Developing Characters Readers Love (or Hate in a Good Way)
Table of Contents What makes a romance great? Certainly there are many factors, but one of the most important is the characters. When we gush about our favorite romance novels, […]
Plot Fixes for When Your Romance Isn’t Working
You’re writing, but somehow, the story isn’t working. The pacing is weird. The characters are flat. The romance doesn’t have the spark it promised at the start. If that sounds […]
“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 reason, or the hero sabotaged […]
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 parts of themselves. Whether it’s […]
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 submission guidelines (that’s a whole […]
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 emotional turmoil as they face […]
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 scene in which our characters […]
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 video. You might […]
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 moving parts. Organizing thoughts and […]
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 involving two people coming together, […]