Love Spelled Out: Romantic Stories

If literature is any indication, love is the most powerful human emotion this world has ever known. If you don't buy that, browse through your DVD collection and count how many of them are about love or at least have a romantic subplot. Check your playlist and count how many are love songs regardless of genre. Go to a local bookstore and see for yourself how outnumbered books about other matters are by love stories.

There is no denying that love is the most popular emotion as seen and tackled in many forms of art, especially literature. There is no other emotion that can stir the heart of a writer better than love. Even anger pales in comparison. A huge fraction of all texts ever written are love stories. Some of them focus on the many beautiful aspects of it, while others emphasize the ugly, heartbreaking side of it.

The question now is, since there are already countless of love stories out there, how do you write one that is unique yet moving? You'll be surprised by how simple and easy it is to write a good short love story. Here are a few tips.

• A single storyline. The simpler the story, the better. You don't need subplots to enrich your story or keep it going. It will just confuse your readers. Focus on one plot and work on it.

• A short time-scale. Although beginning with the characters' embryo stage works for some writers, it is almost always best to limit your timeline and play within that period.

• A single viewpoint. You can use more, as long as you have a good reason for doing it. If you don't, settle for one point of view. This will avoid confusions and enhance your storytelling.

• Consistent writing style. Decide on what style you will use first before you start writing. Choose the pace, mood and tone that you think will work for you best. Do not switch styles in the middle of the story or it will look like you asked someone to finish it for you.

• Concise dialog. Be realistic. In reality, people don't always start a conversation with lengthy introductions. When it comes to dialog, go direct to the point like normal people.

• No preachy message. You're not a priest. The best stories send their message across in a subtle way. You don't need your characters to spell it out for the readers.

• Contrived ending. Make sure your ending is not predictable. Otherwise, there's no point in reading it.

• Smart readers. Never assume that your readers are stupid. Avoid spoon-feeding.

Everyone has a story to tell but not everyone can tell a story. Love stories are the best things to read and you should tell them in a way that will inspire, touch or move your readers. Though every story has seemilngly already been told, what matters is how you tell it. That's what makes your story different and defines you as a writer.