6 Tips For Writing A Great Romance

Romance is one of the largest selling genres of all time. Yet, it often gets overlooked or seen as substandard or an easy genre to write in. This way of thinking isn’t only damaging, but it’s simply untrue. As I’ve studied the art of writing a great romance, I’ve learned some great tips for making your book stand out, and making your readers hold their breath as they wait for the romance to unfold on your page. These tips can also be helpful to authors wishing to add a romantic subplot to any other genre they write.

1. Make sure your plot sets up enough conflict.

Conflict is what drives your plot forward. This is true for every genre, and romance is no exception. If there isn’t enough conflict tearing your two love interests apart, your story can end up flat. Of course, there can be external conflict in other parts of your story, but a romance novel has the romance as the focus of the plot. If there is no internal conflict between the two characters, you end up with a series of scenes where your couple is spending time together because they like each other, and they have growing feelings for each other, but nothing interesting happens. This is a sure way to bore your readers.

2. Get your couple on the page together.

I often will read a romance where the two main characters are off doing their own things, and not spending enough of the book together. A romance can’t grow between your characters if they’re not interacting with each other. If you’re writing a romance novel, I suggest your couple spends around 80% of the book on the same page, building a relationship. Now, if you’ve set up enough conflict between your characters, they’re not going to want to spend time together. You’re going to have to set up something in your plot that forces your characters to be in the same place at the same time. Whether they are assigned to work together on a project at the office, are forced into a fake relationship, or are stranded in a cabin in the woods, if you can come up with a scenario that puts your characters together against their will, you will have the opportunity for love to grow.

3. Build an emotional connection between your characters.

Not only do your characters need to spend time together, but they must be building an emotional connection along the way. This can be done with small acts of kindness, and as they have conversations and learn to respect each other. Your characters will show that connection as they allow themselves to become vulnerable with each other. Be sure to show the progression of the relationship as the novel unfolds. They will need to be closed off to each other at first, talking only about surface-level things. As the story moves along, they need to become more open and vulnerable, sharing more personal things with each other. By the end of the book, they should be talking about things with the love interest that they don’t talk about with anyone else. This will show the progression of their emotional connection.

4. Don’t forget the dance.

A great romance takes two steps forward and one step back throughout the entire novel. This dance will keep your readers on their toes just waiting for your couple to finally admit to themselves and each other their true feelings. As you write your romance, don’t forget the backward steps. This makes the forward movement much more meaningful. These backward steps will happen because of whatever conflict you’ve set up between your characters. Maybe your characters are up for the same promotion, and this makes them instant enemies. They can start to connect, but something reminds her that he’s just there to steal her promotion, which makes her not trust him, and she pulls back emotionally. This backward movement is integral to the dance of a romance.

5. Show their attraction through physical intimacy.

As your couple begins to have feelings for each other, they will show this through small acts of intimacy. Be sure to show this progress, as you also show their emotional intimacy growing. Physical intimacy can start with a touch to the shoulder, or arm. This physical touch needs to spark feelings of attraction in your characters. As they become more emotionally connected, their physical intimacy will also increase. Be sure to increase the emotional reaction that your characters have to these moments as well.

6. Make your black moment matter. 

The black moment is when your characters decide to give up on the relationship. Be sure this happens for a good reason. Don’t make the black moment all about a misunderstanding, or something else frivolous. This needs to be something your characters care about. The black moment can happen because one character finds out the other lied to them about something, or because they have opposing viewpoints on a political matter, or simply because one of them is terrified of being hurt again in a relationship. Whatever the reason, make it a strong enough reason so your readers see the great dilemma that your characters are going through.

7. Don’t make your climax too short.

During your black moment, your characters will have to decide that love is more important than anything else. This brings us to the climax of the book where your characters finally admit their love. This is what your readers have waited the entire book for, so don’t rush it. Let it be everything your readers are hoping for. The climax needs to be full of depth and emotion. Your characters will finally show their character growth and admit that love conquers all.

As you craft your romance novel, these seven tips will help you write a story that will grab hold of your readers and not let them go.

About Victorine Lieske

Victorine self-published her first book, Not What She Seems, in April of 2010. In March of 2011, Not What She Seems began its 6-week run on The New York Times best-selling eBook list. By May 2011 she had sold over 100,000 copies. Victorine’s first romantic comedy novel hit the USA Today Bestselling books list in January 2015. When she’s not writing, she’s watching swoony Korean Dramas, or making something with her extensive yarn collection.

Website: https://victorinelieske.com/