This advice on writing romantic fiction will be helpful if will write (you must understand genre and subgenre), you are new to the genre – or if you have some experience. and then find unique way to make a classic plot or
popular trope come to life on the page. Who doesn’t love a good love story? A steamy romance? An escapist rollercoaster of emotion? A trope is a recurring or familiar theme in romance novel, for example forced proximity (two people Romance novels are popular sellers among a diverse snowed in at a cosy cabin over Christmas, secretaryand massive audience – from die-hard fans to a reader and-boss scenarios etc.). looking for a summer or weekend read. However, most readers are women. ⑦ Authentic Authors According to the Romance Writers of America, romantic fiction is a billion-dollar-a-year industry. If you want to write something that resonates with a reader, you must write what you can identify with, or Read Romance even what entertains you as a reader (perhaps it’s a
gay/lesbian story, paranormal romances, etc.). If you’re going to write romance, then it goes without saying that you must love the genre. Read and read Keep in mind, you can bring some of your other and read as many books as possible – from Jane Austen favourite genres to romance (e.g., if you like thrillers to Mills & Boon, EL James to erotic poetry. If you’re just you can write a romantic suspense). testing the waters of the genre, try free reads or second hand book stores. ⑧ Steamy Pens
Don’t be afraid of writing the sex scenes. While some And, even if you don’t love the genre, you must stories are ‘sweet’ and don’t go beyond kissing, you absolutely respect it. Romance readers can sniff out a may want to show the deepening intimacy and growing ‘fake’ writer. Read the classics, like Nicholas Sparks’ The relationship through sex. Notebook, Terry McMillan’s How Stella Got Her Groove If you’re thinking of writing a romance, I hope these Back, Andre Aciman‘s Call Me by Your Name, etc. tips for new romance writers resonate with you. ② Sensual Tension Is Everything TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write a A good plot aside, you must focus on the emotional and romance, sign up for our online course, This Kiss sensual tension of the relationship between the two main characters. The story must give readers intense and deep emotion rather than a busy storyline.
③ 3-D Characters And your main characters must be well-developed, with strengths, secrets, and vulnerabilities – perfect people are boring or bland, so you must have an interesting and believable backstory for the main stars of the story.
④ Love And War You need conflict in a romance novel, just like any other novel. Throw obstacles in the characters’ paths, whether these are inner demons or external forces. Read agony aunt columns or blogs to see what kind of tensions people in a relationship experience or struggle with.
⑤ Escapist Rush There must be an element of the fairy tale or escapism in the narrative – readers want to live vicariously and experience the sensations of falling in love. Browse magazines like ‘Hello’ or follow luxury lifestyle blogs or Instagram stars for inspiration on glamour, fashion and travel.
FALLON RAYNES
n Raynes is a paper pusher by day, r by night. Writing has been in n's blood for as long as she can mber. Short stories and poems kept mind at ease earlier on. Life's ntures have swirled in her mind to e some exaggerated stories that she's ed to put to paper and share with the d.
ntly, she submitted a short story, and accepted to be included into the ology: Make Them Pay - A Thriller ology. Her short story submission ptress sparked a series idea that will se in 2022.
lax, Fallon enjoys watching the ID, ime, and Hallmark channels, reading, he outdoors. Fallon resides in lower igan with her husband and fur-baby.
By Michael Danese Copyright 2019 by Michael Danese ## You know Jake Brophy. He was the most popular kid in your school. He was always picked first when choosing up sides, that is, of course if he wasn’t doing the picking, which he usually was. He was the star of Little League -- the best pitcher and hitter. He was the quarterback and captain of his high school football team. He only dated cheerleaders, because he could. Jake was tall with wavy blond hair and dimples deep enough to park a Buick. Girls described his bright blue eyes as “dreamy.” From the time he was a baby he was the center of attention. “Yes, the world revolves around Jake!” his mother liked to say. In reality, the world really revolved around his father, John. Jake’s life is almost a clone of John’s, down to the blue eyes and dimples. After high school, the homecoming king enlisted and fought in the war. As you probably guessed, he emerged a hero, wounded saving his unit. The story made national news. The enemy had his unit pinned down in a ravine. They slowly advanced until they were almost close enough to pick off each of the men at will. Corporal Brophy crawled away through the brush and was able to elude the enemy forces. He quickly circled around and attacked them from behind, causing all kinds of confusion. His men were able to return fire and fight them off, killing most of them before their retreat. Brophy was shot in the thigh and the shoulder, but he kept on fighting. When he woke up he was in a MASH unit bed with doctors and (especially) nurses surrounding him. After he was discharged he was greeted by a parade in his hometown. Soon he received a Purple Heart and a special commendation. Shortly after the ceremony he ran into Janice, his high school sweetheart. The former cheerleader was tall and athletic. Her long blond hair and blue eyes made them a perfect match. “Congratulations,” she said, shyly. “Thanks, but this is all a bit embarrassing. I was just doing my job. Any of the guys in my unit woulda done the same.” “Maybe, but you did it and saved so many lives!” she gushed. “You wanna get a coffee or something?” he asked in an aw-shucks way. “Sure, how about Pop’s? We spent a lotta time there a few summers ago,” she said. “Pop’s it is!” he agreed. They got comfortable in a booth and ordered pie and coffee. “So, what are you doing? I heard you became a teacher,” he said. “Yes, kindergarten. I’m living my dream,” she said. “Ah, yes, I remember! I could see you smiling in front of a group of inquisitive eyes!” he said. One thing led to another and soon they were engaged, then married. People joked that they looked like a walking ad for Polo. The wedding made the front page of the paper and everyone wished them well. The next year baby Jake was born to more fanfare than the Royal Wedding. John worked in a car dealership where he was the star salesman. He did well enough that Janice was able to quit her job to stay home with the baby, but she vowed to return to the classroom as soon as she could. When Jake was three the war was still raging, and John heard news that two in his former unit were killed. He decided that his county needed him again, so he reenlisted. Janice was
umvee hit a landmine and he was killed, along with several soldiers under his command.
e was widespread mourning, but this was also the turning point in Jake’s life. You might say that was the moment that he became the center of the universe. People began paying extra attention to oy. As he grew, his group of friends increased. His mom was always busy hosting play dates or ing him to a friend’s house.
of Jake’s attraction was that, like his father, he was a genuinely nice guy. He was a caring friend un to be with. And why not? Anyone would be if everything always went their way. And everything ys did. Jake’s favorite songs were always on the radio. His favorite professional teams always ed to win. His favorite types of movies were always playing. The funny thing was that, like in his r’s time, no one seemed to think this was even a little bit strange.
high school Jake landed a scholarship to a small college not far from his hometown. Several of his ds also went there, which made the transition easy. As you could imagine, every fraternity wanted to join. He eventually picked one of the smaller ones and was instantly comfortable there.
ct, the party never really started until Jake strolled in. From the corners of the rooms you could guys and girls saying, “Broph’s here! Broph’s here!” Soon the party would be in high gear. The vities would proceed until Jake eventually decided which girl he would thrill that night. When he ed out, the party would deflate like a punctured tire, and eventually go flat. act of the mater was that the world really did revolve around Jake. If you were to see a live satellite of the world, you would see a circle of about two miles across, with Jake’s location in the center. ide the circle, in all directions, the globe is a murky gray. As Jake moves, so does the circle. If Jake is ng, cars materialize on the road coming towards him. After about a mile, they vaporize. The only e that exist are the ones that are around Jake.
ke goes to a baseball game, the stadium is filled with cheering people. The parking lot is filled with When Jake leaves, they all cease to exist. The same is true for the movie theaters, supermarkets lassrooms.
urse, Jake has no idea of this, nor does anyone else. It is just the reality that we live in. When s dad died, his reign ended, and Jake became the center.
continued to enjoy his college years. He majored in business, and good grades came easy to him, as an imagine. The football team always did well, thanks to Jake, and in his senior year they won the pionship. You can guess who the MVP was. s around this time that Jake began to get involved with Joann. She seemed to be very much his l. She was a cheerleader, of course. She was also the captain of the debate team. She was almost as s Jake, with long brown hair and green eyes. To Jake, who was smitten for the first time in his life, lieved that she was the center of the universe, and for him, she was.
were married in the chapel at the university the weekend after graduation. They had a large ing party, consisting of football players and cheerleaders. The photographer even gave them a large unt in exchange for permission to use the wedding photos as a sample of a perfect and beautiful ing. settled down in Jake’s hometown. Soon Jake began a job as an accountant at a local manufacturing any. It wasn’t long before he was promoted. He enjoyed the occasional travel around the country and rope. The two-mile circle followed wherever he went. As he flew, it looked like a large spotlight ing the globe. The planet would go from gray to rich greens or browns as he flew over the land, then
Joann worked as a pharmacist at the drug store in town. She was involved in the downtown revitalization organization and worked hard to improve the town. Of course, when Jake was away, the town didn’t exit. Two years later, Joann became pregnant. Jake was overwhelmed with joy. When little Jeff was born, Jake felt complete, as if his destiny had been fulfilled. He spent every free minute with his son. He even commented how Jeff was the center of his universe. From time to time he called him Mini Me, because of his blond hair, blue eyes and dimples. Jake didn’t like to travel so much because he didn’t like to be away from his family. But, sometimes he just couldn’t avoid it. Luckily, this time it was only a short, three-day trip. Jake finished packing and kissed Joann. Then he went over and lifted Jeff above his head. Joann joked that his head looked like another of the birthday balloons that were hovering at the ceiling after Jeff ’s third birthday the day before. Jake hugged and kissed his son and promised to bring something home for him. He put his carry-on in the trunk and pulled away. He glanced in the rearview mirror and caught a wave from Joann and Jeff. Jake entered the highway and was singing along with the radio. He looked down to turn up the volume, and when he looked up there was a truck coming straight at him. He didn’t have time to react as the truck pulverized him. The entire town turned out for the funeral. The newspaper told Jake’s life story, even going back to discuss his hero father, John. As you guessed, Jeff became the center of the universe and the spotlight hovered around him. Does this seemed farfetched to you? Think about it. Do you even actually exist when you sleep? We mark time with clocks, but what if time simply stands still? How do you know what is really happening two miles away from you right now? ### Thanks for reading this story. You can find other short stories by Michael Danese at: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Danese Connect online: Email: danesemc@ptd.net Twitter: http://twitter.com/danesemc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/michael.danese1 Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-danese/8/101/284