Romance fiction embraces a wide range of characters, time periods and plot lines, but focuses on the love at the heart of each couple’s tale. Love is the main thing that connects the characters with the plot. This is the chief specialty of romance novels.

Living happily ever after

‘Happily ever after’ ending is just one element of romantic fiction and almost every fairy tale concludes with these words. These words tend to give the reader the security that every story in these romance novels will always have a happy ending. There has been much controversy in the romance fiction world in the last few years about one specific romantic convention, the ‘Happily Ever After’ ending, that is been used to separate ‘romance fiction’ from ‘women’s fiction’.

Romance Subjects

There is a lot of controversy on one subject in romance novels. That subject is whether a ‘happily ever after’ ending defines the romance genre, or does it limit it.  This is very controversial subject and will keep haunting the next generations also. Basically it is said that these three worlds are mainly used to separates a romance novel from other fiction with a love story in it.

There are “Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.” Many Romance authors tend to believe although the ‘happy ending’ is a vital component; a romance novel must also include other elements to be publishable.

Important Elements of Romance Fiction

1. Conflict

Without some central conflict that divides the lovers, there is no story. The conflict should rely on issues between the lovers that divide them, and not external forces only to keep them apart for much of the book.

2. Growth

It is very necessary for the characters to grow with the story. Characters that do not grow throughout the novel are unsatisfying to the reader.

3. Resolution

Problems between the two at the heart of the novel need to be resolved for readers to believe in that Happily Ever After, but the reader won’t be satisfied if he or she doesn’t believe that the resolution to the lovers’ central conflict is permanent and deep.

4. Ending

It is not always but readers do like a happy ending. So, a romance writer should try to incorporate a conclusion in which everything is well in the ending.

Arguments

Critics point to the requirement for a happy ending in romance as formulaic, but beyond that, the definition of ‘formula’ is arguable; some publishers have strict requirements as to length, amount of sensuality, etc., but others leave it very much to the discretion of the writer. As long as people bring differing views and expectations to the genre, the argument will continue.

Diversity

The romance genre is welcoming stories that include couples of the same gender, different cultures, and even, in the case of paranormal and science fiction romance, different species.

Leaving the arguments about genre definitions, readers and writers of romance fiction agree on one thing and that is no matter whom the lovers are, ultimately it is that satisfying ending that brings readers back to the romance genre time after time.

Tags: elements of romantic fiction, Historical Romance, Romance Novel