If you are one of those who loves ‘Love’ and happens to have the talent to express it beautifully in words, then you better read this article carefully. Romance is a beautiful engagement, with two persons involved in something meaningful. There is a barrage of emotions which characterize romance, and therefore, writing about it is not simple.
There are many romance writers out there, but only a select few of them can bring out the true spirit of romance. Most of the time the remaining writers miss on crucial aspects of romance writing, and hence, they are usually found committing the same mistakes again and again.
In this article, we have taken it to upon ourselves to guide our fellow romance writers and to ensure that they do not commit certain mistakes which usually happen. Here is a list of 7 such mistakes of which you should be wary. So, let us take a look at them, shall we?
1. Sticking To Stereotypes
There are stories which are conventional, and there are stories which are not unconventional. You do not have to come up with a brand-new, never-done-before story necessarily but must ensure that you treat it differently.
You can have your conventional rude, not-so-talkative, hot male lead and a poor, humble and average-looking female lead, but you need to give them dimensions. You cannot treat them the way thousands of other writers have. If you do so, your story is but a cliché one. People will lose interest because it is highly predictable and without a shred of novelty.
2. Romanticizing Abuse
We quite often find that writers tend to glamorize the idea of abuse. Let us take the example of male characters being overly possessive and controlling of their female partners. What writers do is that they give the man astounding physical features and use these features to justify or ignore his ill elements.
For example, in a number of animes (Japanese animation), women characters are literally harassed. In a series called Seven Deadly Sins, the main male character lifts up the skirt of the female lead many a times but is paraded as a hero.
You need to steer clear of any twisted definition of love, which the contemporary entertainment industry promotes.
3. Forgetting Conflicts
Inter-personal conflicts are part and parcel of any romance. There is no such thing called a fairytale romance—partners struggle before and after a ‘forever after’ ending. In fact, as a romance writer, you must address these struggles continually so that readers can relate.
Your job is to create empathy. You need people to empathize with your characters. In the absence of an elaborate depiction of tension which is natural to romance, you might lead readers to believe that the plot is hollow. Also, you must allow your characters grow through their experiences.
4. Do Not Go Overboard With Intimate Scenes
Quite contrary to what people think, it is incredibly challenging to write erotic scenes. The reason is simple: you cannot use raw language to describe those scenes unless there is context—even then it is difficult.
Ever intimate scene is to be described in a way that fits into the bigger picture. If the scene is not fundamental or influential in any way to the story, we recommend that you avoid writing too much.
It is strongly advised that you first recognize the tone and setting of your story. If it is conventional and pretty much Shakespearean, then your vocabulary has to be very neat and melodious. However, this is not the case when the story and its characters are not conventional.
5. Using Hackneyed Expressions
Do you want to do well as a romance writer? Do something about your vocabulary and writing style. You must build a diverse and elaborate vocabulary and writing style.
Every time you write a story, the theme and its characters will require treatment differently. In fact, within a single story, there might be multiple characters involved in romantic relationships of various kinds. You must not use the same expressions and style for each of those character’s relationships.
We all have heard and read so many romantic stories and have picked up quite a vocabulary out of them. Hence, you must think differently and beyond what there is already.
6. Not Knowing Where the Relationship Leads To
You may have a fantastic vocabulary and awe-inspiring writing style, but if the characters in your story do not know where the relationship is headed, then we are sorry.
In a romance story, a reader expects a climax. It does not matter whether it is happy or sad; there should be a climax. Many times you would come across writers who write characters superbly, have a strong story, but fail to end it effectively.
The point is that the reader is expecting something. He journeys along with the characters and wishes to see where all of this is heading—and after reading hundreds of pages, he expects something believable.
7. Be Patient
Romance builds up with time. Even if your story involves two people hooking up the night they met, the subsequent developments will need careful treatment. You cannot rush up with feelings, moments, and ultimately storyline.
Of course, every writer wants to get done with his story as soon as possible. But, do not do this at the cost of the story and its essence. Have Patience. Let characters grow together and build a romance better than you originally intended.
While it is true that romance cannot be described in words, there are a few of us who have to do it for our livelihood. So, we should try to do justice as much as we can to this otherwise inexplicable form of involvement which there is.
In this article, we tried helping our romance writers on how to put to use their skills into writing romantically. Our job was to remind you of a few mistakes which most writers commit while writing romance. Now, we want our readers’ feedback on this article and also their love by sharing this article.
