Ahh, the sweet taste of romance. The sugary taste of love.
Romance books are so easy to read. You pick up a book and melt in the arms of the author's words. Your eyes tear up with each heartbreak, and you find yourself willing to burn the book by the end, either in happiness, sadness, or anger.
Yes, as a reader it is very easy to relax in rose petals, but when you write the romance - that's the real gardening. You need emotion, characters, and above all things... description.
(1) Emotion & Senses
Emotion is made up of five different component. Yes, your five senses! The subtle smell of perfume can make or break a whole scene. The taste of salt on a person's lips can tell so much about them. The seductive sounds you hear through their whisper, and the irresistable appearance of lust - through smell, taste, sound and sight, a beautiful sense of emotion begins.
However there is a fifth sense, and this one creates almost all of the emotion present in a romance novel. Touch, or feeling, can be anything from the soft skin of a character's significant other, to the angry feeling of revenge. Emotion can be angry, depressing, revengeful, or optimistic.
(2) Characters
Characters are the players in your little fiction that you call reality. Your characters are under your control, but I want you to give that up. Only when you give up the position of God can your players think for themselves. And only when your characters think for themselves can they reach their full potential and write a great book.
Make your character original of course, but don't overuse cliche characters. A vampire romance may not be the best idea for now, though if you could do something really original, then go for it, by all means. Stephanie Meyer's Twilight only worked because it was original - a girl, moving into a new town, who fell in love with a mysterious vampire who only wanted to push her away.
Shrek, which stars an ogre who unwillingly falls in love with a princess, was a very original concept as well. It doesn't matter how attractive your protagonist is as long as the other protagonist finds them irresistable.
(3) Description
A romance novel without description is like a cake made without eggs. Without it, your story will just fall apart! The key in any love story is to have adjectives, but also to make them beautiful. Instead of saying "She looked into his eyes and then kissed him," say something along the lines of: "With his cerulean eyes and perfect face, he was just so irresistable. The girl leaned in, nervous, but anxious, and kissed his soft lips for the first time." Do you see the difference?
You don't have to make it mushy to make it good either. Just use adjectives that no one's used before and it won't seem as muchy. Try combining different words, like "Sunshine-filled," and "Rose-brushed." Have fun with it, but make it good. Description is the life of your love story. I cannot stress that enough.
Note: This column was written with my points of view and my own opinions. I did mention Stephanie Meyer, her book "Twilight" and also the movie "Shrek." These people and stories are in no way mine. I hope you enjoyed!
