 If you are struggling to create conflict for your characters, at least beyond the forbidden romance angle, then consider the following -
 Paranormal Romance has two key characters - your main character and their love interest. But how do you write compelling characters when it comes to PNR?
First, you need to decide what type of supernatural your characters are and build up their backstory. What is their life like? What challenges do they face? Remember that before they get together, your characters have lives and issues of their own. They are not just sitting around waiting for the other to show up! While your characters will face obstacles in getting together, they will also face issues in their own separate lives that could impact their life together. For example, one character might be dealing with a hunter trying to kill them. The love interest could (and should) get caught up in that. Or perhaps one of them has been cursed and it will eventually kill them. How will that affect their love interest? The way to answer these questions is to decide what kind of person they are. They need to have their own unique personalities and also be likeable and/or relatable. If not, the reader isn't going to root for them. Before you start writing, create a brief profile for both characters in their individual lives - family, background, conflict etc. Then consider how they will work together. This is how we get our tropes such as grumpy/sunshine or enemies to lovers. Once you know your characters inside out, you can figure out exactly how they would react in any situation. Happy Writing!  For February, we will be looking at writing Paranormal Romance. First up - World Building.
Most fantasy books include world building and that is no different for Paranormal Romance. Your characters are going to have to follow or break the rules as their love blossoms, so the reader needs to know what they are. What types of supernatural creatures exist in your world? Are they allowed to interact? Is there a forbidden love aspect? What are the repercussions of that? These questions need to be answered which is why your world building should come first. As you decide the rules of your world, it can help to resolve any plot holes or point out further issues your characters may face. Let's use an example - a vampire and a werewolf fall in love. In most books, they are enemies. To have two fall in love would cause a lot of issues. Their people will not be happy about it. It could lead to fighting or even a war. There are the personal aspects to consider too - can the vampire control themselves? What if they attack the werewolf? What if the werewolf can't control the shift and attacks the vampire? There are of course other issues to consider to such as a vampire is immortal while a werewolf is not. These are all types of conflict they will face. World building can seem daunting, especially if you are a pantser and not a plotter, but I would encourage you to at lease jot down some ideas to keep you right. It will save trouble later on. Look at the following -
The most important aspect is to remember that it is a romance that happens to be between supernatural beings. The romance is the focus and you do not want to make it easy for your characters to be together! Next week, we will look at creating your characters - Happy Writing! |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” 
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