WRITE-BYTES BLOG

WRITE-BYTES BLOG
…Tips and tools for developing writers 
April 7, 2023
By Linda S. Gunther
The topic this week: DEEP DIVE PANEL DISCUSSION on BLENDING ROMANCE WITH SUSPENSE

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#30 DEEP-DIVE PANEL DISCUSSION on BLENDING ROMANCE WITH SUSPENSE 

My last blog post talked about dove-tailing romance and suspense in one novel. This week I’d like to feature the discussion we had at a writers panel for the Mystery Writers of America (Northern California Chapter). I had the pleasure of being one of seven panelists. The topic: Blending Romance with Mystery.

I learned so much from my six fellow panelists and from the 65+ audience members. My goal here is to share a few of the most interesting questions asked to panelists and the robust discussion generated.

We started with an overall definition and description for the genre of romantic suspense:

A narrative that involves elements of both romance and suspense. A good thriller provides entertainment by making readers uncomfortable with moments of suspense and the heightened feeling of anxiety and fright. A good romance novel features the relationship between two people which may evolve, then wane, and then evolve again; and that’s one way the writer can build tension in the story.

The first question posed to our panel was this:

How do writers navigate the blending of romance and mystery in one story?

The responses between panelists, including the opinion of yours truly, were fairly consistent. The following principles were recommended:

The writer needs to get the blending between romance and mystery started EARLY ON in the story, with that first riveting suspense scene at least in the first segment of your second chapter; maybe even earlier.
Dive deep into both the romance and suspense angles, dovetailing the two as you go along and develop the plot.

Work at writing seamlessly and avoid ‘clunkiness’ between the suspense and romance themes
Develop ups and downs as well as twists and turns as you grow your plot and develop your characters. 
In your edit process, adjust the BALANCE between mystery and romance vs having one over-ride the other.

Another question asked by our audience was this:
Overall, what are the common pitfalls ‘newbie’ writers might fall into when blending romance with mystery? 

For this question, panel responses included these as pitfalls:

- A temptation to write two separate stories, one for the romance theme and another for the suspense theme (Instead, the writer needs to artfully blend and weave the two genres.) 

- Failure to build the romance and suspense in parallel (Each scene, whether romance or mystery, should move the story forward and deep dive into motives, needs and conflicts for lead characters with regard to both romance and mystery.)

- Overdoing the romance and losing the mystery/suspense or vice versa (Avoid a lopsided blending of mystery and romance with too much of one but not the other. Check for this in your edit process.)

- Not including depth and complexity outside romance and mystery (Don’t forget about childhood experiences that shaped the protagonist’s traits and behaviors. Their childhood can explain personal blocks, internal conflicts and life’s obstacles.)

- Including too many characters in the story which can confuse readers (Stay clear on who the main characters and avoid naming every single person that appears in the story even those who may only appear briefly one time in the whole manuscript.)

- Poor pacing; too slow or too fast (Keep the pace moving, especially with the suspense scenes. Have the romantic story build and dip due to conflicts/obstacles and then re-build again.)
Another question where we had energized conversation was this:

What degree of spicy should you use when writing romantic suspense? Spicy sex? Mild sex? Or just stick to cozy romance? How should the writer decide?

The over-riding response from panelists was this:
IT DEPENDS! The decision regarding whether to include ‘hot’ sex scenes or stick to milder sex and/or even cozy romance should come from your lead characters. For your protagonist(s), think about what would his or her behaviors look like when it comes to casual sex? Stay true to your character. Would s/he go for sex without romance or would they wait until they are more sure, feel more comfortable with a romantic partner? And how about your readers? What are their expectations for your lead character’s actions as well as for your style of writing? It doesn’t mean that you should not write the ‘unexpected. If there’s an underlying reason for a character’s change of behavior, then it works. And of course, the writer having clarity regarding target audience is always an asset.

One panelist also had another tip. The back cover and book description serve as tools to tip off potential readers as to the degree of ‘sexual heat’ in your book. Additionally, your publisher (if traditional) may request a certain degree of ‘spicy,’ either less or more.  But again, allow your characters to lead you. You may not know this answer at the start of crafting your novel but in your revision process you can certainly adjust the heat; take out or add scenes.

If you ever have a chance to participate on a writers panel or any other panel where you have a scope of experience, I recommend that you to go for it. It was an absolutely great experience for me!

Stay tuned for next week. Look for this BLOG every FRIDAY which will l be posted at 9 a.m.

Next week’s WRITE-BYTES post will be titled ATTRIBUTES FOR A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NOVEL OR MEMOIR

  Linda S. Gunther has written five novels: Ten Steps From The Hotel Inglaterra, Endangered Witness, Lost In The Wake, Finding Sandy Stonemeyer, and Dream Beach.

 She grew up in New York City, received a Master’s Degree in Psychology,
 an MBA and studied theatre at Oxford University with the British 
American Drama Academy. Linda’s passion for travel and continuous 
learning fuels her fire to create vivid fictional characters and 
unforgettable story lines.