Here’s the third installment of my series on How to Write a Good Romance (or any story really) based on what not to do:
3: Unnecessary thoughts and feelings.
In a story where most conflicts are emotional, it’s easy to fall into the trap of repeating the same internal dialog over and over again.
“I was so confused. Did he really like me or was I just fooling myself that he could ever love a woman like myself?”
Believe it or not … Readers have good memories. If she thinks that once, she doesn’t need to repeat it over and over again every time they meet.
Because in a story that is a pure romance all your story conflicts are emotionally based, you can easily fall into the trap of over thinking and analyzing your characters thoughts and feelings. Let their actions speak louder than words.
Don’t tell me a hundred times that she’ll die if he ever leaves her. Once is enough. After that, let him leave and show me what happens to her.
-Jennifer
Jennifer Geoghan, author of:
- The Purity of Blood novel series
- If Love is a Lie: A Partly True Love Story
- The Family History Quick Start Guide: Genealogy Made Easy
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