Writing Between the Sexes.
Have you ever run across a romance hero who acted like a girlfriend instead of a guy, or a dame in a thriller who was so hard-boiled you rolled your eyes and wondered how on earth the author got it so wrong? This workshop will help you avoid not only those obvious problems but much more subtle ones as well.
If a female writer’s male characters think, act, and talk in a feminine way – acting like gal pals instead of like guys – her audience will be turned off, even if they don’t understand why they’re dissatisfied. If a male writer’s female characters don’t think or act or talk like real women – acting like dames and broads instead – readers will turn away. When we understand the qualities and habits which make men and women different, we can use those behaviors and patterns to create characters who are plausible, unique, and not at all stereotypical. “Writing Between The Sexes” will help you identify your own gender behaviors, notice those of the opposite sex, and use both to make your characters realistic and believable. |
Leigh Michaels is the author of 80 contemporary romance novels, with more than 35 million copies in print in 25 languages. She currently writes single-title sensual Regency-period romance. She is the author of On Writing Romance, which has been called the definitive guide on how to write romance novels. A six-time finalist in the RITA contest for best traditional romance, she has also won Reviewers Choice awards from Romantic Times and the Johnson Brigham award from the Iowa Library Association for outstanding contributions to American literature. She teaches romance writing online at Gotham Writers Workshop and many of her students have gone on to be published in romance fiction. She wrote her first romance novel when she was 14, then went on to write and burn five more books before her first submission was accepted and published. |
