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The romance genre has consistently remained one of the best-selling genres of all time and is currently
But if you’ve never written a love story, you might be wondering how to do it
Before we get down to the heart of the matter (see what I did there?), there’s
You need to read the genre to have a full grasp of reader expectations
Start with the best romance books of all time to get a broad sense of the genre
The setting is realistic and familiar, even if it takes place in a fictional town
Within contemporary romance you might find even more niches, like military romance, mafia romance, billionaire romance, and
” But I’m here to tell you that no bodice has to be ripped to write historical
Many historical romances take place in the Regency era, such as the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
But romance has happened throughout time and space, so pick the era that feels right
Oh, my! Paranormal romance, often abbreviated to PNR by authors and fans, is any romance that involves
Typically, one or both of the main characters is/are a supernatural creature
If you prefer your love stories to occur in another world full of magic, then fantasy romance
If you’ve created an alternative world, you’re writing fantasy
Maas and Holly Black are two bestselling fantasy-romance authors
If you prefer your romance clean with a focus on spirituality, then religious romance might be the
The young adult (YA) genre is one of the most lucrative genres out there for writers
There’s just something about young love that everyone can relate to
Just look at Divergent by Veronica Roth or The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
As the publishing industry continues its push for diversity, queer romance is gaining in popularity
Rainbow Rowell is one of the bestselling queer romance authors
But in erotic romance, sex is one of the key points of the story, but the love
In erotica (different to erotic romance) sex is the focal point, and any romance or character development
You might have noticed some overlap with the genres listed above
Take genre expectations and mash them together for something completely unique
These books are both paranormal mysteries and paranormal romance
The stories don’t work without both the mystery and romance aspects
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon is steeped in two different eras of history, but the author
As long as the love story is the most crucial component of the plot, it counts as
For a compelling romance, your story should be primarily character-driven
What sort of traits do you want your characters to have? Are you writing brooding heroes and
Your two love interests should have some conflicting personality traits
Also, make sure that your heroes and heroines fit the subgenre that you write in
How do you want your characters to grow together? How do you want their love to change
You might think you don’t need to focus on world-building if you aren’t writing a
But the world your story takes place in is important, even if it looks like our world
If you’re writing fantasy or paranormal romance, you’ll also need to define your mythology and
In religious romance, the world-building might show you the two different, conflicting belief systems and how they
In historical romance, you might find class or race differences are a great starting point for conflict
You might think all you need for a romance novel is love, right? Well, if you plan
He’s a playboy Hollywood exec who stops by her coffee shop
The meet cute is the term for the inciting incident in a romance
While it doesn’t have to be love at first sight—and probably shouldn’t be for
You could be writing an enemies-to-lovers story or have a grumpy love interest, but there should be
They might lean toward sarcastic banter or heated flirtations
Use description in a way that makes sense for the character’s point of view
Need help with description? Use ProWritingAid’s Sensory Report to help develop the sensory details associated with
It’s important to use all of the five senses and not rely too heavily on a
Some plot structures suggest that there should be a minimum of three scenes where they interact before
Through each scene, make their observations of one another deeper and more intimate
Hint at any emotional wounds or baggage, and show how falling in love might heal them
But your story will be very short and underdeveloped if your happily ever after comes too soon
A first kiss or a tryst is common for this first union in romance
Work within the confines of your world and story to determine what this will look like
The couple spends a night together, but then one is offered their dream job the next morning,
Something nefarious occurs after a kiss, and one of the love interests is kidnapped or is forced
One wakes up with guilt because of the nature of their relationship (not accepted by society, is
Are they able to meet in secret for months before they are discovered? Or is there just
You know how the fairy tales end: “and they all lived happily ever after
If there is one plot component that is expected by the vast majority of romance readers, it’
Nothing will tear them apart, and the worst of times are behind them
The first love interests of her main characters are never the endgame relationship
If you’re planning a series, a “happily for now” ending might work well
Some authors have had great success with tearjerker endings, like Nicholas Sparks
In other words, the ending should leave the reader satisfied with the culmination of the romantic relationship
There should still be a degree of happiness at the end of the book
If your story ends too much like a Shakespearean tragedy, your readers will lose trust in you
There is an endless number of romance tropes, and they stay popular because people love them
Figure out a way to freshen up some of these tropes and use them in a new,
Here are some well-known romance tropes that stand the test of time
The last major factor when planning and writing your romance novel is the point of view (POV)
Alternating POV between two or more lovers is a common occurrence
It’s okay to start a story in one point of view and realize it’s not
Romance readers are in it for the feelings—the angsty, the warm, the cozy, the heart-wrenching
They did just so and all the romance writers lived happily ever after