How to Write a Romance Novel: One Night Stand Tropes

I was chatting with another author friend about how hard it is to write one-night-stand books. You have to create instant chemistry, and develop some level of trust between two strangers in Chapter One. It's so tricky!

The first one I can remember reading is Losing It by Cora Carmack. This book is a laugh riot, but more importantly it has the classic One Night Stand setup — the heroine meets the hero in a bar the evening before the new semester starts at her college. They go home together. And…he’s the professor of a class she shows up for the next morning. Oops!

The author has to establish that rapport immediately, so that the couple’s hookup is credible and not squicky. It has to even be unforgettable, which is the title of this Vino & Veritas book from Marley Valentine. Unforgettable works so well because of that first scene. She makes you believe from the first minute. And you still believe in this couple even as they say goodbye in the morning.

It's so lovely.

In my book Coming In From the Cold, the hero and the heroine are trapped together in a snowstorm. They form a quick bond because of the adversity of the moment. This acts as a shortcut to building that relationship.

Another trick is the road I took with Bountiful. Zara and Dave are strangers, but he appears at her bar a couple of times before making his daring proposition. But more crucially, he stands up for her when something threatening happens at the bar. She doesn’t need his help, because Zara is as fierce as they come. But offering his quiet support is another shortcut to trust. And it makes their dalliance more credible.

Finally, there’s a trick Elle Kennedy pulls off in The Score (my favorite Off Campus novel!) This is a one night stand book, but the reader doesn’t see it happen. This is a strong move, and risks frustrating the reader. But Elle is so entertaining that it totally works. You believe in Dean and Allie because they have obvious chemistry on the page. And you’re patient with them because the ride is so worthwhile.