Western Romance

by Cortney
(USA)

Hi my name is Cortney and I'm 15.


I've been trying to write a book for a while now and i can never get through with one before i get a different idea and start another story. But my thing is..... I don't know much about romance and that is the type of book I want to write..... A Christian Romance.

I also want it to be in the horse and buggy days and like on a ranch but i have no earthly idea about any of that stuff.....

Answer: Well, Courtney, when you don't know about stuff, the thing to do is find out. These days, it's easier than ever to get the information you need.

For romance, you might start by looking into the Romance Writers of America. They have many branches and workshops, and they put out a magazine with a lot of information about romance writing. You should also read romance novels to get a feel for the genre (perhaps start with Harlequin's Love Inspired Historical line, which includes Christian Western romances).

As for writing Westerns, you need to read up on the history of the old West so you can create an authentic setting.

I know that sounds like a lot of work, and it is. But if you really love the period and the genre, it can be fun as well.

One thing you might also consider is writing short stories, at first, in order to practise your fiction writing skills. Write a lot of them, and you might find yourself with a few ideas that can be expanded into a full novel.

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What does cowboy romance requires
by: Anonymous

What do you write in cowboy romance? I already know the basic such as tipping their hat, ranch,and horses. What else do you need to write cowboy romance?
A few things
by: Glen

You need to know as much as you can about life in the American West in the 20-30 years following the American Civil war, which is the period traditional Westerns are set. You don't need to know a lot about politics, but it helps to know about the geography -- what the landscape looked like, what plants and animals are there, the weather, etc.

It would also be a good idea to know about horses, cowboy skills, the guns commonly used in the period, and other technologies.

Then there's the people -- what they wore, what they ate, how they lived. You may want to include Native Americans or Spanish Americans. and today's Westerns often include other cultural groups such as Afro-Americans or Asian Americans.

But Westerns aren't strictly historical fiction. They are morality plays as well. So it's also a good idea to learn about the Western genre -- what themes readers expect to find.

For example, one common theme is redemption. In Westerns, the setting represents an escape from civilization (the East). It is a setting in which people could leave behind the stiffing atmosphere of social rules that told you what your place was. In the West, you could find your own place and value. In the West, people who had lost their souls could find themselves again. A low-class person could find his self-respect, a former plantation owner could lose his aristocratic snobbery. A woman could escape traditional female roles. Etc.

Another common theme is justice. Whether legal or frontier, justice must be served by the end of the story -- no matter the cost.

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