Comments on: Writing the Romance Novel: The Seven Story Beats

By: Derek

Derek — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 19:38:17 +0000

Love this! I adapted it to grant writing on our sexygrantwriters site. Hope you like it. I credited you at the bottom and linked to this post.

By: Pattie

Pattie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:06:32 +0000

Oh my, I missed that link to chapter one! Ignore all my remarks about the friends. Eek. *redfaced girl walks away*

By: Eileen Astels

Eileen Astels — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:27:02 +0000

Okay, I think I’ve been at the computer too long. This isn’t registering too well for me.

I’m looking at #1 & #2 and thinking they should be overlapping. Aren’t we supposed to get the hero and heroine together a.s.a.p. in a romance?

The middle ones seem to jive with my thought that you have to keep upping the stakes, so I’m good with that.

The last one is one I have concern with as well. How do we make this realistic? Losing something of importance to gain the relationship. For it to be believable, how do we show and at what stage in the novel should we introduce the compromising so that this isn’t just a give-take senario, but rather more an evolving choice/decision?

I’ve ordered this book from Amazon, can’t wait to get my hands and eyes on it.

By: Georgiana Daniels

Georgiana Daniels — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:40:32 +0000

I’m curious about #4–what if they are bound together earlier in the story, is that a bad thing?

PS. I’m REALLY enjoying Writing the Romantic Comedy! I like that it’s put in screenwriter’s terms because I pay more attention than with some novel writing books where I’ve heard the same thing over and over again. This is really refreshing!

By: PatriciaW

PatriciaW — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:40:58 +0000

1. Do the heroine and hero both need a goal separate and apart from the romance? How would you define these various stages if major goal of one of them is to pursue the romance (and the goal of the other is not to get caught)?

2. Is it common for the goal to be illuminated at the turning point? Seems like writers are encouraged to show the goals up front (first chapter or so).

3. The definition of the second turning point suggests that meeting the characters’ goals must be in conflict with pursuing a romantic relationship. Does this have to be the case?

4. I’ve never heard of the ending referred to as “joyful defeat”. Is it necessary for the protagonist to lose something in order to gain the relationship? (By lose something, I don’t mean bad habits or foregoing personal growth. More like giving up one’s non-romance goal, or redefining it, in order to have the relationship.)