Writing love stories
All writers have a weak spot. Some struggle with dialogue, others with group scenes, some write too much setting, others too sparsely.
Mine is love. Rose-tinted-glasses, goofy-smiled, tender-hearted romance. And it’s not as much a weak spot as a blank one, in that I often simply seem to forget about including it. Addie and Andrew in My Mother’s Shadow were originally friends, no hint of a frisson or electric spark in sight, Maddie and William in Summer of Secrets were two frightened, unsure teenagers, trying to figure out the right thing to do.
A delicate business …
Now, I don’t think it’s my general stance on love (which, being married 20 years and all, is quite positive indeed 😍) and I love reading romance and love stories. But when I write, there is so much emotional drama, such in-depth sifting through a character’s mind, that the love part somehow falls to the wayside — until my editor sends back a list of editorial suggestions along with the firm request for ‘a LOT more love, please.’ Thus, Addie and Andrew’s friendship was infused with zing, romantic uncertainty and a lovely ending, and Maddie and William very innocently discover their true feelings in those endless, star-sparkly summer nights down by the boathouse.
… which I take very seriously!
But I’m not making the same mistake this time around, oh no. Book 3 Draft#5 is stuffed to the GILLS with love. There are no less than three fully-fledged, bona fide romances. There are thrilling first kisses and dark, dangerous temptations, there are secret midnight trysts with bombs whistling above, shocking betrayals and second chances, and finally a wonderfully down-to-earth, funny, proper relationship that emerged early on, all in one piece, and felt completely right.
However, seeing as research is a writer’s best friend, I could do with a bit more reading up on the subject (yep, our jobs are that thankless and hard!). If you have any can’t-live-withouts, then let me know here and I’ll whiz you back my own Top Five by return email.
