the craft. read like a writer: tension and release.

I’ve been on a short little romance reading run. After finishing two nonfiction books back to back, I needed some easy fiction back in my life and so I picked up Book Lovers, then Seven Days in June from my TBR shelf. Both were enjoyable and I finished pretty quickly, but something that I picked up on a bit was the consistency of the tension and release when it comes to romance stories.

All great stories need conflict. I mean that’s what keeps us intrigued. The protagonist has a goal and subsequently, multiple things get in the way of the particular goal until it’s achieved or left TBD. Particularly in romance, they come together, they break apart. They come together, they break apart. A ton of back and forth until that handy third act breakup where you don’t know if the couple will rebound (we know), and triumphantly in the end they do.

Normally, this results in me talking out loud to the book. “Come on, why are they playing!” But for most readers, they enjoy the back and forth. They enjoy the banter and they want to feel unsure about the possibilities of this new relationship they’ve invested their time in. It keeps the reader turning pages.

In reading like a writer, I thought about how I could work on this element of my own writing. When I started my foray into this crazy world of fiction writing, my goal was not to be a romance writer. So, I didn’t study the tropes and beats as closely until after Good Morning, Love was deemed romance. But in reading more in the genre, I can see how I could punch up the tension.

Fundamentally, I have a hard time with people having one foot in and one foot out of a relationship. But that has nothing to do with writing a great story. People want to be uncertain. People wanted to wonder, will Carli choose Tau or Dylan? Will he move on without her since she doesn’t want to jeopardize her job?

There’s typically a reason these two characters cannot be together. Sticking with my first book example, Tau was a client at Carli’s marketing agency creating a conflict of interest. This is where tropes like enemies to lovers come in. Love triangles. Fake dating turned into real interest etc.

Following this, there are at least two turning points where we’ll think the two people finally get it and they try the thing out only for them to find another reason they’re not meant to be together.

That third act that I hate so much is when all bets are off and it seems as though all is lost for our characters. I.E. Carli needs to choose her job to keep surviving in New York City or like in Honey & Spice when Kiki thinks Malaki is totally trying to play her. You know, it’s like the thing that happens that knocks them the farthest away from each other they’ve been in the whole story.

Then there’s the resolve! While happily ever after is not a requirement, it’s like for me, if I’m not reading a romance where they get together in the end, what have I done with my life? LOL. I do, however, think it could be a good challenge to see if someday I could write a satisfying ending where a couple doesn’t end up together.

Anyway, these are all just beats. Every story doesn’t have to follow this structure exactly, but when you say, “it’s a romance” there are some things that a reader is going to expect. At least 2-3 steamy scenes. A hot love interest. Some drama both necessary and unnecessary, and more than likely, a happy ending.

The most important element, whether you’re writing romance or some other genre, is being able to build up enough tension and release for the reader to feel like they’re making progress, only to snatch the rug out from under them every chance you get. Writing can be a cruel world. Ha! But we want to keep the pages turning.

In my new writing projects, I’m looking forward to beating my protagonist down a bit more. Making them sweat a bit in this process of building more tension in their stories.

Writing/Job Opportunities

Building on Kweli's successful history of mentoring emerging authors, we will provide three (or more) early-stage writers with a year-long writing fellowship. Eligible candidates are early career vocational writers living in New York City, who are not enrolled in degree-granting programs and self-identify as Black, Native/First Nations, POC, and/or Arab American. Writers who have not yet contracted to publish a book are invited to apply.

The Thirty One is accepting pitches for October. Faith, culture, or lifestyle. Topics of interests also include homecoming season, favorite fall trends, book and entertainment reviews, and longform essays. pitches@thirtyone.co. $400. (Sept. 25th)

The MRN Agency is hiring a Copywriter. ($50-60k).

The NY Daily News is hiring a celebrity gossip and entertainment reporter. ($65-85k).