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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Christine Rains: Writing Romance

Christine Rains is here today to share with us some tips for writing romance. Take it away, Christine!
--
It's that time of year when love is in the air. Hearts decorate store windows and chocolates fill their shelves. The best restaurants are booked up and jewelers tell you every kiss begins with a diamond. There's the lovely scent of fresh flowers and greeting cards.

None of this sounds particularly romantic, does it? No, certainly not. How would we write romance stories if it was only about pretty baubles and good food? Romance is the most popular genre for a reason. It's about two people falling in love. It's about intense emotions and noble actions. It isn't an easy tale to write.

Here are four key things to remember when writing romance:

 1. Sympathetic and realistic characters. Even if you're writing a love story about vampires, the reader has to be able to identify with the main characters. They must have human emotions and flaws, and they must tackle conflict realistically.

2. Conflict and common ground. Of course there has to be something or someone trying to prevent the couple from having their happily ever after. It might even be the protagonists themselves wrestling with inner turmoil. But for a relationship to be believable, they must find common ground somewhere. A goal, a belief, or a beloved hobby. Opposites do attract, but something other than lust and external conflict must bind them together.

3. The relationship must be central to the plot. If you could write the same story without the relationship, then it isn't a romance story. The romance must propel the story forward.

4. Sacrifice. The characters must be willing to give up everything to be with the person they love. In some stories, it's their own lives, but not every tale requires it. Yet it must feel like the ultimate sacrifice to the one giving whatever it is up.

We may be bombarded by the commercial aspects of Valentines Day, but we are celebrating loving another person despite their flaws and spending time with them doing something both of you enjoy. We realize that our lives wouldn't be the same without that person in it, and we'd be willing to sacrifice anything to make sure they stay.

Happy Valentines Day!

--
Is this not the hottest dragonslayer you've ever seen?

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73 comments:

  1. Kyra LennonFebruary 14, 2013 at 6:58 PM

    Excellent post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alex J. CavanaughFebruary 14, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Good points, Christine. And common ground is important, especially in real life. (Because the relationship won't make it otherwise.)
    Happy Valentine's Day, Christine and Lynda!

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  3. Jemi FraserFebruary 14, 2013 at 11:29 PM

    That is a very fine looking dragon slayer! :)
    I love reading and writing romance - that intense emotion is so much fun to work with :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownFebruary 14, 2013 at 11:31 PM

    '...something other than lust and external conflict must bind them together.'

    Nothing worse than picking up a (what you hope is going to be a lovely) romance only to have lust as the driving force. I'm a sucker for a good love story, but there HAS to be that inner turmoil & external conflict just like you said. Otherwise the book gets dumped in the 'didn't finish' pile.

    Great tidbits of wisdom! Thanks for the post.

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 14, 2013 at 11:41 PM

      Thank you, Terri. I've done the same thing with books.

      Delete
  5. Christine RainsFebruary 14, 2013 at 11:39 PM

    Thank you so much for hosting me today, Lynda!

    ReplyDelete
  6. DEZMONDFebruary 15, 2013 at 12:43 AM

    I'd give much more than a kiss for a diamond LOL :) But you all knew me is a bit slutty.... :)
    Happy Valentines, Christine and Lyndy!

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 15, 2013 at 1:50 AM

      *LOL* Happy Valentines to you too! Thanks for the laugh.

      Delete
  7. Carol KilgoreFebruary 15, 2013 at 12:51 AM

    Great guidelines, Christine.
    Happy Valentine's Day to all!

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  8. Nick WilfordFebruary 15, 2013 at 1:13 AM

    These are great points to remember, definitely has to be "all or nothing". Happy Valentine's Day!

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  9. shellyFebruary 15, 2013 at 1:36 AM

    Lovely post! happy Valentine's Day!

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  10. Meradeth HoustonFebruary 15, 2013 at 1:43 AM

    Definitely loving point #2--something that's true in a novel and in real life!

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  11. LTMFebruary 15, 2013 at 2:13 AM

    GREAT tips, Christine! I agree with all and don't think I could add more! Ahh, vive l'amour! :D <3

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  12. SuzeFebruary 15, 2013 at 3:21 AM

    Beautifully encapsulated, Christine.

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  13. UnknownFebruary 15, 2013 at 3:27 AM

    I like what you said about none of that having to do with romance. It doesn't. It's putting the other person first.

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  14. Carol RiggsFebruary 15, 2013 at 4:01 AM

    Oh wow, good advice. I have to go run my own story through the sieve of #2...other things besides physical attraction and the external conflict binding 2 people together! Happy Valentine's Day, Christine and Lyn!!

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 15, 2013 at 5:25 AM

      Thank you, Carol. Happy Valentines Day to you too!

      Delete
  15. PatsyFebruary 15, 2013 at 4:50 AM

    Just like with real life love it's the emotions which matter, not the stuff we buy.

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  16. cleemckenzieFebruary 15, 2013 at 5:20 AM

    I see Christine's book everywhere today! Yay for another writer.

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  17. Romance Reader February 15, 2013 at 5:44 AM

    Hi Christine and Lynda!

    Great post and examples. The best example of good writing is when we sympathise with the bad character.

    Nas

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  18. Luanne G. SmithFebruary 15, 2013 at 6:22 AM

    Definitely want to believe the relationship is about more than lust and external conflict. :)) Good stuff.

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    1. Christine RainsFebruary 15, 2013 at 7:48 AM

      Thanks, L.G. We need so much more to our characters than just that!

      Delete
  19. Bethany ElizabethFebruary 15, 2013 at 7:13 AM

    I don't know if I could ever write in the romance genre - the character depth and interesting inner dialogue needed to keep it interesting and fresh (which romance authors do so well) would intimidate me. :) But your four principals (well, except 3) hold pretty true across genres, so thanks for the advice! :)

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 15, 2013 at 7:49 AM

      You're welcome, Bethany! I love writing about people and relationships. That's why romance fascinates me so.

      Delete
  20. T. Roger ThomasFebruary 15, 2013 at 3:14 PM

    Great post! I agree that creating memorable characters is important.

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  21. Neurotic WorkaholicFebruary 15, 2013 at 4:30 PM

    This is good advice, especially because I was struggling with how to incorporate romance into my own story. I especially agree with the part about sacrifice; I read stories about protagonists who fell in love with selfish people, and those romances usually didn't last long because the selfish people were unwilling to make sacrifices for the people they claimed to love.

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 16, 2013 at 6:52 AM

      Thank you. I completely agree. I see a lot of romances that are one-sided. They get the happily ever after, but you know it couldn't possibly last long based on what you read.

      Delete
  22. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2013 at 7:00 PM

    Yes, he is.

    Those four things are important to keep in mind. Thanks for the romance writing tips.

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  23. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2013 at 8:21 PM

    Great points, and they are all so true;)

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  24. Yolanda RenéeFebruary 15, 2013 at 10:19 PM

    Love all the different takes of the romance / love and Valentine's Day!

    Great post!

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 16, 2013 at 6:53 AM

      Thanks, Yolanda! I've seen a lot of romance posts around this week.

      Delete
  25. Bonnee CrawfordFebruary 15, 2013 at 10:29 PM

    Sounds like four ingredients common to any epic love-story, with plenty of reasons for the plot and characters to be believable. Thanks for sharing :)

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  26. Susan FieldsFebruary 16, 2013 at 12:25 AM

    What a great cover - wow!

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  27. Rachna ChhabriaFebruary 16, 2013 at 12:29 AM

    Thanks for sharing this helpful post. I plan to write atleast one romantic book in this lifetime. Will keep all the points in mind when I start writing a romance.

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    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 16, 2013 at 6:54 AM

      You're welcome, Rachna. And good luck with your book whenever you start to write it!

      Delete
  28. MelissaFebruary 16, 2013 at 1:54 AM

    Great post! I love a good romance. :)

    ReplyDelete
  29. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2013 at 2:44 AM

    Hello, I am Yvonne from Yvonne's Poetry Corner, I am an ambassador for Arlee Bird of the A to Z Challenge. As you have signed to take part have you considered putting the A to Z logo on your blog? I enjoyed reading your post and will certainly return during the challenge to read some of your work.
    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christine RainsFebruary 17, 2013 at 5:39 AM

      Thanks for stopping by. I'll be doing the Challenge this year. I'm excited about it!

      Delete
  30. emaginetteFebruary 17, 2013 at 4:43 AM

    Simple and so true. Thanks for the post. :-)

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  31. Michelle WallaceFebruary 17, 2013 at 7:57 AM

    Great tips Christine. Thank you.
    I don't think that I'll be able to write good romance scenes... not that I've tried... it's just a feeling...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynda R Young as Elle CardyFebruary 18, 2013 at 10:51 AM

      It's a skill unto itself...

      Delete
    2. Christine RainsFebruary 18, 2013 at 2:35 PM

      Thank you, Michelle. For the longest time, I never considered myself a romance author, but suddenly I realized I was. It was a bit shocking because all I thought I was doing was practicing good characterization.

      Delete
  32. UnknownFebruary 17, 2013 at 9:14 PM

    I love the first tip about sympathetic characters - so many writers seem to fail at that, believing the idea or the concept is the most important thing about their story. If you don't care about what happens to the characters though, the rest really doesn't matter. Good stuff.

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    1. Lynda R Young as Elle CardyFebruary 18, 2013 at 10:51 AM

      Yep, definitely. It's the characters that make the story.

      Delete
    2. Christine RainsFebruary 18, 2013 at 2:35 PM

      I completely agree, Chris. My stories are character driven.

      Delete
  33. Misha GerrickFebruary 18, 2013 at 4:40 AM

    Excellent tips! I especially agree with your tip about the characters needing common ground.

    In so many "romance novels", the characters just have sex and then suddenly realize they're in love. There's actually so much more to it than that.

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    Replies
    1. Lynda R Young as Elle CardyFebruary 18, 2013 at 10:53 AM

      Yep, often the romance is forgotten.

      Delete
    2. Christine RainsFebruary 18, 2013 at 2:36 PM

      Thanks, Misha. I get so tired of romances like that. I need great characters.

      Delete
  34. Karen LangeFebruary 19, 2013 at 4:07 AM

    Thank you so much for these wonderful tips. I need to bookmark this. :) Nice to meet you, Christine! Thanks, Lynda, for hosting!

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  35. nutschellFebruary 19, 2013 at 6:36 AM

    Wonderful tips, Christine!.
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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  36. UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 7:16 AM

    Very excellent points! Especially the conflict. Those scenes full of TENSION between characters are such fun to write!

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  37. UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 7:27 PM

    Great list of what makes up a romance novel. One that ticks all those boxes is usually a great read.

    ReplyDelete

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