The basics of writing romance
by Jenna Moreci
1. What is romance? Romance is a genre of fiction that revolves around a romantic relationship, typically between two or more people
2. Does a romance novel have to have a happy ending? Yes, it does. It is literally a qualifier for the genre.
3. What if I want to write about a dysfunctional relationship? If you want to write about an unhappy relationship, that is your prerogative, but again, it's not a romance.
4. Are romance and erotica the same thing? No, they are not! A romance is a story that revolves around a romantic relationship, and erotica is a story that revolves around a sexual relationship. In short, romance is about love; erotica is about getting laid.
5. Does my romance have to include a sex scene? No, it doesn't. It most certainly can include sex, but it is by no means a genre requirement.
6. Don't people look down on romance novels? I mean, some people do, but some people also look down on fantasy and sci-fi. People are jerks like that.
7. What's the difference between a romance novel and a romantic subplot? A romance novel is about people falling in love; that itself is the plot. A romantic subplot is a teeny-tiny love story that coexists alongside the main plot. If you're not sure if your love story is a plot or subplot, think of it this way. If you were to remove the love story, would your entire plot be completely ruined? If yes, then you're probably writing a romance novel. However, say you remove the love story, and sure you may have to rewrite a couple of scenes and maybe the story is a little less interesting, but it can still be told overall. If that's the case, the relationship is probably a romantic subplot.
8. If I have a romantic subplot, do I need to label my novel as a romance? No! Please don't do that! Lots of novels have romantic subplots, and none of them get labeled as romances. If you labeled your novel based on every subplot, you'd have like ten genres, and that's stupid! Your novel's genre is reflective of the main plot of the story. That's it.
9. What if my main plot contains a romance and something else? That means you're writing a multi-genre book. A multi-genre book basically means the plot fits equally into more than one genre.
10. Do I have to include romance or a romantic subplot in my book? No! You don't!
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writing 4 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜: WRITING ADVICE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER WRITER
Non-FictionWriting is hard. Being a writer is even harder. But with "Writing 4 Writers," you CAN become a better writer. Every time I sit down to write, I reference this collection of writing advice from a variety of blogs, writers, and YouTubers: Jenna Moreci...
