5 Tips for Writing a Romance Novel
There are many guides, tips and tricks out there telling us how to write a romance novel, but one thing to always keep in mind: there isn’t just one right way to write romance. Romance has many subgenres, as fantasy has, horror, and all the other genres. Let’s take a look at some of the steps you as a writer can take when crafting a romance story.
The First Step: Read
As I mentioned above, the very first step of writing requires reading and that means grabbing books in the genre you want to write. Read. Read. Read.
But also take notes. Write your ideas in a notebook. Look closely at the technique. What kind of subgenre of romance you are more inclined to read? Is it erotic? Paranormal/Supernatural? Historical? Fantasy? Are you a young adult romance reader or perhaps you like love when is presented more religiously or spiritually?
Whatever it is, you may know already what type of story you want to write, and that’s how you begin.
The Second Step: Setting And Stage
No matter what you write: genre, subgenre, the setting of where the story is going to unfold it is really important. Is the world of your characters similar to ours? Or perhaps it is in a world of your own where instead of cars there are unicorns? You would think that the setting doesn’t matter, but a romance between young adults in the contemporary world, will be slightly different than one from a fantastic realm where the characters also have to fight for their lives. There’s other risqué and consequences, other decisions and choices the character may make.
For example, Pride and Prejudice, has the setting in rural England at the turn of the 19th century. Why is this important? Because of the way Jane behaved. The choices she had to make. Also, back then there were no phones, no internet or means to keep in touch with a brief message. Back then courting was important, if Jane would’ve lived in the world as we know it today, she would’ve probably swiped right or left, not attending balls.
The Third Step: Love
Now you need to add love, and for that you need two victims making a strong couple even if – perhaps – they don’t realize it from the beginning. We’ve got the hero and the heroine meet. Give them realistic motivation and flaws. Give them pain, because love goes hand in hand with suffering and misery, also with happiness and excitement. Give the hero a past, make it count, but also give the heroine a strong character, as strong as the hero. Don’t fear making mistakes! If you think that the two of them should hate each other in the beginning, perfectly fine, but give a solid reason. Make it realistic, so that readers would fall for them. Make the reader wish and wait for the moment when those two poor souls would figure it out already – that they are in love, but don’t stop at that.
The Fourth Step: Tropes
Friends/enemies to lovers – my favourite is enemies to lovers
Healing – one helps the other one heals; love cures everything some say
You are my destiny – they loved each other but did not work out, years later they are reunited.
The Fifth And The Last Step: Intimacy And Happy Ending
Decided if you will or not include intimacy.
Your romance story can contain R-rated scenes – more likely if you chose to write erotica or romance fantasy. But there can also be no sex scenes described in your story, but just brief paragraphs of intimate moments without going into too many details. Carefully how you write the physical intimacy, you want the reader to be eager and anticipate what’s going to happen. If you are still unsure of how to write such scenes, read stories that contain them and choose the ones you think worked well, then try to emulate them.
Happy endings are my preferred endings. I personally choose to give my characters what they deserve, after a long fight for it. And if it works for the story, with the theme and the genre, why not? We all want to be happy, therefore our characters deserve the same. But if your story has an inclination for drama, it’s on your shoulders if you decide to kill the hero or the heroine as an ending. Maybe no one dies, but their love doesn’t triumph through the tries of life and time.
Now you should be able to crack on with your writing, and if ever in doubt or uncertain what you might need to do, read so more and always research. Happy writing!