Love at first sight

A none romance author in my critique group suggested that love at first sight could be an important theme in a romance novel. It could be, but usually isn’t. Why? For romance authors love is a verb not a noun. So the accent is on the journey.

The couple must face some drama, change, growth, and decide if they are really a couple for an audience to become involved in helping to solve the problems facing a couple who they know have such crazy chemistry they have to become one.

Therefore chemistry often replaces “love at first sight” as the clarion call in some romances. In others, the reaction to the other can range from detestation to melt on the spot. Often the cute meet causes one or both to form a low opinion of the other. Sometimes physical attraction is nonexistent in one or both. And everything in between.

A hero or heroine may declare instant love but that ain’t goin’ to get you there, until they bond. They may even hop into bed “lust at first sight” and then run for the hills. I can remember a short relationship of mine, long ago, in which the attraction was over the top but we had nothing else in common. There’s a very old film in which the silent screen star had everybody fall in love with her at first sight but then they heard her speak and ran out of the theatres laughing.

But, there would be somebody for her, once they got to know her and visa versa. It takes a great author to write such a story.

You drank too much eggnog

Are you Christmased out, watching Christmas romances on TV? Does your Christmas movie have cookie-making, hot cocoa with marshmallow drinking, ice skating, snowballing, snowman making, caroling, tree searching, tree decorating, mistletoe mingling, present wrapping, magical moments brought on by Santa, elves, angels, holiday calendars? Did you know much of this is required? It’s a recipe, just like ginger bread. Sprinkle on the tropes but do write a good script and have wonderful actors to carry it off.

You can write all or some of these into an original script with your brilliance showing. You can go your own way and write something different around Christmas.

My favorite Christmas movie had very little to do with Christmas. It has a misleading title, Christmas with Holly (Hallmark 2012, Eloise Mumford, Sean Faris, Josie Gallina based on a five book series by Lisa Kleypas known as the Friday Harbor series). The movie is about a little girl who cannot speak and the people who try to help her. A present does show up in the end, only because the journey took months landing us at the doorstep of Christmas, but it could have been any holiday or none for that matter, because it went to the little girl.

I’m not saying that I don’t like the gingerbread cookie cutter approach, or creative tweaks and twists. I do, if done well. Remember there is no story that hasn’t been told, because we are in the business of love. Love finds a way. There is a happy ending rather than a depressing one. The journey is yours and your fans, my fellow writer.

Highlights of Show, Don’t Tell by Sandra Gerth

Sandra’s book is free on Kindle.

One of the most important quotes from the book for a friend at Writers Bloc is, “Combine emotion markers to avoid ambiguity.” She explains that using body/facial language can be ambiguous. She suggests combining body language, dialogue, or internal monologue to make it clear.

Sandra’s book is full of concrete changes anybody can apply to their manuscript.

Telling gives conclusions and interpretations, summaries, reportage, being abstract, giving facts, not that telling doesn’t have its place. Such as to cover unimportant details, transitions, repeated info, &/or events, pacing, context (to give), & suspense.

An author may slip into telling by the improper use of adverbs and adjectives when strong verbs are needed. Avoid linking verbs such as is/was, felt appeared. The slip occurs when using emotion words such as surprise, anger, amazement, confusion or filters such as saw, smelled, heard, felt, watched, noticed, realized, wondered, knowing and more. If this isn’t clear, you are not alone. I took each word, as if I were picking fruit loops out of the bowl and munching one by one. Best to read because my blog could not possibly cover this subject in a short format.

Here’s one less than obvious example:

Telling: His mom would arrive soon.

Showing: Mom would arrive soon.