My Favorite Romance Trope

Romance tropes are many, and yet, so few. They are used again and again, because they are timeless. They can be refashioned or refurbished to fit any time frame. And here we are, year after year, sucking them up like oxygen. Why? Because we love them! There doesn’t have to be another reason, folks.

 

Here’s a list of the most often used. At the end I’ll tell you my favorite if you tell me yours.

 

• Best friends turned lovers
• May/December
• Secret crush
• Love triangle
• Secret baby
• Arranged marriage
• Enemies turned lovers
• Governess to wife
• Reformed rake
• Reunion or reunited lovers
• Secret love
• One character physically unattractive/disabled
• Best friends little sister

 

Actually I have three. Enemies to lovers would be number one because sparks fly in these. I love the challenges this presents to the characters. Reformed rakes are awesome - who doesn’t love the soft side of a hardass? And lastly, one character physically unattractive/disabled because these characters have amazing hidden strengths and the trials they must overcome to find love make for a fantastic story.

 

I shared mine. Now what’s your favorite?

 

 

 

Finding the Right Title

Not so very long ago, writer’s came up with a working title for their novel knowing that the publisher would likely change whatever they decided on. Those days are over for quite a few. With the advent of small presses and self-publishing, titles are more important than ever.

They are also very busy. Here are a few things a title should do:

· Identify your story

· Set the tone or mood of your work

· Attract attention

· Create interest

 How do you find the right title? Well, first off, you need to identify your market. Remember, all books don’t appeal to all people. So think about it. Mull it over. Once you’ve come up with what you feel fits, give it a rest. Let it go for a few days, or weeks. Then come back to it. Does it still resonate? When you think about it, does it still do all the things you thought it would in the beginning? Do you love it? If your answers are yes, yes, and YES! It’s time to send it out into the world.

Tell a few people that you trust about it, and ask their opinions. If one of them doesn’t care for it, but most do, you’re good to go. If they all comment on the same thing, you might want to rethink your title. I know, believe me, I know it’s easier said than done. It’s tough to encapsulate months of work into just a few words. But it’s very important. It’s what we do. And we’re going to live with it a very long time.

Do you have any tricks or tips for coming up with a great title?

The Next Big Thing

Just in case you're wondering what the next hot genre in romance publishing is going to be, my friend Piper Denna has written a great post about it. It's awesome. And perfect for a Friday. Go check it out, here's the link:

Piper Patter

Have a great weekend everyone!

Who Are These People?

Do they read? No, wait. Do they read books? No. Um, do they read analysis of book sales? As in what genre's are popular, and who is buying them? Doesn't seem like it, so why did they bother with a smarmy paragraph?

Online romance? Publisher starts e-romance imprint

Just a guess. I've probably been reading romance without embarassment longer than the author of this article has been alive.

Congrats to Avon on the new line. Really.

Do You Write Romance Novels?

I saw this today, and just had to share.

I Write Romance Novels - So What?

It's a special by author Eileen Dreyer to CNN.

Well said.

Best of luck with the historicals, Eileen!