How to Write a Romance Novel

• by Jenny Hudock

Introduction

• Romance novels are a treasured pastime for millions of readers. According to a 2005 survey, 64.6 million Americans admitted to having read a romance novel.¹ From paranormal encounters with hot vampires to historical journeys with armor-clad knights, romance offers an escape for the romantic in everyone.

• The romance market is more competitive than ever, and many publishers have tried to take risk out of the equation by devising specific plot formulas for their writers to follow. If you're ready to try your hand at romance novel writing, read on for some tips that will both familiarize you with the market and ensure that your writing adheres to romance publishers' (and readers') expectations.

Step 1: The Romantic Reader

• If you are considering writing a romance novel, chances are you've read a few. Reading is important for writers no matter what genre you write in. Here are a few reasons why it is especially important for romance writers to stay on top of their market:

1. Reading current romance will give you an idea of what editors are looking for right now.²
2. You can get an idea of how the plots are structured.³
3. You'll be able to understand the emotional execution involved in seeing a hero and heroine through to the end.⁴
4. Exposure to believable love scenes will make writing your own that much easier.⁵
5. Inspiration may lie in the pages of a well-loved story.
6. You can get a basic idea of what has been overdone.³

Step 2: Basic Elements of Storytelling

• Think back on the romance novels you've read in the past. The similarities between them all are the elements the storyteller used to orchestrate the plot. Before you can begin writing, you'll need to know what comprises a successful story.

1. Theme: The central, driving force of the story. It is often a reflection on life or human nature.⁶ In romance novels, the reflection will likely fall back on the development of a romantic relationship between two people.⁷
2. Plot: Consists of the setting and conflict and drives the story from one point to the next.⁶
3. Characters/Protagonist: The person or persons affected by the central action of the story.⁸
   • In a romance, the protagonist is usually the heroine or hero, sometimes both, working against forces keeping them apart.
4. Setting: The place and time during which the plot of the story is set.⁹
5. Conflict/Antagonist: The conflict is the force that works against the characters.
   1. Conflict is usually established in the beginning.⁶
   2. The action in the plot rises naturally as the conflict builds up.
   3. The antagonist is often another character working against the protagonist.⁸
      • Sometimes this will be the hero or heroine working against each other despite their mutual attraction.
6. Climax: Turning point in the plot. The action and conflict reach a boiling point, and there is no turning back.⁶
7. Falling Action: Begins to wrap up the loose ends through the story.⁶
8. Resolution: All major points of conflict are concluded.⁶

• Both the conflict and the climax of the story should heavily revolve around two people going through the stages of developing a relationship.⁷

Step 3: Researching the Market

• In most other genres this is something you are more likely to do after you have your manuscript finished. In romance, it is imperative that you take a look at the market before you even begin so you are aware of any set guidelines that the publishers have in place.

1. Each publisher will have a different formula and set of guidelines.³
   • Some will have several sub-genres of romance that they publish. Each of those sub-genres will have a set of guidelines.
2. The sensuality requirements will be different for each publisher.²
3. Many will have happily ever after standards.¹⁰
4. Most will have a list of taboo subjects that they will never publish.³
5. Hot topics like STDs and un-planned pregnancies have pushed many editors to include safe-sex practices in their formulas.¹¹

• Even if you go into your romance novel with a basic idea of what you'd like to write, take some time to look at publishers' formulas and guidelines before you start writing. When you've finished your novel and are ready to submit, you are already one step ahead of the writer who didn't bother to look at the market.

Step 4: The Hero and Heroine

• Nowhere is the character-driven plot more essential than in romance novels. As the romance genre has evolved, the character roles have as well. Heroines were once portrayed as vulnerable, lonely women in desperate need of a man to complete them, and the heroes tended to be dominant, social climbers intrigued by the conquest of a woman beneath them.¹⁰

• Today the characters are more in tune with current societal roles. Whether you are writing about a futuristic vampire or one of Queen Guinevere's handmaidens, the people in your story need to be real enough for your readers to identify with them.

• When creating your hero make sure he is:

1. Strong, exciting and bold.²
2. Sensitive.³
3. Attractive.¹¹
4. Sensual and sexy.¹²
5. Realistically flawed.¹¹ If he is 100% perfect, there is no way he'll be believable.
6. Everything your heroine fantasizes about in a man.¹²

• You'll want heroines who are:

1. Attractive, even if she doesn't know or believe she is attractive.²
2. Independent and self-reliant.¹²
3. Smart and spunky.³
4. Sensitive, but not vulnerable.³
5. Not too desperate to have a man in her life.³
6. Unafraid to speak her mind when needed.¹²
7. Motivated by an inner-drive.²
8. Imperfect, as long as it doesn't detract from her character.
9. Someone the hero is willing to do anything to get.²

• On top of your main characters, you'll want to add in a few secondary characters like friends and family members. Always remember that your secondary characters should never outshine your main characters.²

Step 5: The Intimate Parts

• Romance doesn't start off slow. The sparks between your hero and heroine need to fly from the very first moment they come in contact, whether they are attracted to each other or they hate each other's guts.¹² These scenes will increase the romantic tension until it explodes, and the intimacy follows. Here are some tips to keep in mind while crafting the intimate moments between your characters:

1. If you are writing for a specific publisher, make sure you know their sensuality limits.¹³
2. Exaggerate the awareness of the sexual tension between your characters from the start.¹⁴
3. Explore the connection between your characters; the more emotionally-charged the better.¹²
4. Passion doesn't have to be all about sexual attraction.⁴
5. Let your characters determine the level of intimacy they achieve, and how quickly they achieve it.¹⁴
6. Don't just dive into an intimate scene, draw it out slowly so the reader can savor it.⁵
7. Avoid well-known taboos, like rape, incest, terrorism, terminal illness and anything else that draws away from the romance factor.²
8. Draw from your characters' experiences and background during intimate scenes.¹⁴
   1. If your character is a virgin, she's not going to dive right into the moment uninhibited.
   2. If your character has never connected emotionally before during intimacy, draw on that.
   3. If you're writing about a man who is good with his hands, use that to his advantage.
9. Hardcore erotic romance editors do require that you use natural terms for parts of the body. This could make some writers uncomfortable. In time, it will feel natural to you and your characters.¹⁴

• The possibilities are unlimited. After all romantic scenes are reality-based moments of fantasy, but keep reality in the back of your mind at all times. If it's physically impossible, don't try to pull it off just because it's fiction.

Step 6: Research and Outlining

Research

• There are a lot of reasons you might need to do research for your romance novel. If you are planning a period romance, something with a hint of suspense or a paranormal twist, you will want to make sure your setting and plot are credible.

1. Take advantage of your local library.
2. Use the Internet, but don't rely on just any old page.
   1. Make sure the information comes from a reliable source.
   2. You can also cross-reference information with several different sites to see if it matches up.
3. Take care not to jumble the creative process as you research. Remember, writing is a creative endeavor, and you should be making up the most interesting parts on your own.¹⁵

Outlining

• A basic outline is a great way to keep track of where you want the story to go, while still allowing you the flexibility to be spontaneous and creative.

1. Having a basic idea of the plot structure will help you finish your novel.¹⁶
2. Think of an outline like a map of your story. It will allow you to check all alternative routes to make sure they still wind up at the end you planned.¹⁷
3. Try storyboarding (writing things down scene by scene) on note cards that you can flip through whenever you need a refresher.¹⁸

Step 7: The Writing Process

• If this is your first novel, you may want to take some time to familiarize yourself with some of the tools of writing, such as point-of-view, dialogue, grammar and showing versus telling.

• Visit Mahalo's page on How to Write a Novel for a detailed look at each of these important tools.

• Here are some tips that will help you see your romance novel through to the final page:

1. Once you decide on a basic plot build on it by asking yourself Who? What? Why? When? Where? How?.¹⁹
2. Make a commitment to writing so you see your novel through until the end.
3. Avoid as many distractions as you can while writing.
4. Set aside time to write every day.¹¹
5. Find a place to write where you won't be disturbed.
6. Know your characters and plot well.²⁰
7. Keep your research handy at all times in case you need to reference something.
8. Beware of simple plot solutions like:
   1. Waking from a dream to find none of it was real.
   2. Killing off a frustrating character suddenly instead of confronting them.
   3. Relying on coincidence instead of establishing an actual cause for events.²¹
9. Don't try to get everything right the first time through.
   • Remind yourself that this is just the first draft, and your main goal now is to get the basics of the story out on paper.²²

• If you find yourself getting stuck while writing, check out Mahalo's page on How to Beat Writer's Block.

Step 8: The Revision Process

• Congratulations! You've finished the first draft of your romance novel. Pat yourself on the back and take a break while you get it printed out. Once you're ready to start the revision process, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Read over the first draft and take notes you can refer to later when revising.
   1. Does it adhere to editorial guidelines?
   2. Are your plot and characters consistent?
2. If you haven't already, join a writers group that can give you feedback on your novel.²⁰
3. Print out copies and ask your writers group for some feedback.²³
4. Listen with an open mind to all criticism.²³
5. Compare their notes with yours and begin making revisions.
6. Once you have a second draft, start the process over again, this time also allowing yourself to note any spelling and grammar mistakes.
7. Don't be afraid to make changes or even cut out entire sections if they don't fit into your vision.²³

• It could take three or more draft revisions before you feel confident enough with the end-result to send it on to an editor.

Conclusion

• Once you're sure that you've met all of the editorial requirements, it's time for you to dive into the market and try to get published. Don't be afraid. If you've done your homework well and paid special attention to all of the publisher's detailed instructions, you may stand out above the rest and find yourself moving on to the next round. Good luck, and happy writing!

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References for How to Write a Romance Novel

1. ↑ Romance Writers of America: Romance Literature Statistics
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7} Romance Factor: Romance Writing 101
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7} How To Do Things.com: How to Write a Romance Novel
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Write Place, Write Time: Writing the Romance Novel (May 21, 2008)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Romance Factor: Writing the Love Scene
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5} ThinkQuest: Parts of a Story
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Wikipedia: Romance Novel
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Arcanum-Butler Local School: Creative Writing
9. ↑ Wikipedia: Setting
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} The Boston Phoenix: How to Become a Romance Novelist
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3} WikiHow: How to Write a Romance Novel
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5} Eclectics.com: Six Ingredients of a Sensual Romance Novel
13. ↑ All About Romance: Sensuality ratings
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3} Romance Factor: 20 Steps to Writing Great Love Scenes Part 1
15. ↑ Pohangina Pete: How Thoroughly Should You Research Your Novel? (May 9, 2004)
16. ↑ Deep Genre: How to write a Novel (Part 1) (January 15, 2008)
17. ↑ HollyLisle.com: How to Finish a Novel
18. ↑ Steampunk: Advice on Novel Writing by Crawford Kilian
19. ↑ Romance Factor: Develop a Kick-Ass Plot
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} eHow: How to Write a Romance Novel
21. ↑ Romance Factor: Techniques to Make Your Romance Zing
22. ↑ Victory Page for Writers: Writing Your First Novel (2003)
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1 23.2} Deep Genre: How to Write a Novel (Part 2) (January 21, 2008)

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