Tips Corner

The Secrets of Paranormal Romance: When Love Turns Macabre

Oh, autumn! The season when leaves fall and the scent of chestnuts wafts in. The days are getting shorter, temperatures are starting to drop, and nature is transforming. Then, suddenly, Vincent Price's laughter summons the zombies, lights the pumpkins, and ghosts begin to flutter. It's Halloween, the spookiest season of the year.

Some celebrate it outside their houses, some with a The Ring rewatch with family... and some scrolling through their Kindle in search of a love story that's different from the usual.

Often, we authors and readers want to go off the rails and pursue stories that go beyond reality. A love story with macabre tones, but which make you dream.

One of the most famous examples is the Twilight saga, which this year celebrated its twentieth anniversary since its publication. While paranormal romance has been around for a long time, the massive popularity of Twilight pushed the genre into the mainstream, especially for a Young Adult audience.

These are some examples of subgenres, as well as the most popular ones.

- Ghosts

- Angels/Devils

- Vampires

- Werewolves

- Wizards/Witches

- Hybrids (like Kitsune, half fox and half human)

- Faeries/Elves

Any narrative trope can fit perfectly into any subgenre, but be careful about the context in which you choose to set the story. Paranormal shouldn't just be a backdrop, but an integral part of the relationship and plot. Whether you choose vampires, ghosts, shapeshifters, or angels, every supernatural creature has its own rules and "nature", and it is very important to stick to them.

The plot often takes place between a supernatural creature and a human, hampered by a forbidden love. Diversity is always the first obstacle in a love story, whether it is aesthetics, culture, origin, or religion. This trope becomes the core of your paranormal romance, the main source of conflict for the characters and, sometimes, even for the secondary ones.

Note that love stories aren't always about humans, but also between other supernatural creatures. A big example is the eternal conflict between vampires and werewolves: what would happen if a master vampire and an Omega werewolf fell in love?

Other obstacles to making your story more immersive are the paranormal worlds themselves. Their rules can conflict with human feelings, thus posing a threat to the main character. But his own past can also endanger those around him. As an author, your job is to show the reader that love can overcome any difficulty and embrace diversity.

An important element of an effective paranormal romance is the chemistry between main characters. It shouldn't just be physical, but also psychological. It's crucial to show (not to tell!) their weaknesses, reveal their past, and create a deep connection that transcends the forbidden. Chemistry has no gender, your main characters can be queer!

Paranormal romance can have shades of Romantic Suspense, if you include a mystery or thriller element. Or Dark Romance, if you deal with intense themes and tormented characters. Paranormal doesn't always embrace fantasy, you can place it in a realistic context. It is essential to remember, however, that your protagonist's weaknesses and limitations must be logical and predictable, almost scientific.

"What about... spicy?"

As in any romance subgenre, spicy trope is present in most plots. It's the most natural way to develop your main characters' chemistry, both physical and psychological. Be careful, however, not to confuse it with Paranormal Erotica, which focuses exclusively on physical attraction and where the supernatural element intensifies it.

As always, we remind you to take a look at the Wattpad Content Guidelines before trying your hand at spicy scenes — and before Volturi hunt you down.

Now all that's left to do is grab your flashlight, venture into the haunted mansion, and find that macabre love that will turn your reality upside down.

Happy Halloween, Romancers!