Write Romance Novels

Do you want to write a romance novel that will give you the title of an author, or just for fun? Writing romance novels are no easy thing, but it is fun! While there is no exact "formula", there are some guidelines that you can follow.

Steps

Romance Novel Samples

Doc:Romance Novel Outline,Romance Novel Excerpt

Writing Your Own Romance Novel

  1. Before you begin to write your romance novel, decide whether you will want to sell your book online or send it to a publisher to have a more likely chance of selling it in stores.
  2. If you choose to send to a publisher, get a literary agent, they will pitch the book to the publisher. Gather the contact information of the agent you've in mind. Keep this in a safe spot so you don't have to go search for this stuff again. If you are going to sell your book online, go through the motions of publishing a book. Don't publish anything, though, just follow the guidelines strictly.
  3. Think up characters, especially two main characters, the main two people in the novel. Think of past events in their life, and maybe that could affect them. What are their weaknesses and strengths? Have they had past loves? Get to know your character.
    • Characters are a huge part of a romance novel. For the leads to seem "realistic" (if that's what you're going for), you must give them flaws. Nobody is perfect, so why make your characters perfect? (However, making them seem perfect to one another is perfectly fine, as long as they have their flaws underneath it all.)
    • Don't have your main characters obsessed with only one thing or one person. The reader should be able to get to know them beyond their romantic interests.
  4. Pick their ages. Depending on the group of people you're writing this romance for, pick the ages of your characters. You'll want your romance novel to be relatable, so writing an adult romance novel centered on fifteen-year-olds won't be a huge hit. Vice versa, if you're writing a teen romance, try not to make them forty-something, or even thirty-something, as these are the ages of the parents of the kids who will be reading your romance. Tweens and teens devour more romance novels, so it would be best if your characters ranged from about 18 to 24. Direct the ages of your characters to the age group of people you want to read your romance.
  5. Decide on the setting. If it's in the future, it probably won't look like the world today. If you're writing paranormal romance, try making up your own world. Base it on what sub genre your romance is on. You don't have to get super specific if you don't want to, but your readers will have an easier time visualizing the story if they can picture the setting. In addition, the setting can help build your characters—if it's always sunny, maybe one longs to live in a place where it rains one day etc.
  6. Think of events that really make your story a romance. Include events that have to do with romance, like dates and heart breaks. Think of interesting ideas, not the same ones that other stories have used. Maybe one of the character's ex is jealous of the relationship, and is trying to get back together with them, or the parents might not approve and select a different partner for the character. Don't forget to use other characters in your book too, like exes, parents, (if it's about teenagers), and friends.
    • Don't always make these events a "picnic in the park with butterflies everywhere" or like a "marriage, divorce, date, marriage, divorce, date, cheat, break-up." You want your romance novel to stand out from the rest.
    • Give the couple their share of trouble along the way. The whole "boy-meets-girl-and-they-fall-in-love-and-live-happily-ever-after" thing is kind of a mainstream idea. Make it interesting, for example, " boy-meets-girl-and-they-hate-each-other-until-boy-sees-girl-getting-drunk-and crazy-at-a-party-and-takes-her-on-a-pity-date-and-she-finds-out-about-the-pity-part" Yes, it's a long scenario, but it's much more complex. Depending on what kind of romance you're writing, create different problems for your characters, such as she's a ghost, he's 10 years older than her and her family doesn't approve, she's disabled, he's from the future.
  7. Write believable dialogue. "Um...I'm Charlotte. Do I know you?" sounds believable. Feel free to give them cheesy dialogue like, "You have the most amazing eyes." However, don't fill up the entire novel with cheesy compliments. A good romance novel usually has a balance of realistic and mushy lines. Also, remember that romances need to be passionate. Give them emotions!
    • Include descriptive words. "Nice" or "Cool" sound unprofessional and tend to deter readers. Other dull and overused words include 'good', 'great', and 'amazing'. Look for more interesting synonyms for these words, such as 'exceptional', 'pleasing', or 'satisfactory'.
  8. Start writing/typing your book. Think of a hooked beginning, like one of your characters flirting with another person they like, or if it is paranormal, it could start at a magical place. You don't have to stick with the outline, but you should follow it. Also, think of a good ending. Most endings are the two characters living happily ever after, but why not try something different? The ending will be remembered, so you should make it really good!
  9. End the novel well. You can write an amazing romance novel, but if your ending is not satisfactory, it will just be remembered as 'okay' or 'I liked it, but the ending was bad'. Don't rush the ending because you're sick of plodding through chapter after chapter. It's best to end the novel with the guy and girl getting together. This will make the readers really happy, because they want the guy and the girl to be together! However, don't feel like you have to end the novel with the two main characters living happily ever after. Look at Romeo and Juliet.
  10. Use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation. No one desires to read something that is as poorly worded and proofread as, "and Sarah, like, just went to the bathroom n never came back again ever and everyone was real sad. THE END, thanks for readin my book, her'es my e-mail, tell all ur friends bout it, BYE!!!" It's likely no-one will buy it. If you are sending it to a literary agent, they WILL keep having an editor change your novel until you stop making mistakes/errors. When you have to edit something, don't change the story! The agent would've rejected it if it was really a bad story, so if they haven't rejected it so far, don't change a thing! (Besides mistakes the editor wants you to fix.)
  11. Have your friends check your novel. Ask for critique, otherwise you won't get any better. If they honestly like it, have the story published! Or, if you don't want to, put it on the backseat for a while and then you can read it for your own entertainment.

Tips

  • Don't expect instant success! You may not get your first book published and most likely you will have to send it to more than one publisher before it gets accepted. Just remember even big names, like J.K Rowling or Charles Dickens, had books rejected before.
  • An outline will help you get organized and will give you a basic overview about your romance and what to include in the book. if you need help, see How to Write an Outline.
  • Don't be in a rush to get your books done. A book takes a lot of commitment and time so just take your time and try your best.
  • Always check your language, spelling, grammar, and punctuation!
  • Microsoft Office Word is a very good novel-writing word processor. Although you have to pay, not always! Try a free trial if you like, first. But if you'll be writing a very long book or you'll be writing more books, you should buy the program before your trial timer runs out! (Around 180 days to use the trial). A good free alternative is "Open Office Writer" which will allow you to save straight to the PDF format used by printers.
  • Writing about same-sex couples would be a good way to increase popularity on your book; and makes it different from typical love stories.
  • Decide who your audience will be. If it is for adults, you could put in swearing or sexual themes. On the other hand, if you are writing for children and young teens, keep it more reserved.

Warnings

  • Don't publish your novels online if you intend to publish it through a legacy publisher first. Self-publishing has become more and more viable, and many Romance novelists are self-publishing their backlist (previously published paperback fiction) as ebooks. This tactic has earned them a greater readership and increased income. For some aspiring Romance authors (or authors of Romantic stories that weren't accepted by legacy publishers), self-publishing for e-readers has helped them gain an audience and increase their income. In this age of digital books, bypassing the legacy publishing houses can be lucrative, but you must be ready to run your own business and promote yourself heavily. This means taking into consideration how much time will be spent away from your Romance novel writing.
  • Beware of the few publishing companies that ask that you pay money in order for them to read your book, edit it, and sell it. It's likely they might be a scam! Likewise, beware online publishers, they may be a scam.
  • If you think your book is really good but a specific critic-like friend says that it "sucks", don't believe them! If everyone else who's just an average person really likes your book, then it's really good and you might get a lot of sales.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer/notebook
  • Pencil (If you're using a notebook)
  • Ideas

Related Articles

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