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Boy meets girl. Boy likes girl. Girl likes another boy. Boy fights to win girl. Girl realizes she truly loves first boy. Boy and girl live happily. ever. after.
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How to plot a romance novel
Thank you Romance writers! We need you now more than ever before!
I will outline the highlights of romance writing. Following the outline, I include Movie clip "examples" for the ideas listed below.
I am assuming you are familiar with the basic plot components that make up a story. Plot is covered in Parts 4-7. The explanations, examples and templates will also be helpful in helping to plan your Romance story plot.
Notes unique for Romance Novels:
1. Don't let love come too easily for your characters
2. Use goals and complications to build narrative momentum
3. Be selective of your setting and social structure. These can provide excellent opportunities for additional conflict.
4. Do your due diligence in researching the "time period" (esp in a historical piece) so that your portrayal of the social expectations of the time are accurate. Watching movies and shows set during your time period will be a great source of information.
5. If the romance occurs in the future or a "magical" time (we're talking fairy princesses and magical creatures), take some time to create this world. Have a clear understanding of the 'rules' of relationships between the different characters. Are there age expectations? Are certain 'classes of people' not allowed to be with the others? What does a marriage entail?
Story outline:
Beginning
Where, when, how do the characters meet? Under what circumstances?
The characters' lives (social status, loyalties, ages, friends, careers, families, 100+ more) should have inherent conflicts that will impact their potential relationship. In other words, it shouldn't be easy.
The characters should also be struggling with their individual weaknesses, desires and needs. These individual issues will need to be addressed and (hopefully) rectified before they can make the relationship work. For example, she may have "jealousy and trust' issues since her last boyfriend cheated on her. He may have trouble expressing his feelings because his father would slap him if he cried.
The conflicts need to increase as they build to the climax
Conflicts drive the majority of the narrative
The relationship between the characters intensifies both physically and emotionally.
The conflict(s) keeping them apart also becomes greater & seemingly will keep them apart forever.
The characters, with help from 'friends' who are the secondary characters, begin to discover truths about themselves. These discoveries allow them to realign their values, goals, priorities.
One character will probably make this discovery prior to the other and this adds to the overall suspense. Will the second character's self discovery happen in time? Or will the love be lost forever?
The Climax
The climax is what romance writers often call the 'black moment'. It appears that the love affair is doomed and the two will forever be apart. Usually one character doesn't "get it" and doesn't realize they should be together. Or they may be physically separated (one has been captured, lost, thought to be dead). Perhaps the character determined to keep them apart (evil witch, jealous boyfriend, his mom) seems to have the upper hand.
The Happy Ending
The resolution to this climax should be short, but believable. These should be deliciously satisfying moments for the reader/audience. It should feel good, like all is right with the world again. We love a happy ride-off-into-the-sunset-ending. That's why we read romances.
This solution shouldn't come out of thin air. It needs to be "hovering" always nearby--but just out of the character's reach. You can drop some well placed clues throughout the story as to how the character's will discover their true love for one another in the end.
Movie Examples:
"The Beginning" This is an excellent example of exposing the weakness, needs and desires of the two primary characters in a romance. This scene, from As Good As It Gets, shows not only the characters' individual challenges, but how far away they are from a happy ending. Warning: this clip does contain foul language.
The 'black moment' from Notting Hill. Here, we see Hugh Grant respond to the 'love request' of the famous actress Julia Roberts (who is playing a famous actress) because, even after their love affair, she previously denied knowing him and broke his heart. She returns to apologize and ask him to be in life again. Here is his answer....
The Happy Ending. I'm a sap. I know. Probably one of my favorite "Happy Ending" scenes. It's not only authentic, but I love the idea of it being so public. To risk proclaiming your love is tough enough, to do it in front of hundreds of people. A similar scene occurs at the end of Notting Hill.
