This week: Romantic Beats Edited by: StephBee  
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“Christmas isn’t a season – it’s a feeling.” – Edna Ferber
“Make new friends, but keep the old; those are silver, these are gold.” – Joseph Perry
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, a nice Hanukkah, and a memorable Kwanza. Christmas has passed, but New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. This earliest New Year’s was recorded about 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon. That’s a long time! I usually eat a donut for good luck and then pass out cold after watching the ball drop New York time. Haha. I’m a party pooper. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading the Romance/Love newsletter and I’m looking forward to being with you next year!
This week is also Thank A Soldier week, so if you have an opportunity, thank one. Operation Gratitude is a great way to let those serving in the military and law enforcement that you appreciate them.
This week I’m going to be talking about some ‘Romantic beats’ that a story has to hit when writing a romance. I think of them as markers along the way and they’re a good checks you can use to ensure your writing is hitting the right marks when crafting a romance.
And until we meet again, here’s a Christmas song crossword for you to enjoy! Give the crossword a review and I’ll send a merit badge your way!
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“Romantic Beats” are essential aspects every romance story should have. You can track your progress of your writing as you hit your ‘beats’ in the story.
#1 – The Set Up/Hook
This is a sequence that identifies external and internal conflict of the main characters (hero and heroine). It’s a main character’s first look at the concept: “what’s wrong with the status quo.”
#2 – The Meet
This is where the hero and heroine meet. The meeting should be inventive and convincing. This incident should set the tone what’s to come.
#3 – Turing Point
A new development arises that complicates things. This development should define the hero/heroine’s goal. The main characters also realize their inner emotions are at odds with the goal.
#4 – Midpoint/Raising Stakes
A situation happens that pits the good guy against the bad guy for good, while sexual tension heightens between the hero and heroine.
#5 – Swivel
The stakes in the story are at their highest. Success toward the goal and the romantic relationship is in serious jeopardy.
#6 – Dark Moment/Crisis
The consequences lend itself to a disaster and the hero/heroine suffer humiliation where private motivations are revealed. The goal and the relationship might be lost.
#7 – Joyful Defeat/Resolution
Reconciliation brings the couple together, usually at some personal sacrifice to the hero/heroine. This is the “Happy Ever Ending.”
Enjoy the rest of 2022 and hopefully the end of the year is a joyful defeat/resolution for you!
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Feedback from my Romance/Love NL dated: 30 NOV 2022:
Aiva Raine 
One of my favorite authors- who has sadly disappeared- is Claudia Dain. I greatly enjoyed her Courtesan Chronicles. There was a great deal of romantic conflict and scheming throughout that series that brought the characters alive. I enjoyed how they were mostly told from Sophia's POV and involved her scheming to get various couples who did not originally like each other together. It placed the reader in the matchmaking seat and were a delightful change from your average romance.
Thanks for sharing! A new author for me to check out.
Feedback from my Romance/Love NL dated: 1 NOV 2022:
Steph,
Your NL on Unconditional Love is right on target, including the two quotes you used, which I have repeated here.
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” – Richard Bach
“Having a place to go is a home. Having someone to love is a family. Having both is a blessing.” – Donna Hedges{/i]
If you ever decide to do a follow-up, or companion NL on the subject, just give me a shout and I’ll elaborate on what I say here, and add new items at that time as well. So:
I’ll let you know. Sorry, I didn’t get this in the last newsletter. I’m not very organized sometimes.
I can personally testify that everything you said in your first two paragraphs about Unconditional Love is true. Because I’ve had the unbelievable privilege of living a relationship of exactly that kind of love with Linda for fourteen years, eleven and a half of that as husband and wife. You wrote:
“Unconditional love is a deeper kind of love that tends to last longer, is even measured, and never wavers. You’ll find it’s love without strings attached, without limitations, and without conditions. It’s a love that can be elusive, and yet, can be the bond that holds families together."
"While a passionate love can be fleeting, unconditional love tends to be a slow burn. Unconditional love allows you let your guard down because you feel secure with that person. It allows for acceptance and forgiveness. Most often times, it is within the framework of family that unconditional love shines."
You said, in your third paragraph, in part:
"The benefits of unconditional love in the family framework include increased confidence and self-esteem, better communications skills, resiliency, and flexibly when life throws you a curve ball. You know mom, dad, big brother, or even the crazy auntie have your back."
Once I was able to get Linda to fully realize, and believe, that my love for her was not only real, and permanent, but also unconditional, as I’d quickly noticed hers was for me, and had been for some time, I saw the changes you mentioned, and more, take place within her. To quote from the autobiography I’ve written about our short years together: “I watched as she grew from a shy, withdrawn, and, I think, often scared, young, epileptic girl of 16, into a wonderfully outgoing woman of 30, with a zest for life, and a sense of humor to match.”
Very heartwarming!
In your final paragraph, you say, in part: “Some of the most heartwarming stories develop when they focus on the theme of unconditional love.”
That statement could not have been put any better.
As for the movies you asked about, I don’t have any examples. The budget Linda and I had for most of our life together didn’t give us the chance to go out too often. But, as I hope I’ve shown with the above examples, Linda and I did better than that. We had the chance to truly LIVE the life of Unconditional Love, and we did it to the fullest, throughout our short time together, right up to the evening she passed away."
Thank you for your patience and for elaborating on those points that really struck home for you. Your story is very inspirational
StephBee is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her Christmas romance, "Christmas in Bayeux" takes place in France. Can Aiden find love with an old friend? It is now available on Amazon as an Ebook.
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Romance/Love: December 28, 2022 Issue [#11723]
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