What Not to Do When Writing Conflict: Writing a Romance Novel

Are you thinking of writing a romance novel or in the planning stages of writing one? Learn what conflict is and how to use it in your romance novel. Today's tip of the day comes from On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels.

What Is Conflict?

Conflict is the difficulty between the hero and heroine that threatens to keep
them from getting together. What causes the hero and heroine to be at odds with each other? What prevents them from being too comfortable? What do they disagree about? What do the hero and heroine have at stake? Why is this difficulty so important to each of them? Why is it important to the readers?

What Conflict Is Not

Conflict is not:

Fighting, arguing, or disagreeing. Sometimes conflict is expressed in heated discussions or shouting matches, but two people can be locked in conflict without ever raising their voices, and they can also bicker incessantly without ever addressing an important issue.
A delay. An event that simply delays a hero’s or heroine’s progress toward a goal is only an incident. If another character sidetracks the heroine to talk about an unrelated problem, and this discussion keeps her from confronting the hero, that’s not conflict.
Failure to communicate. Misunderstanding each other, making wrong assumptions, jumping to conclusions, or wrongly judging one another are not illustrations of conflict, but of the hero and heroine’s inability to make themselves clear.
The trouble-causing interference of another person. If the meddling of another person causes problems, the main characters can appear too passive to take charge of their own lives or stand up for themselves.
A main character’s unwillingness to admit that the other person is attractive. Though romance characters attempt to fight off their attraction, conflict lies in the underlying reasons why it seems inappropriate or unwise to fall in love with this person.

Today's excerpt is from On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels. If you enjoyed this tip, buy this book and learn:

The difference between a true romance novel and a novel that includes a love story
The different types of romance novels
General research strategies to help you decide what your characters can and can't do and what events the story will involve
The four crucial basics that make up a romance novel
How to start your story
When and how to write love scenes
Strategies and tips for marketing your romance novel