This week: Putting the 'Para' in Paranormal Romance Edited by: StephBee More Newsletters By This Editor
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“I love the paranormal, because there, every genre I write can become a beacon for my imagination.” –Leslie Banks
Romance: an ardent emotional attachment between two people. A Love affair.
Welcome to October! Autumn is officially here. The nights are getting cooler. The leaves are changing. The big October holiday is Halloween were kids get dressed up as their favorite characters and go “trick or treating.” Back in the early 1900’s this was taken very seriously and if you didn’t offer a treat, then be prepared for a trick. Traditional Halloween costumes include vampires, werewolves, witches, and ghouls with a “Freddie Kruger” mask.
Question for you: Are you dressing up this Halloween? If so, what as? Last time I dressed up at work, I was the Ally Sheedy character from “The Breakfast Club.”
One of the big adhesive elements of a paranormal romance is the supernatural element. It can be the setting, mostly the characters, or a combination of the two. A time traveling romance could be considered paranormal. This newsletter we’ll look at what makes “paranormal” romance paranormal.
Enjoy this fall word search:
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What makes a paranormal romance paranormal?
It’s the vampires, silly! Well, it’s not just the vampires. A paranormal romance must have two elements that connect it to the romance genre. It must offer:
1. A love story as it’s central plot. Two characters fall in love and struggle to make the romance work.
2. An emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. As the characters overcome their struggle and commit to being together, this is the reward the reader is looking for after all that struggle and angst.
Next, what makes a paranormal romance paranormal are the supernatural elements. Supernatural is existing outside the natural world. What comes to mind first are the creatures – the vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witches, and people with superhuman qualities, but can also include, magic, time travel, and supernatural setting such as on another world. Typically, the romance involves a human and a paranormal creature, placed in a dark setting for the external conflict, which brings them together and invites the internal conflict.
Building a paranormal world might be part of the story, though typically, a paranormal world will be closer to the world we recognize today as opposed to a fantasy world, which might have deeper world building elements. Also, you want to define the external and internal conflict which will be unique to the situation existing outside the natural world.
Creatures such as vampires, shapeshifters/werewolves, witches, psychics, and ghosts classically define paranormal, as they exist outside the natural world. These characters tend to be more complicated as they imply a darkness that can be challenging when writing a romance which tends to focus on love, hope, and light.
Question for you: What types of paranormal creatures do you enjoy writing/reading when it comes to paranormal romance?
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| | Enthralled (E) Paranormal Romance Short Story Contest Entry December 2021 - 3rd Place #2263768 by Lovina |
LIST of Published Authors on WDC:
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Feedback from my Romance/Love Newsletter dated: 4 SEP 2024, Romance Plots:
Question for you: In the Movie, “When Harry met Sally,” Harry and Sally have a talk about the following: Can men and women be friends? Harry believes they can’t because sex gets in the way. – Do you agree with Harry or do believe like Sally does, that they can be friends without sex getting in the way?
QPdoll is Grateful
I believe the way Harry does. There's such an emotional attachment to sex that I think would cause issues between friends. Friends with benefits doesn't work, in my opinion, unless both parties just truly aren't that interested in each other. I don't think I could do a one-night stand either, but if I were younger, maybe these thoughts would be different.
Thanks for writing in and sharing!
Turkey DrumStik
After reading the newsletter on romantic plots, I found myself with a question. If the story involves a couple getting together but doesn't follow any of these plots, is it still considered a romance story? Or is it a story with a different primary genre while containing romantic elements?
Yes, I would think it would still be a romance story. Those are only a couple of the more “popular” plots that you see in books and in the movies. As long as the story contains the love story, and the emotionally satisfying, optimistic ending, then it will more than likely fall into the romance genre.
StephBee
Is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her story, “Night of Magic” takes place on Samhain. Finn goes to another world to save Aithne, but does she want to be saved?
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