Keir Editing and Writing Services
Sam Keir
🌈 LGBTQ+ Editors Association Board Member
Building a world where queer characters are not just accepted but are celebrated
The question I’m always asking is: does this ending serve the characters, the plot, and the LGBTQIA+ community?
I love queer romance, and one of the guarantees made to readers of this genre is that the ending will be either a) happily ever after (HEA) or b) happily for now (HFN).
So, whether you are writing gay fiction, queer romance, or straight couplings, I’d be very careful about presenting your work as (big “R”) Romance if you don’t have a HEA or HFN!
Literary fiction or (small “r”) romance, where the romantic couplings are not the main plot (such as a queer historical fiction story where there is a romance but one of the characters is tragically killed, or an LGBTQIA+ crime story where there is a relationship on page but it’s not the main plot), are on the other end of the romantic spectrum. In these cases, the reader will enjoy the romantic goings-on, but you aren’t beholden to writing a HEA or HFN.
Understanding what type of romance you are writing is an important first step because genre considerations are something your editor will be looking out for during early manuscript reviews.
Once you are sure you are writing a romance, and you want everything to end well for the characters, let’s look at how your characters are going to get there.
Everything in romance is about the buildup. We know they are going to get together, but how they get there is where the magic happens. You don’t want to make it too easy for your characters in the beginning, and nothing is as unsatisfying as a quick and easy match and then the rest of the story is about them settling down. Characters who get together too easily can be dull for readers, but like many things in fiction, there aren’t fixed rules, so carefully consider how tension is affected by when they get together. There is nothing wrong with this type of story, but I’d always suggest throwing a few more barriers and obstacles in the way of your characters, and these struggles are what will draw your reader into loving your story.
Queer characters can face a huge range of struggles specific to being queer, including family and societal expectations, workplace discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination, lack of support from friends or community, and cultural or religious barriers. These challenges can all play a part, but it’s best not to make their sole struggles about their sexuality and identity, as that doesn’t fully reflect real life.
We like to see how different characters face obstacles, because either we’ve shared a similar situation, or we are fascinated by the wide range of possibilities that come with human couplings. Taking those couplings through a multitude of ordeals will make the end payoff even sweeter because they have really had to fight to get there.
For the most gripping romance, you want to aim for internal (and external) goals that bring the characters into conflict. This often comes about when they have dreams, wishes, and personality traits that clash. If you have one macho, aggressive character, then a good pairing option is someone who is quiet, methodical, and likes to think things through before they act. In queer romantic couples, opposites really do attract! The tension that stems from their conflicting internal struggles can then be rectified by reflecting on and digging into their own psyches and backgrounds to find answers to move them forward to a HEA or HFN resolution. As change is a key part of a rounded character in fiction, drawing on the strengths and weaknesses of the other character is really a solid plan of action.
Reserved vs adventurous, introverted vs extroverted, idealist vs realist, messy vs neat, caregiver vs independent, optimist vs pessimist, spontaneous vs planner, strong-willed vs easygoing, traditional vs progressive, and workaholic vs relaxed. The list is really endless!
All these traits allow each character to learn to trust, show emotional vulnerability, and find balance between their past and their future selves.
This is a common and well-known aspect of the romance genre, but many readers don’t like it! Sometimes this type of separation can feel forced, or the author doesn’t relate the separation clearly to internal goals, where the characters are in their arc, or the external reasons feel forced upon the character rather than developing from their original motivations and goals.
Alternative options might be conflict without separation, such as work troubles or a shared challenge they can face together while having minor disagreements. This can maintain tension and pace without forcing them to be apart. Scrapping it altogether, and focusing on healthy relationship dynamics and external struggles (e.g., family members, job woes) can be a surprise for readers, and might feel like a more natural way to end the story.
Great romance usually involves some form of change from both characters, and another option in the third act is to continue one of the character’s individual struggles and journeys. It’s more realistic because couples don’t always wrap things up at the same moment. A final option is a “make or break” moment where the couple almost ends things when they come under too much pressure, which for queer characters could be a marriage proposal, enforced coming out, or discussions about children.
Marriage Isn’t Always the End Goal or Result for HEA
Marriage, for many, can be a blessing, and it’s common for an epilogue to cover the wedding day celebrations. This doesn’t have to be the case, and isn’t always possible depending on the country, culture, or identities within the story.
Queer couples can be happy living together and focusing on their relationship without the external aspects of legal unions, marriages, or even living together. Really knowing and understanding the characters and what works for them is the best way to work towards a satisfying solution for all.
HEA Can Mean Characters Are Still in the Closet
This might be a controversial view, but safety, family dynamics, and culture all play a large part in queer characters’ lives, and that might be the best option for those characters. This sadly still reflects the reality for many people around the world, and they are valid experiences to show in romance fiction. The focus of the happy couple, despite the challenges they still face, can provide readers with realistic portrayals of queer couples where they have each other, even if they lack support from family, friends, or society as a whole.
To Avoid: Queer characters shouldn’t be slotted into traditional male/female character roles because this can lead to misrepresentation and feel like lazy writing.
This stems from following a pattern that’s too formulaic, so don’t be afraid to take risks with queer romance, and consider when and how you might take up the services of a queer authenticity reader to help guide you in creating authentic, dynamic, and accurate queer romance couplings.
Here are some examples of great Queer HEAs!
Following her mentor’s sudden death, Mae Kellerman channels her grief into something beautiful: a death party and casting ceremony by the Oregon coast he loved. She’s also determined to open a queer bookstore in the perfect empty storefront with her inheritance…if only its irritating (and cute) owner Dell McCleary trusted her enough to part with it.
Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.
Burned out by his Seattle tech job, Yen-Chen Chang quits and visits small town Clover Hill in search of self-discovery. But a meet-cute with pianist Florence Hong-Lam Ho—and her adorable shih tzu mix Milk Puff—makes him wonder if he’s found more than just a vacation spot.
Where does friendship stop and love begin?
At just 19, Kendall Bettencourt is Hollywood’s hottest young starlet, with the world at her feet – but behind the glamour and designer dresses is a girl who longs for normal.
Payton Taylor is Kendall’s best friend since childhood, and the one person who reminds her of who she really is – her refuge from the craziness of celebrity life.
Charlie isn’t thrilled about returning to his hometown in his late twenties. But he soon discovers that he’s not the only one back home. A chance encounter with his former classmate Jackson quickly turns romantic and leaves Charlie questioning what he wants the future to look like.
As an queer romance fiction editor, I can help you with a structural developmental edit or a line and copy edit once you have your main structure down. For queer romance coaching, I can offer a more tailored approach and assist you at the brainstorming or revision stages.
The novel editing services I offer all come with a close analysis of LGBTQ+ character issues. When I don’t know the answer, I can seek help from colleagues at the LGBTQ+ Editors Association.
Image by Alessandro Alle from Pixabay
🌈 LGBTQ+ Editors Association Board Member
Whether you are writing romance, crime, historical fiction, or memoir, I’m here to help you craft your ideal story.
I love queer romance, and one of the guarantees made to readers of this genre is that the ending will be either a) happily ever after (HEA) or b) happily for now (HFN).
So, whether you are writing gay fiction, queer romance, or straight couplings, I’d be very careful about presenting your work as (big “R”) Romance if you don’t have a HEA or HFN!
Literary fiction or (small “r”) romance, where the romantic couplings are not the main plot (such as a queer historical fiction story where there is a romance but one of the characters is tragically killed, or an LGBTQIA+ crime story where there is a relationship on page but it’s not the main plot), are on the other end of the romantic spectrum. In these cases, the reader will enjoy the romantic goings-on, but you aren’t beholden to writing a HEA or HFN.
Understanding what type of romance you are writing is an important first step because genre considerations are something your editor will be looking out for during early manuscript reviews.
Once you are sure you are writing a romance, and you want everything to end well for the characters, let’s look at how your characters are going to get there.
Everything in romance is about the buildup. We know they are going to get together, but how they get there is where the magic happens. You don’t want to make it too easy for your characters in the beginning, and nothing is as unsatisfying as a quick and easy match and then the rest of the story is about them settling down. Characters who get together too easily can be dull for readers, but like many things in fiction, there aren’t fixed rules, so carefully consider how tension is affected by when they get together. There is nothing wrong with this type of story, but I’d always suggest throwing a few more barriers and obstacles in the way of your characters, and these struggles are what will draw your reader into loving your story.
Queer characters can face a huge range of struggles specific to being queer, including family and societal expectations, workplace discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of discrimination, lack of support from friends or community, and cultural or religious barriers. These challenges can all play a part, but it’s best not to make their sole struggles about their sexuality and identity, as that doesn’t fully reflect real life.
We like to see how different characters face obstacles, because either we’ve shared a similar situation, or we are fascinated by the wide range of possibilities that come with human couplings. Taking those couplings through a multitude of ordeals will make the end payoff even sweeter because they have really had to fight to get there.
For the most gripping romance, you want to aim for internal (and external) goals that bring the characters into conflict. This often comes about when they have dreams, wishes, and personality traits that clash. If you have one macho, aggressive character, then a good pairing option is someone who is quiet, methodical, and likes to think things through before they act. In queer romantic couples, opposites really do attract! The tension that stems from their conflicting internal struggles can then be rectified by reflecting on and digging into their own psyches and backgrounds to find answers to move them forward to a HEA or HFN resolution. As change is a key part of a rounded character in fiction, drawing on the strengths and weaknesses of the other character is really a solid plan of action.
Reserved vs adventurous, introverted vs extroverted, idealist vs realist, messy vs neat, caregiver vs independent, optimist vs pessimist, spontaneous vs planner, strong-willed vs easygoing, traditional vs progressive, and workaholic vs relaxed. The list is really endless!
All these traits allow each character to learn to trust, show emotional vulnerability, and find balance between their past and their future selves.
This is a common and well-known aspect of the romance genre, but many readers don’t like it! Sometimes this type of separation can feel forced, or the author doesn’t relate the separation clearly to internal goals, where the characters are in their arc, or the external reasons feel forced upon the character rather than developing from their original motivations and goals.
Alternative options might be conflict without separation, such as work troubles or a shared challenge they can face together while having minor disagreements. This can maintain tension and pace without forcing them to be apart. Scrapping it altogether, and focusing on healthy relationship dynamics and external struggles (e.g., family members, job woes) can be a surprise for readers, and might feel like a more natural way to end the story.
Great romance usually involves some form of change from both characters, and another option in the third act is to continue one of the character’s individual struggles and journeys. It’s more realistic because couples don’t always wrap things up at the same moment. A final option is a “make or break” moment where the couple almost ends things when they come under too much pressure, which for queer characters could be a marriage proposal, enforced coming out, or discussions about children.
Marriage Isn’t Always the End Goal or Result for HEA
Marriage, for many, can be a blessing, and it’s common for an epilogue to cover the wedding day celebrations. This doesn’t have to be the case, and isn’t always possible depending on the country, culture, or identities within the story.
Queer couples can be happy living together and focusing on their relationship without the external aspects of legal unions, marriages, or even living together. Really knowing and understanding the characters and what works for them is the best way to work towards a satisfying solution for all.
HEA Can Mean Characters Are Still in the Closet
This might be a controversial view, but safety, family dynamics, and culture all play a large part in queer characters’ lives, and that might be the best option for those characters. This sadly still reflects the reality for many people around the world, and they are valid experiences to show in romance fiction. The focus of the happy couple, despite the challenges they still face, can provide readers with realistic portrayals of queer couples where they have each other, even if they lack support from family, friends, or society as a whole.
To Avoid: Queer characters shouldn’t be slotted into traditional male/female character roles because this can lead to misrepresentation and feel like lazy writing.
This stems from following a pattern that’s too formulaic, so don’t be afraid to take risks with queer romance, and consider when and how you might take up the services of a queer authenticity reader to help guide you in creating authentic, dynamic, and accurate queer romance couplings.
Here are some examples of great Queer HEAs!
Following her mentor’s sudden death, Mae Kellerman channels her grief into something beautiful: a death party and casting ceremony by the Oregon coast he loved. She’s also determined to open a queer bookstore in the perfect empty storefront with her inheritance…if only its irritating (and cute) owner Dell McCleary trusted her enough to part with it.
Art evaluator Miles Tate is finally about to start living his dream… that is if he can get the funding in place to open his own art gallery in New York. But when an unexpected turn of events finds every one of Miles’ perfectly-planned dreams turned upside-down, it’s time to escape Manhattan and reluctantly take up a well-paid job in the tiny seaside town of Hope’s Bluff, Georgia. For Miles, it’s his only chance to make some money, claw back what little dignity he has left, and figure out what the hell to do with his life.
Burned out by his Seattle tech job, Yen-Chen Chang quits and visits small town Clover Hill in search of self-discovery. But a meet-cute with pianist Florence Hong-Lam Ho—and her adorable shih tzu mix Milk Puff—makes him wonder if he’s found more than just a vacation spot.
Where does friendship stop and love begin?
At just 19, Kendall Bettencourt is Hollywood’s hottest young starlet, with the world at her feet – but behind the glamour and designer dresses is a girl who longs for normal.
Payton Taylor is Kendall’s best friend since childhood, and the one person who reminds her of who she really is – her refuge from the craziness of celebrity life.
Charlie isn’t thrilled about returning to his hometown in his late twenties. But he soon discovers that he’s not the only one back home. A chance encounter with his former classmate Jackson quickly turns romantic and leaves Charlie questioning what he wants the future to look like.
As an queer romance fiction editor, I can help you with a structural developmental edit or a line and copy edit once you have your main structure down. For queer romance coaching, I can offer a more tailored approach and assist you at the brainstorming or revision stages.
The novel editing services I offer all come with a close analysis of LGBTQ+ character issues. When I don’t know the answer, I can seek help from colleagues at the LGBTQ+ Editors Association.
Sam Keir
Keir Editing and Writing Services
🌻 Building a world where queer characters are not just accepted but are celebrated
🏳️🌈 Developmental and copy editing for LGBTQ+ characters and authors
🌈 LGBTQ+ Editors Association membership coordinator
🚀 Let’s write remarkable stories and sell lots of books!
#AmEditing
#QueerFiction
#KeepOnWriting
#KeepOnLearning
Building a strong sense of community in Greenville school Community – Building Approaches
Our best-in-class WordPress solution, with additions optiz ation to make
Our best-in-class WordPress solution, with additions optiz ation to make
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradise
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary
Lets get the app and try ekit for free and no creadit card required