Romantic Suspense-part 2

» Posted on May 14, 2007 in Blog | Comments Off on Romantic Suspense-part 2

So where do you start writing a romantic suspense? The first thing I usually come up with is a premise for my story. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a favorite setting like the jungle in Heart of the Amazon or an occupation in Buried Secrets. In So Dark the Night I came up with the premise what would happen to a sister who witnessed her brother’s murder and fled the scene with the killers after her. Or in Vanished, the premise was what would happen if a sheriff had to be both lawman and father when someone from his past kidnaps his daughter. Sometimes writers will develop the antagonist first and what the crime is going to be before delving into the protagonist. Usually for me it is easiest to come up with some kind of concept and build a story from there. What I want to stress is to find what works best for you. What works for one writer doesn’t necessarily work for you. We all have different writing styles and methods. However, be open to trying something new because you never know where it might lead you. Heart of the Amazon came out of me trying something a little different and I had so much fun with it.

How do you come up with the idea for a suspense? Can you give me a premise of a romantic suspense in one or two sentences? Often when pitching your book you will have to do that?

Here are some teasers I’ve used on my bookmark:
Heart of the Amazon
Polar opposites Kate and Slader must depend on each other to survive.
So Dark the Night
Will Emma and Colin solve her brother’s murder in time to save her life?
Vanished
When J.T.’s worst nightmare occurs, will faith and Madison’s love be enough to sustain him?
Buried Secrets
With people after them, Zach and Maggie race to find a treasure worth killing over.

Now it’s your turn. What is yours?