Sally came into the coffee shop with a smile. “My husband gave me the entire weekend to write. I’ve written five chapters since last Monday.”
“That’s a good man you have there,” I said. “And a good model of a romantic hero. This week, we’re going to talk about how to craft your romance.”
“Oh, I know how to do that. I’ll just make them fall in love.”
“That’s of course, the goal, yes. But along the way, we have to doubt that they will, indeed, live Happily Ever After, and we do that by creating obstacles, or what I call, Why Nots – both internal and external — that feel so big that they can’t overcome them.”
“Consider this – if you know how much a couple has overcome to be together, isn’t it more moving? We want to root for them, but if there is no reason to believe they won’t make it, then why root? Without obstacles, there is no story, and especially no romance.”
“I guess that’s why making up after a fight feels so good.”
“Yes. And that’s exactly what you’re giving the reader – that sense that love won the day. To do this, you need to find both an internal and an external obstacle that keep your hero and heroine apart. The external obstacle can be derived from the plot, something that is obvious. Classic examples are: He owns the bank that is taking over her land. She was in love with his brother. He is her boss, or took her job. She bore his child and didn’t tell him. Of course, you need to get more creative than that, but that’s an example.”
“Like, my hero failed to save the life of the heroine’s fiancé?”
“Yes. And you can add to that the loyalty he has to his friend – he’d never marry the man’s fiancé. Can you say Pearl Harbor?”
She smiled, gave a shrug. “But it works, right?”
“Yes. Then you need to look inside for the internal obstacle. His guilt keeps them apart. And she fears loving again after being hurt so terribly. You look at their internal wounds and use those to keep them apart.”
“So, if their obstacles are so great, how do they overcome them?”
“Why does anyone stay together? Because the reasons to be together outweigh the obstacles keeping them apart. You build in what I call, Whys. Reasons why they love each other. The reasons are based on three elements – shared values, the fact they make them better people, and the fact they complete each other. Look for these elements, and build romantic scenes that emphasize these Whys as you build your story. You’ll use the Whys after you create the breakup moment in the story – near the end – to help them remember the big picture. But the key is – make sure your Why Nots are at least big enough to overcome the Whys at the breakup moment. Then they’ll realize they can’t live without each other…and you can write the Happily Ever After ending.”
“Your homework this week: find the Internal and External Why Nots, and the three Whys for your heroine and heroine. Then, plot some scenes that will reveal both of these. Then stop by tomorrow’s blog and see how to structure them into your novel.”
“I just want to get to the kissing scene,” Sally said as she gathered up her notebook.
I grinned. “Don’t we all.”
Truth: All romances must have Why Nots as well as the Whys to craft a romance a reader will root for.
Dare: Ask your characters why they can’t be together, internally and externally. Then ask them what they love about each other. Then, insert the answers into your story (in dialogue). It’ll build the believably of your romance arc.
Stop by tomorrow, and learn the two difference romance Arcs and how to plot both in Quick Skills: Romance Arcs.
Happy Writing!
Susie May
P.S. If you are more interested on the Why/Why Nots of a Romance, you may like Kiss and Tell, the “how to write a romance’ workbook. Check it out in the MBT Store: http://store.mybooktherapy.com
P.P.S. By the way, if you sign up for the daily Flashblog reminder in your email box, you receive the 5 Elements of a Best-Selling
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