When it comes to finding a genre that never fails to capture the hearts and imagination of your readers, romance novels may be the first thing to come to your mind. While reading most romance novels can feel like slipping in a warm blanket, writing one is a whole different ball game.
Whether you are considering writing about passionate lovers in the Victorian area or modern-day lovers who met at the bus station, remember that romance is a competitive genre. While winning the hearts of avid romance readers can be a challenge, it is not an impossible one to win over.
Here are some of the best tips to consider while writing a romance novel.
1. Know the Subgenre
Are you writing a romantic comedy, a dark romance, or a paranormal romance? Knowing your genre before you start writing your first draft holds great importance. Every subgenre has its own themes and tropes that you must know about.
Remember, the audience of every subgenre has their own expectations and preferences. The better you understand these factors, the more you can resonate with their interests and establish yourself as a romance author whose readers keep coming back for more.
2. Remember the Conflict
No matter which romance subgenre you choose, the importance of conflict cannot be undermined. It is an important part of every romance novel that drives the plot further and keeps the readers turning one page after another.
Of course, you cannot give your readers whatever they want right in the beginning. The conflict is what stops them from achieving a happy life together. Conflicts that are harder to overcome pique the interests of the readers most.
Make sure that the main conflict is hard to resolve. Of course, you can also add and resolve smaller conflicts in the story from time to time to keep the readers going.
3. Let Your Characters Be Known
Just as in any other genre, characters hold great importance for romance readers as well. Consider characters as the connectors for your readers. Unique, well-rounded, and interesting characters hold the potential to win over the hearts of your readers.
On the contrary, predictable characters can be boring and redundant for your readers. If they do not feel connected to the character, they will not like to continue reading your work.
If you feel that your characters are not up to the mark, you can consider hiring a professional romance novel editor to help you. These professionals know all about romance, reader’s expectations, and more to help you succeed.
In addition to strengthening your primary characters, you must also ensure that the secondary characters are used with caution. Of course, it is always important to remember that most of your focus goes to the main couple.
4. Hook the Readers
As an author who wants to win over the hearts of their readers, you want to grab their attention right from the beginning. The best way to do so is to start your romance novel with a point of action to hook the readers from the very first line.
Try to craft a creative start, such as the hero being involved in a terrible car accident and the heroine heroically saving his life or the heroine being lost in the middle of nowhere, and the hero is the only one who can save her. Be sure to make it unique and intriguing.
Following these examples, you can craft a unique and unforgettable for your book and dive into action right from the beginning. These hooks can ensure that your readers keep turning one page after another to get to the character’s happily ever after.
5. Read More
The best to master a skill is to learn from the ones who are the best at it. As an aspiring romance author, you cannot meet every great romance author whom you idealize. However, that does not mean that you cannot learn from them.
Luckily, works from the best romance writers, such as Jane Austen, Linda Howard, and Patricia Elliott, are easily available for readers to enjoy and learn from. You can read these works to learn from them and apply your knowledge to your own work.
If you are not interested in the genre as a reader, that will be reflected in your writing. Hence, it is better to develop a habit of reading before you dream of becoming a sought-after romance writer. This practice will help you fall in love with the genre even more and be able to understand what actually makes a romance novel stand out.
6. Focus on Feelings
Feelings and their acknowledgment are very important, especially in the romance genre. Avid romance readers always look forward to relating to the characters and story they are reading. You must always keep feelings a top priority when writing for your audience.
Of course, you can add some dark moments to your story, but at the core, you must always focus on a positive outlook. You can play around with your ideas but should never forget the sensitivity at the core of every romance reader’s soul.
7. Write About S*x with Care
When you are writing a romance novel, you may think that dealing with the topic of s*x will come easily. However, the matter of physical attraction can determine a lot about your characters and how they and their relationship are perceived by the readers.
Remember, there is a difference between erotic and romance novels. Romance novels can include varying levels of s*xual content. The main difference between erotica and romance is the focus on the story. Romance novels have a more substantial plot and typically end with a happy ending. This means that even without the s*xual content, the story would stand on its own.
On the contrary, erotica relies heavily on s*xual content, and removing it would significantly impact the narrative. Hence, even if you want to write a s*x scene, there needs to be an emotional motivator to back up this decision.
