Theory on Thursday with Juanita Kees

I’m HUGELY excited to have fellow West Aussie, Juanita Kees on Theory on Thursday today! Juanita’s debut book FLY AWAY PETA released yesterday with Eternal Press and I for one can’t wait to read it. When I first read Juanita’s post – a few weeks ago now – I simply couldn’t wait to share it with you. So without further ado… here she is:

Welcome Juanita!

I would like to say a special thank you to Rachael for having me here today.  I am a huge fan of hers and if you haven’t read JILTED or ONE PERFECT NIGHT yet…what are you waiting for?

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

Thanks for sharing that outlook Juanita – I’m sure everyone found it as fascinating as I did 🙂 Juanita can be found online at her website, on Twitter and Facebook. Please check out the blurb of her new book – FLY AWAY PETA – below, which can be purchased online here!

The time has come to face her worst fear and the clock is ticking…

Peta Johnson will go to extreme lengths to protect her daughter Bella. When the Bella is
kidnapped, the search for her takes Peta back to the small Australian country town of Williams, a place she’d vowed never to return to. The town where her dreams were shattered and her nightmare began. Back to the place she’d been destined to meet two very powerful, yet very different men. One would break her heart, the other would destroy her soul. Both would change her life forever.