by Melody Rivas
Writing about love isn’t easy. Writing isn’t easy, period, but romance can get especially complicated. We all have our own unique experiences with relationships, and trying to verbalize those feelings can get messy. On the other hand, a lot of aspects of love are universal, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of writing another fairytale romance.
But worry not! We here at PTM have curated this list of resources for writers, all about romance! If you’re stuck and need a fresh perspective, these helpful sources will be sure to nudge you in the right direction.
This is about the closest you’ll find to a comprehensive guide of romance writing on the internet. From picking a subgenre to structuring your novel, this article has a bit of everything. If you’re new to the romance genre, this is a great place to start.
For those who need a more structured how-to, Squibler provides a 12-step list to writing a romantic novel. As much as we love to indulge creativity, a story also requires a lot of technical work. This article focuses on those big-picture steps that can help ground your writing. It’s especially helpful for newer writers.
The romance genre relies very heavily on tropes to draw the audience in. If you want to write an original story, it’s important to understand what’s already been done. This article from Reedsy goes over popular romance tropes and explains how you can use them to your advantage, without being too cliche.
If you’re trying to write a shorter work, or even a single scene, you may still find yourself staring at the page wondering “Why don’t these characters just fall in love already?!” Thankfully, the Writer’s Digest has your back. This article has five quick tips that can help sprinkle some life into your characters’ relationships.
For those who need inspiration, TIME magazine can be an excellent resource. This piece is a combination of interviews from several different romance authors. These women talk about their opinions and experiences as writers, as well as the things they love about their chosen genre. Sometimes, all you need to stay motivated is a good example.
Sometimes, trying to write in a genre so pervasive and well-established can be daunting. You may come across things in your research that you’ve never heard of before. But fear not! This romance glossary from Write for Harlequin contains over 100 useful vocabulary words. Perfect for those trying to wade through the tides of research.
NOTE: The opinions stated in these blogs or by these writers do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of the Page Turner Magazine team.
