Writing the Perfect Love Story
A Guide to Aspiring Romance Authors Who Have What it Takes
Tips and step-by-step instructions to help beginning romance authors get their foot in the door.
One of the most lucrative fields of publishing is romance. For hundreds of years people have penned down their thoughts about love, and some have even fictionalized their stories. Some give us hope, some make us cry, and some make us laugh out loud. As long as the reader gets the thrilling sensation of falling in love, whether it ends in a wedding or a break-up, the goal is achieved.
Tips on Writing a Romance Novel
Writing a romance novel begins just as any other writing project does; brainstorming. Romance novels, for the most part, can support any subplot as long as the main plot circles around the love and passion of the hero and heroine. Some starter ideas might be long-separated high school sweethearts, a crisis on a ship or airplane, or some high-tension mystery that throws the hero and heroine together. Although these are used somewhat frequently, as long as you can put your own spin on it, many publishers probably won’t mind.
Character Development
The second step to writing your novel is to establish the characters. A hero and heroine are a must, although generally the romance novels of today are centered around the heroine’s point of view. There are a few stories that have branched out from that tradition, such as the bestseller The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. Decide what kind of person your heroine is; would she put her life on the line for her true love? Or would she be content to live by the sea with her dog painting pictures of the sand dunes? Is your hero the rough-and-tough adventurer, or the sweet-natured boy next door? Your characters’ personalities will determine whether the book will be comical, tense, sweet, etc.
Map Out The Story Idea
The third step is to write a rough outline. Even if it’s not chapter-by-chapter, having a general idea of where you’re going is a good idea. Some authors prefer to skip the prewriting and just run with an idea until they run out of juice. Although this can work for some people, most authors prefer to have a goal in mind. It helps them branch out with more ideas.
After you have your plot, characters, and outline, the next objective is to start writing. Even if you hit a dead end, force yourself to keep writing. Many writers think a book idea sounds great until they start writing it, and then they feel like their idea is stupid and unoriginal. Do not fall into this pattern; this is simply modesty kicking in. If you have to, skip that chapter and move onto the next one. Writing, even if it’s not your best at the moment, will inspire better ideas for the future.
Additional Tip:
- to sell it! Don’t let it sit on a shelf gathering dust. Let people know what kind of talent you have!
