Romance's Emotional Beats: The Meet-Cute to HEA Structure
Romance is the most structurally demanding genre in fiction. Not because it’s formulaic—though it is—but because readers come with expectations about emotional experience. They’re not just reading for plot; they’re reading to feel specific things at specific times. Miss a beat, and you’ve broken an implicit contract. Deliver the beats with skill, and readers will follow you anywhere. The Non-Negotiables Before we dive into beats, understand the two absolute requirements of romance: ...