This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Author of smart and very funny romantic fiction Fanny Blake joins us now to talk intelligent, sensitive heroes (yes please) and the most romantic experience she’s ever had. Fanny’s latest short story, Third Act, can be found in the Truly, Madly, Deeply anthology.
What’s your favourite romantic book of all time and why?
It’s got to be Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I read it some time ago, but who can forget that great love story between Scarlett O’Hara and the dashing Rhett Butler? At the same time, it’s a meticulously researched and gripping historical novel that’s set against the backdrop of the American Civil War.
And your favourite romantic film? The kind you can curl up with on a rainy day with a tub of ice cream and a duvet.
David Lean’s Brief Encounter starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. A chance meeting on a railway station leads to a love affair that can only end unhappily. I cry every time I watch it, so let’s add a box of Kleenex into the mix.
What makes a great romantic hero, in your opinion?
Good looks help, but I would be swayed by a romantic hero who’s intelligent, sensitive, with a great sense of humour and who stands up for what’s right. Like life, really!
What is your top tip for writing romance?
The same goes for writing romance as for writing anything else. If you write with integrity and from the heart, you’ll capture your reader and hold them till the end.
What’s the most romantic experience you’ve ever had? Something that really captured your heart?
I wasn’t expecting the Taj Mahal to be as jaw-droppingly beautiful as it is. Following the order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, it took over 25 years to build this exquisite white marble mausoleum in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz, who died giving birth to their 14th child. He spent his final years imprisoned by his son in the Agra Fort, just a little way down the Yamuna river, staring out at his wife’s tomb. That all seems impossibly romantic to me.
Thanks, Fanny!