Use a real-life romantic experience as inspiration.
Draw from your own romantic experiences in life and adapt them to your novel. Fictionalize a chance encounter you had on vacation or a special moment you experienced with your partner. Use past romantic relationships as raw material for your novel.
Use romantic movies or television shows as inspiration.
You can also reference romantic movies or tv shows that you enjoy watching. Make your own version of a romantic movie that you like. Reimagine a romance on a tv show with characters that you create or in a different setting.
Create an engaging main character.
Have the main character relatable and likable to readers. The main character, who is usually also the narrator, should be welcoming and accessible to your audience. They should feel unique and interesting to your reader
Focus on a particular type of romance novel.
There are many different types of romance novels, from historical romance to young adult romance to paranormal romance. Decide which type you'd like to write. Choose a type that fits your story idea so you can cater to your audience
Read examples of romance novels.
Get a better sense of the genre by reading romance novels that are considered successful and well done. Go to your local library or bookstore and pick up a few romance novels
Put your own spin on the romance formula.
In romance, there is a tried and true formula: girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets the boy. To make your romance novels stand out, put your own spin or approach on the formula so your story feels fresh and engaging. You may have the girl meet a girl, or a boy meet a boy, which would fit into the queer romance genre. Or you may have the girl meet a boy in another universe or time period. Get creative and play around with the formula.
Have a strong setting.
The setting is a key element in a successful romance novel. The setting should be front and center throughout the story. It should dictate how the characters speak, how they interact, and how they interact, and how they see the world of the story
Create a central conflict.
Romance readers love a detailed, major conflict that drives the story forward. The conflict should be believable and prevent the main character and the love interest from being together. The conflict should also be clear and easy for the reader to follow.
Avoid cliches.
Romance writing is populated by many cliches, which are phrases that are so common they have lost meaning. If a phrase or line feels familiar to you, it's likely a cliche and to be avoided. Create unique descriptions instead that feel specific to your characters.
