Inspirational Romance

This is a repeat from an earlier blog post.

We're talking inspirational romance today. This is really a tough genre to write for but really one that is in hot demand if it is done well. Writers can be extremely successful with inspirational stories if they know what they are doing. Too often, when I see inspirationals come across my desk (which up until recently were accidents) I see stories that are really forced and lack that "umph" necessary to really be competitive in this market. Let me explain.

As I point out in the title of this post, writing inspirationals involves much more than simply having the characters pray about everything, remind themselves what they are doing by throwing scripture out every now and then, and eliminating the sex. Writing inspirationals really goes back to the same things I keep screaming about time and time again - what is the theme and thesis of your story?

When we look at the basic elements of this genre, we are looking at how one or more of the characters are transformed over time through inspiration and religion. Because it is also a romance, along the way, we are watching the growing attraction and emotion occuring between the charcters. All of the plot and character development through the story is guided by a single theme or idea that you want the reader to walk away with.

If, for example, you wanted to build a story around John 4:48 "Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe," you might set up the story where the heroine, involved in say an underprivledged education program has to bring the corporate hero down to her level just to see where the money is going to. Basic, straightforward but a theme that can guide the entire story.

Now, does this mean that the characters can't quote scripture or pray? Absolutely not, but this is not the only thing they should be doing. What we should be seeing in the story is very similar to the ideas that the Apostle Paul talks about with his idea of "justification by faith." The thing that comes first is the faith and then the actions follow, not the reverse.

I am currently reading Carla Capshaw's The Protector and I believe this does a great job with showing how the inspriational message is really guiding the characters. Why does it works so well here? It is set in ancient Rome so the characters are really lacking the ability to run around and quote Bible passages. It is strictly the faith issues that are guiding the characters.

The key to all of this is to be subtle. Use the Scripture and use the message as the theme to build the story around. It takes talent but you have to trust yourself to do it. Don't force the story.

Scott

Baggage in Your Writing

This is a repeat from an earlier post.

Could you maybe clarify the difference between "too much baggage" and "good internal conflict"? I think I get what your saying, but characters do need a good dose of internal conflict.

This is really a good question and I have to admit that a lot of writers struggle with this issue. You are not alone and honestly, much of the problem with this stems from feedback that you have likely gotten from critique partners. Of course, in turn, a lot of writers pass this on to other people as well.

Let's start with good internal conflict. This is something "emotional" and "personal" that drives a character to do things they do, act they way they do, and say the things they do. In essence, this is material that comes from their personality. The internal conflict is something emotionally and personal that the characters have to work through to move on to the next level in their life.

Now, the problem here stems from asking yourself what led the characters into acting and behaving this way. This is where all of that external baggage comes into play. In all likelihood, someone (or even you did this personally) asked you "Why is your character acting this way? You need to have a reason for the character to do this." That part is true, but you have to understand that people in general act and behave in a lot of ways without an extensive history or a lot of baggage. In other words, you don't need to go overboard.

Think of it this way. Your heroine is the President of a company. She worked hard in school, she knew what she wanted and she clearly demonstrated that she is the right person for the job. Enter the hero. Maybe he is just a neighbor that she meets at a neighborhood block party. So, what is her internal conflict. She sees that it is important to separate business from pleasure. We don't need to create a big drama of a past boyfriend, or a father that mentally abused her for now doing well in school. We don't have to add in sexual relations or abuse that happened in college. She just has to decide if she can be the corporate powerhouse and be a simply woman in love. That's all you need.

The simple truth is that stories with too much baggage become unbelievable. Readers cannot relate to ALL of the problems the characters have. Along the same lines, if this was happening in the real world, the odds are there would be no romance because the characters would have too many other things to worry about.

The answer? Keep it simple. Your plot can be about the growing attraction. We can see the characters trying to deal with these internal conflicts and not bog it down with the extra plot stuff. You don't need to have all of the extra baggage just to make it interesting. Let the romance and the characters do it for you.

Scott