Genre of the Week: Romance (Non-Erotic)
Calling all romance writers! This post is ALL about you and your genre. I have to admit, I have gained appreciation for the romance genre, mainly because of the raw emotion and physical aspect. Below I strive to give do a basic walkthrough to start up your new romance short story, novella, or novel.
Today's Rundown
- Attributes of a successful romance piece
- Hook Your Readers
- Character Building Plan-it-out template
- The Physical Side (Non-Erotic)
Attributes of a Successful Romance Piece:
Like all written pieces the reader craves a compelling character. Ask yourself these questions.
- How does your character stand out?
- What does your character desire most?
- Who stands in their way of what they desire?
- Do they desire love or have they given up on love?
Once you've asked yourself these question think of the audience you are writing for. Romance novels aren't always erotic. Although to some readers cutting out of a sex scene early is aggravating, it is your story and you control what happens. One of my first "romantic" novels that I read was "The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks. This is more of a love story, but he answers all of these questions in his novel.
- Ronnie does not want to spend the summer with her father and younger brother. She dresses differently than others around her. She stands out.
- The character loves music and desires independence. She does not want to be near her parents. Deep down she most-likely wanted love from her parents that divorced as well. Underneath I'm sure she seeks relationships with others and yearns to find a connection.
- Her anger stands in her way. There is no shame allowing your main character's emotions to be one of their biggest enemies. This makes for a compelling story to overcome and work through their feelings. This also helps the reader relate to your main character and see them as a person and not just words on a page.
- Ronnie ends up falling in love with her music and a young man, Will. She does not originally set out looking for love. This trope can be found in many novels with a romantic twist.
Hook Your Readers
Many romance pieces follow this prospective to keep the readers engaged. Other ways to engage the reader include the setting of your choice, how the character evolves, and how the character gets their desires. Number 1 rule in writing, always-always-always let your main character be the one to solve their own problems and harness their own desires. No one can do it for them, they must do it themselves. Yes, they can have help, but they have to show strength or your will lose your readers.
Keep your readers engaged with your stories. Make sure you incorporate a unique voice of your characters and press forward with high stakes. What does your character have to loose? As a writer, you should say EVERYTHING. Create emotions that match the situation they are in. Your characters aren't robotic (unless you are writing a sci-fi AI novel then disregard this sentence).
Compel your readers to root for and be sympathetic toward your main character. There is a great display of this in "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens. She makes you feel sorry for her main character, Kya. Soon you find yourself rooting for her the entire story.
Character Building Template
Character Name:
Nickname:
Date of Birth/Age:
Current Residence:
Job:
Height:
Body Type:
Hair Color:
Eye Color:
Parents:
Siblings:
Desires:
Obstacles:
Interests:
Love Interest Name:
Do they stay together:
Their Main Problems:
Do they mesh well together:
Do they compliment each other:
Struggles in their relationship to overcome:
Descriptions of Scenes/Scene Building:
Name:
State/Country/Province:
Founded When:
Economy:
Housing:
Terrain:
Population:
Highways/Freeways/Interstates:
Water Source:
Power:
House Type:
Population (How well known is this place):
Note: I highly recommend using a character building app. Characterfolio is one of my favorite apps to use. They have so many details to fill out. The only downsides: it cost $10 and seems to be a set program. I've had it for three years and it hasn't updated.
The Physical Side (Non-Erotic)
Romance novels almost require the act of physical touch. In some cases touch cannot be accomplished, but there has to be some kind of connection. In this case, we are talking about physical touch and how far you feel comfortable writing about it. This is mentioned in a non-erotic sense.
Physical touch is a great part of romance. Strong emotion of your characters should act like a magnet. Something that is bound to touch and be together. When writing physical scenes keep in mind all of your senses. Touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight. Become your character in the moment and relax into your writing like any other style. For some this may come easy, for others like me, not so much.
In closing, I appreciate and respect the genre of romance. I have come to see that the genre has a wider range than the shirtless men on books sold at drug stores. I can see the attraction to them and I strive to help strengthen your writing in the genre. Keep in mind, I'm still a practicing writer myself and I always will be. Please comment below if you have any incite or questions about the genre of romance.
Happy writing!
Source: https://www.writersdigest.com/improve-my-writing/10-ways-to-improve-your-romance-novel
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