Romance is all about emotion. In order for readers to feel emotion, we have to care about characters. This caring is more easily established when we have something in common with the characters.
So what do we have in common with aliens?
Aliens often look different (have multiple body parts – big grin). They might have different abilities (SUPER alien sex), different languages, different customs, different technology. They come from different worlds, have different politics, values, etc.
These differences are so interesting and exciting that many writers, myself included, are tempted to spend the first few pages detailing what makes our aliens so… well… alien. If we do this, we’ll lose our readers. They’ll put down our stories because they won’t care about these aliens.
Instead, I like to start my stories with what makes my aliens human. In Alien Tryst, Eshe and Raff, two alien siblings, squabble as human siblings do. Raff is strutting around Eshe’s laboratory, telling her how super awesome he is. She’s rolling her eyes and making fun of his hair. I thread in the alien aspects but the core scene is very relatable.
The internal goal, motivation, and conflict for the character should be human also.
The external goal can be different and alien and unique to our specific world. In Alien Tryst, Eshe’s external goal is to finalize the transferring process for humans so humans can visit her planet. That’s a very SciFi, alien-type of external goal.
Eshe’s internal goal, however, is to be accepted, to belong somewhere or with someone. That’s a very human goal. Don’t we all want to belong? We can relate to this goal, cheer for her. We’re sad when it appears as though she won’t reach it and happy when she eventually does (it’s a romance – grins – we know she’ll belong with at least one being).
It is also easier for us to relate to beings with similar emotions. Our aliens might show these emotions in different ways or call the emotions different things (or not have a word for this unusual love emotion) but what they truly feel is the same. For example: if a friend dies, we expect the alien to be sad. We have an emotional bond with the alien.
In other words, for us to care about alien characters, at the core, they should be similar to us.
How do you create aliens readers care about?
While investigating some mysterious disappearances, Kane uncovers two secrets that change his world. He’s not entirely human. He’s also dangerously close to death. His alien grandfather has broken a sacred rule, putting his entire bloodline, including Kane, at risk of termination.
Eshe, a sexy blonde scientist with lush lips and a hot body, is Kane’s only hope to save his family. He’ll do anything to keep her safe, including fighting alien warriors, crossing vast galaxies and giving his woman the pleasure she craves again and again, using every inch of his fit physique.
In this world, passion is power and love is necessary for survival.
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