  Romance/Love
This week: Edited by: darkin
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Welcome to the Romance/Love Newsletter. My name is darkin and I'll be your editor this week. So sit back, relax and enjoy the ride
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Descriptive Romance Writing
Romance writing is not just about romance. It is about descriptions. Physical, emotional, and setting descriptions all help your readers feel what your character is feeling. It is what makes the difference between good and great romance stories.
Using descriptions is not as hard as it sounds. It is one of the key parts to show, not tell, your story. It is also a crucial way to show romantic tension, something every agent and editor looks for when trying to find their next bestseller. In the industry it is called descriptive tags and they are everywhere.
Take any romance book off your shelf. Open it to any page and read it. I am betting that you will find many one-liners giving you some sort of description. Each one is a mental tidbit, a show not tell the author uses to draw you into their tale. These convey the character's feelings, appearance, and settings without you even knowing it.
So how do you use descriptive tags to make your romance writing better? I'm glad you asked. Here are some of the ways, along with examples of both bad, and good, descriptions.
Physical
Showing your character's physical is the first step to making them more real. Giving your reader descriptions will help them paint a "mental picture" of your story. The more your reader can do this, the more they will be drawn into the tale.
Bad: He was muscular.
Good: His muscles rippled under his shirt.
Bad: She had a pretty face.
Good: She had high, exotic cheekbones in a delicate face.
Movement
How someone moves can speak volumes about them. In romance tales this is also true. How she holds her head, how he moves his hands, those descriptions can really make a character seem life-like.
Bad: She put her head in her hands.
Good: She cradled her head in her trembling hands.
Bad: He walked toward her.
Good: His footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Vocal
Speech is probably the hardest thing to convey to your reader, at least for me. How your character sounds like can be difficult to put into words. Dialects, speech impediments, and real speech usage (such as ums and yeahs) can either help, or hurt, your romance story depending on how you use them. Use those in moderation as needed to remind your reader how your character speaks.
Bad: "Come back," she said in a harsh Southern accent.
Good: "Ya'll come back now," she screeched, "ya hear?"
Bad: "Jasmine," he whispered.
Good: "Jasmine," his hoarse whisper broke the silence.
Emotions
The life blood of romance writing, emotions are essential to any romantic story. Making your reader feel every thing your character feels is the Holy Grail for any writer.
Bad: She was so happy.
Good: Joy bubbled in her laugh and shone in her eyes.
Bad: He said angrily.
Good: His curt voice lashed at her.
Using descriptive tags is not rocket science. It is good romantic writing. Making your reader able to use all of their senses while reading will make your story the one they couldn't put down.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin
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Here are some items I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
Stories/Poems
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A girl is mistaken for a Valkyrie when she is mysteriously transported back in time.
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Contests
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Thank you for allowing me into your e-mail boxes for this week's issue. I had a wonderful time writing this issue and would love to hear what you think about it. Here is some feedback I received from my last newsletter.
darkin
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Submitted By: animatqua
Submitted Comment:
Great ideas! I have been using the `older love' slant for sometime and have had success with it.
A couple of big bug-a-boos you did not mention:
Money (coping with too little to make an expensive romantic gesture, going to great locations for romance when there's a lot), religion (especially if kids are going into a mixed marriage), troubled kids (more of a `solid, back to back' love than giddy romance), failing
health (there's a lot of opportunity for deep romance here), retirement and the new social status this brings with it, and moving out of the old homestead because it's too big (lot of room for `flash back' romantic moments here).
Anyway. Thanks for another great Newsletter. I always appreciate your work.
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Wow, I can't believe I forgot those ones! Thank you for bringing them up. They are all excellent romantic twists
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Submitted By: heartofahawk
Submitted Comment:
Great newsletter - really appreciate your topic this week. I love romance, but when you've read as many as I have, the same tired, "Boy meets girl" story gets old. I enjoy complex characters and plots, so I agree with you - "old love" can be even better than new when it comes to this genre. Thanks for all the time you put into inspiring us all.
Heart of a Hawk
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Submitted By: terryjroo
Submitted Comment:
Another terrific newsletter, Darkin! Great ideas in here about romance that isn't your typical romance novel romance! I like realistic romances that overcome the odds. Keep up the good work!!
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Submitted By: Vivian 
Submitted Comment:
Darkin, thank you for highlighting my poem "Senior Summer." You're so correct that most romance writings deal with first time, and usually young, love. I've been married over 45 years and, oh, the stories I could write from first young love to old folks still fanning the embers.
Thanks for honoring my "most romantic wedding location." ~~ Viv
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Submitted By: Stan Stanley 
Submitted Comment:
I think most romance stories are written,for need of a better discription,at start that is when you cant eat sleep do anything,only think about that person,the besotted process is all
consuming. Am I talking about romance or writing ? They both read the same.
Love after marriage how many partners actually
visit with their partners.
No I dont mean that! I mean just talk,walk do what they did in the begining. To many times there is the silence of having said it all.
I personally like the idea of the developing romance right throughout.
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Submitted By: Lexi 
Submitted Comment:
Darkin,
Thank you for featuring my poetry contest (LPC) in your NL. I thought you made some great points in your issue about the trials of romantic life. In fact, my next issue is about coping with long distance romances. I was glad you touched base on that. Also, I agree that even the speculation of a cheating mate is enough to damage the relationship. The discomfort alone is never easy to overcome.
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Romance/Love: August 15, 2007 Issue [#1892]
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