Not every love story is a romance.

Stop building characters, start building their psychology

A Romance novel is only as good as its characters. Full stop.  So why are so many popular romances these days falling short in the character department?  The answer is simple: authors aren't doing the work to create the keys to unlock their characters psychological life.  Without these 4 keys, romance falls flat and becomes tropey goop rather than transformative emotional fiction.  Bring your messy characters to life with motivations rooted within them.  Textbook for this lesson - https://amzn.to/4eSzE0a [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2tmNUNnQ1ZnUGpnQjJvR3I3STlPX3BkR3dMd3xBQ3Jtc0tuOGJVMFdvcnhVcjdMaUNpd294OGFHUDRrajY3T1h3OWVQak50dm81UnVYOC1odkFGN0RvUU9GOUdSb0pvVGszVnFvSmZoQThjXzNaX0pSYTdsSHpwU2I2b3FsR0VxX0x6TTJZY1ZrTTk5Wm5mOWpuWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F4eSzE0a&v=QkFQK2lXN_A] WORK WITH ME email: marjorie@marjoriemuller.com website: https://www.marjoriemuller.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnFvOHU3ZWZNSDU3THRhNnEwb1JTWHVIQ2MwZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZGhMcm1Qa0VlOUdFZ2dtRHFMVTBGRlp1NklRWlZOUzR1NWx5WlRSUFhKZ1ZZS1ptVkxpaXZNMFVpRFJKMkhkVTczSVFqYXF1LXN0X0lDOG5nbm90SzVXSVRuNnMzOFdlOUJtTFB6UmZtdmpNNkEzMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marjoriemuller.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  CONNECT WITH ME tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge] instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUVDRXpUUldOdlNyQTZ1UDU3X3dYaFJsdy1YZ3xBQ3Jtc0trU2h1NzQ3YTJGZmVzTlFWNzZlLUhZcHVKZ2VqUlpqaEU3aUtURC1YSWV2MFZ5TEFiUE56MXVTdG96RFp4NXRRTHBhZTRMNUlvNEFzbk8xNWVvZlFfbU55bzI1bzFlSXpPdzk0WUdfNUhHVHVRM3llcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs] youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge] newsletter: https://marjoriemuller.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFNcTIxbGoyMXpzYWZfU0dzSWZJY1VMNWxYUXxBQ3Jtc0trVkptR0ZsZFQ4VG1ZcHZKRGNQWXE4b3VLbl9DanM2T0x4UDBqdy02alFTUkItNFcxd0VLSFFrWmtZenUwRDhIN0pTa3otT3dlM091QUFZa19HOUZlWGhtTk9TVEhUc0lUQUg5RUkwd3BvdzFRWFRTdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmarjoriemuller.substack.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]...

Your dialogue needs a job.

Welcome to the kickoff of the first *official* season of The Romance Room!  This kickoff episode dives into something I'm extremely passionate about: dialogue.  Dialogue is the emotional backbone of fiction, especially of the romance genre.  However, a lot of romance writers think they're good at dialogue, but spoiler alert: they usually aren't. And that's because they're leaving dialogue unemployed.  Letting dialogue slack off doesn't help you get the job done, it just wastes your pressure word count and stops the momentum of your writing.  Good thing dialogue is my favorite thing to write and I know a thing or two about putting it to work.  Textbook for this lesson - https://amzn.to/4u0Y6RH [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFc5MzFHOVpxSURTemlpUHlHNlFwd2E0RnpsZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsUHNtb3Btdy15OW11bWdFR3AwdmxLRl9BQ0ppUk0tUlNtS1dtUWlMZDktSUVaUWVmd0w2YmlRRFV5TkpnaVNzdnJRdlV5WTA0bXJJX3hpR0R5NjVsckdvTkJTNXVEU0dzeUk3Y2Y3RjJLVlAzdF9sZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F4u0Y6RH&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  WORK WITH ME email: marjorie@marjoriemuller.com website: https://www.marjoriemuller.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnFvOHU3ZWZNSDU3THRhNnEwb1JTWHVIQ2MwZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZGhMcm1Qa0VlOUdFZ2dtRHFMVTBGRlp1NklRWlZOUzR1NWx5WlRSUFhKZ1ZZS1ptVkxpaXZNMFVpRFJKMkhkVTczSVFqYXF1LXN0X0lDOG5nbm90SzVXSVRuNnMzOFdlOUJtTFB6UmZtdmpNNkEzMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marjoriemuller.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  CONNECT WITH ME tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge] instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUVDRXpUUldOdlNyQTZ1UDU3X3dYaFJsdy1YZ3xBQ3Jtc0trU2h1NzQ3YTJGZmVzTlFWNzZlLUhZcHVKZ2VqUlpqaEU3aUtURC1YSWV2MFZ5TEFiUE56MXVTdG96RFp4NXRRTHBhZTRMNUlvNEFzbk8xNWVvZlFfbU55bzI1bzFlSXpPdzk0WUdfNUhHVHVRM3llcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs] youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge] newsletter: https://marjoriemuller.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFNcTIxbGoyMXpzYWZfU0dzSWZJY1VMNWxYUXxBQ3Jtc0trVkptR0ZsZFQ4VG1ZcHZKRGNQWXE4b3VLbl9DanM2T0x4UDBqdy02alFTUkItNFcxd0VLSFFrWmtZenUwRDhIN0pTa3otT3dlM091QUFZa19HOUZlWGhtTk9TVEhUc0lUQUg5RUkwd3BvdzFRWFRTdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmarjoriemuller.substack.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]...

Not every love story is a romance.

When non-romance readers hear a romance requires a "happy ever after", the overwhelming response is, "nuh-uh!" Then the examples come in...making it clear they don't know the difference between a love story and a romance.  Today on The Romance Room, we'll talk about why not all love stories are romances, why the happily ever after or (happy for now) is integral to the romance genre and... Well, there's the misogyny element too. Women can't have anything fun, right?  📜 Show Notes: Grab your tix to The Sporting Life [https://thefactorytheater.com/portfolio/the-sporting-life/] The Definitive Definition of Romance [https://www.rwa.org/the-romance-genre] WORK WITH ME email: marjorie@marjoriemuller.com website: https://www.marjoriemuller.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnFvOHU3ZWZNSDU3THRhNnEwb1JTWHVIQ2MwZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZGhMcm1Qa0VlOUdFZ2dtRHFMVTBGRlp1NklRWlZOUzR1NWx5WlRSUFhKZ1ZZS1ptVkxpaXZNMFVpRFJKMkhkVTczSVFqYXF1LXN0X0lDOG5nbm90SzVXSVRuNnMzOFdlOUJtTFB6UmZtdmpNNkEzMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marjoriemuller.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  CONNECT WITH ME tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge] instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUVDRXpUUldOdlNyQTZ1UDU3X3dYaFJsdy1YZ3xBQ3Jtc0trU2h1NzQ3YTJGZmVzTlFWNzZlLUhZcHVKZ2VqUlpqaEU3aUtURC1YSWV2MFZ5TEFiUE56MXVTdG96RFp4NXRRTHBhZTRMNUlvNEFzbk8xNWVvZlFfbU55bzI1bzFlSXpPdzk0WUdfNUhHVHVRM3llcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs] youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge] newsletter: https://marjoriemuller.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFNcTIxbGoyMXpzYWZfU0dzSWZJY1VMNWxYUXxBQ3Jtc0trVkptR0ZsZFQ4VG1ZcHZKRGNQWXE4b3VLbl9DanM2T0x4UDBqdy02alFTUkItNFcxd0VLSFFrWmtZenUwRDhIN0pTa3otT3dlM091QUFZa19HOUZlWGhtTk9TVEhUc0lUQUg5RUkwd3BvdzFRWFRTdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmarjoriemuller.substack.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]...

Romance has an ageism problem.

Romance can enter a person's life at any age. So why are so many romances obsessed with 20-somethings?  Despite being on the forefront of many cultural movements, Romance doesn't go untouched by misogyny. Today, we're putting a microscope up to romance's most misogynistic sticking point: ageism.  If you’re a romance writer, reader, or dabbler (or want to be one/all of the above!), you won’t want to miss this. 📜 Show Notes: Apologies for the sound quality, I accidentally recorded at the wrong gain level on my mic!  There are more women on TV but ageism persists, says new study [https://www.npr.org/2022/10/18/1129632989/there-are-more-women-on-tv-but-ageism-persists-says-new-study] Ageism, Publishing, and the Notion of Reading Down [https://sandraantonelli.com/2020/11/06/ageism-publishing-and-the-notion-of-reading-down/] Seasoned Romance Empowers Us All [https://booksbywomen.org/seasoned-romance-empowers-us-all/] Ageism in Romance Novels [https://www.terrigilbertauthor.com/blog/ageisinromance] WORK WITH ME email: marjorie@marjoriemuller.com website: https://www.marjoriemuller.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnFvOHU3ZWZNSDU3THRhNnEwb1JTWHVIQ2MwZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZGhMcm1Qa0VlOUdFZ2dtRHFMVTBGRlp1NklRWlZOUzR1NWx5WlRSUFhKZ1ZZS1ptVkxpaXZNMFVpRFJKMkhkVTczSVFqYXF1LXN0X0lDOG5nbm90SzVXSVRuNnMzOFdlOUJtTFB6UmZtdmpNNkEzMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marjoriemuller.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  CONNECT WITH ME tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge] instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUVDRXpUUldOdlNyQTZ1UDU3X3dYaFJsdy1YZ3xBQ3Jtc0trU2h1NzQ3YTJGZmVzTlFWNzZlLUhZcHVKZ2VqUlpqaEU3aUtURC1YSWV2MFZ5TEFiUE56MXVTdG96RFp4NXRRTHBhZTRMNUlvNEFzbk8xNWVvZlFfbU55bzI1bzFlSXpPdzk0WUdfNUhHVHVRM3llcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs] youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge] newsletter: https://marjoriemuller.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFNcTIxbGoyMXpzYWZfU0dzSWZJY1VMNWxYUXxBQ3Jtc0trVkptR0ZsZFQ4VG1ZcHZKRGNQWXE4b3VLbl9DanM2T0x4UDBqdy02alFTUkItNFcxd0VLSFFrWmtZenUwRDhIN0pTa3otT3dlM091QUFZa19HOUZlWGhtTk9TVEhUc0lUQUg5RUkwd3BvdzFRWFRTdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmarjoriemuller.substack.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]...

Romance is serious business.

Romance is the most popular genre in publishing...so why is it still so often disrespected?  In the inaugural episode of The Romance Room, we’re diving into the myths about romance, why they persist, and why writing love stories is one of the most radical, hopeful things you can do as a storyteller.  If you’re a romance writer, reader, or dabbler (or want to be one/all of the above!), you won’t want to miss this.  📜 Show Notes: The Billion Dollar Genre: Why Romance Writing Matters by Leslie J. Wyatt [https://www.writersdigest.com/the-billion-dollar-genre-why-romance-writing-matters] The Nature of Romantic Love [https://helenfisher.com/the-nature-of-romantic-love/] Love and the Brain [https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/love-brain] Why Inspiring Stories Make Us React: The Neuroscience of Narrative [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4445577/] WORK WITH ME email: marjorie@marjoriemuller.com website: https://www.marjoriemuller.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnFvOHU3ZWZNSDU3THRhNnEwb1JTWHVIQ2MwZ3xBQ3Jtc0tuZGhMcm1Qa0VlOUdFZ2dtRHFMVTBGRlp1NklRWlZOUzR1NWx5WlRSUFhKZ1ZZS1ptVkxpaXZNMFVpRFJKMkhkVTczSVFqYXF1LXN0X0lDOG5nbm90SzVXSVRuNnMzOFdlOUJtTFB6UmZtdmpNNkEzMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marjoriemuller.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]  CONNECT WITH ME tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.tiktok.com/@idesofmarge] instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUVDRXpUUldOdlNyQTZ1UDU3X3dYaFJsdy1YZ3xBQ3Jtc0trU2h1NzQ3YTJGZmVzTlFWNzZlLUhZcHVKZ2VqUlpqaEU3aUtURC1YSWV2MFZ5TEFiUE56MXVTdG96RFp4NXRRTHBhZTRMNUlvNEFzbk8xNWVvZlFfbU55bzI1bzFlSXpPdzk0WUdfNUhHVHVRM3llcw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs] youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge [https://www.youtube.com/@idesofmarge] newsletter: https://marjoriemuller.substack.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbUFNcTIxbGoyMXpzYWZfU0dzSWZJY1VMNWxYUXxBQ3Jtc0trVkptR0ZsZFQ4VG1ZcHZKRGNQWXE4b3VLbl9DanM2T0x4UDBqdy02alFTUkItNFcxd0VLSFFrWmtZenUwRDhIN0pTa3otT3dlM091QUFZa19HOUZlWGhtTk9TVEhUc0lUQUg5RUkwd3BvdzFRWFRTdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fmarjoriemuller.substack.com%2F&v=OgBxO93qOLs]...