Is There Too Much Flannel In Your Romance Novel?

May 2026

The goal of good fiction is to mirror real life or at least suspend disbelief to the point that the story is relatable.  The books we write need to entertain readers in such a way that they can find themselves on the pages while simultaneously escaping from the mundane or frustrating pieces of their daily lives.  This emotional and intellectual connection is why readers gravitate to their favorite genres; they see themselves somewhere in the story.  Either they find characters who are extremely similar to them… or they find characters who portray the style and behavior of the person they wish they could be. 

There are few things more comforting than a cozy blanket, soft flannel pajamas, and a cup of cocoa to help you rest, relax, and recharge.  Gently cocooned against the constant harshness of reality makes disappearing into the pages of a romance novel especially wonderful.  Soft words, deeply held gazes, and tender kisses ushering in the happily-ever-after ending is at its zenith when our words are swaddled in flannel.

Still, for all its soft reassurance, flannel isn't always the best idea when we’re writing about the prevailing winds of change or the excitement of discovery that we all crave inside great love stories.  Sometimes, when writing the realism of love, wool is a better choice than flannel.  It's warm, strong, durable, and wicks away the moisture of sweat and tears.  Sadly, wool can also be a bit scratchy and not always tremendously comforting.  However, wool is very honest. 

A great romance novel will have a balanced measure of both flannel and wool on its pages.  Love stories are not just fair-weather reads.  As Jonathan Larson put it, there are “Seasons of Love” that change, grow, and sometimes fade away.  Readers need both flannel and wool in the hope chest of our novels so they can be realistically indulgent and enjoy the romantic ending for everything it’s worth.  We should be authentic with our readers and acknowledge that love isn’t instantly and forever soft.  The romance in our books needs to make it through the rough, itchy moments so readers can enjoy the comforting, cozy moments again.  After all, this is how love works in real life.

Flannel is the twitterpated moments the reader enjoys when the couple first spots each other across a crowed space.  We snuggle into our flannel when lovers kiss for the first time with all the passion new love reveals.  We nearly suffocatae in flannel when one proposes to the other and they make their promise of forever.  Immersed in all that warmth, comfort, and overwhelming happiness is where flannel works best.

Unfortunately, in between those soft, cozy moments we also encounter the prickly parts of a relationship that we don’t like to talk about… and that’s when our characters’ wool pea coats of resilience and tenacity are important for our readers to experience.  Everyone has lived through the aggravation of stumbling love, the frustration of realizing the barriers that must be overcome, and the storms of loss or betrayal that require wool’s protection… even though it’s not comfortable. 

The basic formula for a romance novel goes like this: 

• Two characters meet, they feel drawn to each other, and get together.  The couple is extremely happy; deleriously happy.

• The characters are forced to deal with something sad, frustrating, or messy.  This creates tension between them and has them doubting their intentions, purpose, or direction.

• The characters will, either individually or as partners, face the issue, problem, or obstacle.  Taking action against this negativity will either push them away from each other for a while or require a sacrifice from one or both characters to resolve the sticky wicket. 

• Finally, the characters find a solution to the hurdle and clear it, which results in either a hard-won reconciliation or an epiphany which ultimately brings them back together. 

• The characters’ relationship is now stronger, or at least more defined because of the trials they endured. 

• The story ends with the characters’ happily-ever-after exactly how they imagined it from the beginning, or a happily-for-now ending that will sustain them until they can build their relationship utopia.

The point is, readers won’t enjoy the flannel moments without the juxtaposition of the wool moments.  It’s what makes them realize that there is a distinction in the difference.  Romance novels need to be, on some level, messy, or scary, or difficult… at least until the lovers appreciate how they fit together.  Then, once they find the best parts of each other and learn to work with the rest, those soft, cozy moments are even more valuable, and the happily-ever-after ending is far more satisfying for the reader.

If the characters in your romance novel don’t have to struggle a little, work through a few missteps, sacrifice a little, or maybe even cry a little… readers will find it difficult to connect with them.  The characters will feel flat and unimaginative, and the plot will feel uninspired.  It is true that real life is often stranger than fiction; but fiction still needs to feel real if readers are to enjoy it.

So yes, wrap your romance novel’s twitterpated moments in the warm softness of flannel.  But realize that wool is also an important and inevitable part of the story if you expect five-star reviews.  Your readers’ reward for making it through the scratchy, itchy stuff is the fuzzy flannel that they can snuggle into with a smile in their heart when you type: The End.