The first book I wrote was a time travel romance. In 1989, time travel was not selling. All my book ideas then were time travels. But I set them all
aside and went on to write several other romance novels, figuring I would get
that first book published some day. Still mean to do that.
The trick with writing time travel is, of course, how to get
your characters back to the past, and if the plot calls for it, returned to the
present. Finding a fresh, believable approach takes some doing.
In my book, she returns to the present.
The first thing a writer must deal with once she has her
hero/heroine in the past is how they react. Are they horrified, thrilled,
scared? Most likely all three. But these reactions must be shown in a
believable way. By the same token, the writer must show the reaction of the
characters in the past to this strangely dressed invader into their world.
- Should the heroine admit where she came from? Is she believed?
- Does she try to return to the present or accept her new home?
- All these questions must be answered to the satisfaction of the reader.
Recently, I was asked to write a time travel novella for an
anthology entitled The Good, The Bad, and
The Ghostly. Historical western ghost stories. My hero, a ghost hunter,
travels to a location where he hopes to banish a ghost and winds up in the
past. Great fun to write. My particular story in this anthology is A Ride Through Time.
The anthology is
for sale on Amazon for $0.99. https://www.amazon.com/Good-Ghostly-Western-Romance-Historical-ebook/dp/B01KKVK9BI/.
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| CHARLENE RADDON |
Charlene Raddon is an award-winning author of historical romance
novels set in the American West, and a book cover designer who specializes in
historical covers.
