All good fiction, genre or literary, has at its core well-developed characters with whom the reader can empathize on some level. If a writer can create fictional people who have realistic emotions, problems, and conflicts the reader will suspend disbelief and follow those characters halfway across the galaxy, into alternate realities, or through the looking glass.

Consider J.K. Rowling, who fashioned her Harry Potter books around the tried-and-true story theme of a youngster’s "coming of age." Despite the fact that Harry possesses paranormal abilities, he appeals to readers of all ages who have, themselves, confronted the difficulties of growing up and growing wiser. Meanwhile, the main setting of Hogwarts School is an environment suffused with magic and sorcery, yet clearly modeled after the traditional, and also familiar, English boarding school system. Rowling’s world is a well-crafted balance of the real and the fantastical, with just enough of both so that the reader can quickly suspend disbelief and go along for the adventurous ride.

The paranormal elements that elevate the Harry Potter series beyond simple growing-up stories of just another English schoolboy are integral to both character and plot. The fact that Harry is a wizard of great power affects both his personal development and adds significant complication to the multiple, interwoven plot lines of each story. Harry’s powers not only define him, but also put him into immediate conflict on many levels - with the non-magical environment of his relatives, with the world of wizardry itself and those in it who wish him ill, and with himself as a boy who is trying to cope with adolescence as he learns how to use his powers skillfully and for good. 

So, too, a writer who sets out to create an affecting futuristic, fantasy, or paranormal romance must be certain that any alternative reality elements she uses are completely integral to the story. In other words, futuristic, fantasy, and paranormal (FF&P) elements must be vital to character development and plot structure.

That said, a romance writer must first and foremost remember she’s writing a love story. All else – including the fantasy universes, or distant worlds, time traveling, or paranormal phenomena – is only backdrop to the main story of two people who will fall in love and struggle to overcome obstacles in order to maintain a loving and lasting relationship. FF&P elements must never overshadow that basic love story. Therefore, it requires delicate balance in order to create a believable alternative reality in which well-developed heroines and heroes live and find love.

Creating societies of the future or situations wherein the paranormal is normal can be as much fun as it is challenging. However, a writer has to ground the reader steadfastly in an alternative reality by creating an environment or, perhaps, an entire world that is logical and internally consistent. Moreover, characters residing in the fantastic environment must be bound by those logical internal consistencies, otherwise the reader will not be persuaded to go along with the rest of the adventure. Research and exercises in world-building are imperative.

Barbara Cary - Writing Craft Interview -2 (Continue)