What Next? Continuing a Romantic Arc in Your Sequel 

Congratulations! You made it through the first book! And your characters are so cute together :3.  So… what happens next? Sequels are tricky, because there’s so much comparison between your first book and your second. If they need to be bigger than (and not just on par with) book one, what does that mean forContinue reading “What Next? Continuing a Romantic Arc in Your Sequel “

The List of Forbidden Tropes

I decided while packing Uber orders at work today that instead of trying to sound intelligent in today’s blog post, I’d just write out my thoughts conversationally and hope that even if it’s not informative, it’s at least encouraging.  Six weeks ago, I started this blog post with a list of tropes I don’t likeContinue reading “The List of Forbidden Tropes”

Writing Romances that Last Beyond the Book

Some fictional romances feel fictional. Reading them is like watching a badly-performed theatrical performance, where the characters fall in love, sing endlessly about how they would die for their lover, but all the way through you get the sense that the actors don’t like each other. All through the book, you get the sense thatContinue reading “Writing Romances that Last Beyond the Book”

The big picture of romance

What would you say is the point of romance?  Note, I’m not asking the point of sex, but of romance. Having a crush on someone, someone having a crush on you, the wondering and dreaming, wooing and dating, the proposal and wedding day, and every day after that. What’s the point of it?  Is itContinue reading “The big picture of romance”

Introducing a new series: Writing Romance Effectively 

Who are your favourite fictional couples? Why do you love them so much?  In some novels, watching the main characters go from hating to tolerating, working with to admiring, liking to loving, is a joy. As they slowly fall in love, we also fall in love with them and their relationship. A good romance feelsContinue reading “Introducing a new series: Writing Romance Effectively “