Books We Love Insider Blog: Writing Romance

Showing posts with label Writing Romance. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Superstition, Supernatural, or Simply a Case of Writer's Block By Connie Vines

According to Wikipedia,

Superstition and the supernatural are often grouped together, but they refer to different phenomena. The supernatural refers to forces, entities, or phenomena that exist outside of the physical laws of nature (e.g., spirits, magic, or miracles). Superstition, on the other hand, is the belief that certain unrelated behaviors or objects can directly influence these supernatural forces, luck, or destiny.

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) carried a navigational compass with him at all times and always faced north while he slept—a practice he believed improved his creativity and writing.

Dr. Seuss: The author and illustrator Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904–1991), better known as Dr. Seuss, kept an immense collection of nearly three hundred hats. When facing writer’s block, Dr. Seuss would go to his secret closet and choose a hat to wear until he felt inspired.

Truman Capote refused to begin or end a piece of writing on a Friday.

J.K. Rowling’s superstition is to hold off titling a piece until it is complete. She said on Twitter: “I only type the title page of a novel once the book is finished.”

✎ 🖳

To non-writers, these behaviors must smack of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

But to those of us struggling at the keyboard to create something worthwhile, these quirks can make the difference between a productive day or one that ends in despair.

There's more to writing than hoping to learn the secret of someone else’s magic formula.

The magical formula comes from within.

It's a spark of inspiration and hard work.

I find glancing out my office window gives my brain a reset. The gentle fragrance of roses and the music of my windchimes allow creativity to flow.

While individual rituals may seem like idiosyncratic quirks, all are actions in pursuit of rational goals:

(I smile when I see the word rational 😄 and rituals in the same paragraph.)

Help writers get in the frame to write

Alleviate the anxiety that prompts writer’s block or procrastination

Take care of the necessary details as a way to minimize intrusions

Provide a routine to keep a writer on track

Of course, not everyone believes in rituals. Isaac Asimov, with over 500 published books to his name, dismissed the idea as “ridiculous.”

“My only ritual is to sit close enough to the typewriters so that the fingers touch the keys,” he said.

My preparation rituals are pretty mundane, but I embrace them. A steaming cup of coffee sets the stage to log on to my PC and start typing. Music plays softly in the background, my pups are napping in their beds while I mumble dialogue... and the words flow.

Except for summertime.

Summer brings high temps, winds, and wildfires.

Last year, the neighborhood was placed on fire watch.

Fingers crossed, this summer will be uneventful, boring, with an occasional bit of cloud cover.

Look who wandered in as a visitor

https://www.audible.com/pd/Lynx-Audiobook/B0FK6K51

Lynx (Rodeo Romance, Book 1) is available in audio and eBook

ALL My books are available at your favorite online vendor. And Barnes and Noble brick-and-mortar stores.

Happy Reading,

Connie

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

My Favorite and My Not-So-Favorite-Point-of-View By Connie Vines #ConnieVines

My Favorite and My Not-So-Favorite Point-of-View.

How does an author choose a point of view for his/her story?

I promise to only skim the surface of our high school creative writing class :)

Omniscient, 3rd person, or 1st Person, What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Reading:

The omniscient POV allows you to enter the heads of multiple characters, but you will act more as an observer than a reporter.

As a child (and even today), I enjoyed reading the Greek myths and Homer (author of the Iliad and the Odyssey)

The Odyssey is uniquely structured, with the narration split between a third-person omniscient narrator and a first-person narrative by Odysseus himself. The omniscient point of view is present in excerpts at each chapter's beginning.

In terms of gods, the Greek pantheon consists of 12 deities who were said to reside at Mount Olympus: Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon.

Writing:

While I might consider this point of view in a noir-type crime story (short story or novella), I do not believe it would be widely accepted in a contemporary story.

Reading:

First Person POV

In first-person narration, the narrator is a character in the story, telling it from their own perspective. The narration typically employs the pronouns I (or we, if the narrator speaks as part of a group).

Writing:

I write in the first person when writing Young Adult contemporary and Young Adult historical novels.

I remain in the main character's point of view. At the beginning of each chapter, I may insert information using a quote, historical fact, etc. I also include an Epilogue.

Reading:

3rd Person POV

In the third-person point of view, the author narrates a story about the characters, referring to them by name or using the third-person pronouns "he," "she," and "they." The other points of view in writing are first person and second person.

Writing:

3rd Person POV

My contemporary novels, excluding young adult fiction, are written in the third person. While I may change point of view (POV), I strive not to head-hop.

First and foremost, this mode of storytelling comes most naturally to me when writing a romance. The third-person narrative is as old as time.

Third-person subjective:

From this perspective, you can enter the characters' thoughts and viewpoints. It goes beyond narrating the character's thoughts by telling the reader "she thought" or "he wondered." It lets you really be in their head the way first-person POV does.

My excerpts from "Gumbo Ya Ya," An anthology for women who like their romance Cajun Style!

(Opening Teasers from my anthology)

Marrying Off Murphy

Settling into his office chair, Professor Murphy Flynn glanced at the faxed copy of the OP News. "I Want to Get Married!" the headline shouted. He upended his coffee mug when he realized the grainy photograph was of him, sending the liquid perilously close to a six-inch stack of upgraded papers.

He snagged the papers with one hand, using the other to dab at the puddle with his tie. His gaze locked on the name of the submission's editor: Sylvie Dupree. The memories hit him hard and fast, leaving Murphy to feel like he'd taken a direct blow to his solar plexus.

Love Potion No. 9

"Don't shake your finger at me, Simone Basso. I know what I'm doing," Persia Richmond said, holding a pipette to fill a crystal half-ounce atomizer with perfume. The top notes of peach blossoms, bergamot, and mid-notes of gardenia, honey, and tuberose tanalized. Meanwhile, the tuberose, the most carnal of the floral notes and the high-ticket natural essence for her fragrance compound, merged with peony and orange blossom to temper the intoxication properties. The base notes linger, while a hint of something unnamed and mysterious beguiled and skimmed across the narrow processing room, saturating her senses.

A Slice of Scandal

"Hey, now, 'dis key lime pie's like de one I serve at my restaurant. Simple to make and good to eat! Key limes perk up de mouth and makes you happy."

Producer/Director Julia Kincade focused on her monitor and adjusted the mic on her headset. "Camera One, tighten that headshot." She watched as the camera feathered over the chef to capture the best angle. The camera should have loved Franklin. His height was average, his black hair was short and curly, and his skin took on a polished bronze color under the harsh camera lights, but the camera didn't like Franklin.

1-800-FORTUNE

The moon was full and huge in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.

The tarot deck has seventy-eight cards, four suits of fourteen cards each, Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles, and twenty-two cards called the major arcane—the big mysteries.

Enza's mother told her she would learn to associate cards with people. She knew this was true. Because through her travels, she had met them all...