Hello everyone,

I’m a romance writer working on a dark romance story. The themes include forced marriage, wealthy families, emotional control, and a female main character trying to escape a life decided by money and power.

I’m not posting a chapter, but I would love advice on: – how to build emotional tension without overdrama – how to write cold, controlling parents realistically – how to balance romance and psychological conflict

Thank you for reading.

  • Personally, as a fellow writer, the only way I’ve found to balance romance and psychological conflict- Atleast in the readers eyes (for dark romance specifically- meaning you are counting on an HEA. For Horror romance with no HEA that’s very different) is to have the motivations behind the darker intentions either be rooted in want/need for the love interest or grow to be rooted in want/need. For instance, the whole “touch her and die” and “that’s my wife” and all the microtropes that readers devour in dark romance are born of possession. Of want. And most especially of protection. You have to give the coldness a purpose and the purpose must be rooted Atleast partially in the relationship. What good is loving a villain if they won’t be a villain for you?

    parent

    Thank you so much for this analysis, it’s very insightful. I especially love the idea that coldness needs a purpose and must be rooted in the relationship. That’s exactly what I’m trying to build in my story

    parent root

  • How to write cold parents- that tension is often felt in disregard. Maybe include dialogue in which the parents actively avoid certain statements/ questions to focus on their own interests

    parent

    Thank you so much for your feedback, it really inspires me. If you have any ideas, sources of inspiration, or examples that stood out to you in dark romance or psychological romance, I’d love to discover them

    parent root