Writing Contemporary Requires Just As Much World Building

I have heard contemporary authors comment before about historical, paranormal, fantasy and science fiction authors that they could never write in those genres due to the amount of world building. Now contemporary, that's different. Now, while there might be a little bit of truth about that considering I don't have to describe the breeding habits of a Wartle to Weeble, or to immerse the reader into the strange distant planet of Bwe'Ko, world building is still a very huge part of contemporary writing, as is with any other genre out there.

When we think of world building, we are simply talking about painting a clear and three-dimensional picture of the world the characters in your story are interacting in. Although there might be cars, cell phones and computers, all of the other things going on in that town and world are very unique and become a strong secondary character in the story.

If you think of a story set in a small town along the coast of California, it is crucial not to just say it is a small town with a few stores. Those stores add character. The people who own the stores add character. Think of it this way. If I mention towns such as Mayberry, or Walnut Grove, you know what that town looks like. You know which side of the street Wally's is at or where Floyd had his barber shop. You know if you came out of Olsen's Mercantile, which way you had to go to the lumber store, or to Nellie's restaurant. Those images are embedded into our heads because of the world building.

Far too often, when I am reading a submission, I find myself feeling the story is "just lacking something", and, in almost all of those cases, it is the world building the author didn't do to bring me into the story. Sure, the author told me the size of the town, but there was never a sense of really showing me a picture of that town.

With the trend right now of a lot of authors writing in "Small Town, USA" that small town feel is beyond crucial. Remember that many of your readers have never seen a town this small. I remember when I first came up to Washington State after living for 11+ years in LA (Reseda in fact), and I tried to describe the town I was now living in. Gig Harbor back in 1977 was a far different town than it is now. This truly was a small town. There really was only one light right at the corner of Pioneer and Harborview, in front of the Cellar Restaurant. Every morning, the old guys in town would head down for coffee at the Harbor Landing and roll dice to see who would be buying that morning. And certainly in the evening, the Tides Tavern was a hoping place to be. This was a fishing community where everyone did indeed know everyone. We knew when the boats would take off for Alaska....

To get that sort of image across to friends who had never seen the place took a lot of work. Now try to add in an image of Mt. Rainier at the end of the harbor, the personality of the people, and it really took some work. But, it is that work that would enhance a story and really make the reader feel like they were with the characters.

Here is a great homework assignment for you.... Go out and visit one of these small towns. Walk the streets, take notes and immerse yourself. Don't focus on the big stuff, but the small intricate details. Now, on another weekend, go to a different town of the same size. The odds are there will be many of the same things, but here is the kicker - the differences will be HUGE.

Once you have done that, you contemporary writers, go and look at your writing. Is that detail interwoven into your stories?

What Do You Mean By "Old School Contemporary"?

I have used this term a lot lately when talking about contemporary romances. I am a firm believer that this is really the area we are going to see a lot of growth in the romance industry. I personally believe it will be the contemporary romance. No, it won't be the drama and baggage ridden stories. No, it won't be those sappy romances that seem too good to be true. I have described the new contemporary romance as being "old school" in nature.

So, what do I mean? I think for many people today, these stories are what some want to call "women's fiction" but you know me, I have a clear definition of women's fiction and these stories wouldn't fall into that caterogy. What I see a move to are stories that are much more real, more human and remeniscent of those that we saw early on with authors such as Danielle Steele. These are big stories but really do watch the growth of everyday people in everyday situations having an amazing, and yet, everyday romance.

Do these stories have drama? Sure. But the emphasis is really watching that romance bloom and grow without the excessive reliance on the secret baby, the huge back story of something happening to the hero and so forth.

Is this something new? Maybe not entirely. These stories will have a true modern day feel to them. Times are tough right now and these stories will be a way to remember a time when things really were good, or simply remind us, that what we have right now is pretty dang good.

Scott

Reality Doesn't Have To Be Complicated

I want you to think back to the last time one of your relatives told a story. You know the type. Grandma or Grandpa, your aunt or uncle telling about some time in their life that was meaningful. You sit there enthralled with the words and feel yourself drawn into their world. That is reality.

Now, let's look at another type of story. Unfortunatly, it is the story I see far too many of. The author begins telling a great story. I get sucked in a bit, and then the bottom falls out. Suddenly, in an effort to keep the story interesting, we have to add in all of these additional plot events. The heroine has an abusive past. The hero suddenly reveals he was adopted by a priest that had relationships and is now somehow involved in a banking crisis that the hero and heroine must face. You know what I mean.

The deal is, when you want to write a romance, then focus on the romance. Show the beauty of two people having to make tough decisions while at the same time having to face this new found feeling of love. Let's not muck things up with all of this additional drama. Let them simply fall in love.

I am going to say it again, but the editors I have talked to want powerful contemporary romances without all of that extra stuff. We want to see people fall in love again. And frankly, I don't want to hear excuses of not having a conflict. I don't want to hear that you needed motivation for your character to not want to get into a relationship. Sure, have motivation. But it doesn't have to be a soap opera.

Scott

Don't Blame The Editors On This One

On Friday, there was a brief discussion that popped up on Contemporary Romance. Let me give you the run down on the conversation first before I expand on this. A comment popped up about how there seemed to be a limited number of contemporary romance coming out in the coming month. I replied and stated that this was why I was so eager to find them. It was interesting that someone replied and commented that the lack of contempory romances out there was due to the editors not buying these stories. This is where the problem arises.

I specifically talked to numerous editors while in Orlando this summer and they all said they were eager to find some contemporary romances. The problem? All the submissions they have seen were far from quality. This is the same thing I have seen on my end as an agent (and was also supported by another agent that chimed in on the conversation on Friday).

This writer is taking the a myth is being created by the simple fact that the stories are not being published. Writers (and many agents that I have heard) seem to think that because editors aren't buying the stories, they don't want them. This is far from the truth. Editors want GOOD stories. They don't want fluff, they don't want poorly written stories, they don't want something that is not marketable. If writers are sending poor quality writing, a rejection does not mean that they aren't buying. It means the story is not up to the quality of what they want. If agents have contemporary romances and are marketing these and getting rejections, the odds are the writing is not necessarily what they are looking for. Why is it that I have only 1 contemporary author in my line up? I simply am not find the stories.

The simple truth is that we want GOOD stories. Not just quirky, not just different. We want GOOD.

Scott

We're Talking Contemporary Romance Today

I have said it before and I will say it again. Contemporary romance is not dead.

I was shocked sitting with some agents and we were talking about things that we had seen and so forth. One of the agents brought up the comment that contemporary romances were simply not selling and the all agreed. I almost choked. Why? Because just 1 hour before, I had been sitting with several editors and they were all saying that they were begging for strong contemporary romances. Where was this disconnect?

The answer to this one was simple. It was embedded in the comment the editor said. She used the word "STRONG". It has been something I have been begging for over the last several years and honestly, the same reason I turn so many contemporary romances away. The premise and the writing simply isn't strong.

Here is the deal... People do fall in love in the contemporary world and they do so without:

• having a huge demon chasing after them.
• having been abused and chased by a stalker
• having lost their best friend in a car accident after drinking too much the night before
• having three affairs with married vampires at the same time
• having a BDSM relationship

Get the idea?

It is possible to build a great contemporary romance with great passion, great tension and conflicts that are both internal and external that work. Let's try this idea on for size.

A couple begin dating while in grad school with one older than the other by say 1 or 2 years. The heroine has lived in academia all her life and is more than focused on staying there, getting a couple of Ph.D's and calling it quits. The relationship is great but that is what she wants. Marriage has been on her radar, but the academia always takes focus. The hero, on the other hand, is not planning on the Ph.D. route and is ready to settle down. He has been given a job offer and is ready for marriage. Now the heroine has been given the opportunity for a research study on the opposite end of the country and to pursue that Ph.D. Long distance relationships are not an option and yet they both know they are right for each other emptionally. Now fix it.

With a story like this, we can really build on the romantic relationship building. We can see the fights everytime the work side of things gets in the way, or they start looking to the future. We can see the make-up situation. We can see each discussing this with friends and realizing things are over. Heck, we can even send her away for that Ph.D. and watch them both admit that it is through, only to bring them back together again. This is normal. This is real.

What most of these stories are lacking is a real focus on relationship and romance. The books I am turning away are stories with a focus on all of that other "backstory" garbage to "make it exciting." In fact, the last time I brought up the contemporary romance thing, many people commented that these relationships are boring. They don't have to be.

If writers would tap into all of the same things they use in the other genres - the world building, the finding a great premise or situation, the internal conflict and just put it in present day, you would have something.

As for me, I am siding, not with the agents on this one, but the editor and if you are listening editor that I talked to in the morning, at the Dolphin lobby, about contempory romances and the women's fiction genre, especially finding someone to replace that big gun writer that just left, I am still looking for you. (and you thought I would mention who it was. Yeah, no!)

Come on contemporary writers. Quit hiding behind those demons and stalkers. Get writing that romance you really want to write.

Scott