Every so often, someone on Twitter starts a fight (as one does) about the difference between romances and romantic comedies. This might seem like a silly argument, but the distinction is important. Readers expecting a rollicking romantic comedy may find themselves disappointed by a perfectly lovely romance, but it can be difficult as a writer to know if your romance is funny enough to be pitched as a romantic comedy. So, what, exactly, is the difference?
One of the great pleasures of my MFA program has been the opportunity to learn how to read purposefully with the goal of answering questions like this one. In pulling apart dozens of books, I’ve come to believe that the trick to writing a romantic comedy lies in finding the space between the “rom” and the “com.” This essay shares three techniques I uncovered through my reading to help writers stay in that space. Because my MFA program focuses on writing for children and young adults,
