Regan Black

In the publishing industry, creating characters of sports star and rock star status are often frowned upon. But as an element of the paranormal romance, feats of superior physical or mental strength and ability are encouraged.

What would a Kenyon Dark Hunter be without the cunning and skills to defeat the dreaded Spathi?

As the elements of paranormal romance novels go, the character is often the ‘it’ factor. As well it should be. Super-natural speed, strength, and agility are powerful and exciting and intriguing. A beyond the norm story requires a larger than life character.

Any character – heroes, villains, even sidekicks -  can have understated (or undervalued) skills that add an extra element to the paranormal romance novel.

Looking at the extraordinary feats Olympic athletes are making everyday during the Winter Games can be an inspiration to developing the stand out character element in your paranormal novel.

Whether dealing with injury, emotions, or circumstance, these athletes overcome the obstacles and leave their best effort on the track, mountain, or rink.

It’s amazing. It’s this type of heroic effort that can lend the perfect element to your paranormal romance novel – whether the character is normal or super natural; an alpha male or alpha female.

Again, how much of that paranormal element you include is up to you. You don’t want to overpower the story – and you’d better have a good reason why a ski-loving vampire doesn’t go poof on a sunny downhill run…

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Writing paranormal romance leaves the page wide open for all kinds of fun. Paranormal romance writers can take liberties other authors might shy away from and the layers and intricacies of the paranormal elements can be bold or subtle.

Take setting for example. An ‘other’ world can be a place of discovery for both characters and readers. Or spinning known landmarks and cities into a clever new look or purpose can spark passion that resonates with paranormal romance readers.

The Olympic venues (beyond the skating rink) are often foreign territory to the average reader and viewer. Think what a paranormal romance writer could do with that!

Those places known and loved, or as yet undiscovered can be either big or subtle elements of the paranormal romance novel. In the forests surrounding the venues of Vancouver, I can see the characters of Lori Handeland’s Night Creature novels having a grand adventure.

Setting can be a powerful element of the paranormal romance novel, whether it’s a shining city like New Orleans, a pristine forest, a mountain staked for Super G, or a bumpy moguls course.

It’s not so odd for a paranormal hero or heroine to enjoy adrenaline-inducing sports. The Olympic Village could be it’s own element in a paranormal romance if the hero is tracking a villain disguised as an athlete – or coach.

Visions of James Bond racing onto the ski cross course are one thing, but what if it was Kenyon’s Acheron – even better!

In other words, look at settings you know and love, as well as settings that intrigue you. Then fold it in to the fabric of your story to create a memorable – big or subtle – element of your paranormal romance novel.

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Character interviews are valuable for focusing the writer’s attention on certain details or quirks about the stars of our stories. But what do the questions asked reveal about the writer?

At this particular moment, I’m likely to ask my characters if they’ve had back trouble and if so, what they did to solve it. Working with the replies from my contemporary characters is likely to reveal something different (maybe even useful) than working with my characters from the future.

Then again, maybe one of my futuristic characters will give me a great idea for an invention…

You guessed it! I’m having back trouble. I was ready to be done with it about an hour after the injury. Obviously, I’m not the patient type. As a writer I shouldn’t be surprised if this back pain colors certain aspects of the storytelling.

Case in point: my shoulder was acting up while I wrote my second book – but it wasn’t until the editing process that I consciously realized that I’d put the injury on my hero too.

Why does this happen? Because writing is often both an escape from the writer’s reality and an illustration of it.

Similarly, the questions you ask your characters in an interview can reveal where your head is, your writing style, and your preferred type of conflict.

Do you tend to ask questions about appearance, movies, or music? Or do you trend toward thought-provoking philosophical questions looking to draw out the inner motives of your characters? Do you ask about fighting styles, weapons, myths, or even signs of the apocalypse?

It’s possible that taking a hard look at the questions (and answers) of a character interview will even reveal your ‘author platform’ (issues you’re passionate about) and that’s imperative to promoting your books and connecting with your target audience.

Whatever your style of character interview, dig in and see what the questions (and answers) say about you as the writer – then use that information to your best advantage in the story – and in the marketing.

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