October 5, 2020 • 10 mins
Love is.... awkward? Yep, you heard us, love is a very odd and awkward thing. Join us in today's episode as we discuss how t write good, realistic, romance.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
But we can't be in love. My father won't allow it. You won't make me vampire white.
(00:09):
My name is Ken Mears. And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:32):
Let us clarify. When we say realist romance, we aren't excluding fantasy romance or anything.
What we mean is more believable romance. We are talking about realist romance because
realist romance allows for character development, which is a key part in any story. It allows
for engagement with the tech. Also, most stories include some kind of love element. And so
(00:57):
if you are a writer, you will probably end up writing some type of love story at one
point. And it would be wise to understand how to do it, just in the time saving parts
of the story. If you are a writer, you already know what works well for you and what doesn't.
Ken, why should you learn how to write realist romance? Because it can add a lot of drama
(01:18):
and texture to your story. Most things like romance, when done realistically, cause conflict.
And as I've mentioned before, conflict causes story. In real life, generally speaking, people
don't have love at first sight, kiss 20 minutes later, and live happily forever after, like
in the movies and how those things would hang you to believe. Romantic relationships
(01:39):
develop over time and there are misunderstandings, fights, and times when that spark just feels
like it isn't there anymore. So, realistic romances can add a lot to a story.
A key part of romance that I want to talk about is the romance audience. New York book
editors said, very simply, who your audience is. Quote, it's a woman. Statistics show
(02:01):
that 82% of romance book buyers are women. The majority of these women read romance novels
at least once a month, but over a third buy more than one romance novel each month. And
these readers are seasoned. 35% have been reading romance novels for 20 plus years.
To be crunched to numbers, the average reader will read over 200 romance novels in their
(02:25):
lifetime. End quote. I can think of a few religious romance novel readers off the top
of my head and yes, you should definitely keep the basic element themes and keys in
mind as you write your novel. Ken, why is it important to understand your audience in
romance? Because as with all types of stories, audience matters. If you attempt to write
(02:46):
a general audience, you are not going to sell very much. But if you understand the audience
you are targeting your story towards, then you will have a lot more success with it.
Okay, let's dive into the nitty gritty. How do I write realist romance? From the YouTube
channel Bookish Pixie, How to Write Realist Relationships, she had the idea to give characters
(03:07):
enough time to get to know each other and build off that. I thought this was a great
tip. This can help lead to high tension moments later when something new is revealed to one
of those characters and they feel themselves going closer to that character, fireworks
go off, the whole shebang. A story that I think does a really good job of giving the
(03:27):
characters time to grow together and to get to know each other and fall in love that way
is Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. So good, does an amazing job of allowing that
build up in the relationship. Also, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with definitely Mr. Darcy.
Go read that. Ken, what's your first tip?
(03:48):
Keep young love awkwardness. As much as you may want to have your love interest meet and
five minutes later be making out, that is just not how it goes. When you are freshly
in love, things are awkward and your in-story romances should reflect that. Give your characters
an awkward, is it okay if I kiss you moment or something of that sort.
Another tip I have is to give your characters up and down moments. In Twilight you can see
(04:13):
cough, spoiler cough, throughout the books how Bella wants to be a vampire but Edward
doesn't want her to and neither does Jacob the werewolf. There's this tension and conflict
in the relationship so be aware of who your characters are and what their love up and
down moments and fights would be like. Ken, what's your next tip?
(04:38):
As with any form of a relationship you are writing, understand the characters themselves.
If you don't understand the characters and who they really are then you won't be able
to write any form of relationship between them, especially a romantic one.
My third tip is to make the readers wait. Don't give them everything at once and consider
wisely if having them instantly love is a good idea. Typically authors give readers
(05:04):
little bits of sugar but not the whole stick at once. Playing hard to get works well in
romance and is a great angle you could work on. The example that comes to my head is to
all the boys I've loved before. Also, will they, won't they? Couple moments works really
well. They are so engaging and one of my personal favorite romance stories. Very great popular
(05:28):
examples of will they, won't they is Pam and Jim from The Office. The will they, won't
they works really well in TV series just as an example.
My next tip would be make them work to have their relationship. As Melissa mentioned,
give them ups and downs. If the characters have to work hard to be and stay together
then the relationship will mean so much more to them and as a result to your readers as
(05:52):
well. Most relationships in the real world are not easy and must be worked for and made
to work.
One of my last tips is to appeal to the physical senses like he brushed back his hair and his
manly muscles were showing through his manly shirt or as he picked me up I felt this and
this against me and could see this and this and felt this and this. Kind of just going
(06:16):
into more detail. Give as many details, stimulating details as you can. It's great for selling
and stuff.
Make sure the characters have commonalities. I don't think there has ever really been any
kind of real romantic relationship where neither of the people had something in common. There
has to be something there to allow them to establish that initial connection and for
(06:38):
them to rely on as a foundation for the relationship.
The next tip comes from the New York Times book editor. I'm sure some people would disagree
but they said the three most popular romance plots are quote number one, friends become
lovers, number two, you're my soulmate, it's fate, number three, this is my second chance
(07:00):
to love again and quote and they said to just stick to those. I personally dislike the this
is my second chance to love again story and I don't read it. However I think that the
rich playboy and normal if not slightly below or above average girl somehow meet and fall
in love is a lot more in style right now and just something that I enjoy more. Crazy Rich
(07:23):
Asians is the first example that comes to my mind of this type. Ken do you think that
these three types that they talked about are the best plots to follow in romance?
As someone who personally tries to break the mold where possible I don't think the top
three romance plots are the best to follow. While I do like and use the friends to lovers
(07:46):
plot in myself the Midlands series even that I try to keep slightly different. I would
suggest figuring out your own custom romance plot so that you can be seen as original and
not just another copycat. Heck do something bold like a romantic interest between the
big bad and the hero. Break the mold. Obviously there are more types of love. Some other common
(08:08):
types of love would be the insta love where they fall immediately in love. Then there's
the hate each other, love each other. The best example I can think of would be Shakespeare's
Much Do About Nothing. There's the rags to riches romance. So many examples of this.
This one is iconic, arranged or political marriages. This one is big themed and all
(08:31):
one animated from feast. So if you want an example go watch those. Ken can you think
of some common types of love in literature? As far as common types go there is definitely
a lot of media surrounding instant love type stories especially in the movies. There are
also a lot of stories where the love comes slowly even with one of the characters initially
disliking the other one. Honestly I could go on and on but there are certainly a lot
(08:54):
of different types of love that are common in today's literature. As we close out this
week's episode we will leave you with some examples of well done or popular examples
of romances to get you going. Obviously Romeo and Juliet, Twilight, boom. The first two
that popped into my head. What about you Ken? I think of Mistborn as well as maybe even
(09:15):
The Odyssey which is a total classic even regardless of any romance you should check
that book out. Not many others really immediately come to my mind at least. We hope today's
episode was helpful. If you like our podcast please share it with your friends and family.
For sources in the transcript visit writersworldpodcast.weebrew.com. Our Instagram and Facebook is
writersworldpodcastofficial and our Patreon is patreon.com slash writersworldpodcast and
(09:41):
if you want your questions or concerns answered our email is writersworldpodcast.gmail.com.
Until next time I've been Ken Mears and I've been Melissa Fales with Writers World and
Jeevaun Ryder.
But we can't be in love. My father won't allow it. You won't make me vampire white.
(00:09):
My name is Ken Mears. And I'm Melissa Fales.
And welcome to Writer's World.
(00:32):
Let us clarify. When we say realist romance, we aren't excluding fantasy romance or anything.
What we mean is more believable romance. We are talking about realist romance because
realist romance allows for character development, which is a key part in any story. It allows
for engagement with the tech. Also, most stories include some kind of love element. And so
(00:57):
if you are a writer, you will probably end up writing some type of love story at one
point. And it would be wise to understand how to do it, just in the time saving parts
of the story. If you are a writer, you already know what works well for you and what doesn't.
Ken, why should you learn how to write realist romance? Because it can add a lot of drama
(01:18):
and texture to your story. Most things like romance, when done realistically, cause conflict.
And as I've mentioned before, conflict causes story. In real life, generally speaking, people
don't have love at first sight, kiss 20 minutes later, and live happily forever after, like
in the movies and how those things would hang you to believe. Romantic relationships
(01:39):
develop over time and there are misunderstandings, fights, and times when that spark just feels
like it isn't there anymore. So, realistic romances can add a lot to a story.
A key part of romance that I want to talk about is the romance audience. New York book
editors said, very simply, who your audience is. Quote, it's a woman. Statistics show
(02:01):
that 82% of romance book buyers are women. The majority of these women read romance novels
at least once a month, but over a third buy more than one romance novel each month. And
these readers are seasoned. 35% have been reading romance novels for 20 plus years.
To be crunched to numbers, the average reader will read over 200 romance novels in their
(02:25):
lifetime. End quote. I can think of a few religious romance novel readers off the top
of my head and yes, you should definitely keep the basic element themes and keys in
mind as you write your novel. Ken, why is it important to understand your audience in
romance? Because as with all types of stories, audience matters. If you attempt to write
(02:46):
a general audience, you are not going to sell very much. But if you understand the audience
you are targeting your story towards, then you will have a lot more success with it.
Okay, let's dive into the nitty gritty. How do I write realist romance? From the YouTube
channel Bookish Pixie, How to Write Realist Relationships, she had the idea to give characters
(03:07):
enough time to get to know each other and build off that. I thought this was a great
tip. This can help lead to high tension moments later when something new is revealed to one
of those characters and they feel themselves going closer to that character, fireworks
go off, the whole shebang. A story that I think does a really good job of giving the
(03:27):
characters time to grow together and to get to know each other and fall in love that way
is Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series. So good, does an amazing job of allowing that
build up in the relationship. Also, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice with definitely Mr. Darcy.
Go read that. Ken, what's your first tip?
(03:48):
Keep young love awkwardness. As much as you may want to have your love interest meet and
five minutes later be making out, that is just not how it goes. When you are freshly
in love, things are awkward and your in-story romances should reflect that. Give your characters
an awkward, is it okay if I kiss you moment or something of that sort.
Another tip I have is to give your characters up and down moments. In Twilight you can see
(04:13):
cough, spoiler cough, throughout the books how Bella wants to be a vampire but Edward
doesn't want her to and neither does Jacob the werewolf. There's this tension and conflict
in the relationship so be aware of who your characters are and what their love up and
down moments and fights would be like. Ken, what's your next tip?
(04:38):
As with any form of a relationship you are writing, understand the characters themselves.
If you don't understand the characters and who they really are then you won't be able
to write any form of relationship between them, especially a romantic one.
My third tip is to make the readers wait. Don't give them everything at once and consider
wisely if having them instantly love is a good idea. Typically authors give readers
(05:04):
little bits of sugar but not the whole stick at once. Playing hard to get works well in
romance and is a great angle you could work on. The example that comes to my head is to
all the boys I've loved before. Also, will they, won't they? Couple moments works really
well. They are so engaging and one of my personal favorite romance stories. Very great popular
(05:28):
examples of will they, won't they is Pam and Jim from The Office. The will they, won't
they works really well in TV series just as an example.
My next tip would be make them work to have their relationship. As Melissa mentioned,
give them ups and downs. If the characters have to work hard to be and stay together
then the relationship will mean so much more to them and as a result to your readers as
(05:52):
well. Most relationships in the real world are not easy and must be worked for and made
to work.
One of my last tips is to appeal to the physical senses like he brushed back his hair and his
manly muscles were showing through his manly shirt or as he picked me up I felt this and
this against me and could see this and this and felt this and this. Kind of just going
(06:16):
into more detail. Give as many details, stimulating details as you can. It's great for selling
and stuff.
Make sure the characters have commonalities. I don't think there has ever really been any
kind of real romantic relationship where neither of the people had something in common. There
has to be something there to allow them to establish that initial connection and for
(06:38):
them to rely on as a foundation for the relationship.
The next tip comes from the New York Times book editor. I'm sure some people would disagree
but they said the three most popular romance plots are quote number one, friends become
lovers, number two, you're my soulmate, it's fate, number three, this is my second chance
(07:00):
to love again and quote and they said to just stick to those. I personally dislike the this
is my second chance to love again story and I don't read it. However I think that the
rich playboy and normal if not slightly below or above average girl somehow meet and fall
in love is a lot more in style right now and just something that I enjoy more. Crazy Rich
(07:23):
Asians is the first example that comes to my mind of this type. Ken do you think that
these three types that they talked about are the best plots to follow in romance?
As someone who personally tries to break the mold where possible I don't think the top
three romance plots are the best to follow. While I do like and use the friends to lovers
(07:46):
plot in myself the Midlands series even that I try to keep slightly different. I would
suggest figuring out your own custom romance plot so that you can be seen as original and
not just another copycat. Heck do something bold like a romantic interest between the
big bad and the hero. Break the mold. Obviously there are more types of love. Some other common
(08:08):
types of love would be the insta love where they fall immediately in love. Then there's
the hate each other, love each other. The best example I can think of would be Shakespeare's
Much Do About Nothing. There's the rags to riches romance. So many examples of this.
This one is iconic, arranged or political marriages. This one is big themed and all
(08:31):
one animated from feast. So if you want an example go watch those. Ken can you think
of some common types of love in literature? As far as common types go there is definitely
a lot of media surrounding instant love type stories especially in the movies. There are
also a lot of stories where the love comes slowly even with one of the characters initially
disliking the other one. Honestly I could go on and on but there are certainly a lot
(08:54):
of different types of love that are common in today's literature. As we close out this
week's episode we will leave you with some examples of well done or popular examples
of romances to get you going. Obviously Romeo and Juliet, Twilight, boom. The first two
that popped into my head. What about you Ken? I think of Mistborn as well as maybe even
(09:15):
The Odyssey which is a total classic even regardless of any romance you should check
that book out. Not many others really immediately come to my mind at least. We hope today's
episode was helpful. If you like our podcast please share it with your friends and family.
For sources in the transcript visit writersworldpodcast.weebrew.com. Our Instagram and Facebook is
writersworldpodcastofficial and our Patreon is patreon.com slash writersworldpodcast and
(09:41):
if you want your questions or concerns answered our email is writersworldpodcast.gmail.com.
Until next time I've been Ken Mears and I've been Melissa Fales with Writers World and
Jeevaun Ryder.
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