How do the characters in different love stories differ from one another? “There are certain characters every romance novel has to have: the two love birds. Without these two characters, there will not be a romance story. Some novels can have love triangles and things of that nature, but there always has to be at least two people who have a spark, something that draws them to each other. Something that blooms within the two people that readers can watch occur. In contemporary romances evil is grasping a bigger foothold than it has before” (Bright). The emotions of characters. They have many different emotions (“How to Write a Love Story”). Loyal friend, protective parent, innocent child, maiden, princess, prince, lover, beloved, star-crossed lover, soul mates, infatuated, distant admirer, betrayed woman (“Love characters”). “..a romance novel can contain any amount of extraneous setting or plotting details the author desires” (Masterson). – what makes it different, after it hits the main element of the novel.

Why does it seem that all love stories have happy endings where the people end up together or things work out? “in the romance novel, one of the most important parts of the plot is the “lose”—the part of the story in which the hero and heroine are separated, when something comes between them that will possibly take one away from the other“ (Dacus). Majority of the story shows the reader that the two people have the ability to make up their own happy ending (Dacus). During the story you have of the exhilaration, the longing sighs, the sadness that the story has ended, the desire to read it again (Dacus). “Romance fans read romance for the 'feel good' factor. After such intense conflict, trying to establish and maintain the relationship, readers want to see the good guys come together at last in a 'happy ending'” (Masterson). “..no matter who the lovers are, ultimately, in an uncertain world, it is that satisfying ending, the sense that the people at the heart of the story have found their true love..” ("What Defines a Romance Novel?: 'Happily Ever After' Ending Is Just One Element of Romantic Fiction.“). All issues from the novel must be fixed, bringing the story to a happy conclusion that people will feel satisfied with and answering all of the questions that have come up through the story. (Roome).

What is the relationship between love story and truth? No one lives “happily” ever after in real life (Dacus). Since no one lives happily ever after in real life the story lets them go there and feel at for once and help them believe. (Dacus). “..while all of fiction is necessarily made up, it is the job of good fiction to tell the truth.” (Pizarro). “I believe that the truth is that there is a season for everything, and there are secret joys and lessons that can only be had when you are young and unattached, and you would never grow as a human being someday if you refuse to learn them today; that not every infatuation will blossom, and there will be many more infatuations to come, and there’s wisdom in not rushing into things, in knowing when to say no, even to yourself; that sometimes things work out, and sometimes they don’t, but you’ll be okay; that you cannot build a life only on how you feel, because feelings are fickle, and it takes commitment and responsibility, not just feelings, to make important decisions” (Pizarro). People find each other in unlikely places, yet in love stories it seems love conquers all, which isn’t as true in real life. -- that helps hook people (Bright). Love can strike at anytime, a lot of the time when you’re least expecting it (Bright).

Why is it that people always die or have died in love stories? When the characters go through pain that’s how the writers hook the readers (Bright). They try to decide how much pain that the person can over come (Bright). There has to be a twist in the plot to make it interesting, so people want to read on and most of the time it involves death (Bright ). “A central love story - the central plot and a large portion of the conflict are focused on two people falling in love and then struggling to maintain and justify that love” (Masterson). -- their struggle makes the story go along and hooks people to know what happens next. “The story needs to start at a place which will capture the reader’s attention. The best way to do this is to show the main character in a difficult situation or facing a challenge or a threat” (Roome).

What elements make up the love story genre? The Romance Writers of America explains it this way: “Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.” ("What Defines a Romance Novel?: 'Happily Ever After' Ending Is Just One Element of Romantic Fiction.“). It needs to have conflict, growth and resolution. ("What Defines a Romance Novel?: 'Happily Ever After' Ending Is Just One Element of Romantic Fiction.“). “So, though it may seem that having 'rules', among them a happy ending, stultifies creativity, in truth it merely channels it, offering a framework or structure upon which a powerful, moving story can be constructed.” ("What Defines a Romance Novel?: 'Happily Ever After' Ending Is Just One Element of Romantic Fiction.“). “It is the story of a man and a woman who fall deeply in love but have a problem that repeatedly threatens to keep them apart. The resolution of the problem leads to a happy ending and permanent commitment” (Roome). “In the process, they learn to love each other and overcome the problems that were keeping them apart. The events must lead the story on and include crises, drama and tension” (Roome).