We have author Juanita Kees sharing about writing from the heart.

Juanita escapes the real world by reading and writing Australian Rural Romance novels with elements of suspense, Australian Fantasy Paranormal and Small-Town USA stories. Her romance novels star spirited heroines who give the hero a run for his money before giving in. She creates emotionally engaging worlds steeped in romance, suspense, mystery and intrigue, set in dusty, rural outback Australia and on the NASCAR racetracks of America. When she’s not writing, Juanita is mother to three boys and has a passion for fast cars and country living.

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Today I’m going to be talking about my favourite subject – Writing from the Heart. It seems appropriate that as romance writers we put our heart and soul into our writing to create the perfect levels of emotion and reader engagement. Why? Because that’s what love is all about – the heart.

When I write, I think of it as building a house.

The heart is the foundation on which you build your story. It’s about people, emotions, challenges, victories and most of all love. Rely on all five senses to get into the hearts and heads of your characters. What are they feeling, seeing, touching, hearing or smelling? (Let’s hope it’s something good!)

The second step is laying the floor. A floor needs to be level, insulated against the creeping cold and damp, strong enough to resist the cracks that appear as it expands with heat or retracts when cold. The same applies to your plot. It needs to be strong enough to leap over the cracks when it reaches that dreaded ‘saggy middle’ and have enough give and take to keep the reader engaged until the end.

Next comes the walls. The substance and structure are the support for your story. Is there enough of a story to keep the reader turning the page? Does it ebb and flow as easily as the incoming tide? Or is it spiralling out of control, choppy and all over the place like an angry storm? Make your walls strong. They are what protect the heart.

Let’s not forget about the doors and windows. Windows let in light and fresh air. These are your characters. Keep them fresh and appealing. They are the windows to the soul of your story and will shed light for the reader to follow them through the twists and turns of your plot. The front door is your story. Make it open and inviting from the first words on the page. An open door will draw them in and keep them there without the need to lock it behind them.

Grammar, spelling and punctuation are part of your finishing touches. This is the roof that will protect your investment; keeping your characters, the plot, your heart, and ultimately your readers, happy. And the chimney? Well, that’s the finishing touch – the ‘bling’ if you like. These are those little gems that make your story unique and give it your own personal touch or voice.

Now that you’ve built your house, here is your key – the key to success, attached to your heart.

Happy Writing!

Juanita Kees has a new book out this month:

Promise Me Forever (Bindarra Creek A Town Reborn Book 8)

News correspondent, Jack Hughes, is sent to sleepy Bindarra Creek to escape the spotlight after a scandalous fake video goes viral. He’s in the fight of his life to save his reputation. In a town only determination has kept from dying, the last thing Jack is looking for is love.
The Bindarra Creek Museum is Meg Moonie’s life. But with her granny dead, a murder suspect on the run and the police asking questions, she struggles to keep the museum and Mary Moonie’s dream alive. Jack is a handsome distraction, but Meg has been hurt by a roving reporter before. Men who couldn’t put down roots never promised forever. If only he wasn’t so easy to fall in love with…

Buy on:

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