author notes that the Russians have entered Berlin. They’ve quickly earned the nickname of “Ivan.” She realizes that in order to be safe, she had better find a Russian officer to watch over her. She knows that in order to earn his favor she’ll have to be intimate with him, but it’s a risk she’s willing to take.

The author is candid. Having worked as a reporter previously, she can speak Russian. The initial Russians she meets are surprised by her. She seeks out a Russian lieutenant, Anatol, and becomes involved with him. He’s good to her and she gets used to him. Their relationship is short-lived. He’s soon transferred and a man known at the Major comes into the author’s life as her new lover and protector. The Major is tender and respectful of her, something that is stunning to her.

Slowly, but surely, Berlin starts to come alive. Basic services are beginning to be restored. By the end of the novel, which ends on June 16, with her own announcement that she intends to stop writing, the author meets with her fiancé, Gerd, who after discovering how she’s slept with several Russian men after the city’s fall, leaves her a final time. The novel concludes with the announcement of American and British forces taking over the southern part of Berlin, giving the author a sense of hope after the Russian misery she’s endured.

One of the main themes throughout the novel is the rape of Berlin after the city falls – not only of it’s possessions, but of it’s women. The author chooses to give her body to Russian officers, (the officers have a reputation of keeping a woman relatively safe, whereas an enlisted man was known to rape a woman) but she still feels no better than a whore. After a pregnancy scare, she wonders how many other women have done what she has only to end up pregnant by a Russian soldier.

The author humanizes a slice of history that is slowly fading from our view. The book is raw and honest, discussing uncomfortable truths that today are still uncomfortable. Rich in history, “A Woman in Berlin,” is a stirring and poignant read.