Start with the Heart : guest blog

How can we strip a romance (no pun intended) down to the bare bones of its central dilemna? That's the topic as I guest blog at The Write Type, where Cheryl Kaye Tardif is generously hosting me. I discuss how to start with the heart of the story, the core conflict between the two main characters.

“She’s the owner of a fancy restaurant. He eats there all the time” probably won’t work, but “She’s the owner of a fancy restaurant. He’s the fancier competition” has inherent tension. And ideally, readers should be able to see both sides. “She’s in love with him. But he stole all her savings and burned down her home” raises the question of what exactly she’s in love with.

Read more here!