Romance Through the Ages

Romance isn't the genre for everyone, but for those it appeals to, we love it! What's better than that first sight of a potential love, that first kiss, or a happily ever after? And that's part of the reason romances are so successful and endure the ages. From Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to some of the contemporary romance authors of our time (some of my personal favorites, too) like Denise Hunter and Jenny B. Jones, these writers and their books follow a bit of a formula--a successful way of presenting a love story to a reader that fulfills what they're looking for.

The Connection

This is the moment the hero and heroine get their first sight of each other. It's either the first time they've seen each other at all, the first time their interaction is introduced to the reader, or a reunion of a hero and heroine who knew each other from the past somehow. Either way, it's that first moment the reader is waiting for. When the two people we root for to find love with each other and land on the page together. Sometimes there is breathlessness, sometimes there is a funny quip or humorous interaction like in Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, but no matter how it plays out, it's clear the hero and heroine feel something for each other and will be meeting again.

Physical Interaction

This can be anything from the touch of a hand or arm, to a hug or kiss. This is the moment the hero and heroine move into a new stage of their relationship. Where it's taken to another level and made clear that they are falling in love. The moment Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy touch is just as powerful as contemporary stories that express interaction with a passionate kiss. The story builds toward this moment and readers expect it.

The Conflict

Ahh...well, of course we want the characters to fall in love and live happily ever after but we don't want it to come easy. Where's the fun in that? No, we want to see the characters grow and change, to struggle and overcome. So there's conflict, something that keeps the characters apart--Denise Hunter is a master at this. These conflicts consume the characters and make it believable that to them, they truly cannot be together. Whether it's an internal, external, or spiritual conflict, or all three, we expect as romance readers that there will be something to keep the hero and heroine from expressing their love or making it to that happy ending.

The Resolution & Happily Ever After

And just as surely as we know the characters will be pulled or pushed apart, we know they will come back together. There will be a reconciliation and a happily ever after. Sometimes this is a kiss, an apology, a declaration of love or a marriage proposal, but no matter which, it's the ahhh or awww moment of the book. The point we've been waiting for that all is well and the hero and heroine will be able to move forward with the love and life we've been rooting for.

If you haven't read any of the authors above, I recommend it. But you know from the last several posts we've had here on The Writer's Alley that most of us are fans of these authors and they're excellent writers. So, if you read romance or have read a romance, what do you think? Has this genre endured the ages because it follows a certain kind of formula? When you pick up a romance novel, do you expect these aspects to be present in a story or would you rather see something different?