An A-HA Moment

Many years ago I read an interview with Jude Deveraux, one of my favorite historical romance authors. Don't remember what the exact question was but in her reply was a statement I found strange. Jude stated that she'd had to scrap a story she was working on because the hero and heroine just didn't like each other. And that was after writing the first 100 pages!

I wondered how that could be when she created them so why couldn't she just make them like each other. After all, they're not real.

Several years later when a story I was working on was making me question my ability as a writer, I remembered Jude's interview and had that A-HA moment. I finally understood what she meant, and what was wrong with my story. My hero and heroine didn't like each other either, which meant there would be no happily-ever-after. Which meant it was not a romance. So after more than a hundred pages and hours and hours of research, I gave up on it. It's a decision I don't regret. Those characters are patiently waiting in the back of my brain for the right story and the right partners to materialize.

Rose Lerma
roselerma.com