When a friend showed me this great spoof on the new Old Spice commercials from BYU, it was easy to just appreciate the humorous way to deliver a message. Then she shared the behind the scenes video, and I realized it was a perfect, visual lesson on world building for paranormal romance novels.
First, here’s the final product:
I loved the video, the clever script and the polish of the finished product. Watching this video you can see how the tight angles and the placement of the proverbial spotlight enhances the overall effect of the message. This video makes an impact (and usually makes people smile).
Now, here’s behind the scenes:
Here, behind the scenes, you get a real appreciation for how much technical effort went into the final product. How many times did that kid get hit with a backpack before they got it right? The plant and guy falling over? The wires, the script, etc. The way this crew dealt with the details is what makes the finished product so enjoyable. They built a set, used tools and people to support their effects, and that invisible framework becomes the ‘world’ that makes the video work.
Writing and world building for a paranormal romance novel is only different in that paranormal romance writers usually have a smaller crew – at least in the heart of the creative process. But world building requires that same attention to detail, it means putting the spotlight on what matters to the characters and what will give the best impact for the reader.
And paranormal romance writers know that the behind the scenes stuff matters…the wires get erased from view in the editing process, the script and details honed and polished until the reader enjoys a seamless, entertaining journey through the world built by the paranormal romance writer.
Live the adventure!
