14 bestselling archetypes in the romance genre · 14 bestselling archetypes in the romance genre...

How to Write Novels That Sell 6/16/2013

[email protected] 1

2

14 Bestselling Archetypes in the Romance GenrePresented by Adrienne deWolfe


[email protected] 2

3

The Secrets to Getting Your Romance

Novel Published (e-Book Series)

14 Bestselling Romance Archetypes

4

Why Do Romance Novels Appeal to Women?

• The female character is consistently characterized as

“heroic.”

• She is given power over her life.

• Romance is an optimistic category of fiction.


[email protected] 3


5

Why Do Romance Novels Appeal to Women (cont.)?

• Romance novels emphasize values that are traditionally

important to females.

• The girl gets the guy.

• The guy treasures her as a woman.


6

What Makes Romance Readers Turn the Pages?

• Female characters receive the same fictional privileges that, in other

genres, have been traditionally reserved for the male protagonist.

• The heroine is given the emotional strength and physical resources

to overcome great odds, winning in the end.

• The genre provides stories that make women feel good about

being female.


[email protected] 4


7

The Hollywood Daze

• Modern movies have confused many aspiring

Romance authors.

• Many popular “romantic movies” would not be

considered genre Romance material.


8

Not Genre Romance Material:

Shakespeare in Love

Bridges of Madison County

Ghost

The Notebook

Love Story

Titanic

Camelot

Mists of Avalon

Nights in Rodanthe

Gone with the Wind

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Why they aren’t they considered genre Romances?

Because the lovers don’t get to live (marry) happily ever after.

In many cases, one of the lovers dies at the end.


[email protected] 5


9

Not Genre Romance Material (cont):

Sleepless in Seattle

The Lakehouse

The Princess Bride

Why aren’t they considered genre Romances?

The lovers are physically separated until the story climax.

Legally Blonde Although we cheer at the movie’s

end, the protagonist winds up with

the secondary male lead (who is

introduced late in the movie).

King Kong Beast / Human love stories don’t

pass muster in genre Romance

(unless your beast shapeshifts.)

10

RWA polls

have

identified

8 taboos

that Readers

don’t want

to see

in Romance

novels:


[email protected] 6


11

Prohibited Events/Elements in Romance Novels 4

• Rape (especially of the Heroine)

• Cruel Hero

• Sad Ending (lovers go their separate ways)

• Physical Torture, Brutality

• Promiscuous Heroine

• Weak Hero (indecisive, whiny, cowardly)

• Promiscuous Hero

• Heroine is Stronger (willed) than the Hero

4 “What Do Readers Want? Ask Them,” written by Eileen Putman,

Romance Writers Report


12

Tips for Developing a Romance Plot:

• There’s no such thing as a new idea.

(Romeo & Juliet is a re-write of the Celtic tale, Tristan & Isolde)

• Editors don’t expect you to write what’s never been written before.

(They expect you to put a fresh spin on an old plot.)

• Certain story patterns or “plots” crop up in your favorite books.

(Archetypes appeal to the Mass Consciousness or “Common Man”)

• To begin plotting, start with the age-old question, “What if . . . ?”

• Write with a strong voice and a pinch of humor to land your first sale.


[email protected] 7

13

Ready for the

14 Bestselling

Story Archetypes

in the

Romance Genre?

☺☺☺☺

Audience

Participation

Rewarded with

CHOCOLATE!


14

#1. Beauty & the Beast(Hero is physically flawed )

• Beauty & the Beast (Disney)

• Roxanne (Movie)

• Beastly (Movie)

Twist on the Theme:

• Courting Miss Hattie (Historical

Romance by Pamela Morsi)

Now it’s your turn!


[email protected] 8


15

#2. Cinderella Stories(Princely hero rescues deserving

heroine from undesirable life.)

• Charming the Prince (Historical

Romance by Teresa Medeiros)

• An Offer from a Gentleman

(Historical Romance by Julia Quinn)

• Maid in Manhattan (Movie)

Twists on the Theme:

• Shrek (Movie)

• Cinderfella (Movie)



16

#3. Lady & the Tramp(Lovers come from

different social strata)

• Bringing Up Baby (Movie)

• Scoundrel for Hire (Historical Romance

by Adrienne deWolfe)

Twist on the Theme:

• Kate and Leopold (Movie/Time Travel)



[email protected] 9


17

#4. Ingenue & the Rebel(Good Girl/Bad Boy)

• Angel & the Bad Man (Western Movie)

• Grease (Musical)

• Devil’s Bride (Historical Romance

by Stephanie Laurens/Cynster series)



18

#5. Shotgun Wedding(Marriage of Convenience)

• Devil in Winter (Historical Romance

by Lisa Kleypas)

• Kiss an Angel (Contemporary Romance

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips)

• The Bargain (Regency Romance

by Mary Jo Putney)

• His Wicked Dream (Historical Romance

by Adrienne deWolfe)



[email protected] 10


19

#6. Labors of Love(3 Tests: Wit, Strength, Forbearance;

H/H must pool their wits/resources

to outsmart enemies)

• The Saint (Movie)

• Romancing the Stone (Movie)

• Princess Annie (Historical Romance

by Linda Lael Miller)



20

#7. Homebody and

the Rover(Nester tames Wanderer)

• Born in Ice (Contemporary Romance

by Nora Roberts)

• Texas Lover (Western Historical

Romance by Adrienne deWolfe)

Twist on the Theme:

• Woman of the Year (Movie)





21

#8. Gentleman and

the Rascal(Good Boy/Bad Girl)

• Pretty Woman (Movie)

• The Best Little Whorehouse in

Texas (movie)

• Texas Outlaw (Western Historical




22

#9. Master & the

Apprentice(Protagonist must learn

from the Teacher)

• Get Smart (Movie)

• Easter Parade (Movie)

• My Fair Lady (Movie)





23

#10. Carrying a Torch

(H/H’s infatuation blinds

him/her to better mate.)

• The Wedding Date (Movie)

• Texas Outlaw (Western Historical




24

#11. Ideological

Struggle(H/H on different

sides of conflict;

“Vengeance is Mine”)

• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (Movie)

• Texas Wildcat (Western Historical






25

#12. Amnesia or

Mistaken Identity• Knight in Shining Armor (Historical

Romance by Jude Devereaux)

• Someone to Watch Over Me (Historical

Romance by Lisa Kleypas)

• Barely a Lady (Historical Romance

by Eileen Dreyer)

• Until You (Historical Romance

by Judith McNaught)

• Seduced by an Angel (Western

Historical Romance by

Adrienne deWolfe)



26

#13. Return of Old

Flame /Secret Baby

(Former lover doesn’t

know about child)

• Her Last Night of Innocence

(Contemporary Romance

by India Grey)

• Paradise Wild (Historical

Romance by Johanna Lindsey)

• The Philadelphia Story (Movie)





27

#14. Darling Do-Right

and the Shark(Pollyanna influences Bully

to do right thing)

• The Saint (Movie)

• Vampire Diaries (TV Series)


28

Drawing:Drawing:Drawing:Drawing:1111stststst Chapter CritiqueChapter CritiqueChapter CritiqueChapter Critique

EmailEmailEmailEmailAdrienne @Adrienne @Adrienne @Adrienne @

14 bestselling archetypes in the romance genre · 14 bestselling archetypes in the romance genre...

Documents