Problem: Article: . Though many YA romance novels focuses on a female protagonist, you do not have to limit yourself to a female main character. A male protagonist or a non gender identifying protagonist are also options. However, when creating your main character, try to avoid falling into cliche or familiar territory. You want your protagonist to be engaging and unique enough to keep your reader turning the page. Avoid the trap of a writing a "Mary Sue", which is shorthand in the YA book world for a female protagonist who is self centered and shallow. Mary Sues are often one note characters, who can do no wrong and every plot point seems set up to let them get what they want or get their perfect man. No only does this create a flat main character that is not relatable to the reader, it also kills any stakes in the story and renders the story predictable. Rather than let the main character's crush or romantic desires define her, develop her as a fully formed character separate of her crush. Think of your main character as the foundation for the romance you are going to build in the book. Make her a person the average reader can identify with, full of insecurities, awkward tendencies, and teenage impulses. Use a teenager you know as a model, or think back to how you felt when you were a teenager. You likely did not feel perfect every day or get what you wanted. Give your main character deep rooted struggles and show her insecurities to your readers so they will sympathize with her and relate to her. Because most teen romance stories are read by a female audience, your love interest will likely have to possess one overriding feature: being very good looking. Often called a "Gary Stu" (to his "Mary Sue"), most traditional teen romances contain a highly desirable and physically attractive love interest. However, it's important not to go too extreme with the desirable traits and physical beauty of the love interest. Cliche descriptions of men like "tall, dark, handsome" or "as beautiful as a Greek god" or "really damn hot" should be avoided. Though you will likely need to imbue your male love interest with a high level of physical desirability, it's important to also stress personality traits or attributes that make him of interest. Try to keep his character grounded by giving him insecurities and issues that mirror those of the protagonist. Though there should be an element of fantasy to the love interest, you want the love interest to seem believable and similar to a living, breathing person, with issues. . Establish a connection between the two characters through a shared hobby or interest, a friend or acquaintance in common, or even an awkward conversation while waiting in line. Avoid familiar set ups like "love at first sight" or the male love interest simply sweeping the female protagonist off her feet. The lovers should have an immediate connection, but it doesn't always have to be a positive one. They may initially dislike each other, or not think very highly of each other. Or they may clash and argue. Let the connection between them grow slowly over the course of the story. Often, young romance involves a lot of yearning, miscommunication, and awkwardness. One mistake many YA love stories make is to jump right into the smoldering look into each other's eyes and an immediate love. But letting the tension between the two characters build over time will create a more effective story, and give your reader a reason to keep turning the page. . A story is nothing without a problem. This is especially true of teen romance stories, as the lovers are often placed in a conflict or faced with an obstacle that tests their love and devotion to each other. The problem can also cause the lovers to admit their romantic feelings or to realize their romantic feelings. The problem in the story should act as a way to discover more about your protagonist and/or your love interest. It should also create a conflict for the protagonist and for the love interest. Create a problem that fits the stakes of the story. If you are writing a teen romance novel that involves supernatural elements, you may use the discovery the love interest is a vampire as an initial problem. If you are writing a romance novel about a cancer patient, the problem may be the amount of time she has left to spend with her lover. . Use Freytag's Pyramid to structure your story. Structuring your story in an outline before you start writing will help you get a sense of the big picture. Introduction or Exposition - Set the scene. Let the readers meet your main character. Introduce your reader to the protagonist and the setting. Inciting Incident - This is the thing that gets your story rolling, or an incident that starts the action. It should signal the beginning of the main conflict. In most teen romance stories, this is where the love interest is introduced. For example, your protagonist, a sixteen year old cancer patient with several weeks to live, meets a seventeen year old cancer patient with less time to live and they connect. Rising Action - Where things in your story become complicated. The stakes of the story should start to rise, due to inciting incident or the main problem in the story. This could be through showing the two characters growing closer together, or further apart. This could also be in the form of a quest, like Hazel and Augustus' trip to Amsterdam in The Fault in Our Stars. Climax - The turning point of your story. This section or chapter should have the highest level of tension in the book and be the most exciting moment or event. Falling Action - The main conflict has been resolved, or not resolved, and events happen as a result of the climax. Resolution: Your protagonist solves the main problem or conflict, or it is solved for her. Denouement - Wrapping up the story and letting any last details fall into place. Any remaining questions or concerns in the book are solved or answered. In some books, the author will end on a theme or hint at other possibilities for the characters, beyond the last page.
Summary: Create your main character Develop a love interest. Think about how the two lovers meet Think of a problem Create a plot outline

Problem: Article: While many families may already have an annual tradition, make sure to send your invites early if this is the first year organizing a family Christmas. When creating your invite list, make sure that you are aware of any conflicts between family members or extended family to avoid any awkwardness. Depending on how many people you invite, be sure to create a menu for enough people and with plenty of recipes you can cook ahead of time. If you're inviting a large number of people, save yourself time and energy by asking for contributions to the meal. Make sure to keep an organized list to get enough variety for everyone and that anyone cooking is comfortable making their assigned dish. Organize games and activities if there are a lot of children in your family. Young children may get easily restless in anticipation of opening their presents. Whether traveling on your own or with others, Christmas is one of the busiest times of year to travel so book your holiday in advance. Many people choose to escape the cold weather and look to vacation in warmer climates. Create a budget and look for all-inclusive packages to help save money. Ensure that you are able to take the time off of work before planning any vacation. Other coworkers may have already booked the time off. Read reviews or consult a travel agent if you do not know where you would like to take your vacation. Do not book your travel itinerary without researching the pros and cons of your destination. Vacationing should be an escape from any stress so put in the work beforehand to ensure a fun filled getaway. Add some Christmas cheer to your office by organizing a gift exchange or Secret Santa. Simply place everyone's name in a hat or organize a system in which each co-worker is anonymously assigned a fellow co-worker to buy a gift for. Make sure that there is a price limit and to stress that gifts should be appropriate for your work environment. For a more random exchange, create a cakewalk in which everyone buys a gift. Set a price limit so that no one goes overboard. Line up all the gifts and assign each with a different number. Follow the rules of musical chairs and play a song as everyone walks around the gifts. When the music stops, each person gets the gift closest to them. Depending on your faith, Christmas may be a time to express your faith. Many Christian churches will post their schedules for the holidays. Find your local place of worship and be sure to come early as some places of worship may be filled beyond capacity.
Summary:
Organize a family party. Get away for the holidays. Plan a gift exchange with co-workers. Find a place to worship (optional).