Writing Romance
DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART
Romance readers’ expectations: Finding the best setbacks and obstacles for my couple to overcome is one of my greatest…
February 23, 2025-
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A3 Contributor Book ReleaseA3 Author Book Release: The Key Collector’s Promise: A 1980s Suspense with Romance at Our House on Sycamore Street
From the Publisher When young real estate agent Sandra Lejeune receives an anonymous letter threatening her family, she leaves…
September 21, 2024 -
Romancing Your Story
A Trope with a Twist
Readers, particularly romance readers, love stories that feel familiar—shorthand for they use tropes—but also seem new and bring a…
August 23, 2024 -
History in the MakingBehind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era
For writers, opportunities wait behind the doors of the grocery store! A plethora of plots. Character reveals. Centuries of…
August 20, 2024 -
Romancing Your StoryTo Thine Own Self Be True
Plotter or Pantser? Or Plottser? Outline or just start writing? Index cards or story map? The Hero’s Journey or…
May 23, 2024 -
Romancing Your Story, Writing Romance
A Rose By Any Other Name (Authenticating Details)
Once upon a time, when I was new to fiction writing, I brought a chapter to my weekly workshop/critique…
February 23, 2024 -
Writing Romance
REALISTICALLY RELATABLE
Making your hero and heroine relatable is key to creating characters your readers will care about, will laugh with,…
November 23, 2023 -
Romancing Your Story
Same Vocabulary, Different Dictionary
I recently attended a conference where one of the speakers talked about how, because of cultural and societal shifts,…
May 23, 2023 -
Romancing Your Story
Why Are Christmas Romances So Popular?
I’m sure you’re aware of all the Christmas romance movies that Hallmark airs on television before Thanksgiving into the…
December 23, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
Why Are Christmas Romances So Popular
I’m sure you’re aware of all the Christmas romance movies that Hallmark airs on television before Thanksgiving into the…
November 23, 2022 -
Writing Romance
Who’s Behind the Mask?
Upon doing a search for romance novels that include a masquerade, I found that many romance novels include the…
October 23, 2022 -
Writing for YAIs Your Historical Novel YA or Adult Coming of Age
How do you know if you’ve written a young adult novel or an adult coming of age? What about…
September 27, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
Can Your Male Character Still Be the Hero in Your Romance Novel?
The current writing trend is to have strong, independent female characters. These female characters can run a business and…
September 23, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
How Candlelight Brings Out the Romance in Your Characters
What is it about candlelight that makes a candlelight dinner so romantic? First of all, did you know that…
August 23, 2022 -
Romancing Your Story
Food, Feeding, and Romance
Have you ever wondered why a guy gives the girl he’s romantically interested in a box of chocolates? Or…
July 23, 2022 -
Writing Romance
What About Commitment?
Let’s face it. The majority of romance readers, including me, prefer a happy ending. But does that mean the…
June 23, 2022 -
Writing Romance
Lessons From the Movies
I recently watched Hudson Hawk, a (deservedly) lesser-known Bruce Willis movie. It was released three years after his smash…
May 23, 2022 -
Writing Romance 101The (Character) Arc de Triomphe
Writing teachers often talk about the story arc and character arc, meaning how the story is constructed or how…
November 23, 2021 -
Romancing Your Story
Developing the Leading Man and his Lady
The man and woman who will fall in love in your romance story are your most important characters. Therefore,…
September 23, 2021 -
Romancing Your Story
Make it Personal
One of my favorite movies is You’ve Got Mail. When Joe Fox attempts to apologize to Kathleen Kelly for…
August 23, 2021 -
Romancing Your Story
Hole-Hearted to Whole-Hearted and How to Get There
What hole is in his heart? What hole is in her heart? This is where your romance story begins.…
June 23, 2021 -
Romancing Your Story
Humoring Your Romance
I always say that a book that can make me laugh and cry is an outstanding book that will…
March 23, 2021 -
Romancing Your Story
Does Setting Matter in a Romance?
The short answer is YES! While falling in love can happen anywhere, the choice of your setting sets a…
January 23, 2021 -
Novelists UnwindNovelists Unwind Interviews Alexis A. Goring
Alexis A. Goring got her writing start as a very young girl. For a few years, her mother required…
December 26, 2020 -
Romancing Your Story
What Do Your Characters Want and Why?
What drives your character? What is his or her motivation for pursuing their goals, whether it’s defusing an atomic…
November 23, 2020
