The intelligent one

He instigates conversations that are intellectually stimulating, and listens to what she has to say in
response. He makes her laugh with his clever sense of humour, and has an uncanny ability to make
politics interesting. He can shoot the breeze with her for hours, and it will never get boring.
Why he is so irresistible
An intellectual connection is a big part of what sustains a relationship, and if you can show her that you've
got that, she'll be hooked pretty quickly.
The confident guy
He is totally secure and sure of himself. He is assertive in public, and gives off an aura of power and
control. In a relationship, he doesn't get jealous of other men; he doesn't feel threatened by his girlfriend's
male friends or co-workers.
Why he is so irresistible
Women are attracted to confident men. Consider this: If you think you are great, she will probably be
influenced to think the same. The confident man doesn't seek approval from women, and this makes them
want him even more.
The artistic guy
The artistic guy is spontaneous and lives for the moment. Often, he will use his creativity to woo her, such
as with a song he has written about her or a painting he has made for her.
Why he is so irresistible
Every woman wants to feel unique and special. There is no better way to make her feel this way than to
use her as your muse or your source of inspiration. She is intrigued by the artistic guy's creative mind, and
especially by the way he incorporates her into his art.
The exotic element
He comes from a faraway exotic country, and has a cute accent or a unique way of seeing the world. His
social customs, and everyday behaviour can be a little quirky, but he always manages to come off as
uniquely charming.
Why he is so irresistible
Women often choose this kind of guy if they are curious about the world, but most of the appeal comes
down to a fascination with dating someone from another culture.
The considerate guy
He holds open her car door, and pulls out her chair. He foots the bill for dinner, and makes sure to offer
her dessert. He always asks her out with reasonable notice, and picks her up at her door. He is generally
sensitive to how she is feeling, and when she is ready to go home.
Why he is so irresistible
Once a woman has gone through her share of the bad guy, the rude guy and the not-calling-her-back guy,
she will likely re-evaluate her priorities. It takes a bit of maturity on her part to realize this, but eventually
most girls come around and realize that they want a guy who will treat them well in the long run. But,
think twice before copying any of the above character types, for women can know when you are faking it.
Eternal romantic

He believes in classic romance. He is constantly bringing her flowers, chocolate and lighting candles
during dinner. He calls her often to let her know he is thinking about her, and looks into her eyes and tells
her how he feels.
Why he is so irresistible
A woman loves to feel appreciated, and the romantic guy makes this happen. He uses romantic gestures to
show her he is thinking about her. As an added bonus, she feels free to reciprocate and act on her own
romantic tendencies.
The free spirit guy (aka the Bad Boy)
The free spirit guy goes where the wind takes him, and the wind usually takes him on some kind of
whacky adventure. He might ride a motorcycle, or he might skip work to take her on a last-minute road
trip, but this guy doesn't worry too much about the consequences - he just sees where his own devices take
him.
Why he is so irresistible
Every woman wants a bit of a rebel. She loves his carefree attitude and hopes that it will rub off on her too.
The bad boy spirit adds an element of youthfulness to the relationship, and she loves to try taming him,
although she knows she'll never actually succeed.

The Urban Sophisticate

Her strengths: This woman is funny, hot, and spontaneous. When you walk into a room with her, everyone stares at you in envy.
Neil Strauss, author of the best-selling dating memoirThe Game, puts it simply, "This is the kind of girl everyone wants, and it makes
you feel awesome when you're the one who has her."
Her weaknesses: "You need enormous confidence to date a woman like this," Strauss says. "She gets off on attention, but you
can't get jealous." If you're independent, you'll dig her ambition, but make sure she wants youand not just the ego boost you
provide.
Her bedroom persona: She's uninhibited and nicely groomed. Tell her you like her on top, preferably wearing something expensive
that makes her breasts look hot.

If creating a successful romantic comedy really was as easy as plugging a couple of stars into a standard boy-meetsgirl, boy-loses- girl, boy-gets-girl structure, the market would be glutted with genuinely funny romantic comedies. But
can you remember the last truly great 'rom-com' you've seen? Only one or two in the past few years topped the box
office. And as a story analyst who sees-and rejects romantic comedy specs on a weekly basis, I can tell you that the
ones that really work are all too rare. So in the interest of helping fellow writers (and good date movie-starved
audience members everywhere), here's half a dozen key pieces of inside knowledge I'd like to share. Follow these
leads, and studios won't be so quick to 'pass' on your project.
~~ WRITE THE CHEMISTRY
We go into a romantic comedy already knowing that our leads are going to meet, lose and, ultimately, get each other.
So creating two unique characters an audience will fall in love with and NEED to see united is the most important key
to such a movie's success. All great characters have purpose and credibility, are empathic and complex. But romantic
comedy leads have additional requirements. They're emotionally incomplete people who get completed by their mateto-be. One (if not both) of your protagonists should have an inner conflict that the story's romantic relationship
confronts and ultimately resolves. The 'chemical equation' in 'Moonstruck' makes sense: Loretta, a woman lacking
passion in her life, combusts with Ronnie, an operatic Mr. Passion. Creating such 3D leads with interlocking needs is
how chemistry happens in a romantic comedy, and it's got to be on the page first, if you want to attract stars who can
get a movie made. What do you think Meg Ryan's looking for in a role, a Meg Ryan type? No, she's looking for a
wonderfully written, never-seen-before part played opposite the kind of suitably significant leading man that'll catch a
Hugh Grant's eye. So whether your couple be made up of opposites or two sides of one coin, write compelling
characters -- who believably belong together.

~~ EXPAND YOUR GENRE

What most people think of when they hear 'romantic comedy' is a man and a woman trading witty barbs across a
restaurant table. But this kind of typical talking-heads fare is far from all our genre can be. In fact, some of the most
successful romantic comedies are hybrids -- movies that have expanded their audience by cross-breeding with other
genres. Romantic comedies can be action-adventures ('Romancing the Stone'), gender-benders ('Tootsie'), sports
comedies ('Tin Cup'), ghost stories ('Truly, Madly, Deeply'), political ('The American President'), satirical ('L.A. Story'),
period pieces ('Shakespeare In Love'), crime stories ('The Mexican'), teen movies ('Clueless') and more. This kind of
cross-genre inter-breeding has kept our genre healthy for decades, and it's something to think about as you shape
your romantic comedy with an eye towards the marketplace. You may already be edging into another genre's territory
in your story. If so, maximize that element and plunder all it has to offer. Studios are more likely to be intrigued by a
romantic comedy that also promises the kind of big screen action that a crime, adventure, sports, etc. movie provides.
~~ AN ACTION'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
And while we're on the subject of holding the big screen, consider making your romantic comedy a MOVIE, as
opposed to a stillie. Great movies move -- and romantic comedy duds talk themselves to death. I know that many of
us lovers of the form are drawn to it precisely because it's often about wonderfully pithy, sharp, delicious repartee. But
too much talk can be the difference between a pass (because what you've written is more like a play or a TV show)
and a green light-because your romantic comedy can really pull people into a multiplex.
How active is your script? How visually exciting? While you may not have the mudslides, wild chases and fireworks
'Romancing the Stone' delivered, you may have a set, a setting, world or a physical comedy opportunity that will open
up and enliven your movie. Even the verbal-witty 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' featured a Scottish reel in colorful
kilts. 'Annie Hall' is packed with sight gags, from the cocaine sneeze to the errant lobsters. Make sure your script
makes use of all the cinematic storytelling techniques a good movie- movie uses.
~~ TWEAK THE FORMULA
Yes, there is a predictable paradigm for plotting that most successful romantic comedies employ (you can see it in
hundreds of movies, and analyzed in my book). But that's all the more reason for you to be exceptionally clever,
imaginative and ingenious about your romantic comedy's story concept and execution. Four movies from the past
decade that were truly memorable made their mark by putting a spin on the standard construct. There was 'boy
doesn't meet girl until the last five minutes of the movie' ('Sleepless in Seattle'), 'boy meets girl after they're both dead'
('Defending Your Life'), 'boy only meets girl in and around weddings (and a funeral)' ('Four Weddings') and 'boy meets
girl, boy loses girl, boy loses girl, boy loses girl, ad infinitum, until he finally gets it right' ('Groundhog Day'). Try to
come up with a concept that will enable your rom-com to stand out from the crowd. Failing that, a hook in the
execution can make the difference. 'Bridget Jones's Diary' has the diary to hang its story on; 'High Fidelity' uses
breaking-the-fourth-wall conversations with the audience. Take a bold leap and find your tweak. It may make all the
difference.
~~ ROMANTIC MEANS SEXY AND COMEDY MEANS FUNNY
Everybody remembers the 'fake orgasm in the deli' scene from 'When Harry Met Sally.' But can you remember any
similar scene from a romantic comedy in the dozen years since that was just as raunchy and hilarious? Not many
come to mind, which may be why some recent rom-coms that HAVE pushed the erotic envelope have really scored
with their audiences. The zipper scene from 'There's Something About Mary,' the dress straps 'Jerry Maguire' breaks,
'American Pie's pie -- successes like these show that the humor to be found in sexual situations is well worth
pursuing. So mine that humor. Activate intimacy -- which is what truly erotic and funny encounters are about: people
being vulnerably, painfully exposed, whether it's literally, metaphorically or both. At the same time, don't forget that
any comedy should provide at least a couple of truly funny set- pieces. Has your romantic conflict gotten so serious
that the script is light on laughs? Find the humor in it and maximize. Steep your characters in painful, truth-baring
situations, and look for gags to build bigger gags on. Smiles and chuckles don't sell a script. 'Ha- ha!' laughs-out-loud
do.
~~ MAKE IT BE ABOUT SOMETHING
He's a this, and she's a that, and high jinks ensue isn't enough. At the core of any great romantic comedy is some
kind of thematic idea grounded in the writer's personal point of view. Why are you writing this particular story about
this specific couple? What about their story reflects some insight you have about the relations between men and
women or the human condition? What question are you asking that your screenplay's story development answers?
Highfalutin' as it may sound, the romantic comedies that endure -- and strike a real chord with their audiences -- are
the ones that explore universal issues. 'When Harry...' is about whether men and women can overcome gender
differences. 'Tootsie' is about how no man (especially when he becomes a woman) is an island. 'Annie Hall,' with Alvy
'I don't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member' Singer and 'I have no idea what club I could ever

belong to' Annie is about self-esteem issues. Your romantic comedy should be posing a question, or poking at a truth,
that you, the writer, are passionately invested in exploring. That's the real key to involving an audience, and no
amount of cute one-liners can take its place. So have your movie MEAN something. It will help it to get made -- and
to matter.

Reversing Star-Crossed Lovers

Writers can reverse the theme of "Romeo and Juliet" to create a different kind of romance.
Instead of the families fighting, the romantic interests could dislike each other intensely. The
story could involve them being forced together so that they have to get to know one another and
falling in love despite having fought for so long.
For example, perhaps two feuding families decide to end the feud with a marriage by marrying
one family's most eligible daughter to the other family's most eligible son. The married couple
does not agree with the peace between the families and does nothing but fight at first. One
complication would be if the two people have never met before, as in an arranged marriage.
Eventually the conflict between the husband and wife is resolved as they fall in love. Perhaps the
woman becomes pregnant or one of them gets seriously injured. Perhaps the marriage doesn't
resolve the families' feud after all, but despite that the husband and wife resolve their differences.

Magical Complications

Magic often makes stories more interesting, especially when it comes with rules and riddles. One
such approach to a romance could be for the couple to have unusual beginnings. Possibly they
are two different species or one is secretly magical and involves the other partner in a magical
adventure. Perhaps the two have to surmount obstacles such as solving riddles that end in curses
or death for the wrong answer or finding magical items that will help them change their physical
form or gain release from a curse. The partners fall in love thanks to shared adversity.
A story could begin with a young man with a pet cat that routinely scares away his potential
romantic partners with her wild and vicious behavior. She is, however, very loving and sweet
toward her owner. The writer should work into the story, subtly, that the cat disappears at certain
times---perhaps the hour of sunset, perhaps during the full, half or new moon or maybe when a
certain constellation is in the sky. In any case, the owner should discover that his cat is a human
in cat form and begin a journey to turn her human again. By the end of the story the couple
should be quite in love, though the young man will feel reluctant to admit it. The ending is up to
the writer; love can turn her human or something else may. The ending may also be sad with the
woman remaining a cat.

Oblivious Lovers

This type of romance involves two people in love who fail to recognize it throughout the story.
Their friends and family may see it, even complete strangers may see it, but the two protagonists
simply remain oblivious. Complications can be introduced, such as a woman moving far away or
disappearing mysteriously. In the midst of searching for her, her friend could finally realize the
intensity of his affections. Possibly the woman is seriously ill or has experienced trauma. Perhaps
her circumstances have led to pregnancy or a marriage that precludes a full romantic relationship
with the man. While most romances end happily, that needn't always be the case.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/list_6455636_ideas-writing-romantic-stories.html

Writing Romantic Comedy

2001 Anne Gracie

So, you want to write a romantic comedy. The same rules apply to romantic comedy as with
any romance. First and foremost you are writing a romance. You want your readers to
identify with your heroine and fall in love with your hero. Your hero and heroine must be
drawn irresistibly together by powerful forces of attraction and kept convincingly apart by
some sort of barrier(s), whether internal, external or both. Your hero and heroine must be
convincingly motivated to do what they do. But it must also be funny.
So, what makes people laugh?
Surprise
We often laugh when we expect one thing and get another. Mernitt refers to the comic
reversal of how we expect to see things -- e.g. Sophisticated people behaving in silly ways.
(Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace) . Masculine people behaving in a feminine way (e.g.
Tootsie) or vice versa (Private Benjamin). Private matters become public ) Who can forget
the faked orgasm in the deli scene in When Harry Met Sally?)
Displacement of fear
Humor often plays on people's fears. The closer to the bone the joke is, the harder we
laugh. Because it's not us -- it's someone else. It makes the frightening familiar.
Recognition of the human condition
We laugh when we recognize something that's true. It's the "aha!" moment. Stand-up
comedians make their living pointing out the foibles of human behavior. They make it funny
by pointing it out in a way that we haven't noticed before. It's the element of truth
presented in a fresh, surprising way that makes it funny.
Truth exaggerated
Comedy is like seeing ourselves or others in one of those fairground distorting mirrors. The

images are recognizably ourselves, but exaggerated in some way. Comic figures are often
over-the-top caricatures of human beings.
A comic world created
A comic world must be created, where the usual logic of how we live may be partially
abandoned, but which has its own internal logic that we can accept. E.g. The Road runner,
with the coyote who never dies. Hamish Macbeth (the TV series), with a whole cast of
interacting characters.
Why does comedy go so well with romance?
Comedy is most effective when common, everyday themes are given an obscure twist,
which helps us to see comedic events in our lives that we normally would not recognize.
Romantic comedy is not about laughing at other people, it is about laughing at ourselves.
Falling in love is a huge challenge, because if it does not go smoothly (and no romantic
comedy will go smoothly) it challenges all we like to believe about ourselves. And this is a
positive mine of comedy material because we ALL do silly things when we are falling in love.
We do ridiculous things to impress (or even attract the attention of) the object of our desire.
Serious, sensible, intelligent women are appalled to find themselves giggling shrilly at some
completely inane joke uttered by you-know-who. Women who have memorized every diet
known to womankind suddenly toss logic out the window and try -- SERIOUSLY -- to lose 20
pounds in a weekend! Strong, in-control, masterful men become dithery heaps of indecision
when love slams into them -- and don't we LOVE to watch them floundering as they try to
cope with the complete upset of their previously neat, well controlled little world!
Situation comedy
We all know the situation comedy from the TV guides, a comedy where much of the humor
arises from the ridiculous, embarrassing or plain silly situation people are stuck in.
Typical situation comedy sources:
The fish out of water - e.g. the city girl in the country, the cowboy in the city, the
technophobe inherits a computer company * the odd couple -- the millionaire and
Cinderella, the computer whizz and cowboy, the peace activist and the soldier, the criminal
and the cop.
The "impossible ask" situations - the lingerie buyer who has to bring in a bail jumper
(Stephanie Plum), the chorus girl who has to coach a football team, the pampered socialite
who must joins the army: these are all modern day versions of "slaying the dragon".
But in my opinion, a funny situation is not enough. The best comedy comes out of the
interplay between characters and situation.
Characters in Romantic Comedy
Character is the key to any story, whether a psychological suspense, a dramatic romance or
a romantic comedy. In romantic comedy, the characters must be just as convincing, just as
real, even if they are comic creations and a little bit over the top.

Your readers must care about your characters.

Motivation is the key to good characterization.
The other thing to remember is that quite often comedy does not come from characters
"being comical". The characters are not always in on the joke.
Your heroine: She needs to have a goal we can sympathize with or understand. She needs
to be likable -- your readers should be able to empathize with her. She needs to be credible
and believable. She needs to be complex. Typically a romantic comedy heroine is
independent, perhaps a little unconventional, can be quite decided in manner, often fairly
sure of herself. She can't be too vulnerable and helpless, or the comedy might become
uncomfortable. Remember, your characters will probably go through quite a bit of "torture
by love", so they need to be able to take it.
Your hero: The most important thing is that he must be the sort of man your readers can
really fall for, though he need not start out being instantly appealing to the heroine. He also
needs to be credible, believable and complex. He should have a goal we can sympathize
with. Never forget that you want your heroine and your readers to fall in love with this man
-- so if you make him look ridiculous or stupid, readers will either be made uncomfortable or
be turned off. Romantic humor can be smart, funny, sassy and over the top -- but never
cruel.
Both hero and heroine should have a sense of humor, though they may not see their own
actions in as humorous a light as your readers will. Both hero and heroine should be flawed.
Flaws make a hero or heroine more realistic and also appealing to readers. Flaws can also a
good source of both conflict and comedy. Even if they are opposites your hero and heroine
will have interlocking needs which will become increasingly apparent to the readers. You
need to convince your readers that these two people are the only possible romantic choice
for each other, no matter how different they appear to be. Each completes the other.
The Comic Voice
Your unique voice is the key to selling your writing, and a unique comedy voice is crucial to
success in writing romantic comedy.
How do you know if you have a comic voice? You probably have a good comic voice if you:
a) write letters, postcards or emails which other people (but not your mother) tell you are
entertaining and funny
b) can successfully entertain friends with funny stories about what happened at the office,
for example. We can all tell jokes, but not necessarily well. (On the other hand, the ability
to tell jokes aloud is not a sure guide to a successful writing voice.)
Comic devices
You can use a variety of these devices in your ms, depending on the style of comedy you
adopt. I find this list useful for brainstorming sometimes, but it is in no particular order. And
many of them will overlap -- e.g. you might have a running gag, which is part of a
character's internal monologue and which uses absurdity and exaggeration. The best
comedy fuses all sorts of devices seamlessly.

a) the element of surprise. Surprise is the key to good comedy writing. Surprises which
really amaze the readers but which make sense in retrospect (i.e. are still believable) will
add zing to your writing. At any particular point, try to anticipate what your readers want or
expect, and then try to subvert it. However avoid the use of cheap tricks (like extreme
coincidences) or your readers will feel manipulated instead of delighted.
b) The running gag. This is a recurring theme or motif, which gains significance and /or
humor as the novel progresses. It may become a shorthand symbolic reference, which
speaks to the readers. For instance in my book How the Sheriff was Won, I use doughnuts
as a running gag.
c) Puns, plays on words, repetitions. Part of creating your particular world of romantic
comedy can come from the repeated use of particular words or phrases . However,
repetition should also be considered carefully. It's a fine line between amusing repetition
and repetitive dreariness. Puns and plays on words should also be used sparingly.
d) slapstick antics. Again, these should be used sparingly, as most slapstick is visual and
this is harder to create on paper. However the judicious use of some elements of slapstick
can be quite effective, particularly if they come as a surprise to the reader. Slapstick can
also be effectively combined and sometimes heightened by combining it with internal
monologue, using point of view to give it a particular slant. For instance, the dinner party
scene in Jennifer Crusie's Strange Bedpersons degenerates completely into farce and ends
with a slapstick moment involving the mother-in-law's shoes. The action came as a
complete surprise, yet in retrospect, all the signs were there, so it didn't come as a cheap
trick, but a splendidly hilarious moment. (If you haven't read Jennifer Crusie's early
romantic comedies, then do so -- they're wonderful.)
d) misunderstandings of all sorts, including eavesdropping. These are very useful devices
and have been used for centuries. Men and women often interpret the same things in quite
different ways, and so the field of misunderstandings is very fertile for romantic comedy.
However IMO it's better to concentrate on small misunderstandings and differences of
interpretation than use a basic misunderstanding as the main source of conflict for your
plot. It's very irritating to have a hero and heroine floundering and flouncing around for 150
pages when a simple question back in chapter 1 would have put the situation right.
e) absurdity and exaggeration. Most life situations are absurd when looked at in the right
way. And exaggeration is the tried and true method for heightening the absurd effect.
Again, the trick lies in pushing the exaggeration to an extreme which is funny and yet still
recognizably "true". Fawlty Towers does this. We don't actually know anyone exactly like
Basil Fawlty, but he's enough like bits of people we know for us to find him believeable and
hilarious. But if he was much more over-the-top, we could easily be turned off and find him
boring.
It's a matter of taste, but I never bought the way that some gorgeous woman always fell for
a Jerry Lewis character -- he was just too over the top to believe in. He was too busy "being
funny" to be real enough for me.
f) witty repartee and snappy dialogue. Witty repartee and snappy dialogue is a joy to read
and listen to and extremely difficult to write. The best thing to do is to read it aloud.
Workshop it, if you have a good person to bounce ideas off. But unless you really have a gift
for witty repartee, use it sparingly. It's better to have a few really witty lines than a lot of
attempts to be clever which don't quite make it. Don't forget, your characters don't have to

be funny by spouting clever one-liners all the time. Often characters who are deadly earnest
and who take themselves seriously are the funniest.
g) black comedy. Black comedy (i.e. comedy based on really dark subjects, like death, or
tragic situations) can be used in romantic comedy, but it's risky. Black comedy generally
makes us laugh because it cuts so close to the bone -- it's a whisper away from tragedy and
we laugh to dispel anxiety or in relief. Romantic comedy is feel-good fantasy. For instance,
in my Duets How the Sheriff was Won there is a bus crash. It was originally a little dramatic
because I like the contrast of drama and comedy, light and shade -- I like to pull the rug out
from under, so to speak. But my editor wanted me to cut the scene because she thought a
dark scene was out of place in a Duets comedy. I wanted to keep the scene, because it was
leading up to... (I'm not gonna say what!)... so...I lightened it, so I was able to keep some
of the drama but not the darkness.
h) internal dialogue / monologue. This is an excellent source of comedy for a romance
novel. It's the perfect way to highlight the inconsistencies and contradictions of human
beings. We say one thing, we mean another. We do one thing, we think another. We often
having a running commentary going in our heads that is utterly opposite to the impression
we are giving -- or trying to give.
I) the comic twist. A fairly ordinary scene can be given a comic twist by something quite
small, for example something which might make a character self-conscious, which will move
the emphasis away from the main action onto something funny. Mernitt relates an instance
where a scene in Murphy Brown was livened up by having her sidekick Miles have a goofy
new hairstyle. His self-consciousness of it as he waits for her to comment on it lifted a fairly
ordinary scene into a funny one
j) using a character's frame of reference. All characters bring with them a set of
experiences, expectations, assumptions about the world. You can often exploit these to
bring out humor E.g. the character who is a chef, who will see most things, including
romance, in terms of food. And often, the gap between different characters' expectations
will add to the comedy potential of your story.
k) minor characters. Your cast of minor characters is incredibly useful for a romantic
comedy. While you should remember that you are writing a romance, and therefore the
main focus should be on your hero and heroine, minor characters can be wonderful to add
atmosphere, to provide a foil for the hero or heroine, to provide commentary outside the
hero or heroine's point of view and as very useful plot devices. Not to mention a splendid
source of comedy. The minor characters also help to create the special world of your
romantic comedy. What would Seachange be without Bob Jelly, or some of the other minor
characters? (Seachange is a very funny Australian TV show). A good comparison is the
wheeling-dealing Brian Quigley from Ballykissangel.
The Market for Romantic Comedy
There is a growing market for romantic comedy, whether it's in category romance or in
single title. There is also mainstream semi-romantic comedy, like Briget Jones's Diary and
others. The main category market is, of course, Harlequin Duets, and because it's a fairly
new line, there are still real opportunities for new writers. I talked to Birgit Davis-Todd
(senior editor of Harlequin Duets) in New Orleans and when I told her I was doing this talk
she said the 2 most important things to tell your audience is that the way to catch an
editor's eye is through Comic Premise and Comic Voice I've already talked about comic

voice. Show your comic voice in the way you do your synopsis. Or maybewith the headline - Holly Jacob's I Waxed My Legs for This? or Jackie D'Allesandro's Naked in New England. A
catchy title has "pick-upability" and shows you have a way with words.
Comic premise
A comic premise is about presenting the high concept -- the story in a few sentences -which give your audience your novel in a nutshell. It must appeal to an editor's funny bone
if she is to want to know more. Encapsulate the conflict in the novel -- but show its comic
potential eg. This is my comic premise for my Duets book, How the Sheriff was Won:
Big city journalist comes to small town to run the local paper. She decides to while away her
year in the sticks by having a fling with the local sheriff. But he doesn't want to play. So
how does she get his attention? By publishing provocative personal headlines about him.
An editor can immediately see the comic potential -- the fish out of water (eg Big city
journalist comes to small town), the conflict -- she wants a fling, he doesn't; the madcap
element ( publishing provocative personal headlines about him.) and even a little alliteration
to show a touch of comic voice (all the p's). If you can make the editor smile or even
chuckle with your query letter or synopsis, then you're half way there. You will certainly get
your partial requested.
As well as the comedy elements, don't forget all the usual best-selling romance concepts -the convenient marriage, the cowboy, sheriff, or mounty, the secret baby -- they are all
there in the romantic comedies, but with a comic twist. The best advice I can give is read
widely in the genre until you find publishers who are publishing books along the lines of
what you want to write and submit there.
But whatever you do, you must ENJOY writing your story, because if you have fun writing it,
then chances are, your reader will also have fun reading it.

Coming up with new story ideas is important to any fiction writer. Many writers no
shortage of ideas for stories -- their problem is coping with having too many ideas. If
you're like most writers, you probably have notebooks or computer files swarming
with ideas. Yet sometimes, you reach that point where none of the stories in those
swarms are right for you. Here are ten steps to help you generate new story ideas.
Even if you don't wind up writing stories this way, you will still have fun!
1) Observe Everything Around You
You can get ideas from everywhere. Some writers love listening in on conversations
in restaurants to harvest story ideas. Others prefer to get ideas from "people watching"
at the mall. If you see someone interesting, ask yourself how that person would react
in a different environment or with a different person.
Try flipping through magazines and looking at pictures. Other good visual sources
include photography and art books. Don't just use pictures, either. Keep your eyes

open when you watch TV -- figuratively as well as literally. Keep an ear open when
listening to the radio, too, because story ideas can come up in song lyrics, news briefs,
talk shows, and even ads. If I can write a depressing science fiction story inspired by
Barry Manilow's cheerful song "Sunshine," then anything is possible!
2) Subvert clichs You Don't Like
Is there a romance novel clich or plot twist you have gotten really sick of? Then
maybe you can use to generate a story idea. Story ideas created this way have the
advantage of being both fresh and yet familiar at the same time. They also give you
the satisfaction of turning an annoying clich on its head.
For example, maybe you are tired of all those evil mother-in-law plots in romance
novels. How many ways could you twist that plot around. Maybe the heroine is the
mother-in-law, and she finds herself in conflict with her son's new wife, who thinks
she is out to get her. Or you could subvert this plot by delving more deeply into it -instead of using the mother-in-law as a stereotyped impediment, make her a real
person who has real concerns about the marriage.
Here's another one. Sick of romances where the big city heroine moves to a small
town, meets a hero who scoffs at her city ways, and eventually decides she loves
small town life? Maybe the romance world is ready for a romance novel about a hero
who is forced to move to the city after living in a small town for years.
3) Play Around with Careers
Many romance plot conflicts stem from the careers of the hero and heroine. For
example, look at the number of romances where an undercover cop hero is forced to
snoop heroine. Or romances where the hero and heroine end up fighting because he
has a dangerous job.
Think of possible careers for your characters -- and then think of plots that can stem
from those careers. You can find a lot of ideas this way, just by asking yourself who
might have a dispute with someone in that profession. Is your heroine a lawyer?
Maybe the hero is a cop who distrusts all lawyers. Is your hero a reporter? Maybe
your heroine is a reclusive celebrity who hates reporters because she was betrayed by
a tabloid reporter years ago. Working from the seed of a career, you can also start to
come up with ideas for your secondary characters.
This works even if the hero and heroine are in the same profession. As many of us
know from experience, just because you share a profession with someone, that doesn't
meant you will get along with them. Let's make the hero and heroine both executives,

even in the same company. They could end up opposing each other on a business deal.
Or maybe they are both reporters for the same daily newspaper. Imagine the
possibilities if they disagree on how an important story should be covered.
4) Find the Conflict
Conflict is essential to good stories. So if you already have a general idea about who
your hero and heroine are going to be, then you can build your plot by finding the
potential conflicts they will face. Look for conflicts involving their families, their
careers, their friends, even where they prefer to live. Do you want to write about a
heroine who is a struggling single mother? Then the hero could be a grumpy neighbor
who gets upset because her kids break his window playing baseball; a school official
who has been fed lies by her angry ex-husband; a concerned social worker... Do you
have a hankering to write a ranching story? Then the plot can revolve around the hero
and heroine fighting over water rights.
5) Play with Titles
In his book "Writing Popular Fiction, Dean Koontz described how, in is early career,
he generated an SF story by creating lists of titles. He eventually hit on his
combination by combining contrasting terms -- such as "soft" and "dragon. "
You can do this, too. Write down evocative words and put them in different orders.
Eons ago, while under the heavy influence of Rebecca, I decided to write a Gothic
short story. So I created a list of "Gothic novel" titles. From one of them, "The
Banshee Cries at Mournbridge," I knew what my story was going to be. It was about a
newly married heroine, still unsure of herself in the mansion she now calls home, who
hears a horrible noise.
Another trick is looking at random titles on the bookstore shelf, preferably in another
genre, and then trying to imagine a plot that could apply to in romance. When you do
this, avoid thinking of what the books with those titles are really about. Try to look at
those titles in a new light. For example, children's and young adult fiction is full of
evocative titles, such as "A Light in the Forest." What would a romance with that title
be about? A historical novel about Robin Hood? Or maybe a contemporary novel
about park rangers trying to a missing child.
By the way, you don't have to use the title you create for your story. By the time you
write the story, it might no longer fit. It might be too long or too awkward. Or even
silly -- like "The Banshee Cries at Mournbridge"! The important thing is generating
the idea, so don't worry about whether your titles are good.

6) Look in the Newspaper

This technique is an old classic, and it works for writers in many genres. Look at the
stories in your local paper with new eyes. Don't just look at the major stories -- for
one thing, chances are that someone else might be writing a story based on the same
article. Look all throughout the newspaper. The local stories are a great source of
fresh ideas. Advice columns are also a good source of ideas. (I came up with possible
story ideas after reading a collection of the best of Ann Landers.) Even jokes and
crossword puzzles will lead you to story ideas.
7) Play "What If" Games
Science fiction writers are famous for asking "What if?..." But "what if" is a powerful
tool for novelists in any genre. This is also a great tool to use once you start building
an idea for your novel.
Once you have a general idea of your plot, give it the "what if" treatment. OK, your
heroine is a waitress. What if she overhears someone plotting a crime? What if she
spills a soda on a famous actor? What if she is really a missing heiress who decided to
find out if she can make it on her own?
It's important that you don't stop after you've come up with the obvious ideas. Some
writers even recommend tossing out those ideas because they're too obvious and then
asking "what if" again and again to get the less obvious ideas.
8) Combine Ideas
Generating ideas can be frustrating. Even if you generate many ideas, most will lead
nowhere. Some will simply be "broken." Don't despair, though. A lot of ideas that
don't work right aren't broken -- they simply haven't met their "mate" yet. One idea is
a good thing -- even if that idea goes nowhere, at least you were able to think of it.
But combining two or more ideas can be a wonderful thing. Sometimes, you'll end up
with an idea that wasn't meant to be more than just a stalled plot until it meets the idea
that was meant to be its catalyst.
Here's a lengthy example from my own experience. After reading a lot of fantasy
novels, I started to get sick of the number of stories in which muscular heroic
barbarians mocked frail mages. For a while, I struggled to write a fantasy story about
a kind and gentle mage (a type of wizard) and his barbaric friend, who turned out to
be not-so-heroic. (This was definitely a case of Subverting a clich I Didn't Like). I
tried several beginnings, but they went nowhere, so I put it aside. Some time later, I
tried to write a story about a prison where mages were forced to search for dangerous

magical artifacts in an ancient city, and a barbarian who was imprisoned there for
killing a mage. That idea ended up in "story limbo" as well. Then, somehow, the two
separate ideas merged. By the time I was done, both the barbarian and the mage were
heroic, the barbarian was no longer mocking, the mage wasn't always kind and gentle,
and I had a novel of than 100,000 words. So combining ideas can be a powerful tool.
9) Use Reference Sources
Try opening a dictionary at random, picking a random word -- or any term that
catches your eye-- and then doing so again. Put the words you find together. See if
they give you any inspiration. You can do this with any reference book, from
dictionaries and thesauruses to encyclopedias and even atlases. Writing workshops
such as Clarion have used similar exercises -- Vonda McIntyre's Of Sand and Mist
and Grass is a well-known example of a story that originated from a workshop
exercise involving random words.
Even your word processor's spell check can find story ideas for you. When I was at
my first job, I often spell checked resumes filled with scientific terms and acronyms.
We used WordPefect 5.1, and the spell check often came up with bizarre, archaic
suggestions for these terms. Sometimes, I wrote these words down so that I could get
story ideas from them. Seeing odd terms in juxtaposition often gave me ideas for
stories
10) Look on the Web for Inspiration
If you're trying to think of story ideas, then considering going on-line to find story
sparks. Just like regular newspapers, on-line newspapers can be a source of story
ideas. Also, the on-line papers have other advantages. By using the Net, you can read
papers from all over the world for free, and you can find stories on random topics just
by clicking around.
Also, some writers create ideas from on-line newspaper by looking at all the latest
headlines and trying to figure out ways to combine them into a story. Try using
random link generators to find stuff you never knew existed on the web. Find several
links and see if you can find some way to combine one or more of them into a story. A
good place to start is Mangle. Mangle's site includes a useful page of other random
link generators. For example, if you respond better to visual images, try Webcollage,
which creates a collage of random images from websites all over the world.
(Webcollage won't work on all browsers.)
There even are web sites that exist solely to help writers come up with ideas. One is
the AOW Story Starter. This generates a character, a basic idea, and even a symbol

and a theme. You don't have to use all the ideas generated, but you can use them as
springboards to your story. For quick plot lines, try the Random Logline Generator.
You can even adjust the possible plots by inserting the characters you want. Just for
fun, there is also a Romance Novel Generator at familygames.com (see below).
Another is the They Fight Crime web site. This site generates rather strange ideas,
such as "He's a fiendish guitar-strumming dog-catcher with nothing left to lose. She's
a time-traveling Bolivian angel trying to make a difference in a man's world. They
fight crime!" You can also play with all sorts of random generators at leon's Random
Generators page. Sure, you will probably never use that random band name or random
song lyrics in your romance novel. But you never know what will help find
inspiration. Besides, these sites are fun to use!