Writing Craft
September 28, 2006
Story Essentials Â? Continued
Recapping as we work our way down the category romance editorÂ?s wish list, so far we have:
An opening hook
An appealing, human heroine
A hero to fall in love with. He must be human, appealing and honorable
An original story line.
Dialogue that sings
Emotional roller coaster (highs and lows)
When I thought about examples to illustrate the emotional roller coaster, I got stuck. Emotional scenes don’t work well out of context. The reader’s heart strings are plucked because she care about your characters. Without that initial investment suffering in meaningless.
Watching the carnage of war or the aftermath of disaster leaves us numb and disbelieving. Too much information, too much emotion it’s harder to process. Which is why the journalist will bring the story down to own soldier, one displaced family, one set of grieving parents. A loss we can comprehend.
Breathing humanity into our fictional characters has to precede their trials and triumphs. The reader’s expectations both mandate and challenge the execution of the black moment before the final resolution.
How does the writer make the reader who has an iron clad guaranteed happily-ever-after ending doubt the lovers will resolve their issues? By making us believe they are honorable and intelligent people who have a serious (not easily resolved) conflict. Pulling out the believable, yepreviouslylunsuspectedtd answer to the last knot is the writer’s last challenge. All that remains after that is tidying up the confetti and champagne corks.
A lonely woman finds passion with a dominant much younger lover, forcing a choice between love and loyalty 
The Enyo Chronicles includes both Dalia's Choice and Joon's Tempation. 
Three different stories, three dangerous men, and three women who deserve them 
One dangerous warrior woman plus two rogue demon males equals a love to threaten an empire. 
Getting paid to watch Eduardo is Desiree’s dream assignment, but when he reaches out to her, crossing the line, everything changes.
Deep in her secret heart, she lusts for a sexy pirate who’d be her master and commander in the bedroom. But, this man may be too dangerous
One woman, two men, three wounded hearts--though already mated their love is still forbidden.
A reluctant reporter and a lone wolf undercover cop work to catch an extortionist, finding love requires the most dangerous risk of all. 
Street-smart cop plays princess to catch deadly terrorists. Now,the only man she trusts is the one she can't resist.
Along with the arrival of Sam’s nemesis comes Karina, the one woman who can heal his wounded soul. What he doesn’t know may kill him. Because, the love of his life is his worst nightmare--his enemy’s daughter. 