by Hal | November 9th, 2009
.
So this week, I received my much anticipated copy of Anna Campbell’s Captive of Sin and happily spent hours immersed in her world and devouring her characters. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, you know what to do.
We all hear the classic “show don’t tell” advice. Nowhere is this advice more important in a romance novel than in the romance itself. I have thrown many a romance novel against the wall when the author tells me the characters have fallen in love, but hasn’t shown me. There’s something about watching someone fall in love. Whether it’s friends in real life, a book or a movie, there’s something tangible in the air when someone falls in love. You feel it.
But for writers, how do we translate that zing tingling through the air into something we can show readers on the page? Anna nailed it in a way I hadn’t through of before: understanding.
You can say you love someone until you’re blue in the face, but real, true, romance-novel worthy love also means knowing that other person, understanding them, and loving them anyway. It’s not an easy thing to do, and when the mistakes add up, it gets harder and harder.
In Captive of Sin, Anna’s hero makes a Very Big Mistake. I’m trying to do this without any spoilers, so forgive me if this gets cryptic. For those of you who have already had the pleasure of reading, I’m sure you’ll know what scene I’m referring to.
But here’s the thing. In the hero’s POV, it didn’t feel like a Very Big Mistake. I was so deep in his POV, I knew exactly what he was trying to do, and I knew why he was doing it. I knew it was dumb, but my heart just broke for him anyway.
I got it.
And then he returns to the heroine, and being the good guy he is, in spite of this Very Big Mistake, confesses. And I started to get nervous. I expected her to do the girl thing. To cry and whine and make a big fuss. And she would have been totally justified to do so. After all, it was a Very Big Mistake, and certainly worthy of the crying, whiny, big fuss.
But I knew him. I got it. I understood why he had done what he did, and I understood his motives. And I was cringing, witing for the moment when the heroine threw her fit.
You know what she did instead? She smiled. She got it too.
And in that moment, as a reader, I totally, completely believed that she loved him, and they had a shot. She seemed almost worthy of him in a way she hadn’t before, and certainly wouldn’t have if she had thrown the big fit I’d expected. She understood him as well as I, the reader, understood him. It was magnificent.
There’s something about someone “getting” you. Knowing the way you tick and why, and loving you anyway. After all, isn’t that the whole point?
So let’s hear it wenches. How do you show true love? What do your characters do to show the reader they “get” each other and love each other? Do you emphasize the role understanding plays between your characters? Have any other good examples of how to show love?
Terri, all you can do now is pity the poor guy.
Every time my ex told me something stupid it was always presented as someone else’s opinion that he was just passing along. For my own good or something. So and so said I should get a job or lose weight or something. The worst thing was that somehow he seemed to expect some kind of comfort from ME that he’d had a bad day to be subjected to these opinions.
Spineless! I’m okay with putting the blame on him now. And I’ll wear knit pants whenever I want. I hope you do too.
I admit, I left the knit pants behind years ago. LOL! But that was not the point. He’s actually moved on to potential wife #4. I was #1. I’ve told his mother that if he keeps this up, there will be enough Mrs. Osburn’s to have our own basketball team.
Okay, call them leggings or capris that happen to be made of some stretchy material then. LOL
Whoa. A basketball team of Mrs. Osburn’s. I guess you’d have plenty to talk about!
Fortunately, since he didn’t reproduce with any of the others, once he shakes them, they get traded. So I never see or talk to them.
The funny thing is, when you know you’re maybe number four, don’t you start to ask yourself if this is a good idea? I mean, could ALL THREE WOMEN before you really have been the problem? LOL!
I mean, could ALL THREE WOMEN before you really have been the problem? LOL!
Hey, hey, hey!
Present company excluded, of course.
Wait, was Hellie a Mrs. Osburn back there somewhere?
This ship be a hotbed a’ soap opera plots, I tell ya!
Bo’sun, sorry ’bout the need fer a shamwow… But honestly, ain’t it that way wit’ too many men? Like that be the only physical characteristic that matters…fer them. Fer the ladies? Whole book full a’ qualifications. Two, three volumes a’ things.
Melissa – Yer poor ex! Havin’ ta put up wit’ other men talkin’ ’bout his wife… Idiot. He shoulda been smackin’ them around, not lookin’ fer sympathy from ya!
And how did we end up here? What be today’s topic again? Anyone remember?
Wait, sorta a show not tell, right?
Chancey – I thought that earlier, that we’d hijacked the topic and taken it really far afield. LOL!
No, Hellie was never a Mrs. Osburn. LOL! She just has this thing for a guy who has a couple relationships under his belt. But I’ve heard the stories and I’m with her, I’m positive the women were the problem.
*jumps in life boat and paddles away*
Quick! Run!
Or paddle!
Well, Hal, ya had a great blog day! Even if it were hijacked.
This has been a great conversation! If anything, we learned what guys should never, ever do if attempting to show true love
Yeah, don’t lead wit’ your penis.
Well, in some cases, that would depend on the penis.
Just sayin’…
Permission to come aboard! Oh, hell, I’m already here. (grabs for the rum)
Chiming in late to say how much I agree with your assessment, Haleigh.
There were so many chances in this book for the Big Misunderstanding to rear it’s really ridiculous head and that never happened. At every point where I thought, “Oh, no, here we go,” I was so pleasantly surprised. What a less skilled writer would have done — having the heroine throw hissy fits or having the hero say, “Why didn’t you tell me that? Grrr! I hate thee!” — Anna never does.
The characters are very engaging because you are completely submerged in their POVs.
Now here’s my two cents: I’m always looking for a deeper emotional read. I need that emotional intensity, that grit, that taste of reality. And this book has that, so I was completely satisfied.
Can I keep the rum?
I just read through all the posts and am both moved — the stories about your fathers — and laughing at what seems to be the congenital stupidity of men.
Sin, I miss you!!!!!!!(<———subtle hint to get in touch when you can)
Anna, you should feel proud of that time spent rewriting. Sometimes those big scenes just take that much effort because the emotional subtly isn’t there the first 10 times. Brava!
Pam – It do teach a buddin’ author the importance a’ jus’ keep writin’ ’till you get it right!
PC!!
*droll look at Bo’sun* He would definitely be the first to say, I am the problem.
I love when our awesome guest authors come back and visit us. Pam! How are you doing? When are you going to visit with us again and catch us up with what you’re doing?
Hey, Hellie — I’m doing well, thanks! I often think I should pop in because I have so much fun here, but life has been nuts. I finished a novel, then ghostwrote someone else’s novel (not a romance) and that was 2009. Poof! A year gone. I just happen to be taking a few days off now and heard that Anna’s book would be the topic of today’s blog. So I had to stop in.
I’d love to come back any time.
That’s right, 2nd Chance. Writin’ be the hardest work there is! You cannae cross the sea wi’out sailin’ o’er the waves, aye?
Meaning there are no shortcuts to good prose. If you get it right the first time, that’s great. But I find that writing is W-O-R-K. And writing well? I struggle to do that every time I sit down at this computer.
I recently spoke with an author who is ready to give up on a book because she hasn’t gotten it right yet. I told her not to do that because giving up means that all the work she’s done so far means nothing.
Writing fiction is an act of WILL.
Geez, I wish I really did have rum!
A nice strong Pamela’s Rant…dark rum, blood oranges…
True words be true words. I be one chapter way from finishin’ me current WIP. And I know the next stage be fixin’ a whole lot a’ holes!
Or we could call it Writer’s Will…
That would be one hell of a powerful drink. Writer’s Will. Pour me another!
Think about it. Writers are know to drink. Will is the mettle that turns determination into action. So it would be a drink for drinkers that contains all the power that fuses insane imaginings into prose.
WOW!
Not to dis the rum or anything, but we need to create this drink. It will put hair on men’s chests and overthrow the virtue of virgins. Sounds purrfect!
Overthrow the virtue of virgins? Wow! Well, I be headin’ ta Mexico next month and can look fer some powerful tequila…
I be inspired already!
A nice Latin blooded drink, set ta a tango tempo…
PC! I’m sorry I missed you yesterday. And I’m super glad you found the rum
Great blog post, Hal! And I love the chicken comic.