Help! I Just Killed My Heroine! by Kayla Perrin

Help! I Just Killed My Heroine!
Why do my romances keep turning into suspense novels?
by Kayla Perrin

If the above title has gotten your attention, then you need to read on!
If you find that you've killed your heroine or hero and you don't regret it, or you find that killing them actually works better for the story, then maybe, just maybe, you shouldn't be writing romance. In that case, you can stop reading now.
But if the sudden death of your hero or heroine deeply upsets you because you find you now don't have a plot, and you really want this story to work, then you need to find a way to incorporate your murderous thoughts into your romance novel.
The result: romantic suspense. I've heard editors say that this is the toughest sub-genre to master, because it requires great skill to balance both aspects of the story. If there's too much suspense, it's not really a romance, and if there's too much romance, then it doesn't truly qualify as romantic suspense. So, assuming you're trying to write romantic suspense-an edge of your seat thriller along with a wonderful romance-I'll give you some tips to keep in mind that will hopefully help you master the task better.
Before you start writing, I think it's important to plot the suspense aspect of your story out in full. Now, when I say "plot", I don't mean that you have to write everything down in detail. I actually do most plotting in my head, and I'll jot down main points if I feel like it. But you need to figure out what the suspense story is, so you can figure out how you'll weave it into your book.
Yes, you need to weave your plots. The romance plot and the suspense plot have to be intertwined. No ifs, ands, or buts. Put your hero or heroine in danger. Someone might try to kill one or both of them but not succeed. You might think that all this danger is solely suspense, but danger to the hero and/or heroine can enhance the romance plot. How? By forcing the hero and heroine together when they otherwise might stay away from each other.
I recently read a "romantic suspense" novel by a well-known author; all through the book, I kept wondering how the suspense plot would tie into the main romance plot. I was immensely disappointed when, at the end of the story, it became clear the two plots could have existed in two different books-they weren't intertwined at all! As a reader, I felt cheated.
So weaving your subplot into your main plot is not only important for total reader satisfaction, it is necessary. And what I love about the suspense subplot is that you can really use it to make the hero and heroine face their deepest fears much more quickly than in a regular romance. The suspense subplot can be used to put your characters in dangerous situations to test their strength. If they've faced adversity before and think they'll never be strong enough to go on, give them something harder to get through and when they do, the satisfaction is that much sweeter. So, I'm saying, use your suspense subplot to exploit your characters' emotions and weaknesses, which will ultimately show how strong they are.
How do you actually balance the romance and suspense plots? Like I said before, they need to be woven together. After you've decided what your suspense plot will be, figure out how it will play into the main story. This is important so that one element doesn't overshadow the other. In romantic suspense novels, I think there is a greater tendency to be heavy on the suspense. One way to make sure you're concentrating on the romance is to have your hero and heroine work together to solve the crime, or work together simply to stay alive.
In my last novel, Flirting With Danger, my heroine is trying to solve the sixteen-year-old mystery of her mother's murder. Digging into the past brings danger to the heroine. Before the hero knows about the element of danger, he vows to help her find her mother's killer because he is concerned for her and wants her to have closure. And then when the heroine's life is threatened, he doesn't want to leave her alone for a minute. Suddenly, they're spending every waking moment together, working together for a common cause. And of course, the hero also wants to keep the heroine safe.
There's nothing like danger to up the sexual tension in a novel! The more my hero (Khamil) is around to help my heroine (Monique), the more she sees a side to him she didn't notice before-a caring side. And of course, realizing that he's the only one who seems to care about helping her get answers (her entire family wants her to forget and move on) endears him to her all the more. But while she's suddenly feeling drawn to him, she questions herself. How can she feel attracted to a man at a time like this? Especially a man who she's certain is the wrong man?
The more time the hero and heroine spend together, the more the sexual tension increases, and the more likely they are to succumb to the passion they've been trying to hold in check. Of course, there will be doubts afterward, doubts about how they could have succumbed to such passion in the face of all the danger (ie, more important things going on), but this should also make your hero and heroine question why they succumbed to that passion. Is there more going on? Are they more attracted to each other than they want to admit, or have they just released tension because of all the stress?
What I think is particularly wonderful about romantic suspense is that with the threat of danger, the hero and heroine tend to come to the realization that you need to appreciate what you have here and now because tomorrow may be too late. Sometimes, it's not until the black moment that the hero and/or heroine will come to that realization-and at that point, they may indeed think it's too late. So, use the suspense subplot to heighten the stakes for the hero and heroine after the black moment. If death is a real threat, the hero and heroine start thinking about all that's important, and what they'd do over again if they could.
For example, in my novel Sweet Honesty, undercover cop Derrick has just had his cover blown. While he's been investigating murder and robbery suspect, Samona, he doesn't truly feel she's guilty. Still, he lies to her because his job requires it. But when Samona learns the truth, she's devastated. She bared her soul to this man, only to learn everything he told her is a lie. She was falling for him; Derrick didn't want to allow himself to fall for her. But when she runs from him, Derrick realizes just how much he cares. And when she's now missing and assumed kidnapped by the bad guy, he knows that if he ever sees her alive again, he'll do everything in his power to not only make sure she stays safe, but to have the relationship with her that he wants.
I love suspense plot resolutions after black moments. When the hero saves the heroine or vice versa, the first thing they tend to say to each other is what's in their hearts. One might blurt out, "God, I was so afraid I'd lose you before we ever had a chance to make a life together." (Or something like that). The confession probably surprises the hell out of the character-as well as the other party. But the fear of losing someone you love does put a lot of things into perspective, and it's a tool to use when writing suspense plots in your romance.
What's the moral of the story? If you love writing suspense, go ahead! I think the combination of romance and suspense is one of the best out there. You can appeal to many readers-within the genre and out. Nora Roberts has a large male following, because they love the mystery/suspense in her books. The key is to not forget the romance. Use the suspense to heighten the stakes for your hero and heroine, to bring them closer together, to give the reader that extra special feeling that after all they've gone through, they deserve to live happily-ever-after.
And kill all the people you want.
Just don't kill your heroine.

Kayla Perrin divides her time between Toronto and Miami. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology and a Bachelor of Education. In three short years, she has had eleven original releases hit the shelves. Kayla's February 2001 release, IF YOU WANT ME, has been nominated for a 2001 Gold Pen Award from the Black Writers Alliance. Last year, the Romance Writers of America voted SWEET HONESTY as one of the Top 10 Favorite Books of 1999. Her latest novel, THE SISTERS OF THETA PHI KAPPA, is her mainstream hardcover debut (October/01, St. Martin's), and it has a good dose of suspense as a secret comes back to haunt four friends eight years after college.