Mastering Happily Ever After: The Art of Writing Romance with Patience Bloom

Writers With Wrinkles: Patience Bloom on Romance WritingPatience Bloom, a freelance book editor with 26 years of experience in romance publishing, joins Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid on the podcast Writers With Wrinkles.Key points:Elements of a captivating romance protagonist:Likable, even if flawed.Human and relatable.Vulnerable but strong.Possesses expertise in a specific area.Common pitfalls in portraying romantic relationships:Lack of conflict.Unrealistic or drawn-out conflict.Poor timing of romantic development.Current trends in romance writing:Increased inclusivity.More prominence of witches, sports, cowboys, dogs, and wilderness settings.Patience Bloom's additional insights:Going through the process of publishing her own memoir, Romance is My Day Job, made her a more efficient, understanding, and empathetic editor.Links:Romance Is My Day Job blogEditorial ServicesRomance is My Day Job: a memoirTimestamps:2:13 - Patience and Beth discuss their experience attending boarding school together.6:43 - Lisa asks about the key elements of a captivating romance protagonist.8:17 - Patience provides examples of characters with depth and expertise.11:35 - Patience discusses the importance of avoiding one-dimensional characters and unnecessary conflict.13:34 - She shares examples of how to create interesting conflict in a romance novel.16:05 - Lisa highlights the frustration of drawn-out conflict in romance novels and television shows.17:13 - Patience shares her controversial opinion on Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler from Law & Order: SVU.17:58 - Beth and Patience discuss the importance of timing in the development of a romantic relationship.18:51 - Patience emphasizes the need for urgency and emotional connection in a romance.19:25 - Lisa asks about current trends and what aspiring writers can do to stand out.19:44 - Patience discusses the rise of inclusivity, witches, sports romances, cowboys, dogs, and wilderness settings in romance novels.22:55 - Beth shares her experience with Patience as an editor and how it impacted her writing.25:29 - Patience reveals she is working on a new fiction book and considering another memoir.Send us Fan Mail Support the showVisit the WebsiteFind Full Episodes on YouTube!Writers with Wrinkles Link Tree for socials and more!