Sometimes, when I least expect it, the Universe drops something perfect into my inbox. As y’all know, I try to share my thoughts and experiences with writing at least on Thursdays. It’s become sort of my “craft” day. Not everyone who hangs out here is a writer. In fact, only a few but that’s okay. I’ve been told that even readers enjoy the occasional insight into the whole mysterious “black box” thing call creative writing. I’m not sure about a black box but it definitely can be a black hole. 🤣
Anyway, I get a message from the Big U every day. Some hit home. Some are hrmm moments. And some are light bulbs. I was asked in a workshop I was leading what’s the magic formula for writing romance. Well, I need to tattoo the Universe’s response on my forehead or something because in It’s roundabout and mystical way, here’s the answer:
Would you ever take a journey, Silver, if you knew ahead of time that you’d become hopelessly lost, have your heart broken into pieces, and sometimes wish you’d never been born?
Now, how about if you knew ahead of time that on that very same journey you’d later find yourself, fall passionately in love, and live happily ever after?
Yeah, I know, you made the same choice a long, long time ago.
Que bueno,
The Universe
©www.tut.comP.S. Silver, it’s all downhill from here (in a good way!!!).
</blockquoteThis feels like a mic drop moment. 🙄 There you have it. A romance novel is the journey two people take where they get hopelessly lost, have one or both of their hearts broken, where they wish they (or the other person) had never been born and then they fall passionately in love and live happily ever after. See? Easy peasy. That’s the formula. The hard part is BICHOK (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard) until all the words spill out so that the story is detailed, nuanced, exciting, compelling, enjoyable, and…well, yeah. All that. Writing fiction is not easy nor is it for the faint of heart but when you type The End and finally–after hard edits and revisions–pull the trigger on publishing, it’s a marvelous feeling. I’m close to finding that joy once again. What’s your joy today?
Silver James 