This post is entirely for the romantic writer in you. If you write gory war novels, you might not like this post. But ultimately, just about every genre has a love story of some kind.

I didn't set out to write a love story. I mean, sure I did, but that wasn't the main point. Prophecy wasn't supposed to be a love story. It was supposed to be a hero's story. Most of my research at the beginning was in the hero myth (if you're looking into heroes, check out The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Thanks NP for that recommendation last year). I read classic mythology and Norse mythology, chasing down the classic hero myth. Then I realized that no one would care about Seven like I did if he didn't have someone to fight for.

John Eldredge, in Wild At Heart, says that a man has to have a beauty to fight for. Think about Romeo and Juliet. Romeo literally died for Juliet. Think about King Arthur and Guinevere. Or how about Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton or Acheron Parthenopaeus (yes that's spelled right) and Soteria Kafieri from Acheron. A lot of heroes are redeemed by the love of a woman.

A love story doesn't have to be a book filled with ripping clothes and graphic sex scenes. It's not always filled with the most beautiful people (unless you're dealing with vampires, then it almost always is because of the nature of the vampire) or the most ideal circumstances. A hero has a beauty to fight for. That's it. She doesn't even have to be the classic beauty. As long as he finds her beautiful, that's all it requires.

I don't want you to believe that a romance is always the trashy purple prose monstrosities in the historical romance section (some are actually pretty good though). A truly wonderful romance draws you in because you want to see these two characters redeem each other. It's truly amazing.

For good romance, check out Ransom by Julie Garwood (the best sarcasm is present in this novel) or A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux (the best example of what happens when the ending isn't what you think it should be). Is there sex? Yes. Is it necessary? I've already said before that it isn't.

Don't be afraid to let a hero fall in love. Sometimes it's the best characteristic he has.