Saturday, November 8, 2014

Bringing Historical Romances Alive for Today’s Readers By Romance Author Kelli A. Wilkins


 


My name is Kelli Wilkins, and I write historical, gay, paranormal, and contemporary romances. People often ask me how I can switch genres so easily and write such diverse stories. “What’s the trick?” they want to know. Well, the trick is… there is none.

Writing historical romances is pretty much like writing contemporaries. I use the same basic storytelling techniques—an interesting plot, sympathetic characters, and the right mix of backstory, setting, and details that draw readers into the story and keep them there.

Consider these romance plots:

A father is desperate to find a suitable husband for his wild daughter, but she rejects all her suitors and wants the one man she can’t have.

An outcast is persecuted by the people in her small town and relies on a handsome stranger to help her escape.

Disowned by his well-to-do family, a spoiled socialite is forced to find a job and make his own way in the world. He falls in love with a sweet shop girl and suffers heartache as he sees how the “other half” lives.

A young woman leaves everything behind to start a new job far from home. She tries to solve a murder as she falls in love with her employer’s son.

A wealthy husband and wife invite couples to their country home for a weekend of wanton fun.

Sound like great reads? Would it surprise you to learn that they are all plots from my historical romances? (In order, they are: A Most Unusual Princess, The Viking’s Witch, The Pauper Prince, Dangerous Indenture, and A Midsummer Night’s Delights.)

Recently, a woman told me she didn’t read historical romances because they were boring. I replied, “Some of them might be, but not mine—far from it!” With a few plot and character modifications, any of my historicals could take place in modern times. Don’t believe me? With the right editing, princesses could become spoiled actresses, singers, or reality show stars. Imagine the pampered prince as a high-paid arrogant actor who is destined for a fall from grace.

The key to writing an appealing historical is to create characters who are engaging and lively. I don’t have “stuffy shirts” making long-winded speeches about politics, law, or anything not crucial to the storyline. You won’t find me (or my characters) giving anyone a history lesson!

Just because historical romances are set in time periods before cars, the Internet, and cell phones, that doesn’t (or shouldn’t) make them boring. There is plenty of action, adventure, intrigue, danger, comedy, and sensual love scenes. These are the same elements that go into making a compelling contemporary romance.

I bring my historical romances “out of the history books” and into the everyday lives of my characters. I focus on how the hero and heroine meet, fall in love, overcome their obstacles and challenges, and eventually live happily-ever-after. And if you think about it, this is what really happened to people back then.

People who lived in ancient Egypt, the Middle Ages, or Colonial times went through the same relationship hardships and heartaches as people who live today. Granted, their life circumstances were much different, and in many cases they were more concerned with basic survival than finding true romantic love, but that didn’t make them any less real. Women especially didn’t have as many options, choices, or chances to fall in love with Mr. Right, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t have hopes and dreams like our contemporary heroines.

I’m not afraid to “break the mold” with my historicals. The settings, plots, and characters I create are far from typical. My heroines are not wearing frilly dresses and hosting tea parties while waiting to find the perfect man. In most cases, they’re too busy trying to keep themselves alive or fighting against perceived notions of how a “proper” woman should behave to look for a husband. And if they do find a man they want to be with, they are only willing to accept love on their terms. Michelle from Wilderness Bride and Shauna from Dangerous Indenture are two examples. These strong women have struck out on their own in a man’s world and would be right at home in a contemporary romance novel.

When I’m writing, I include only the historical details and descriptions that are integral to the story. I don’t bog down the plot with a step-by-step procedure for churning butter, how to saddle a horse, or go into an endless description of how to unfasten a corset (unless it’s befuddling the hero who is eager to remove it!). The same goes for contemporary stories. Readers don’t want the action slowed to a crawl with long descriptions, flashbacks, or “as you know…” info dumps.

Every romance genre has its fans. Some people like to read contemporary romances, others live for paranormals, and there are those who switch up genres and read anything that sounds appealing. If the author is doing her job right and creates a believable world, then the reader will be hooked—whether the story is set on a remote Scottish isle in 804 (as in The Viking’s Witch) or takes place in modern times (as in A Secret Match). And that’s the “trick” to switching up genres.

As for me, I don’t know what my next book will be. All I can say for sure is that I enjoy writing romances about people who fall in love, wherever and whenever that may be. 

ABOUT KELLI  A. WILKINS

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 90 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 4 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels. Kelli had three romance novels published in 2014: A Secret Match, Wilderness Bride, and Dangerous Indenture. Look for her short story “Home for Halloween” in the upcoming Moon Shadows horror anthology. Preview it here

Kelli publishes a blog  KelliWilkinsAuthor.blogspot.com  filled with excerpts, interviews, writing prompts, and whatever else pops into her head. She also writes a monthly newsletter, Kelli's Quill, and posts on Facebook and Twitter. Kelli invites readers to visit her website, www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings. 

Catch up with Kelli on the Web

Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb

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