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Title: The Romance Writers' Phrase Book by Jean Salter Kent, Candace Shelton ISBN: 0-399-51002-8 Publisher: Perigee Pub. Date: April, 1984 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $10.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.84 (25 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: I wasn't cheating!
Comment: Take a little bit from column A, add it to column B... continue on, and before you know it, you have your very own romance novel! Well, it doesn't quite write itself, and this book doesn't exactly give you everything you need--but where's the fun in writing if you take it all from somewhere else? Sometimes I felt like I was cheating--sneaking a look at the answers before writing something myself. But this isn't cheating. It's inspiration, a nudge in the direction you want to go. It's a companion book, but not something you can't live without.
It is exactly what it claims to be--a romance phrase book. It covers looks, feelings, facial expressions, voices, and, of course, sex. This last category I found the most lacking. The sex is the most important part of a romance novel--it's why most people read the books. I felt that the phrases used here were a bit... reserved. They skirted around the lovemaking and didn't get around to the nitty-gritty of it. We get phrases like "love flowed in her like warm honey" and "gusts of desire shook her," but not much that actually gets down to describing the act of intercourse. I guess this is what I have to come up with on my own.
Something I was hoping to find in a book like this is more words for anatomy. There is a section on physical appearance--both male and female--but they're the shortest sections in the book. Again, I found this book a little reserved. Where are the euphemisms for that certain part of the male anatomy? There are plenty of words to use, but it's difficult to know which to use when... and this book helps none at all with that. Again, this is one of the most important parts of a romance novel. You'd think that they could at least include something as simple as this--I don't want to have to use "manhood" for the rest of my romance writing career.
Other than that, though, this book is rather good. It's a good way to spark the imagination. If you're having trouble in your writing, pick up this and get a little hint. Sometimes that's all it takes.
Rating: 3
Summary: Sparking The Imagination
Comment: Writers wanting to escape the dullness of 'he said' and 'she frowned' will find inspiration in the Romance Writers' Phrase Book. This clever little book's one-line descriptive phrases (or 'tags') are designed to help create chest-heaving scenes of passion, but can easily be adapted for any type of fiction.
Over 3,000 descriptions are divided into sections like physical characteristics, body movement, facial expression, emotions and voices, and then subdivided again. For example, the chapter on emotions breaks down into categories such as happiness, determination, surprise, fear and embarrassment.
Most writers will find some of the tags too over-the-top for comfort. Imagine using 'all of her loneliness and confusion welded together in one upsurge of devouring yearning'! More useful are expressions like 'he had depthless, jet-black eyes' and 'she flicked an imaginary speck of dirt from her dress'.
The beauty of the book, however, is the inspiration it provides when you're scratching your head over how to express a character's reaction. You might not use any of the tags word for word, but you can seize on the emotion they convey and present it in your character's language.
Rating: 1
Summary: Argh!
Comment: What an awful book! If you actually use any of the phrases in this book, no wonder you're not selling anything. Romance writing, like any other kind of writing, is about telling your own story. This collection of cliched phrases may have some minor usefulness in showing you what NOT to do.
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Title: Complete Idiot's Guide to Getting Your Romance Published by Julie Beard ISBN: 002863196X Publisher: Alpha Books Pub. Date: 21 January, 2000 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: The Joy of Writing Sex: A Guide for Fiction Writers by Elizabeth Benedict ISBN: 0805069933 Publisher: Owl Books Pub. Date: 01 February, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines by Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever, Sue Viders ISBN: 1580650244 Publisher: Lone Eagle Publishing Company Pub. Date: 19 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: The Art of Romance Writing: How to Create, Write and Sell Your Contemporary Romance Novel by Valerie Parv ISBN: 1863734244 Publisher: Independent Publishers Group Pub. Date: October, 1993 List Price(USD): $11.95 |
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Title: You Can Write a Romance (You Can Write It) by Rita Clay Estrada, Rita Gallagher ISBN: 0898798620 Publisher: Writers Digest Books Pub. Date: August, 1999 List Price(USD): $12.99 |
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