Precious Prose

Edgar Allan Poe said 'that a story has a beginning, middle and end.'
It is true with whatever fiction genre you write. You, the writer, take the reader on a journey from beginning to end conveying a message or theme in which the characters grow and learn something about themselves and life. In the case of romance

1. in the beginning - your characters meet and engage the reader
2. in the middle - they face growing conflict and 'nearly' insurmountable obstacles
   
3. in the end - they resolve the conflict and move forward, or, leave the reader knowing they will

TO do this you must learn and develop the elements of Form:

1. plot - must be sustainable for the whole story, (not like a character goal which can be more fluid). It has to contain conflict, rising action, a climax and resolution.
   
2. characters - they have to be believable, someone the reader can identify and engage with, and have motives the reader can get behind.
   
3. setting - it must be consistent with the characters personalities, and believable for the challenges they must face in order to grow.
   
4. theme - this is the reason for the story to be written, a message you want to get across to the reader. In the case of romance it is an emotional journey the characters must take to find true love and happiness.
   

Then it is up to you the writer to combine these elements - I'm told it takes a lifetime, that the writer never stops developing and growing.

I wonder if Stephen King would grow more if he wrote an inspirational category romance for say Steeple Hill? Or Nora Roberts an action war drama with a personal journey of survival and no romance?

Tomorrow we look behind these elements of form to see exactly what they include... see I told you I'm learning as I go... But first you have to - GET THOSE WORDS ON PAPER - these things help you refine what you write . Unless your lucky and can do it automatically - then I probably won't like you.
Until tomorrow Robyn