Romance Writer

Charlene Rivers
Romance Writer

The genre of romance is special because the outcome of any love story is generally satisfying. The reader goes into the story knowing that though the hero and or the heroine will suffer, good will triumph before the last period, and the couple will resolve their differences in a manner that makes some kind of sense. They reader can just sit back, relax, and float along with the weaving of the tale.

The romance author and the romance reader form a bond to which each must remain faithful for the reader to enjoy his or her experience. The reader must suspend disbelief and approach the story open-mindedly. The author must serve the reader by creating characters who are true and believable.

Each hero or heroine must be true to in actions, in speech and in what the reader learns of his or her thoughts. Unless these essential characters are true, the reader will not be able to suspend disbelief and care about the fate of these main characters.

The central couple of the love story must have some kind of conflict which gets resolved in the climax. The clash must be within their relationship. It is not enough that they face some outside adversity together. The clash must be vital to the love story. The reader comes away pleased.

Definitions

Excerpt

Organizations

Favorite Links

Romance Home Page

Home

Romance Definitions

true:	The use of this word defines character traits that seem appropriate to what the author has revealed about the nature character. A true character may steal when hungry or even to gamble if that is its nature. If a character is inherently honest then the author could not have the character steal without give a valid reason to the reader. Return
believable:	Believable in romance does not mean the character must be based on a real person. In fact, in fiction the characters are generally imaged by the author. Believable refers to the characters actions. The character's actions must be true to a type of behavior so that the reader could logically surmise that the character would behave as written. Return
conflict:	In the romance novel, the conflict is within the relationship of the hero and the heroine. It is their story -- their relationship around which the story revovles and within which the clash occurs. Return
hero:	The hero is the male main character in the love story. Return
heroine:	The heroine is the female main character in the love story. Return
climax:	The resolution of the conflict in the story. In the romance novel the climax occurs with the couple finding a way to make their relationship work. Return
romance:	Romance Writers of America has defines a romance novel as a "book wherein the love story is the focus of the novel and the end of the book is emotionally satisfying ending". I will go one farther to say that the ending must make sense while having the character remain true to themselves. Return