HEARTICLES: Articles with Heart

When we think of romance, what automatically comes to mind are romance novels or possibly romantic movies or music, or even wooing a sweetheart. Romance has a modern tradition of pulling at the heartstrings and inspiring loving feelings toward another. But where does the term romance actually come from? To know what romance is, we must first consider how romance and chivalry walk hand-in-hand. The term chivalry originates from the 10th century French word cheval , which means horse. A chevalier was one who rides a horse, such as knights. By the 12th century, early medieval times, the term chivalry was in common use in chronicles, vernacular literature and other written records, but with varied meanings. It can refer to a company of mounted knights. Or it can mean the status of being a knight, either as an occupation or as a social class. The 12th century seems to be the demarcation line when chivalry became synonymous with moral, religious and social codes of conduct. While those code...

So far, we’ve been discussing developing your story. It may not seem like it right off, but think about it. We talked about researching your setting. Then we talked about the importance of using your character’s senses. Then there was the formula for plot development. And the last post was how much intimacy should we include in our story. But we haven’t actually talked about developing your characters. Today we’ll talk about that, and how shaking your tree can distinguish your characters and make or break your story. Even how even a name can define an era. Firstly, let’s talk names. What resources are available for choosing the right name for your characters? It’s easier than you might think. There are dozens of baby name books on the market, and devoted websites are full of names by ethnicity. You can also look in regional historical texts where your story is set and look for names that were popular in the time you’re writing. Celebrities can often have interesting names, though you d...

One of the great lessons I’ve learned while living in Ireland has been the importance of research when writing a setting-specific story. While most people won’t have the opportunities I have by living in another country, it doesn’t mean stories can’t have a rich setting. Here are the top five things every writer should make sure to think about when writing a setting-specific story. Forgive me if I use Ireland a lot here. I’m a bit biased! Location – It doesn’t matter if a story is historical or contemporary, it has to have a setting. Without a location, the story won’t have legs to stand on. One doesn’t have to go into huge detail about where the story is set either, as we already heave preset ideas in our heads thanks to Hollywood. Suggest Ireland and one thinks of patchwork hillsides and forty shades of green. Say Scotland and automatically we think of men in kilts. Japan and we think of cherry trees and Geisha. Little things sprinkled throughout a story enhance the setting without ...