Historical Romance

THE SCORE SHEET

~ SPECIFIC SECTION

~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 Historical Romance category as described on our FINAL EDITORS page.

*HISTORICAL ROMANCE*

Romantic novels with non-contemporary settings, including regency & gothic romances. An example is the 2017 RWA RITA winner: NO MISTRESS OF MINE by Laura Lee Guhrke

SPECIFIC TO THE HISTORICAL CATEGORY

Possible 20 point total to award, 5 points per question

	HISTORICAL ROMANCE CATEGORY
	Do the protagonists act appropriately for the time period? If not, has their difference been noted in the manuscript (i.e.: The heroine may be deliberately outspoken.)
	Is the historical information provided pertinent to the story?
	Are the secondary characters necessary, interesting, and believable?
	Does the author capture the tone of a historical romance without overwhelming the reader with historical phrasing?
	Comments:

Breaking Down the Questions

        Do the protagonists act appropriately for the time period? If not, has their difference been noted in the manuscript (i.e.: The heroine may be deliberately outspoken.)     

Dialogue in historical romances has been modernized a bit, but there are words that will draw the reader directly out of the story. OK is that word for me. (In case you’re wondering when its use began.) Movie or book, it jerks me back to modern civilization. Some words may be modern, but not have that effect on you. The reader must decide if a heroine in 1776 is going to be afraid of a gun during the American Revolution. It would depend on her circumstances. (Or it depends on the story.) As long as the author is providing the appropriate back story and circumstances…anything goes.

        Is the historical information provided pertinent to the story?            

Writing an accurate historical romance is challenging all on its own. Then there’s the fine balance of interesting setting and description that can challenge the best paced book.  When is the balance perfect? When readers don’t skip ahead or feel like they’re getting a history lesson. But even historical readers know when the setting may be pertinent and when it may be filler. As with any manuscript, there needs to be a reason the setting is being described. It needs to fit in the story.

        Are the secondary characters necessary, interesting, and believable?

As with any length and any sub-genre of romance, the secondary characters must have a purpose in the scene. A second character in the room is the perfect way to give the reader information without the POV character just thinking about it. Dialogue is always better (in my humble opinion). But be careful the character doesn’t begin an info-dump. If this seems the case, will this suggestion help? Example: the author may try a mental note that the secondary character is talking a lot or have the discussion with the secondary character. In other words, draw all the characters into the scene and make it necessary to forward the plot. 

        Does the author capture the tone of a historical romance without overwhelming the reader with historical phrasing?

Tone. If you don’t read several types of romance, this question may be a mystery to you. Please contact the coordinator for help. But each type and length of a historical 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.

A WORD OF CAUTION

Many judges of historical romance are writers of historical romance. And many of them know a lot about history. There is a strong temptation to correct an apparent historical inaccuracy. PLEASE do not simply assume that you are correct and the contestant is wrong. If nothing else, a curt (or, worse, inaccurate) “correction” about history will cause the author to shut down and ignore all of your statements, advice, or opinions throughout the entire entry. If you really believe the author has made an historical error, look it up and provide the author with a reference ... and make the correction tactfully.

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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.