This week: Holiday Drama and Love Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Romance/Love Newsletter by Dawn
Romance and love stories include many different elements that influence the drama. The holidays are prime examples to involve family or other influences to create problems to develop a story. Consider adding a holiday to your romance and see where your characters will handle the drama. |
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The holidays are a good time for potential when it comes to writing. Whether it's family related or not, there is a good chance that one of the holidays could help inspire a story. There are even some publications that put out prompts or make requests for stories that involve a holiday such as Thanksgiving, Christmas or the typical romance that comes with Valentine's Day. This gives us the potential for options on the writing side.
When it coms to the genre of romance and love, like any story there is the challenge of creating conflict. There are some common themes like commitment issues, ex-partners getting in the way, nosy potential mother in laws and maybe a pesky ghost or two (if it's a supernatural type) that can be used, but those are just some of the options often used to create problems for the romance seeking couple. Family can be a prime element for conflict or drama any time of year, but that definitely increases for certain times of the year.
Holiday Drama
I will admit that most of my family holidays, back when I was close enough to go around to the bigger events instead of staying alone or working, I have very little experience with drama. Okay, that is just drama with an exact connection to the holidays. The craziness that comes with certain relatives is an existence all year long. But I do know there is a potential for conflict, in particular when you add the issues already at the surface with a romance story. There is the obvious potential over possible in-laws or meeting the parents for the first time, that is one good options, but don't be afraid to dip below the surface. Since I write and read a lot of stories that focus on LGBTQIA+ characters, there are ones that include family/holiday drama that aren't necessarily about just the relationship and a problem involving it but with how certain family members act to particular characters in general, whether it's the love interest or their own family member.
For this month, November, we have Thanksgiving with the big family meal and gatherings. Even though it covers a single day, unless you decide to write the whole long weekend since that is an option, there is a strong potential for drama. These stories can be very dramatic, go to the dark side, or use elements of comedy. Within those realms, you can also include romance.
Then there will be Christmas, for those looking to include possible family drama when writing a love story. These next two months, whether you're working on a novel or some shorter stories, holds a lot of potential.
All of this depends on how you are writing the romance, what struggles your characters face in coming together as a couple (or more) and if the timing in their world (fantasy worlds can have their own holidays too) can involve a particular holiday to be used as a source of drama. The status of the couple may be a factor. Then there are uncomfortable questions like if someone plans or believes in marriage. Do they want kids? Can they even have kids? Oh, the awkwardness potential is high.
One quick note about writing for holidays if there is a goal to submit for publication... Make sure to check deadlines and call times. Most publications are going to want holiday stories in advance. This means, it's not ideal to submit a story about Thanksgiving this month, or even a Christmas one unless it is listed as wanted right now. Most of the time, you will send the stories out months in advance so that the story can go through editing and everything before the holiday, instead of during or after. So, keep that in mind if you are concerned about publication. However, if you're just at the first draft stage, write any time the inspiration arises.
Does your romance story include a holiday? Does that holiday or the family involved exist as part of the cause for conflict or drama? Let's write and share so we can all read about the drama. Have fun and Happy Holidays!
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Do you use holidays in your romance stories to help with the character development or as story conflict?
Haven't had many comments lately so instead, I'm going to offer a prompt. It is for anyone who wants to take the chance to write. Bonus if you can make it work for a contest in the next couple of months.
Prompt:
Write a romance story that uses a family holiday for at least part of the conflict.
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Romance/Love: November 13, 2024 Issue [#12837]
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