{"id":942,"date":"2013-11-11T22:48:34","date_gmt":"2013-11-12T03:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eddiejones.org\/?p=942"},"modified":"2014-11-27T12:00:21","modified_gmt":"2014-11-27T17:00:21","slug":"writing-romantic-comedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eddiejones.org\/writing-romantic-comedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Romantic Comedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Writing<\/a>At writers’ conferences I \u00a0sometimes get asked to explain the formula for writing romantic comedy. Here is a \u00a0basic plot outline of what you \u00a0often find in a Romantic\u00a0Comedy book or movie.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Act I<\/b><\/p>\n

1) Introduction –<\/b>\u00a0Introduce the hero before the romantic rival<\/i>. Readers and audiences instinctively identify with the first character who appears on the screen. This is often your lead character.<\/b><\/p>\n

2) Establish your lead character’s motivation.\u00a0<\/b>What does he \/ she want outside<\/em><\/strong> of a relationship. Fly to the moon, be a White House reporter, get free cable?\u00a0In a properly structured film (or novel), the hero\u2019s outer motivation, which defines the story concept, is established no later than 25% of the way through the story.<\/p>\n

3) Inciting Encounter – <\/b>What disturbing event disrupts your lead’s normal<\/strong><\/em> life?<\/p>\n

4) Call to Action – <\/b>\u00a0Challenge your lead to accept this new adventure<\/p>\n

4) Denial of Call to Action – <\/b>Show how your main character(s) resist the challenge.<\/p>\n

5) Repeat of Call to Action based on \u00a0emotions – Appeal to your lead on an emotional level.\u00a0“<\/b>Little Jimmy will die if you do not …”<\/p>\n

6) Acceptance of Call to Action – <\/b>Show your lead reluctantly accepting the challenge.<\/p>\n

7) Begin the quest – <\/b>Your main characters set off on their great\u00a0adventure.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Act II<\/b><\/p>\n

1st date: Chance encounter – \u00a0<\/b>Show the first meeting between the hero and the romance. Both in real life and in fiction, the most enthralling part of any relationship comes with that first, head-over-heels, all-consuming attraction.<\/p>\n

2nd date: Background revealed, values presented, ground rules established<\/b><\/p>\n

3rd date: First Physical Encounter, A Touch of Flesh<\/b><\/p>\n

4th date: Falling for each other while in pursuit of external goals <\/b>(Remember that outward motivation introduced at the start? This drives the story and your two love birds apart.)<\/p>\n

5th date: Conflict spills into work – <\/b>Love and conflicting goals threaten their work.<\/p>\n

6th date: Hostile Encounter –\u00a0<\/b>First fight, differences aired.<\/p>\n

8) Friend\u2019s Support Scene –\u00a0<\/b>Friends come to rescue, talk your lead off the ledge.<\/p>\n

7th date: Domestic Encounters\u00a0<\/b>– Couple plays house. Makes a craft, cooks, baby sits.<\/p>\n

8th date: Work Interrupted\u00a0<\/b>– Now work is not simply interrupted, but threatened. She shows up at his office. In the middle of a big presentation, he calls her boss to say he’s taking her to lunch.<\/p>\n

9) Friend\u2019s Strategy Scene –\u00a0<\/b>Friends step in to offer new strategy for salvaging the relationship that is now, obviously, unraveling.<\/p>\n

10) Point of No Return –\u00a0<\/b>The hero \/ heroine should commit to the relationship by the mid-point of the book. The halfway mark of any journey is the POINT OF NO RETURN – that moment where the traveler is closer to the destination than the point of origin. Show the hero making a physical, emotional, tangible commitment that indicates that there’s no turning back. From here on she can never return to the emotional life she was living when the story began.<\/p>\n

9th date: Friend relationships Interrupted\u00a0<\/b>– Friends must go. “Pick, it’s me or them.”<\/p>\n

11) First Termination Scene \u2013 <\/b>Having committed to each other (rather than friends), blow up the relationship over misunderstandings, stress, cultural differences, etc\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

10th date: Meet the Family \u2013 Playing House \u2013 <\/b>Restore the relationship by playing house and meeting the family<\/b><\/p>\n

11th date: Prom Night \u2013 <\/b>Cinderella Ball Scene \u2013 All is going well, marriage might be an option, until\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

Secrets Exposed Scene <\/b>\u2013 Clock strikes 12 and real identities \/ motives are revealed<\/p>\n

Final Termination \u2013 “<\/b>You go your way, I\u2019ll go mine.” “Fine.” “Fine!”<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Act III<\/b><\/p>\n

One Last Chance Scene \u2013 <\/b>Hero or Heroine comes to their senses and realizes they cannot live without each other<\/b><\/p>\n

Sacrifice Offered Scene – <\/b>Hero or Heroine offers to forgo their external goals for the love of the other<\/b><\/p>\n

12th<\/sup> date: Final Encounter \u2013 Win or Lose Love<\/b><\/p>\n

13th<\/sup> date: Tie Up Loose Ends \u2013 Sail Into Sunset<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At writers’ conferences I \u00a0sometimes get asked to explain the formula for writing romantic comedy. Here is a \u00a0basic plot outline of what you \u00a0often find in a Romantic\u00a0Comedy book or movie.   Act I 1) Introduction –\u00a0Introduce the hero before the romantic rival. Readers and audiences instinctively identify with the first character who appears […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[124],"yoast_head":"\nWriting Romantic Comedy - Eddie Jones - Author<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eddiejones.org\/writing-romantic-comedy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Writing Romantic Comedy - Eddie Jones - Author\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At writers’ conferences I \u00a0sometimes get asked to explain the formula for writing romantic comedy. 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