What to look for when starting to write all types of love stories
If you take a stroll through your local bookstore, you will see one genre everywhere you look: romance, in all shapes and forms. Love stories have been around for as long as stories have been told, with the oldest ones dating back thousands of years. In the modern age of Valentine’s Day, romance looks quite a bit different now, but the roots of writing romance remain the same.
No two romance novels are the same, just as no two real-life romances are the same. When it comes to writing in this prolific genre, there are some considerations to keep in mind. Writing your book is only the beginning of that process, which extends from designing the cover of your book to marketing after publication.
Know Your Audience
The most important part of writing any book, especially romance, is always keeping your intended audience in mind from the very beginning . You definitely do not want a reader of your book to be caught off guard by the content or format of your book.
Adult romance
Adult-targeted love stories might be the first thing that comes to mind when one mentions “romance.” These books tend to have more mature themes than other genres. When writing for adults, they have come to expect more adult content than for other audiences. While not every adult love story has to be steamy or explicit, writing for adults has the flexibility to include whatever material you deem fit for the story you are telling.
Romance for adults can cover a large swath of genres and topics, from traditional love stories to genre-bending tales with romantic elements. Romance can be infused to captivate adult readers for whatever story you are telling. Fifty Shades of Grey is different from Pride and Prejudice, but both tell a compelling love story that audiences have gone back to again and again.
Young adult romance
Young adult literature, in general, has been an increasingly popular bestseller around the world, engaging teenage audiences across genres. Taking a look at the New York Times Best Sellers list on any given week, you will see titles that, while not solely romantic, mix love stories with other genres. Particularly, romantic fantasy (or “romantasy”) books have had an ever-growing audience. These stories entice young adults with the fantasy stories they have grown up on, like the Harry Potter franchise, with a more grown-up, multi-faceted spin. In a world in which getting young people to read books has become increasingly difficult due to shortened attention spans, engaging them with compelling stories encourages continued reading.
When writing for young adults, it is important to keep their age in mind. You never want to make the romance too explicit, but it is okay to include some mature themes. Teenagers do not need to be coddled. Exposing them to some romantic complexity can help them understand their own experiences and budding romances.
Children’s stories
While it may not be a traditional romance story, you can write a sweet story for children that incorporates elements of Valentine’s Day. Schools around the country usually participate in some degree of Valentine’s Day festivities, and parents often like using the day to share their love for their children. Writing a book for children can help them navigate this holiday, both at home and at school.
Many Valentine’s Day books for children in the market are picture books, and when writing these books, it is important to keep that in mind. Obviously, there should be no adult themes, but it is possible to focus on the illustrations and giving valentines at school. It is also endearing to write about other types of love, including between family members, pets, and friends. Writing this kind of book for children can teach them lessons about growing up and introduce them to the concept of love in all its forms.
Character Building
No matter what your book’s audience is, every reader wants engaging characters to follow. Your characters are the backbone of your book. This is true for every fiction story, but it is especially true for romance, in which the relationship between characters is the guiding force of the narrative. When creating new characters for a romantic novel, it is important to make them feel like real people. Audiences like to see relatable characters in media they consume because it allows them to picture themselves into the story.
Put thought into your protagonists’ backstories, mannerisms, and characteristics that can motivate their roles in the story. Fully fleshed out characters keep your love story engaging, even if the plot goes in unexpected directions. Readers appreciate characters with complexity and will be eager to follow their journey, wherever it may go.
Crafting Dialogue
The dialogue in your book is another crucial detail that keeps readers engaged in the story being told. For any novel, the best dialogue is always that which sounds natural. A good way to test this while writing is to actually say your characters’ dialogue out loud yourself, or have friends and family read it out loud. Something that looks good on paper can fall flat when spoken, which is especially helpful if you plan on eventually converting your book into an audiobook.
Love stories are told through the words spoken between the love interests. This allows the characters to express their feelings for each other, as well as dig deeper into their backgrounds and personalities.
Plot Structure and Conflict
Every good novel has a core conflict that pushes the story along. Once the characters are introduced and established, the plot can go in so many different directions. A traditional love story arc goes like this: the characters meet, fall in love, some obstacle gets between them, and they eventually find their way back to each other. That is a classic structure that can be applied to almost any romance.
However, do not be afraid to put your own unique spin on the expected structure. You can use your own life or stories you have heard to influence the story. Your singular vision can inform how your characters meet. For example, in romantic comedies, the characters tend to meet in a quirky, unexpected manner known as a meet cute. Maybe your characters already know and love each other, so your characters and their love story can be introduced to the readers in any way you see fit.
The conflict is really the crux of your novel. Without conflict, the reader will have little interest in seeing what happens next. It is important to plan your conflict accordingly and give the audience a reason to root for the couple. If one of the leads is too unlikeable or does something that is unforgivable, that might be a bridge too far for the audience’s sympathy.
Happily Ever After?
Just because there is a conflict in the story that puts a hiccup in the romance, not every romance needs a happy ending. Some love stories end with the main couple apart, as long as the plot justifies the decision. As with real life, some couples are not meant to get married; your romance novel can reflect that while remaining a powerful love story. These stories are still worth telling and can even set up future installments of a series about finding love.
