Release Day! How to Write Compelling Romance Novels Is Here!

I’m absolutely thrilled to share that my brand-new craft book, How to Write Compelling Romance Novels: The must-have guide to creating page-turning love stories, is officially available in ebook today!

And—because of your incredible support—it has already hit #1 New Release in Words & Language Reference on Amazon. I couldn’t be more grateful or excited to finally place this guidebook into your hands.

Why I Wrote This Book

Whether you’re crafting your very first love story or polishing your fiftieth, writing romance is one of the most rewarding and emotionally rich journeys a writer can take. Over the past thirty years, I’ve studied story structure, emotional craft, conflict, chemistry, character transformation, and the art of making readers feel.

This book brings together the very best of what I’ve learned in clear guidance, emotional insight, and tools you can apply immediately to strengthen your storytelling.

What’s Inside

How to Write Compelling Romance Novels is packed with practical lessons and step-by-step breakdowns, including:

❤️ How to create powerful emotional beats

❤️ How to build sexual tension that's organic and character-driven

❤️ How to craft internal and external conflict that keeps readers turning pages

❤️ How to write deep emotional intimacy and chemistry

❤️ How to use subtext to enrich dialogue and amplify emotion

❤️ How to raise emotional stakes in a way that grips readers

❤️ And so much more, including examples I've written exclusively for this guidebook

My goal is to help you write the kind of romance stories readers devour in one sitting—and remember long after they finish.

For Writers at Every Level

No matter where you are in your writing journey, this book is designed to meet you there. If you’re just starting out, you’ll find clear, actionable steps that demystify the process. If you’re an experienced author, you’ll gain new tools and insights to elevate your craft.

Thank You

Thank you to every writer, reader, and friend who has supported this book’s release. Seeing it launch as a #1 New Release is an absolute dream come true, and I hope this guide becomes a treasured companion on your writing journey.

If you’re ready to take your romance writing to the next level, you can grab your copy today and start building stories full of emotion.

How to Write Compelling Romance Novels is available in eBook, Paperback, & Hardback. 

Grab your copy today!

AmazonUS | AmazonUK | Amazon CA | AmazonAU

Happy writing—and here’s to crafting love stories your readers will never forget! 

Applying Story Engineering To Internal Conflict

I've had the privilege to speak with Larry Brooks--love this guy--recently and I asked him a question I've been dying to ask him every since I read his book Story Engineering. I thought you guys might like to read Larry's answer.

Monique: Hi, Larry, 

I’ve read many books on writing and story structuring over the years and I can say, without a doubt, Story Engineering is one of the very best I’ve read. I love the Plot Point/Pitch Point method (Milestones) you teach in your book.

But we all know that category romance is all about strong internal emotional conflict. However, when we think of structuring our stories, we automatically think of all the exciting external conflicts we can write.

Unfortunately, this is not what category romance is about. If we wish to write for this market, we must narrow our focus on our protagonists’ emotional conflicts—all the internal stuff.

Can you show us how to use the Plot Points and Pitch Point Milestones for internal conflict?

Larry:

Let's begin with an assertion: the principles of structure are no different in category romance than in any other genre, romance and otherwise. That said, the very essence of "genre" is a specific emphasis and certain criteria, so in that sense category romance is very much a narrow lane. The issue is APPLYING the principle, not looking to bend it.

The essence of the pinch points and the other milestones (plot points and the mid-point) is the nature of the narrative content. With pinch points, it simply means the story shows us the antagonistic force, thus reminding us of what the hero(ine) is up against. This applies with equal effectiveness to both internal arcs and exterior conflicts. In fact, the former usually depends on and informs the latter... an external story point is the CATALYST for an emotional response. When that response changes the story (evolves it), then it becomes a powerful one-two punch for both pinch points and other milestones.

Let's look at an example. Say the nature of the "conflict/opposition" in a story is age -- the lover/hero is a lot older than the heroine, and her family and friends don't approve. She needs their approval (for whatever reasons)... thus, her emotional journey. Let's say we're at the 38th percentile in the story, the target location for a pinch point. We need to SEE this antagonistic force -- his age, their disapproval -- in full glory at this point.

So... the hero comes to a family gathering with our heroine. Her brothers are all over this guy, treating him as an old fart. A driveway basketball game ensues... and not only does our guy look better with his shirt off than her beer-swilling brothers , he actually challenges them to a two-on-two game, with HER as his teammate. And they win. He's a vastly superior athlete, even though he's twice the age of the brothers. Her affection for him is deepened (hormones tweaked by his physicality, and his grace in victory), and yet, her family is even more resistant simply because the brother's masculinity has been challenged, and defeated.

Okay, maybe not the coolest example, but I hope you see the relationship between exterior conflict and the heroine's inner landscape: both are elemental to the pinch point. Which is as it should be.


Monique: Thank you so much, Larry.


Larry is amazing! You can find out more about him here: Story Fix. To purchase a copy of Story Engineering go to AmazonUK or Amazon.com and where ever else Larry says on him blog!

You can show Larry your appreciation by buying his books.

Do You Want Writing Romance Question Forum To Return?



I've noticed I'm getting a lot of hits on the WRQ Forum post. I wonder whether this is out of curiosity, or because writers are genuinely interested in this forum.

I started the forum because I had a brainwave and thought it would be something every aspiring writer would be interesting in, but it didn't go down as well as I'd hoped.

We had some fabulous authors, editors and agents on the board to answer questions and more amazing authors, editors and agents scheduled. I ended up shelving the forum because only the same few writers bothered to participate and it was stealing way too much of my time.

I am, however, willing to get the forum up and running again if enough writers are interested in participating.

Please note, I've made every effort to keep the board private. Meaning the various forums are password protected. Therefore, everyone who joins must let me know--via private message on the board--which forums they are interested in joining and I will forward the relevant passwords.

This must be done in good time to allow you to be added and your passwords sent.

In the past a few members would join, don't bother to read the instructions, then complain when they couldn't get into the forums. This boggled my mind--what part of This Is Important Information You Need To Know translated as Please Ignore Then Bellyache!

If you are interested in having the chance to talk directly to your favourite authors, editors and agents. To have the opportunity to ask them everything you wanted to know about the world of writing, I urge you to leave a comment letting me know. If enough writers are interested, I'll start that baby up again! :)

Writer's "Cheat Sheets"

Recently I happened across this little gem of a collection of writer's cheat sheets from Michele Albert—inkalicious.com and thought I'd share it with you. The sheet consist of quick break downs on:

» Plotting

» Conflict

» Sensuality/Sexuality

» Romance Plots

» Character Archetypes

» Editing

        » 5-Minute Pitch

PLOTTING:

Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations


•01. Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, Authority Figure

•02. Deliverance: Unfortunate, Threatener, Rescuer

•03. Crime Pursued by Vengence: Criminal, Avenger

•04. Vengence taken for Kindred upon Kindred: Avenger, Guilty Remembrance, a Relative of Both

•05. Pursuit: Punishment and Fugitive

•06. Disaster: Vanquished Power, Victorious Enemy, Messenger.

•07. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune: Unfortunate, Master

•08. Revolt: Tyrant, Conspirator

•09. Daring Enterprise: Bold Leader, Object, Adversary

•10. Abduction: Abductor, the Abducted, Guardian

•11. Enigma: Interrogator, Seeker, Problem

•12. Obtaining: Solicitor, Adversaryor Arbitrat or & Opposing

•13. Enmity of Kinsmen: Malevolent Kinsmen, Reciprocally Hated Kin

•14. Rivalry of Kinsmen: Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kin, Object

•15. Murderous Adultry: Two Adulterers, Murdered Spouse

•16. Madness: Madman, Victim

•17. Fatal Imprudence: Imprudent, Victim, Object Lost

•18. Involuntary Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Revealer

•19. Slaying of Kinsman Unrecognized: Salyer, Unrecognized Victim

•20. Self-sacrificing for an Ideal: Hero, Ideal, Creditor, Sacrifice

•21. Self-sacrificing for Kindred: Hero, Kinsman, Creditor, Sacrifice

•22. All Sacrificed for Passion: Lover, Object of Pasion, Sacrifice

•23. Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones: Hero, Beloved, Necessity

•24. Rivalry of Superior & Inferior: Superior, Inferior, Object

•25. Adultery: Two Adulterers, Betrayed Spouse

•26. Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Social Norm

•27. Discovery of Dishonor of Beloved: Discovered, Guilty

•28. Obstacles to Love: Two Lovers, Obstacles

•29. An Enemy Loved: Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater

•30. Ambition: Ambitious Person, Thing Coveted, Adversary

•31. Conflict with (a) God: A Mortal, an Immortal or Holy Principle

•32. Mistaken Jealousy: Jealous, Object, Accomplice, Perpetrator

•33. Erroneous Judgement: Mistaken One, Victim, Cause, Guilty

•34. Remorse: Culprit, Victim or Sin, Interrogator

•35. Recovery of Lost One: Seeker, One Found

•36. Murder of Loved One: Slain Kinsman, Spectator, Executioner.


Five Basic Conflicts (from Polti's 36)

•01. Man against Nature
•02. Man against Man
•03. Man against Society
•04. Man against Himself
•05. Man against Fate


Ronald Tobias' 20 Master Plots

•01. Quest
•02. Adventure
•03. Pursuit
•04. Rescue
•05. Escape
•06. Revenge
•07. The Riddle
•08. Rivalry
•09. Underdog
•10. Temptation
•11. Metamorphosis
•12. Transformation
•13. Maturation
•14. Love
•15. Forbidden Love
•16. Sacrifice
•17. Discovery
•18. Wretched Existence
•19. Ascension
•20. Descension


CONFLICT:

Essence of Conflict

•Protagonist+Goal+Opposition (Antagonist)=Drama

Devices to heighten suspense(notes from David Freeman workshop)

•An obstacle or enemy interferes with a hard goal

•A enemy or obstacle interferes with a soft goal

•Hero forced to face his emotional fear, limitation, block, or wound

•Unclear motives

•Question of whether a character can pull off a bluff

•The uneasy mix, or "odd couple" situation

•The fish out of water situation

•Presence of ambivalence

•A character forced to make a difficult moral choice

•Mystery or a puzzle to solve

•A reminder of the stakes or increase stakes

•Increase stakes of the character so that this is the only way they can succeed

•Situation is out of control

•A surprise or unexpected disaster

•Foreshadowing (many ways to do this)

•Any scene in which a danger is present

•Any scene that has conflict in it

•Any scene where a seduction occurs, or might occur

•Technique of cutting back and forth between a dangerous scene and one that isn't dangerous

•Draw out a tense moment, i.e., "waiting for the other shoe to drop"

•Resolution of a tense moment


SENSUALITY/SEXUALITY:

Desmond Morris' 12 Steps to Intimacy

•01. Eye to body

•02. Eye to eye

•03. Voice to voice

•04. Hand to hand

•05. Arm to shoulder

•06. Arm to waist

•07. Mouth to mouth

•08. Hand to head

•09. Hand to body

•10. Mouth to breast

•11. Hand to genitals

•12. Genitals to genitals


CLASSIC ROMANCE PLOTS

(from Patricia Ryan's "Pat's Premises: Popular Plots, Conflicts and Elements in Romance Novels," Romance Writers' Report, 17(4), April 1997)

Enforced Intimacy

•Marriage of convenience
•Hero as protector
•Arranged or forced marriage
•Pretend marriage or relationship
•Stranded together on an island
•Snowbound
•Matchmaker contrives to throw lovers together
•Must share office or home

Love Conquers All

•The healing power of love
•Redemption through love

One Lover Rehabilitates or Cures the Other

•Amnesia
•Physical disabilities
•Emotional problems
•Disfigurement
•Mental illness
•Alcoholism

Emotional Baggage or Internal Forces Keep Lovers Apart

•Inability to trust, especially opposite sex
•Fear of commitment
•"I am a rock;" emotional detachment
•Some past incident, e.g., abuse, has left emotional scars
•Lover blames other for some hurt to self or loved one
•Lover harbors a secret that threatens love
•Lover must find self or solve problem before committing
•One lover has lied to other about something important
•Lover can't forgive other for some flaw
•Fear of abandonment
•Sense of unworthiness
•Feeling that one doesn't belong or fit


The Lovers' Differences Keep Them Apart

•Lovers from different social, religious or ethnic worlds
•A difference of opinion on critical matter
•Bad boy, good girl; or vice versa
•Lovers have opposing loyalties
•Lovers are business competitors
•Lovers personalities are too different
•A large age difference
•Unrequited love

The Lovers' Similarities Keep Them Apart

•Lovers engage in a battle of wills
•Lovers share goal, but only once can achieve it

Babies and Children

•Secret baby
•Arranged pregnancy
•Accidental pregnancy
•Reunited with child given up for adoption
•Child play matchmaker or otherwise brings lovers together
•Child lost or threatened
•Heroine plays nanny

Comedy of Errors

•Heroine pretends to be male
•Mistaken identity
•Misunderstandings
•Masquerade
•Twins

Evolving Relationships

•Platonic friends fall in love
•Ex-sweethearts are reunited
•Divorced spouses rediscover their love

Mythic or Fairy Tale Elements

•Kidnapping (Persephone)
•Taming of the savage male (Beauty and the Beast)
•Transformation (Pygmalion)
•Rags to Riches (Cinderella)
•Awakening, emotional rebirth (Sleeping Beauty)


"QUICKIE" CHARACTER ARCHETYPES:

(From "Heroes and Heroines: 16 Master Archetypes," by Caro LeFever, Tami Cowden, & Sue Viders.) Beyond Alpha: The Eight Male Archetypes (more info at Romance Central workshops)

•The Chief - The quintessential "alpha" male: tough, decisive, and goal-oriented

•The Bad Boy - Dangerous, but fascinating: charismatic and street smart, hates rules and regulations

•The Best Friend - The "beta" hero: kind, decent, and responsible

•The Charmer - The quintessential smooth operator: Fun, irresistible, and often unreliable

•The Lost Soul - The "theta" hero: Tortured and secretive, he's got a vulnerable heart and discerning eyes

•The Professor - Logical, introverted and inflexible, but also genuine in feelings, extremely faithful and honest

•The Swashbuckler - The Man on the Go: Action and adventure is his motto; he's physical, daring, mercurial

•The Warrior - The "delta" hero: The reluctant rescuer; dark and dangerous, driven and remote


Beyond Cinderella: The Eight Female Archetypes (more info at Romance Central workshops)

•The Boss - The "Take Charge" woman: outspoken and persuasive, confident and competitive

•The Seductress - "I Will Survive" woman: mysterious and manipulative, distrusting and cynical

•The Spunky Kid - Spirited and loyal, reliable and supportive, more of a "tomboy"

•The Free Spirit - Genuine and fun-loving, impulsive, an "original"

•The Waif - Classic "damsel in distress": Child-like innocence, naive and docile, she endures

•The Librarian - Conscientious, orderly, bright; she leads with her brain, not her looks

•The Crusader - A woman on a mission: tenacious, headstrong, courageous

•The Nurturer - Altruistic to a fault; calm, optimisic, a listener, pleasant, takes care of everyone


EDITING:

After the final draft, edit using the "find" function for the words on the following list. Next, read the sentence containing the offender, and either correct it or leave it be, depending. They are all valid words, if used in moderation, but are prone to misuse, overuse and abuse.


"Fine Tooth Comb and Red Flags and Snags"

•and - but (can indicate run-on sentences)
•that (unnecessary in most sentences)
•that (when you mean "who")
•just
•very
•nearly - almost
•really
•seem - appear
•felt - feel
•begin - began
•would - should - could
•quite
•few
•rather
•thing
•stuff
•anyway
•because
•"ly" adverbs
•so
•then
•even
•only
•down - up (as in sit down, stand up - can be redundant)
•got - get

Look for passive use

•it - is
•am
•are
•was
•were
•has
•had
•have
•been
•to be
•there is
•there are
•there was
•there were

(My thanks to Lynda Hales for compiling this list and graciously allowing me to share it!)

"PITCHING" A BOOK:

(by Michelle Jerott, from Wisconsin RWA's The Write Touch Newsletter, April/May 2000)

If the thought of an editor/agent appointment at the conference has you chowing down Tums, relax! It doesn't have to be an ordeal. When pitching an idea, keep it simple and keep it focused on the romance--don't bog yourself down with unnecessary back story, secondary characters, or subplots. All the editor wants to know is if you have a good grasp of your main characters, a balance of internal/external conflict, and the story's marketing angle ("hook.") Five to ten minutes is plenty of time, so speak slowly and carefully, maintain eye contact, and allow time for questions.

If I were going to pitch my latest book, A GREAT CATCH, I'd say something like this:

"After years of working her way upward in the male-dominated maritime world of Great Lakes shipping, Tessa Jardine lands her dream job as First Mate on the passenger ship SS TALIESEN--a dream job until she meets her captain, Lucas Hall. Ten years ago, Lucas broke her young heart when he walked away from her without a word of farewell, and she can't forgive him for that--or for his more recent part in a failed rescue attempt that cost her younger brother his life. Now Lucas, the ex-Coast Guard hero, is back to complicate her life. Working together day after day, Lucas and Tessa discover the attraction between them is still hot and heavy--but can Tessa forgive Lucas, or ever learn to trust him again? And what will Lucas have to do to win back her love?"

This brief paragraph introduces the main characters, given enough back story to provide motivation, shows the basic balance of external and internal conflict, focuses on the romance, and tells the editor it's a reunion story.

Hope this helps, and good luck pitching your book!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The easiest way to create a summary paragraph like the above is to take a formula adapted from Dwight Swain: Situation, Character, Conflict, Opponent, and Disaster. To show you what I mean, here's the paragraph I wrote broken down according to Swain's equation:

1. SITUATION:

After years of working her way upward in the male-dominated maritime world of Great Lakes shipping

2. CHARACTER:

Tessa Jardine

3. CONFLICT:

lands her dream job as First Mate on the passenger ship SS TALIESEN--a dream job until she meets her captain, Lucas Hall. Ten years ago, Lucas broke her young heart when he walked away from her without a word of farewell, and she can't forgive him for that--or for his more recent part in a failed rescue attempt that cost her younger brother his life.

4. OPPONENT:

Now Lucas, the ex-Coast Guard hero,

5. DISASTER:

is back to complicate her life. Working together day after day, Lucas and Tessa discover the attraction between them is still hot and heavy--but can Tessa forgive Lucas, or ever learn to trust him again? And what will Lucas have to do to win back her love?


That's it! Not too painful, really...

Credit Info

You're welcome to share this resource with others, but please keep my information intact. The direct URL for this page is:http://www.inkalicious.com/cheatsheets.php

Michele Albert writes for Pocket. Her most recent books are HER LAST CHANCE, TOUGH ENOUGH, HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT, ONE WAY OUT, OFF LIMITS, and GETTING HER MAN. She also wrote four books as Michelle Jerott: HER BODYGUARD, A GREAT CATCH, ALL NIGHT LONG, and ABSOLUTE TROUBLE, which won the 1997 RWA Golden Heart Award for best single title contemporary romance. Michele is currently working on her next book. Please visit www.inkalicious.com for more information.



Writing with Emotional Depth

Using the senses can add emotional depth to romance writing. Most writers include sight in description. Unfortunately, they often forget the other senses can greatly enhanced story depth, emotion and tone. I know many writers speak of several more senses, but I’m focusing on the five senses here. By using all of the senses—hear, see, smell, taste, and, touch—throughout the story, we draw the reader in so she experiences the characters’ emotions which connects her to the story you are telling. Without emotion, stories are unexciting, lifeless and leave the reader cold. This will surely result in rejection since your first real reader will probably be the editor for the publisher you wish to contract your story.

Say it with me: emotion is the spark that lights the firewood of your story and draws the reader in. And strong emotions/feelings capture the reader’s attention and keeps her hooked because it adds reality to your story. Emotion is by no means all you need to keep your reader hooked, but this is what we’re speaking about at the moment, so I’ll stay on topic.

If you can weave good human emotions into your fiction, you will form connections with the reader and she'll invest her heart in your story. We all experience emotion, even the hard, ruthless alpha hero who has been hurt so badly he thinks he’s buried his emotions so deep he no longer has any.

I don't mind telling you I'm an extremely emotional person. In fact, I’ll freely admit I live on my emotions. I laugh at things most people find not very funny (if someone fall over, I might very well wet myself! There’s just something about taking a spill that tickles me hugely) and I cry at things as simply as the beauty of nature.

Emotions affect all of us in many ways, both psychologically and physiologically. We couldn’t function without emotions, so why do we think our characters can? They must have moods as we do—personalities and temperaments.  They must have feelings about the things they see, hear, touch, taste and smell.

I’m not suggesting you overload each paragraph with all five senses, merely to use them throughout the story to add depth. Each of the five senses, when used within relevant scenes will allow the writer to show the reader the story as oppose to telling her what’s happening.

Just remember to arouse all of your character’s senses and you’ll do the same with your reader. It will result in a story that is significant and satisfying. Your reader will be fully invested in your story because she was able to connect with your hero and heroine, feel as if she was right there experiencing their experiences and she'll want them to have that happy-ever-after.

So the next time you sit to write a scene, try to use as many of the senses as you can to describe your scene and add emotional depth.

Cupid's Arrow Strikes the Vivacious Vixens! Come Play With Us

Bow in hand Cupid plucks an arrow from his quiver.....or is the quiver of a heroine at the approach of her one true love causing the imp to shiver and shake?

Welcome to Valentine's week with the Vivacious Vixens! In celebration of Eros we invite our fellow authors to post their most romantic scenes. Day by day we'll feature a different genre and tempt our readers with these tempting treats. Check out your genre and it's special day on our blog and post up to a 500 word excerpt of your most romantic scene:

Sunday, February 7 - Futuristic and Paranormal
Monday, February 8 - Contemporary
Tuesday, February 9 - Romantic suspense
Wednesday, February 10 - GLBT
Thursday, February 11 - Western
Friday, February 12 - Regency
Saturday, February 13 - General historical


Sunday, February 14 -- ponder those sensuous scenes and try em out for yourself!

What Goes Into a First Chapter

You've just written The End.

You fold your arms across your chest with a self-satisfied smile. After months of hard graft, you've finally finished your WIP. You may let it sit for a couple of weeks, or you may only leave it a couple of days before reading through the MS with fresh eyes. Either way, you'll soon have that baby out in the marketplace as you aim to find it a home.

So, that's done. You now need to start the book that has shamelessly courted your imagination while you were trying to write the last book. You know the one I mean--the little rascal that woke you at three in the morning whining, "Write me! Write me! Tell my story!"

You've been taking notes on scene ideas, snappy dialogue, plot points; you've gotten to know your characters etc (known as prewriting). Now it's time to write, but...hang on a minute...what goes into the first chapter, again?

Never fear, I'm here to help with a quick break-down of the essentials!

The first thing you need to do is come up with a fantastic opening line. A powerful hook to draw the reader into your story. Something that will immediately spark her curiosity. Get your Hero and or heroine on scene ASAP!

Make sure your heroine is likable--no one likes a snark or a dishrag--that she has a solid goal, strong motivation to achieve her goal, and real internal conflict preventing her from achieving that goal. She must have layers to her personality--space to learn and grow. (Known as character arc or development)

Your hero must be strong--not nasty to the heroine--he must be a man your reader can fall in love with. He must have a solid goal of his own, strong motivation to achieve his goal, and internal conflict, which prevents him from attaining his goal. Like the heroine, your hero must have layers to his personality and space to grow.

And this all has to be believable!

You also need external conflict, but remember, if you are writing a romance, the internal conflict MUST drive your story. Internal conflict is what makes a book character-driven (External conflict creates a plot-driven book). For those of you who may not know, Romance Novels are character-driven.

You must let the reader see the attraction between the H/h. A sense of time and place, you don't want her wondering, "so where or when is this taking place?" for a whole chapter. Be careful of dumping too much information on the reader, let her get to know your characters gently with snippets of back-story. This will also keep her curious.

And don't forget to end the chapter with a great hook.

To recount:

Your Hero and heroine should meet pretty quickly after the opening of your story. In romance novels, usually the external conflict throws them together. By the end of the chapter, the reader should know who your H/h are (characterization), What (Goal) they want, Why (Motivation) they want it, and what’s Stopping (Conflict) them from getting it.

The reader should not be in any doubt of the attraction between your H/h and she should be dying to know what happens next. How are these two going to surmount their problems by the end of the book to live HEA?



Until next time, happy writing.

And, as always, God bless.

Pace

While being interviewed the other day over at Just Me & You, I was asked what I thought made a good story. I said well-developed characters and great emotion. Since then, I've been thinking, and have to add pacing to my list.

While we all agree that conflict is the heart of every good novel, we must also agree that without great pacing the reader will swiftly lose interest. The story can seem to drag and become boring.

It's all about rhythm. The peaks and valleys, speed it up, slow it down. Don't let you story follow one monotonous pattern. Even the way you break up your paragraphs adds to the rhythm and flow. Mix short, snappy sentences with longer complex one.

I like to think my novels are pacy. How do I achieve this? I stick to the point. Never settle in for long descriptive sentences, and I'll always aim to keep back story to very snappy sentences throughout the story.

How to slow your pace: Lengthy descriptions detailing environment, setting, back story, memories; flashbacks; Getting bogged down with tiny details; Lots of tags--especially the dreaded speech tags!

These are good ways to give readers a breather, but don't drone on until you put them to sleep.

How to speed up your pace: Snappy, rapid-fire dialogue; Precise action tags; Snippets of memories, setting etc; Stick to the point of the scene. Keep action/speech as significant as possible; Increase urgency; Make your reader want to find out what will happen next by hooking them with pieces of information. Never give away everything at once; Rein in flashbacks.

Mixing these two methods together will give your story ebb and flow, peaks and valleys, and balance your book. As well as high tension scenes that keep your reader on the edge of her seat, you have to give her a quick breather in between scenes. You can do this using sequel scenes.

And don't forget to fill each page with tension (whether that's sexual tension or suspense, or both) and emotion.

Until next time,
God bless.

Can a Relationship be Restored After Infidelity?

If you know me, you know I mostly write reunion stories when I’m wearing my Romance Author’s hat. I just love the idea of finally getting together with your "one who got away" (OWGA).

In the past, I’ve used all sorts of plot ideas for the reasons my H/h went separate ways, but I’ve never tackled infidelity.

Mainly because I would never think or desire to cheat on my hubby and after twenty-two years together, he still treats me as if I’m the only woman alive. It makes me very secured in my marriage. Therefore, I find it difficult to grasp the deep emotional devastation such a betrayal would instil in an individual.

However, I know many people are not as blessed, and for whatever reason people cheat. As Christians, I would like to believe if my husband or I found ourselves in this situation, we would find a way to forgive each other and rebuild our trust in our marriage.

The more I think about this emotionally painful betrayal of the sacred sanctity of marriage, I find myself wondering what pushes a person to be unfaithful. Sure there are a trillion reasons, but what is the thinking when the cheater makes the decision to “go for it”? Is there even a moment when they consider consequences?

I’m thinking no one strays if they are happy in a relationship, right? So there must be something thought missing in the relationship. Maybe lack of quality time together? Non communication? Too busy for each other? Stopped trying?

Why?

Then when the infidelity is discovered is it too late to fix the relationship? I mean, there must be major trust issues to overcome. Then there’s also the core issues—what made them cheat in the first place.

Some people believe a partner having an affair is enough cause to end a relationship. I disagree. I believe a relationship can be rescued despite the crazy, sometimes impulsive, things people do. If these two people got married for love then nothing should be too difficult to overcome, if both parties are willing to work at fixing their relationship.

The Bible tells us about Wives and Husbands in Ephesians (5:25,28,31-33) Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. As the scripture says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one”. There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church. But it also applies to you: every husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband.

It’s very easy for me to say, if we all lived by this scripture, we’ll never hurt our beloved ones. However, I know we live in a fallen world, and we sometimes succumb to the enemy. The trick is not to let him win when he tries to take away what God has given us.

There is no excuse for hurting our loved ones. But surely, with forgiveness and a willingness to overcome hurt pride and work to rebuild trust, a relationship can be mended? And with hard work and prayer that restored section can become the strongest part of the garment of marriage.

Prayer, forgiveness, time, and patients, I think are important threads when it comes to mending relationships.

What do you think? I know some people have been hurt so badly that forgiveness doesn’t even feature in their minds as an option. Let me remind you, an unforgiving heart is a blessing blocker. You will never find happiness, even if you aren’t looking for another person to provide that happiness. You can never be truly happy within yourself, because you’ve allowed the enemy to rob you of the simple gift of joy from God.

I would like to hear your experiences. Have you ever cheated, been cheated on? Did you overcome the betrayal or left the relationship? If you have not had this experience, do you know of anyone who has? How did they react? I’m looking for inside information because I think I may tackle this subject in the future.


Thanks for sharing.

And Then He Kissed Her…Getting Physically Romantic

Don’t you just adore reading a well-written romance with great sexual tension, and glib toe-to-toe/head-to-head scenes between the hero and heroine that sizzle?

I do!

Have you noticed these kinds of romances have you just dying for the hero to grab the heroine and kiss her?

Then when he finally does—if it’s well-written—we thoroughly enjoy his kiss almost as much as the heroine.

Now this is where we, as authors, can come unstuck.

How do we describe a kiss so we make the reader want to hunt her beloved down and plant one on him? (After she’s read your entire book, of course. After all, SHE JUST CAN’T PUT IT DOWN!)

When I’m writing K.I.S.S scenes, I like to Keep. It. Soft. And Slow. I can’t stomach a hero who grabs the poor heroine and kiss her so hard, it’s “punitive”. As a reader, all I’m thinking is: Girl, mace him! Kick him in the goolies, and run!

I don’t know any woman who would enjoy such an awful kiss. I’m sure they are some. I’m simply saying I don’t know of any.

So back to our hero, heroine and the K.I.S.S (Keep It Soft and Slow or... Keep It Simple Stupid!)

He gives her a soft kiss that clings. It’s like a peck, but he doesn’t pull back. He waits for her to decide. Does she respond or push him away?

When she responds, he draws her closer with one hand on her hip and the other buried in her hair, cupping the back of her head just above her nape. She smoothes her hands up over his chest, touches his face. She parts her lips in invitation and he accepts. With soft tongue and lips, he deepens the kiss…

Don’t you just love to read those melt-in-the-mouth-kisses?

What sort of kiss do you enjoy reading in the romance novel?

Until next time.