I’m going to give away my secrets.  Well, maybe not ALL of them, but I’ve been sprinkling them through the posts and chats over the past six months as I’ve talked about writing romances, and I thought I would gather them all in one place.   

What are Lethal Weapons?  Oh, these are the elements of a great romance that grab your reader’s heart, leave them weak and unable to put your book down and walk away.  These are things that make them weep and fall in love…the elements that wring them out and cause them to go buy more of your books.  J  Or read this one over and over…

Hot Dates:  Every couple needs to have one great date.  I love unique dates – I’ve had my characters have a picnic at the dump, watching the bears, I’ve had them play hockey, basketball and touch football.  I’ve had them go fishing, go blueberry picking, take a drive. I’ve had them make s’mores, and go to the theater, and ride through Siberia on a snowmobile.  The key to this hot date is to get them alone and to create desire.  You want them to like being together, and see the potential for true love.  But you also want to create tension because even as the WHY they should be together grows stronger, the WHY NOT should also become glaringly painful. 

A great date creates more tension, more longing, more anguish.  And it makes the reader root for true love.

Love Language:  It’s the little things that count.  Recently my husband gave me a Michael Buble CD.  A small gift, but oh, I love it.  I have already worn it out.  Why did it mean so much – because gifts are one of my love languages.  Discovering your character’s love languages (Time, Affirmation, Gifts, Service, Touch) and having the hero/heroine meet it in small but profound ways creates an impact on the reader.  It acts as a secret the reader and hero share in the wooing of the heroine (or hero).  They know what is going on, if only the heroine would wake up and see it!  It’s a delicious little lethal weapon that builds the bond between the reader and the characters and deepens the magic of the romance.

Secrets:  Don’t you just love it when someone tells you a secret?  Something private that only you two share?  Your hero and heroine have secrets too…and when you share them with the reader, it builds the bond.  Not only that, but when the hero/heroine then shares the secret with the other, the reader participates in the sharing (or the receiving).   Secrets bond characters together, and bond readers to characters.  Need a hint on finding a secret? Go back to that dark place in your hero/heroine’s past and pull something from that.  And, if you want, you can share it on the Hot Date!  (or better, after a painful argument!) 

Longings:  What if….Don’t you just wish that…If only…  When someone shares with you that deepest desire of their heart, you get a glimpse of their soul.  I love knowing the longings of the people I love – because maybe I can participate in fulfilling them.  Even if I can’t, it makes me understand them, and like them more.  Your hero/heroine must share their deepest longings with the reader, and each other – it’s a moment that will make your reader fall in love with the heart of  your characters. 

Four Lethal Weapons in Romance.  I expect you to use them with caution and good aim.

See you next week when we talk about Secondary Characters, Subplots and Layers! 

Susie May

Do you have questions or comments about Lethal Weapons in Romance?  Join us at MBT Club Voices and add your voice to the discussion!  www.mybooktherapy.ning.com