Can you blame me for being a sucker for love? Of course not. So how do I cope with the passionate longing for a love like in the worlds best romance novels? I write it. But writing romance isn’t easy, and creating a love story that enchants your readers is a task not for the faint-hearted. So what are the elements of romance that are most crucial to inspiring that fire within your readers that completely transforms all their hopes and dreams of love? Conflict and the push and pull.
It does not have to be huge, in fact, it does not have to contribute to the story’s overarching conflict (but oh boy, its so fun when it does). This is because conflict serves the purpose of bringing out all sides of your characters. That’s when they get the real parts of each other, and that is when they can fully grow to love each other. Dangle the carrot!They care for each other, but why should the reader root for them? Why should the reader hope that they end up together, and why might the characters possibly not? Light a fire under their feet, and you’ll have your readers invested in seeing the love story through. Give them a common enemy to rally behind, whether that is a circumstance or a person. Have you readers saying, “If this one thing was just a little different, they could finally get their happy ending!” It is the element of what I call the good ol’ dangle the carrot method. All their hopes and dreams are on the horizon. Your characters see it. Your readers see it. It’s so close, yet so, so far. SacrificeThis is important. It's the kind of love to aspire to have, and you want your readers to want it just as badly as your characters, is a love where your character will sacrifice anything for the person they love. It’s romantic. Force your characters to have to give something up for the sole purpose of their love. Sacrifice is what gives love its quality of epicness. It shows the reader how much one character cares for another. When a character must sacrifice for another, it proves to the reader how deep their love runs. The antidoteThe last tip is giving one character the special thing that so happens to be exactly what their love interest needs when they’re at their worst. When your characters feel like they need each other, your readers can comprehend why it is so important for them to end up together. This special antidote can be anything. A trait or quality, a tangible object, whatever your heart desires. Just give your characters an irrefutable reason as to why they need their love interest, and therefore cannot walk away. Go Write!Writing romance that feels real can be a challenge, but don’t let that intimidate you from trying. Overthinking love and its complexity is a romance writer’s worst enemy. So keep these tips in mind, and they will help you create a story with a compelling passion that readers can’t help but invest their hearts in! Find More Writing Tips Here:
1 Comment
5/30/2023 09:12:12 pm
Loved this post! It was short but super helpful. I love that bit about sacrifice being the key to epic romance. I always wondered what it was about those that made me feel so bittersweet. Thank you! I could never put my finger on it.
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AuthorYour fellow writer, Isabella, started this blog with the intention of reaching writers like her and creating a platform to connect, share, and inform with those who posses the same love of fiction and romance. Categories
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