How to Write a Brilliant Romance: The Easy, Step-By-Step Method of Crafting a Powerful Romance (Go! Write Something Brilliant) by Susan May Warren
Authors: Susan May Warren
Tags: Fiction, Romance, General Fiction, Reference, Writing, Writing; Research & Publishing Guides, Writing Skills
Ads: Link
Ioftenwaitforthatmomentwhenthetensionfeelsunbearable,thatmomentthatitfeels naturalforthemtokiss—andthenIholdthemback!Iwaituntilthenextchapter.AndthenIgive themjustatastesoIdon’tdeflatethetension.Ileavethecharacters(andthereader)wantingmore.
In Dirty Dancing ,youmightthinktheyskipTheWinkandgorighttothebigevent.Thetensionhas beenbuildingforsolong,wefeelliketheyhavealreadykissed.ButtheWinkcanbesomethingthat actslikekiss—amomentofrecognizedattraction.So,forBabyandJohnny,youcouldsaythedance wasreallytheWink.Inmanygeneralmarketbooks,theyalsoskipthekissandgorighttothemain event,buteventhatfirstmaineventisjustatasteoftherealthingthey’llhavewhenthey truly declaretheirlove.Ifyoureadanygeneralmarketromances,you’llnotethataftertheWink,orthat firstphysicalencounter,regardlessofwhatitis,italwayscausesmorestress,moreangst,more longing,andevenahealthydoseofregret.Butitdoesservetotantalizethereadertowantmore.
Nowthatwe’vehadthetasteofthehappyending,TheWishbecomesoverwhelming.Theheroand heroinewanttobewitheachother,theyhaveworkedtogettoknoweachother,andthey’vegotten atasteoftheWhat-if.
Aboutthreechapterslater,it’stimeforTheWow.Thisistheamazing,we-waited-for-itkiss!The onewithallthepent-uppassion,andingeneralmarketstories,oftenmorehappensthanjustakiss. Butthis Wow istheretocementinthehero’sandheroine’smindsthatthewonderfulendingthey’re hopingforisnotfaraway.
In Dirty Dancing, wehavethe Wow intheoldhousewhenshegoestohimafterherfatherrejects him.BabyandJohnnyaredancing,until...yes,it’sastrongscenethatweallremember.
Butjustbecausethey’vehadthe Wow doesn’tmeanthey’regoingtohavetheirhappyendingyet. That’spartoftheromance.Wegivethemwhattheywant,andthenmakethemfightforit.We’re nowgoingtoemploysomePush-Pulltocreatetension,sowe’llreturntosomeoftheelementswe employedinthewishingandwaitingstages.
First,wewanttomaketheheroandheroinewishformore—arealfuturethistime.Theyneedto wonderwhatHappilyEverAftermightlooklikewiththeotherperson.Theyneedtotalktotheir friendsaboutthis,andevenvisualizeittothepointwheretheythirstforit.
In Dirty Dancing weseesceneswhereBabyandJohnnyareinbed,therainfallingaroundthem,and she’swishingtheycouldbetogether,haveahappyending.But,ofcourseit’snottobe.Theystill havethoseInternalObstacleskeepingthemapart.
However,ifit’sthateasy,thenthereisnotension!So,youneedtoholdthembackwithafinal warning. The Warning isthat Internal Obstacle—or wound—that suddenly becomesso overwhelmingthatitfeelsinsurmountable.OftentheWarninghappensrightbeforetheBlack MomentandcumulatesintheBreakup.It’sinthisstagethattheheroandheroinearemadeto believethattheycan’tovercometheInternalObstacletolove.
In Dirty Dancing thisWarningcomeswhenJohnnyisaccusedofstealingandhe’sfired,eventhough he’sexonerated.Hiswoundisopened:He’llalwaysbe“trash”fromthewrongsideofthetracks. Hegivesintothiswoundandleaves.
Of course, true love will win the day, and that’s when The Wonderful happens. After the breakup, the hero and heroine will realize that the Whys of their relationship are stronger than the Why Nots, and this arms them to m a ke the Big Gesture/Sacrifice to prove their love to each other. (We’ll expand on that more in a moment.)
In Dirty Dancing , this scene is obvious. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” Johnny walks into the final performance of the season and dances “his way,” pulling Baby on the stage with him in their triumphant moment where they are truly partners. When we dive into the next section, our plot building activities, we’ll overlay romance structure on top of basic story structure and incorporate the Black Moment/Lie and the Truth that sets them free, into this triumphant Happily Ever After moment.
I’ve had the time of my life. And with the right kiss, all that tension was worth it.
It’s not just a kiss!
Howdoyouwriteagreatkiss?Agreatkiss(ormore)inaromanceisaboutslowingtheactdown, lettingthereaderexperienceit,takingthembacktothemomentsoftheirowngreatkisses.It’snot
In Dirty Dancing ,youmightthinktheyskipTheWinkandgorighttothebigevent.Thetensionhas beenbuildingforsolong,wefeelliketheyhavealreadykissed.ButtheWinkcanbesomethingthat actslikekiss—amomentofrecognizedattraction.So,forBabyandJohnny,youcouldsaythedance wasreallytheWink.Inmanygeneralmarketbooks,theyalsoskipthekissandgorighttothemain event,buteventhatfirstmaineventisjustatasteoftherealthingthey’llhavewhenthey truly declaretheirlove.Ifyoureadanygeneralmarketromances,you’llnotethataftertheWink,orthat firstphysicalencounter,regardlessofwhatitis,italwayscausesmorestress,moreangst,more longing,andevenahealthydoseofregret.Butitdoesservetotantalizethereadertowantmore.
Nowthatwe’vehadthetasteofthehappyending,TheWishbecomesoverwhelming.Theheroand heroinewanttobewitheachother,theyhaveworkedtogettoknoweachother,andthey’vegotten atasteoftheWhat-if.
Aboutthreechapterslater,it’stimeforTheWow.Thisistheamazing,we-waited-for-itkiss!The onewithallthepent-uppassion,andingeneralmarketstories,oftenmorehappensthanjustakiss. Butthis Wow istheretocementinthehero’sandheroine’smindsthatthewonderfulendingthey’re hopingforisnotfaraway.
In Dirty Dancing, wehavethe Wow intheoldhousewhenshegoestohimafterherfatherrejects him.BabyandJohnnyaredancing,until...yes,it’sastrongscenethatweallremember.
Butjustbecausethey’vehadthe Wow doesn’tmeanthey’regoingtohavetheirhappyendingyet. That’spartoftheromance.Wegivethemwhattheywant,andthenmakethemfightforit.We’re nowgoingtoemploysomePush-Pulltocreatetension,sowe’llreturntosomeoftheelementswe employedinthewishingandwaitingstages.
First,wewanttomaketheheroandheroinewishformore—arealfuturethistime.Theyneedto wonderwhatHappilyEverAftermightlooklikewiththeotherperson.Theyneedtotalktotheir friendsaboutthis,andevenvisualizeittothepointwheretheythirstforit.
In Dirty Dancing weseesceneswhereBabyandJohnnyareinbed,therainfallingaroundthem,and she’swishingtheycouldbetogether,haveahappyending.But,ofcourseit’snottobe.Theystill havethoseInternalObstacleskeepingthemapart.
However,ifit’sthateasy,thenthereisnotension!So,youneedtoholdthembackwithafinal warning. The Warning isthat Internal Obstacle—or wound—that suddenly becomesso overwhelmingthatitfeelsinsurmountable.OftentheWarninghappensrightbeforetheBlack MomentandcumulatesintheBreakup.It’sinthisstagethattheheroandheroinearemadeto believethattheycan’tovercometheInternalObstacletolove.
In Dirty Dancing thisWarningcomeswhenJohnnyisaccusedofstealingandhe’sfired,eventhough he’sexonerated.Hiswoundisopened:He’llalwaysbe“trash”fromthewrongsideofthetracks. Hegivesintothiswoundandleaves.
Of course, true love will win the day, and that’s when The Wonderful happens. After the breakup, the hero and heroine will realize that the Whys of their relationship are stronger than the Why Nots, and this arms them to m a ke the Big Gesture/Sacrifice to prove their love to each other. (We’ll expand on that more in a moment.)
In Dirty Dancing , this scene is obvious. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!” Johnny walks into the final performance of the season and dances “his way,” pulling Baby on the stage with him in their triumphant moment where they are truly partners. When we dive into the next section, our plot building activities, we’ll overlay romance structure on top of basic story structure and incorporate the Black Moment/Lie and the Truth that sets them free, into this triumphant Happily Ever After moment.
I’ve had the time of my life. And with the right kiss, all that tension was worth it.
It’s not just a kiss!
Howdoyouwriteagreatkiss?Agreatkiss(ormore)inaromanceisaboutslowingtheactdown, lettingthereaderexperienceit,takingthembacktothemomentsoftheirowngreatkisses.It’snot
Similar Books
