Taking the Axe to Juliet

I've decided to cut out almost all the romance in my novel.   I can just hear my friend Beryllium Potassium (not her real name) gasping in horror.  Don't worry, Beryllium Dearest, it's not gone for good.  It will come back. Most likely.  If not, I promise to write you a romance in the future. 

My motives are thus: as is, Lizzie (my main character)'s relationship with her boyfriend can't move forward without them getting engaged (which would mess things up). It will be much better if I start them out as good friends, and slowly progress them toward boyfriend/girlfriend.  This will add more to the plot and to character development.  Plus, the boyfriend, Jim, is REALLY boring.  And he doesn't really have a good place in the story. He's basically there just to be Lizzie's boyfriend.  It's kinda like the Doctor Who episode where Donna gets "saved" into the big computer thing in the Library, and her "children" tell her "when you're not here, it's like we just...stop."  That's what happens to Jim.  If Lizzie isn't with him or thinking about him (which, come to think of it, she doesn't really. I'll need to fix that), Jim just stops existing.   The guy needs a life of his own, and this way it will be easier for me to give it to him.
I could have their relationship move backward, make them fight, miscommunicate, etc.  But who wants to read a story where the characters are so insecure they won't just break up already? Or accept/work out their problems and move on?  Not I, my friends, not I.  Plus, since I intend to make this novel the first of a series, I will have loads of time to develop the characters and progress the romance. And the longer I take to make them romantic, the more time I have to have my own romantic experiences (that's a scary thought) and therefore I will know what I'm talking about.

I am somewhat saddened to see the romance go, but am mostly relieved.  The romance was the most awkward thing in the novel, and everything will be better if the romance goes on vacation.  And, for some reason, now that I have something to remove, editing doesn't seem so bad now.  I think what bugged me about it before was that I was just rereading, and I had no exact purpose.  Now I have a purpose.  A mission. A dragon to slay.  Scratch that, I like dragons.  Anyway, editing isn't so daunting anymore. 

Enjoy your day, and if anyone sees Editors Block, tell him his days are numbered.