This week: Romance in a Flash Edited by: Dawn Embers  
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Romance Newsletter by Dawn
Some focus on romances that last a lifetime, or a novel's worth, there are others that go for something quick. This can either be that the story only covers a certain amount of time, there is a limit on how long the characters can be together, or just that the story can't exceed a certain number of words. |
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While some focus on romances that last a lifetime, or a novel's worth, there are other times when you may need to be quick. Sure, we like to think often about the forever romance and for the happy ever after quota of some readers there is that goal of things working out so the characters get to be together in the forever world of the story. However, at times there is a reason to cut things off or go for something shorter. This can be done in a couple of different ways so today let's look at some quick romance options: the romance that has a time limit and the story that has a word limit.
The Short Time Frame
Now, I tend to write novels but even in some of them am considering giving the characters a shorter time frame for their romance because well, not every story needs to cover the entire life span of a character. Okay, most stories don't need to do that. However, in life romance can take many years but often times, you want to write about a certain section of time. In the case of the recent movie, The Sun is a Star, the time frame for the young character's romance is very short. So, short is an option. There are stories where the character can experience the love and conflict in a day, week, month or year, whatever qualifies as a quick romance in their world.
The downside does link a little to reader expectations and the happy ever after preference. On the other hand, the conflict and romance the characters experience still might be enough and well, we can' please every single reader. While many like to know the characters will get their together romantic ending, not every reader expects that with every story. Plus, the setting, world and characters plus the conflict can set things up if they need to have a shorter time frame. There are a few known short romance situations that can be put into story form. Young love, puppy love, is known as tending to be on the quick side as youth still are learning and as people grow there is change involved. Another is situational: camp romance, summer romance, vacation fling, etc. There are just some situations that lend to having a flash with someone before leaving the situation and possibly not being able to stay with the person. Many options for how to create a short time frame for a romance story exist out there.
Quick Word Count
Now, this is the one we face more here on the site because contests have certain word count limits and honestly, readers tend to pick the smaller static items compared to really long or novel length options. Short can be a little relative since for some 5,000 words is quite the short story while others prefer to focus on flash and micro fiction. It's not uncommon for the word count goals to be 1,000 words or less. This does limit what you can do and how much of the romance you can show a reader. Words have to be chosen with some care, a conflict should come up and there might even be room for a little bit of character development. On the plus side, with this genre you don't need a cast of 10 characters to tell the story, it can be done with just the focus on the main character and who they fall in love with or maybe a couple more thrown in when the word count and story allow.
The limit does sometimes give the feeling like the story isn't complete. And readers are considering factors like if the characters and their romance can last beyond the words on the page. So, it's not necessarily a bad thing if the story isn't "finished" in some ways, at least for items here on the site. Submitting for publication of a short story might be a little different. And some time the comments may mention that it didn't feel complete, but that's okay too. Don't be afraid to write a scene and check out contests with the word limit rules. There are people hoping to get entries so they have something to read and support. Even if it's just for a quickie (flash fiction story).
The romance might be quick but the impression one character or one story might leave can include a more lasting impact. Check out a prompt, consider a character or a scene, and write that quick romance.
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Is your romance a quick one? What is your preferred word count for a romance story?
Last time, back in May, I wrote a newsletter about the question of when to call it a relationship. Here is a comment sent in from that topic:
Comment by Osirantinous 
Great newsletter, Dawn; made me think hard because I'm pretty sure my characters very rarely say 'relationship' or even think of it as a tangible thing. The couples just ARE. I have a feeling that some don't want to acknowledge it so openly because they're afraid it'll be a deathknell to the relationship! I think this could be another thing I could question my characters about: what does 'relationship' mean to you?
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Romance/Love: June 26, 2019 Issue [#9619]
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