A good romance book needs conflict like a plant n
eeds dirt and rain to make a flower. First comes the seed. Then dirt and rain. But, you may ask, won’t that make mud? It would if you didn’t add a fourth ingredient: sunshine. Only after the sun shines through can your plant flower. The same is true for your story. You need a seed. I usually start with an idea of who my main characters will be. They’re lovely people in my mind. After all, I want them to fall hopelessly in love. But I know they will never get to that blissful state unless they work through inner and outer turmoil.
Readers want to live vicariously through a romance book. If everything is unicorns and rainbows, who will care? That might suffice for a children’s book but not a love story.
Think of your characters as the seeds. Plant them firmly in the dirt, meaning give them inner demons to fight. Demons who fight dirty. Then make it rain. Put them into outer situations where their love will be tested over and over again. Pull them apart like a summer thunderstorm pouring through their lives. Make the ground slippery, have them fall. Give them the courage to pick themselves up, shake their fists at the sky like Scarlet O’Hara and swear that they will not be defeated.
Your readers will be glued to the pages. They will root like cheerleaders with megaphones for the couple as they work through their trials . When all seems lost and love an impossible goal, bring out the sunshine. Let it send rays of hope into their lives. Have a green sprout shoot up out of the mire of their drama. Your readers will be happy. Your characters will be happy.
Then add one more downpour. Let it rain in their lives until they are like a farmer watching a crop flood with no way to stop the root rot that is bound to follow. When desperation has them giving up, bring out the sun. And I mean bring it out in full force. Let it shine benevolently, so that the struggling sprouts stand tall and put out leaves, even flowers. End the torture of your characters. Give them one last chance to pick themselves up and choose love. Love is like sunshine. Let the love fully flower into a happy ever after.
Now isn’t that a lot more fun than watching unicorns leap over rainbows?
Does this analogy help? Email me and let me know!
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As always,
Thank you! Happy Reading! Happy Writing!
Shirley Holder Platt
Kind of like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree. Linus said, “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.” (Heavy sigh)
I’m glad you enjoyed the post.