Romancing Your Story
When All Seems Lost
The Black Moment. The Crisis. The Breakup. There are many titles for that moment when all seems lost. No…
April 23, 2020-
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Romancing Your Story
How Do You Write Characters of the Opposite Gender Realistically?
This was a question I saw in the Twitter writing community and realized it is a challenge, especially in…
March 23, 2020 -
Romancing Your Story
When Romance Writers Read and Create
In my opinion, anyone who says they don’t have time to read might as well say they don’t have…
February 28, 2020 -
Romancing Your Story
Tension is Necessary in Romance Fiction.
If you are writing a clean or Christian romance, you still need to build tension in your story. Depending…
January 23, 2020 -
Romancing Your Story
Does Romance Really Mean “Happily Ever After”?
As a little girl I was enthralled with the classic Disney tales of princesses finding their “Prince Charming” and…
December 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Writing Romance in the #MeToo Era
Once upon a time a romance novel plot included a heroine who wanted the hero to kiss her, but…
November 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Why Are They Attracted To Each Other?
In my last column, I wrote about the first meeting. Now that your characters have met, the first blush…
October 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
“Setting” the Romance
What do you think about when you think of romance? Oh sure, there are the typical things like boy…
September 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Writing a Strong Heroine
Editors often say they’re looking for stories with “strong female characters.” Many writers take that to mean the heroine…
August 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
First, They Meet
The fact that you are writing a romance it’s a given that your hero and heroine have to meet…
July 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Does Today’s Romance Have to be Formulaic?
Romance used to be so formulaic—boy meets girl, they fall in love, something threatens their relationship, but in the…
June 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Romancing the Judge
We’re well into spring in most of the country, which means for writers, we’re also well into contest season.…
May 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
The Romance Recipe
Ideas for my stories come from a variety of places. Sometimes I need to think about an idea for…
April 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Should Your Christian Novel’s Hero be Perfect?
When writing a Christian romance novel, should your hero be perfect? I entered a writing contest a few years…
March 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
A Romance by Any Other Name
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet ……
February 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Conflict in Romance
Someone told me once there wasn’t conflict in romance novels. Boy meets girl. Boy gets girl. End of story.…
January 23, 2019 -
Romancing Your Story
Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part III
Have you ever wondered what the opposite sex is thinking while you’re thinking? Men, as a rule, think in…
December 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Does ‘Sweet’ Mean Boring?
The first reaction I get when I tell another romance writer that I write sweet love stories is often…
November 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Falling in Love—NOT the Goal
My name is M. Rose Gardner and I am an aspiring author of contemporary romance. This is my first…
October 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part II
[bctt tweet=”Have you ever wondered what the opposite sex is thinking while you’re thinking? Men, as a rule, think…
September 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Getting Inside the Hero’s Head––Part I
Contrary to popular belief, the male is the key to any romance. The female is usually the “lead” character.…
August 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Crafting the Hero – Part VI
Nobody’s perfect, right? True. Neither can your romantic hero – or your heroine, for that matter – be perfect.…
July 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Crafting the Hero – Part V
Judah is the man for Tovah. To review: Tovah is a rabbi with rejection issues. Judah is an IDF…
June 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Crafting the Hero––Part IV
We’re crafting both our romantic heroine and our hero. Our heroine is Tovah, a Jewish rabbi who fears rejection…
May 23, 2018 -
Romancing Your Story
Crafting the Hero––Part III by Donna L.H. Smith
Nobody’s perfect, right? True. Neither can your romantic hero be perfect. Choose a character flaw that will irritate your…
April 23, 2018
