I was asked recently to join in a discussion about writing novellas, as I have a few novellas under my belt.
As a writer, I always feel like a bit of student because I’m constantly learning, but I had so much help when I was starting out that I like to share anything I can to help those who are starting out.
I was talking a bit about the conundrum of writing a novella and having the hero and heroine get down to “it” right away, especially when the hero and heroine are strangers. How do you go about that? It’s tricky, especially in contemporaries, but I talked a bit about Mounted Release.
Yeah, it was a paranormal and I was able to make stuff up to get the hero and the heroine into bed a lot faster than a regular contemporary, but I also had a problem of a plot device that’s been used many a time.
I enjoy fated mates, don’t get me wrong, but I wanted to add my own twist. So I created the world of bear shifters. I created the rules of this world in a notebook, including a time when a female has increased fertility and the hero cannot resist her.
The hero in Mounted Release was struggling with his past and he disliked and disowned everything to do with his heritage, but now he’s trapped in a cabin with a woman from his Mukswa heritage and he’s irresistibly drawn to her. In the words of Scooby Do “Ruh-roh”.
It worked for my novella and put an interesting spin on a well used trope.
It can be hard in today’s market to write something fresh and new, but think about what you love in your writing and try to put a new spin on it.
After all there are no original ideas, only original people. Wise words.
Have a great Saturday!
