By Marissa Dunham //
Have you fallen in love with romance novels?
Curated today is a list of five craft books that will both inspire your passion for novels in the romance genre and inform your writing.
Like the craft books for mystery writers reviewed in last month’s column, romance novels have their own set of marketplace expectations. Fake fiancé, meet cute, love triangle, secret billionaire/royalty are all just a few favorite twists that readers can’t wait to read in their romances. Then, there are the subgenres: Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, and more. These are all aspects of the romance novel that drive fans to want to read your book and that writers need to be aware of before they write “happily ever after” (HEA) or “happy for now” (HFN).
The main thread that makes a romance a romance is the relationship, and the craft books below will help you flesh out your story to make it a good one.
If you want to dip your toe further into the genre, the Romance Writers of America offers a great snapshot on their website!
ROMANCE FACTS:
Levels of heat for romance without on page sex scenes – Fade to black. Off the page. Low heat.
Special thanks to Orange County Romance Writers, Jenna Barwin and Christina Alexandra, for their contributions in research and in selecting these wonderful craft books.
Here are the five!
- How to Write a Swoon-Worthy Sweet Romance Novel by Victorine E. Lieske
This roughly 240-page book is slightly unconventional in the world of craft books. Helpful for studying character development and romance tropes, Lieske provides in-line reflections of her novel, Acting Married, paragraph by paragraph, to give romance writers a behind-the-scenes look of how she approached writing her novel. Sandwiched on either side of Acting Married are full explanations of the meet cute, when to increase heat, story structure and other romance expectations, including a list of romance-specific tropes. It’s a great resource for those looking to fill in the gaps on how to write a sweet romance. If you enjoy Lieske’s Sweet Romance, the second book in the series is called How to Write a Swoon-Worthy Second Chance Romance Novel. - The Trope Thesaurus by Jennifer Hilt
Speaking of tropes, this is a popular thesaurus for its great lists of tropes. This handy guide explains trope as a craft device that creates a “predictable character, setting, or scenario” found in the third paragraph of “What Is a Trope?”. The book covers nearly every trope you can think of for romance! And, not just romance, but also historical fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery too. It is great for writers wanting to get a better grasp of where their book falls in the marketplace and find some new material for their novels. The book is roughly 232 pages and is sure to inspire. - Thinking Like a Romance Writer: The Sensual Writer’s Sourcebook of Words and Phrases by Dahlia Evans
This book is an easy-to-use, flip-through resource for when you’re looking for that one word that’s on the tip of your tongue. With 8,500 words across roughly 100 pages, Evans’s sourcebook holds a special charm. Each section is developed to enliven the five senses in your writing. From 37 categories, you can expect to play with words all about hair, eyes, intimacy, love, and more. The book may also function as a warm-up for switching into the right mindset, or lexicon, before writing, if you’re interested in copywork or writing out lists. - Romancing the Beat: Story Structure for Romance Novels (How to Write Kissing Books) by Gwen Hayes
Need help with story structure? Structure is one of my most requested topics for book recommendations and this craft book for romance writers is a go-to. The 94-page book is a short, but helpful staple for many published romance writers for its adaptability. The story beats are broken down into a four-act story structure that will help with story outlining or as-you-go writing styles. Can’t recommend this one enough! - Writing Romances: A Handbook by the Romance Writers of America
This is an introductory book for romance (and writing in general). I include the book on this list because it covers the basics of the genre, and while the book is from 1997, it is still a good place to begin. Writing Romances is divided into four sections: The Business of Romance, General Information, Craft, and Spotlight On. Spotlight On goes into the romance subgenres like Regency Romance, Medieval Romance, Paranormal Romance, and Young Adult Romance. The book is about 209 pages.
Marissa’s Take Practice Exercise: Romance Warm-Up
For five minutes, list all of the words you can think of related to or describing kissing. Use your five senses.
Note: Up the creativity in your warm-up by writing the words randomly across the page. Discover new word pairs or descriptors about kissing for your story.
Next month we’ll review craft books for historical fiction.
MARISSA DUNHAM is a writer and freelance editor. She spent the early part of her career in educational publishing, but now spends most of her time editing literary fiction, magical realism, and middle grade fiction. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys bringing new life into the world by planting tomatoes and flowers in the garden.