10 BEST Tips For Writing Romance
- Jenna Moreci
- Sep 30
- 6 min read
HelloOoOo everybody!
Today I'm covering the basics of romance. I am answering your top ten questions about writing romance, the romance genre, romantic subplots, erotica, and all that good stuff! Because you keep asking, and I'm tired of repeating myself.
This video is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.
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Number 1: What Is Romance?
Romance is a genre of fiction that revolves around a romantic relationship, typically between two people. It may revolve around more than two people if this is a non-monogamous relationship, like, for example, a polyamorous relationship. It follows the love these characters have for one another and ends in a happy, uplifting, emotionally satisfying way.
Number 2: Does a Romance Novel Have To Have a Happy Ending?
Yes, it does. It's literally a qualifier for the genre. Just like science fiction requires some element of science or futurism, a romance requires a love story that ends in a happily ever after or a happy for now. That means if your love story ends in a horrible breakup or a murder, it's not a romance novel.
“But Jennaaaa! What about Romeo and Juliet?”
What about Romeo and Juliet? Romeo and Juliet is not a romance. It's a tragedy, always has been, always will be. Most love stories that end in death are labeled as tragedies or dramas. It's perfectly fine if you wanna write a love story that ends in tears. Just be sure to label it properly, or you're gonna have a ton of angry readers beating down your door.
Number 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. In this case, your story would be more accurately labeled as a drama because dysfunction is dramatic, not romantic. Remember, just because there's a romantic relationship in the story does not mean it fits the romance genre. If your story is about the destruction and pain of an abusive relationship, fantastic. That sounds like a very powerful drama or contemporary piece. But if you're insistent on writing a romance that starts off with assault, please don’t. Just stop.
Number 4: Are Romance and Erotica the Same Thing?
No, they are not. A romance is a story that revolves around a romantic relationship. An erotica is a story that revolves around a sexual relationship. In short, romance is about love; erotica is about getting laid. That's not to say a romance can't feature sex; it most certainly can. But the story is not about the sex.
On the flip side, erotica can definitely feature love, but the story is about the sexual fantasy. A lot of people confuse these two genres because romance often comes with sex, and sex often comes with romance. But the fact is, two people can be madly in love and never have sex. And also, two people can have tons of sex and never be in love. Romantic attraction and sexual attraction are two different things. Likewise, these are two different genres.
Number 5: Does My Romance Have To Include a Sex Scene?
No, it doesn't. Like I already mentioned, romance revolves around romantic relationships. It most certainly can include sex, but it is by no means a genre requirement. I recently read a romance novella where the two main characters didn't even kiss until the last page. So don't for a second think you have to write about bumping uglies, ’cause you don't.
Number 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 dicks like that. All genres have their haters, but the vitriol surrounding the romance genre is usually of the sexist variety, because the world is trash. Romance is also sometimes seen as cliché, and it totally can be, but so can every other genre. Basically, if you love romance, there is nothing wrong with that. And if you don't like romance, that's fine too.
But if you turn your nose up to any genre just because you feel it's beneath you, you might be an elitist asshole. Regardless, romance writers are laughing all the way to the bank because romance is the number one most popular fiction genre by far. There is quite literally no competition. Romance outsells all other genre fiction by a landslide.
Number 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. Your characters are battling aliens or saving the world, but a few chapters here and there, they also manage to suck face.
If you're not sure if your love story is a plot or a 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.
Number 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.
Number 9: What if My Main Plot Contains a Romance and Something Else, Like a Murder or a Ghost Story?
That means you're writing a multi-genre book. A multi-genre book basically means the plot fits equally into more than one genre. And lots of books are multi-genre, whether they include romance or not. Mystery thrillers, sci-fi adventures, paranormal erotica, these are all multi-genre. Say, for example, your book takes place on another planet, and it follows a love story between two aliens from rivaling tribes. This book would be categorized as a sci-fi romance because it fits equally into both of those genres.
Number 10: Do I Have To Include Romance or a Romantic Subplot in My Book?
No, you don't. A lot of writers feel pressure to include a romantic subplot because it's very popular, but popularity is not law. You are not required to follow trends or public opinion. If you don't want to feature a romance or a romantic subplot just wouldn’t make sense for your story, just don't write it. No one is holding a gun to your head. It's your book. Do you.
So that's all I've got for you today!
Romance is the number one most popular fiction genre, and thus, this is the genre I get asked the most questions about. People are confused by love and seduction. Does that surprise anyone? Not me. Hopefully, this cleared shit up for you guys.
A huge thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video. If you are looking to expand your creativity or turn your creativity into a lucrative business, definitely check them out; you will learn a ton! Premium membership is super cheap, and an annual subscription is less than ten bucks a month. However, Skillshare is offering two months of Skillshare Premium for free to the first 500 people who click the activation link below. Do the thing. Click the link right here. You will have access to over 25,000 classes for two months, and you don't gotta pay a dime.
*This post is sponsored by Skillshare. As always, all opinions are my own.
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