The Secret To Successful Romance Writing Is The Almost Moment

The Almost Moment Is The Secret To Successful Romance Writing

If you are writing romance, you need to know that the secret to successful romance writing is mastering the almost moment.

According to the Romance Writers of America®, the romance fiction industry is worth $1.08 billion dollars a year. (source)

Must-Read: All About The Romance Writing Genre

If you want to be successful in this genre, there are tips and tricks to learn that will help you. One of these is ‘The Almost Moment’.

The Almost Moment

A great technique for developing sensual tension in your romance is one called The Almost Moment.

It is a technique most successful romance writers use. They use it because it works. It prolongs the suspense, it entices, teases, and seduces. It makes the reader keep turning the pages. The sensual tension is drawn out like a taut wire.

It’s all those moments in a good book when the hero and heroine almost say something, almost touch, almost kiss, almost walk towards each other, almost make love. But somehow – tantalisingly, frustratingly – they miss the opportunity. The tension reaches boiling point, but the connection is not quite made.

Writing The Almost Moment

When it happens, you need to have one (or more) of these in place.

It’s usually due to:

♥ Inner conflict: 

This includes emotional baggage, a secret, mistrust, a misunderstanding or miscommunication, withheld information, a character’s “imperfect past” (motivation).

and/or

♥ External Conflict:

This includes an interruption, a plot twist, the introduction of a third character, or the introduction of an antagonistic character.

Before You Write It

Make sure that your readers are invested in the outcome of your story. The reader should really want some relief to all the sensual tension that has been building up. They should want the kiss or the intimate moment to happen.

And then you should not give it to them. This keeps them turning the page to find out what happens.

Types Of Almost Moments In Romance

  1. The Almost Kiss.
  2. The Almost Sex Scene.
  3. The Almost ‘I Love You’.
  4. The Almost Clearing Up Of Misunderstandings.

Make sure you include enough of them.

Final Word

The Sex Scene is when ‘Almost’ becomes ‘Definitely!’ If you want to learn how to write sex scenes (and much more) sign up for our romance writing course: This Kiss

Do you agree that the secret to successful romance writing is mastering the almost moment?

 by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

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Suggested Posts On Romance Writing:

  1. All About The Romance Writing Genre
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  3. Why I Write Romance
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If you want more romance writing posts, click here: Romance Writing

Posted on: 24th February 2020
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2 thoughts on “The Almost Moment Is The Secret To Successful Romance Writing”

  1. This post is so opportune. I have just reached an ‘almost’ moment in my w.i.p. and didn’t even know it had a name! This one is an inner, and have an outer for later on. Bit like belly-buttons.

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