Regan Black

Kresley Cole, Lori Handeland, and Sherrilyn Kenyon write wildly different stories using settings within the ‘real’ world we know and recognize. All three of these talented paranormal romance authors have done the research that makes readers feel as if they’ve traveled along with the characters.

Still other authors use an entirely different world for their paranormal romance novels. While this may seem more challenging at first glance, there’s an infinite amount of freedom in the approach.

How do you convince a reader there’s life on the moon? Like maybe a werewolf colony that’s managed to hide themselves from every lunar landing and exploration. Building a brand new world for your paranormal romance can be fun.

The imagination is boundless! Other planets, lost cities, alternative histories and potential futures actually give authors plenty of new, undiscovered blocks to build the special world for their paranormal romance. As long as they stick to the rules of the world they create.

For example, if gravity’s important, explain how creatures cope or defy it. If you introduce a fuel cell, be sure your heroine doesn’t fill up the tank with unleaded on her way to catch the bad guy.

When you’re considering what sort of world to build for a paranormal romance novel, think about the specific strengths and weaknesses of your characters and/or creatures.

Build them a world that will challenge and surprise, as well as assist and comfort them on their journey through the story.

Also, writer know thyself. Consider the things you’re good at. Think about the voice that comes most naturally to you.

Do you have a penchant for the dark and angsty, or would a battle between good and evil land on the page sounding more like a walk through Central Park on a balmy June day?

Whether you’ve got supernatural creatures romping through the this world or humans trying to navigate an otherworld environment, there’s plenty of room for putting your own spin on the world you build for your paranormal romance novel.

Use your innate storytelling strengths as you build the right world for your paranormal romance. It’ll be more fun in both the writing and editing process and your readers will thank you later!

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Two of my favorite authors, Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz, have mastered storytelling. I know that’s an understatement if ever there was one. Specifically however, they’ve mastered the art of telling a classic, romantic story with the bonus element of a paranormal novel.

If you read any or all of the zillions of books by the prolific Nora, you’ll find elements of the paranormal in several novels that certainly weren’t marketed as paranormal. The Irish Trilogy is just one example, but it happens to be at the top of my favorite books by Nora list.

In this contemporary series set on the coast of Ireland, three talented and lovely siblings (two brothers and a sister) manage to find their life’s work as well as their life partners.

Classic romance, right? Of course. But when you throw in Nora’s original fairy tale, complete with a clever fey prince and the ghost he loves, you find the element that proves you’re reading a paranormal novel.

Just as prolific as Nora, under the pen name of Amanda Quick, Jayne Ann Krentz launched a series that blends her historical voice with her contemporary voice.

Let me just say: Brilliant!

The Arcane Society books are full of varying elements that make them paranormal novels. The series features protagonists and antagonists with varying degrees of ‘psychical ability’. Telepaths, hunters, strategists, this is a series where anything the mind can perceive, the talent can be achieved.

And don’t forget the romance!

Krentz has made spanning historical and contemporary settings, issues, and mysteries solved and not-yet-solved look easy. At least they read easy. Romance, mystery, and the element of the paranormal, this series has everything a reader could wish for.

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So you wrote and sold a great book. Way to go!

Fans clamor for all the little extra details, the bonus peeks into how things are going for those characters after their happy ending. That’s wonderful, except you wrote those characters at least a year ago and if you’re doing it right, you’re working with a new cast to satisfy your current muse or to fulfill the current contract.

But then it’s suggested you put those brief forays and behind-the-scenes moments into a website or blog. Maybe even dive into twitter or facebook – microblogging as your character to increase your readership.

Is it worth it to wade back through the old stuff? Will the effort create something fresh and new?

More importantly, can you even connect with those characters again?

Of course you can. A character interview is a great way to catch up with characters from projects past.

Try these ideas to help make the reconnection as painless as possible: find a passage that makes you smile, remember a favorite character trait or quirk, and look over the research or your ‘out takes’ file to see what you can build from what didn’t make it into the published book.

Now that you’re back on board with the characters, put on your interviewer hat and get ready to take notes – fast.

Ask your main characters some pertinent questions about what’s transpired since you last saw them. What about their new life is most surprising? Any new or reclaimed hobbies? Seen any old enemies lurking about?

You’ve got the idea. Knowing your characters will make it easier for you to come up with much better questions. Only time and feedback will tell you if it’s fresh, but I believe it’s worth the effort.

If you’ve delivered characters fans enjoy, keeping them engaged and connected is vital to your continued success as an author. So be brave and go visit those friends you created on the page and share the fun with your fans.

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