It’s one thing to write a comfy cozy Christmas rom-com novel. It’s another thing to make it fun and impossible to put down !
In order to make sure I’m not wasting time writing something good, but not good enough to captivated many readers (and all the etcetera that goes with it – heehee), I decided to test out my idea with a log line.
One, two sentences max. A resume of the inciting incident and all the fun&games entailed with enough juicy words to intrigue the readers.
It helps see if whole idea potential.
The writing tip have been out there for ages, but I rarely used it, or used it only for query purposes.
It really helps, but.. you know as well as I do, dear fellow writers, writing a good, and I mean very good, enticing, exciting log line takes time.
Loads of it.
The Thin Light in Utter Darkness
My grandmother was born on an island, far off any continents.
Her family were very poor, like most of the islanders at the time – we’re talking Second World War era here.
When she was a girl, she would wait for her older brother on the porch. In pitch black night, she tells the only thing she could see sometimes was the little red light his cigarette was making when he took a puff (I hope I’m using the right expression here).
Writing the log line of the story even before writing the first words feels like that to me. A tiny thin light in the utter darkness.
Happy Ever After
This Christmas rom-com novel will end well. Of course it will. I know it, you know it, the readers know it.
The fun is all in the road leading to the kiss, or the big « I love you » declaration. The log line helps see the big problem the Main Characters will have to deal with in order to make things happens at the end.
Although, I must admit, Mr. Darcy telling Elizabeth he loves her against his own judgement is absolutely delightful and remains to this day my all-time favourite.
That scene shake things up oh-so marvellously. Speaking of which, it’s been almost two years since I last read Pride and Prejudice, oh goodness. And I used to read it almost four times a year !
And if I go and read it now, I know I’ll just stop writing my light-hearted Christmas rom-com, so I’ll hold it off for a bit longer.
Enough stalling, I better go back to writing. I’m way behind with the writing goals of the first quarter of 2021.
Fellow writers, I hope you’re safe, healthy, happy. May all the good words flow your way.
Marie Alice Writes & Reads 