Contemporary Series Romance

THE SCORE SHEET

~ ALL SPECIFIC SECTIONS

~Some of the explanations are the same for general questions which require some expected knowledge of the sub-genre. If you require a more in-depth definition of the genre...please send an email for additional information. Additional resources are being posted this week.

~For your convenience we’ve included a description of the Contemporary Series category as described on our FINAL EDITORS page.

*CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE*

Romantic series novels. If your manuscript is a series romantic suspense, you may enter the Contemporary Series category or the Romantic Suspense category. Please check our score sheets to see which benefits your writing. Examples are the 2017 RWA RITA winners: CHRISTMAS ON CRIMSON MOUNTAIN by Michelle Major and CAROLINA DREAMING by Virginia Kantra.

SPECIFIC TO THE CONTEMPORARY SERIES CATEGORY

Possible 20 point total to award, 5 points per question                          

	CONTEMPORARY SERIES CATEGORY
	Are the protagonists’ introductions as individuals and possibly to one another occurring at a pace appropriate to a series romance? (Does not refer to the h/h first meet, but the actual character introductions.)
	Does the author successfully introduce a series type “hook” in a unique or original manner?
	Does the author capture the tone of a series romance? (Plot concentrates on the main protagonists and isn’t distracted with too many subplots.)
	Does the author capture the pacing of a series romance?
	Comments:

Breaking Down the Questions

        Are the protagonists’ introductions as individuals and possibly to one another occurring at a pace appropriate to a series romance? (Does not refer to the h/h first meet, but the actual character introductions.)            

There is no rule that states the hero and heroine should physically meet in the first chapter. It is commonplace in Series romance that at least both characters are introduced. We’ve based our score sheet as if the reader would be introduced to both the hero and heroine in the first 5000 words. With the somewhat faster pace of the series romance, we would hope that the reader can obtain a sense of the characters and where the story is headed.

        Does the author successfully introduce a series type “hook” in a unique or original manner?   Secret baby, reunited lovers, bad boy returns, girl next door … for a complete list of romance tropes (hooks) check out this post by Mindy Klasky. I’ve used the example of EVER AFTER in much of our training. The movie’s complete title is EVER AFTER: A CINDERELLA STORY. Just because it’s a classic romantic trope (or hook), doesn’t mean it isn’t told in a fresh style or with a twist. What’s the definition of fresh? New to you, rarely used, hasn’t been used in a long time. Unfortunately, the words too common to all writers when asking specifics: You’ll know it when you read it.  If I could pin down “unique and original” it probably wouldn’t be by the time you read this.

        Does the author capture the tone of a series romance? (Plot concentrates on the main protagonists and isn’t distracted with too many subplots.)

Tone. If you don’t read several types of category romances, this question may be a mystery to you. Please contact the coordinator for help. But each type and length of a series romance has its own feel. It’s what a reader would expect when picking up a book not only on a designated/tagged bookshelf, but also by an author.

        Does the author capture the pacing of a series romance?

Series Romance normally has a faster pace than single title since the word count is often much less.  This pacing may not refer to action on the page. It might refer to less time spent addressing an issue.

If you have specific questions regarding this section or any entry, please contact GEcoordinator@ntrwa.org.

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Most of the opinions on judging and interpreting the questions’ intent are my own words. I’ve been in the business over 15 years and have spoken to many authors, gathering information. A lot of the time when a question is asked, I go to authors who publish in that genre for advice. Please use your own expertise and experience, but keep our humble interpretations in mind.

~Thanks, Angi Morgan

AngiMorganAuthor.com

Contributions and edits by Fenley Grant.

Additional help tips for judging all entries are available through our judge training on the blog.