“Why Did They Do That?”: Understanding Character Motivation in Romance
Have you ever read a romance where a character made a decision that didn’t make sense? Maybe the heroine suddenly ran from love with no real…
Tag: plotting
Making a Scene: Writing Scenes in Romance Novels
Table of Contents Scenes are the heartbeat of every romance novel. They’re where characters fall in love, make mistakes, share secrets, and reveal the deepest…
6 Things Every Romance Writer Should Know About Genre Expectations
I spent two years working as a literary agent, and two things I quickly discovered about emerging authors is that one, too many don’t read…
Writing the Black Moment in Romance
As a reader, the black moment is one of the most delicious parts of the book. During the black moment, the main characters experience intense…
How to Write a Swoonworthy Meet Cute
In my opinion, there are three pivotal plot beats that make a romance work. The first is the meet-cute, the screenplay writers’ term of the…
The Romance Writer’s Ultimate Guide to Preparing for NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month is right around the corner! Find out to prepare for and survive the 50k writing challenge! Text version is below the…
Organizing a Romance Novel Writing Project from Idea to Bestseller
Writing and publishing a book seems like a fairly straightforward process. It’s only after you start your novel project that you realize there are many…
Balancing Romance with Mystery, Suspense, or Fantasy
The first rule of romance is that the relationship between the couple is the primary focus of the story. This is straightforward in traditional romances…
FREE Preptober & Writevember Romance Challenge
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is coming in November! Millions of writers across the globe set out to write a 50,000 word novel in 30…
Secret Pregnancy/Secret Child Trope: Ideas for Writing an Accidental Pregnancy
I have a confession. I hate the secret child trope. It always breaks my heart for the man who loses so much time with his…