Crafting A Romance Story: Tips For Beginners

Writing a romance novel is no easy feat. While it may seem like a straightforward genre, romance readers are discerning and not easily impressed. To create a successful romance, you need to follow a formula that millions of different writers have used before you.

First, you need to choose a familiar plot device. Some of the most popular romance plot devices include friends becoming lovers, soulmates brought together by fate, or two people getting a second chance at love. You can also go for the classic trope of a rich and sadistic billionaire playboy meeting a mousy, unsure girl.

Next, introduce your heroine. The average romance reader is a middle-aged, middle-class woman, so your heroine should reflect that. She should be someone your reader can relate to and root for.

Then, bring in the love interest. Make him imperfect, perhaps with a trait or two that gives the heroine pause. He should have faults but also a true admiration for the heroine and a growth arc throughout the story.

Finally, create a compelling opening scene. Start with one of your two main characters, preferably the heroine, and show them under pressure, facing a challenge, or experiencing a change in circumstances that will significantly alter their life. You could also begin with an attention-grabbing statement or a dose of sensuality to intrigue your reader from the very first line.

Remember, while there are no hard and fast rules for writing a romance, following these tips will help you craft a story that will make your readers swoon.

Start with a compelling character

When starting a romance story, it is important to introduce a character that the reader can love and root for. The reader should be prepared to care about this character throughout the story and invest their emotions in their happiness and achievements.

One way to do this is by showing the character undergoing a significant personal revelation or undeserved hardship. For example, the story could begin with the heroine facing an undeserved hardship, such as losing her job or experiencing a heartbreak. This will evoke sympathy from the reader and create an immediate connection.

It is also crucial to make the character relatable yet extraordinary. Portray them as ordinary humans who are inspired by the immense power of their love for another. Avoid a simplistic plot where the characters fall madly in love and live happily ever after without any conflicts or challenges. Instead, add depth to the characters and create dynamic interactions between them.

Additionally, consider making the character's flaws apparent from the start. This adds complexity and makes the character more relatable and three-dimensional. For example, the heroine could have a flaw that initially prevents her from recognizing or accepting the love of the hero. Perhaps she is too focused on her career or has trust issues due to a past trauma.

When introducing the character, provide a glimpse into their ordinary world. This could be their daily routine, hobbies, interactions with friends or family, or their thoughts and internal monologue. This helps the reader get to know the character on a deeper level and establishes a sense of immersion in the story.

Remember, character is everything in a romance story. If your character is compelling and sympathetic, readers will be invested in their journey, even if there are some slow moments or tedious exposition in the beginning. So, take the time to develop a well-rounded, relatable, and engaging character that readers will fall in love with.

Begin with action

Starting a romance story with action is a great way to immediately pull the reader into the storyline. Here are some tips and examples to help you craft an engaging opening scene:

• Excite the reader with immediate action: Choose a moment that will quickly pull the reader into the story. Ensure that any initial action sequences are easy to understand and relate to. For example, Liz Fielding's The Billionaire Takes a Bride opens with the main character, Ginny, attempting to burgle a garden, creating a sense of peril that the reader can understand.
• Keep it simple: While it's tempting to dive straight into the story, it's important not to overwhelm the reader with too much action or complexity. Focus on creating a compelling opening that lures the reader in without requiring too much thinking.
• Create a sense of peril: The danger doesn't have to be life-threatening, and it's often better if it isn't. Conveying a sense of peril that the reader can relate to is more effective.
• Establish the stakes: Show the main character facing a challenge, a change in circumstances, or a threat that will significantly alter their life. This creates tension and makes the reader invested in the character's journey.
• Build suspense: Implicate an oncoming challenge, a dramatic change, or a threat to a character or relationship. This adds intrigue and makes the reader curious about what will happen next.
• Focus on the main character: Start by introducing one of your main characters, preferably the heroine, as readers will immediately be prepared to care about this person. Show them facing a significant challenge or disruption in their life.

Here's an example of an action-packed opening paragraph:

> "The April sunlight was as blinding as a flash of gunpowder, and the rattle of the bed curtains sounded like distant artillery fire. For a moment, Jack, Marquis of Merlin, wondered if he had gone to hell and ended back in the Peninsula War."

This excerpt from Nicola Cornick's *The Rake's Bride* introduces the hero, Jack, a war veteran who is facing a disruptive and challenging situation, immediately engaging the reader's interest and making them root for his journey toward love.

Make the setting immersive

The setting of a story is where and when the story takes place, but it's more complex than that. It can be broken down into three subcategories: temporal, environmental, and individual.

Temporal Setting

This describes the era in which the story takes place. For example, if you're writing a historical romance set in Victorian London, it's important that the reader knows the setting is not contemporary London.

Environmental Setting

This is where you explore the larger geographical area and surrounding locations. Is your story set in India or France? Paris or a rural mountain community in the Pyrenees? These details will influence everything from the characters' personalities and decisions to the action that takes place.

Individual Setting

This is where you get specific about the location of the story and the details found there. For example, if the scene is set in someone's house, what does it look like? What's the decor like? Can we tell who lives there by the contents?

• Use all five senses when describing the setting. Think about what your character is smelling, tasting, touching, hearing, and seeing.
• Make the setting a character in your story. Choose a setting that adds tension to the characters in some way.
• Use the setting to differentiate your romance. Instead of setting your story in a generic town, why not set it on a mission to Mars?
• Combine setting and symbolism. For example, Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series represents home for Harry, an orphan who is barely tolerated by his muggle relatives.
• Ensure your settings are consistent and accurate. If your character lives north of 56th Street, don't have them walking west to get there.
• Use figurative language and literary devices to bring your setting to life.

Create a dynamic couple

Creating a dynamic couple is a pivotal part of writing a romance story. Here are some tips to help you craft a compelling couple that will keep your readers engaged:

Make Them Challenge Each Other

Conflict and progression are essential in a story, and the same goes for the relationship between your main characters. The best romantic relationships in fiction mirror those in real life, where partners challenge each other to become better people. This could be through a "frenemy" or "enemies to lovers" dynamic, where the couple starts out at odds but eventually comes together, learning and growing from each other's differences. This type of relationship reveals layers about each character and forces them to evolve.

Don't Make It Perfect

A relationship without any conflict or disagreement can be boring and unrealistic. Include moments of tension and disagreement between your couple to make the relationship feel authentic and engaging. Ask yourself: How do their personalities clash? What challenges will they face together? What do they disagree on? How do they handle these disagreements? Creating doubt about whether the couple will ultimately work out will keep your readers invested and wanting to find out what happens.

Show Trust and Support

Trust, respect, and unconditional support are the foundations of a healthy relationship. Show how your couple supports and sacrifice for each other, and how they earn each other's trust. Flawed characters who exhibit complexity and growth in their relationships can be incredibly compelling and relatable.

Mutual Benefit

A successful romantic relationship in a story should show how each person benefits from being together. This gives the audience a reason to cheer for the couple and helps build a deeper connection between the characters. Ensure the relationship isn't one-sided, and that both partners gain something from their dynamic.

Create Unique, Memorable Characters

Avoid stereotypes and create unique, memorable characters that challenge gender norms. For example, in a heterosexual relationship, switch up the traditional masculine and feminine roles to create more interesting and modern characters.

Remember, a dynamic couple should have chemistry and complement each other, pushing the story forward and keeping your readers engaged and invested in their journey.

Use tried-and-true tropes

Using tried-and-true tropes is a great way to get started on your romance story. Tropes are common narrative situations that help structure your story and are often used as devices to engage readers.

• Friends become lovers: This is a classic trope where the main characters start as friends and then fall in love. This trope allows readers to see the development of the relationship and root for the couple as they navigate the transition from friendship to romance.
• You're my soulmate, it's fate: This trope suggests that the main characters are destined to be together, often due to circumstances beyond their control. It adds an element of serendipity and destiny to the story.
• This is my second chance to love again: Here, one or both of the main characters have experienced heartbreak or loss in the past and are now getting a second chance at love. This trope explores themes of healing, new beginnings, and overcoming the challenges of past relationships.
• Enemies to lovers: This trope involves the main characters starting as adversaries and then falling in love. The tension and conflict inherent in this dynamic can create a compelling narrative arc as the characters navigate their evolving relationship.
• Secret identity/billionaire/royal: This trope involves one of the main characters having a secret identity, often as a wealthy or royal individual. The revelation of the secret identity and how it impacts the relationship can create intrigue and drama.
• Stuck together: This trope involves the main characters being forced together in a confined space or unusual circumstances, such as being "trapped in an elevator." The forced proximity can lead to interesting interactions and the development of their relationship.
• Best friend's sibling: This trope explores the romantic relationship between one of the main characters and the sibling of their best friend. It adds complexity to the story as the characters navigate their feelings while also considering the impact on their friendship.
• Amnesia/mistaken identity: This trope involves one of the main characters losing their memory or having their identity mistaken, leading to complications in their relationship. It creates an opportunity for the characters to rediscover their love or explore new romantic possibilities.
• Holiday romances/flings: This trope is centred around a romantic relationship that develops during a holiday or vacation. The temporary nature of the setting can create a sense of urgency and intensity in the relationship.
• Age gap: This trope involves a significant age difference between the main characters, often with an older man and a younger woman. It explores the dynamics and challenges of relationships with large age disparities.

Remember, while using tropes can provide a familiar framework for your story, it's important to add your unique twist and develop well-rounded, relatable characters to make your romance story engaging and memorable.

Frequently asked questions